Leadville, Colorado

Leadville is a small community of 2,821 in central Colorado. It is located 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Breckenridge, 43 miles (69 kilometers) south of Vail, and 101 miles (163 kilometers) southwest of Denver. Leadville is the seat of Lake County.

The community was named after the silver-lead ore discovered here in 1874. More silver deposits were discovered in 1877 and set off the Colorado Silver Boom. By 1880, Leadville had a population of over 40,000, and was one of the world's largest silver camps. Gold, lead, copper, zinc, and molybdenum also flowed out of local mines, and mining continued to be Leadville's major industry until the 1980s. The National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum is one of the city's top attractions, and features a replica of a hard rock mine, a prospector's cave, and a 23-ounce (652-gram) piece of gold mined nearby.

The history of Leadville is filled with larger than life stories and characters. Meyer Guggenheim, Marshall Field, and Charles H. Dow (of Dow Jones and Company) all have historic ties to Leadville. The "Unsinkable" Molly Brown once lived in Leadville, Doc Holliday was arrested here, and Oscar Wilde stopped by in 1882 on his American tour. Horace Tabor was one of Leadville's richest and most colorful residents. He rose from rags to riches, only to sink into poverty again, and created a sensational scandal when he left his wife for Elizabeth McCourt Doe (aka "Baby Doe"). Tabor purchased the Matchless Mine in 1879, which once produced $2,000 a day in high-quality ore. You can also tour the Tabor Home, where Horace lived with his first wife Augusta. The 1879 Tabor Opera House is another one of the silver king's legacies, and was visited by Oscar Wilde in 1882. Today the opera house hosts concerts, musicals, plays, and other performances.

Seventy square blocks in Leadville form a National Historic Landmark District, with numerous buildings constructed between 1880 and 1905. The Healy House Museum and Dexter Cabin are two of the oldest houses in the city, and Healy House features lavish furnishings and objects which once belonged to the Tabors. The Heritage Museum contains a fascinating mix of historic displays, including photos, Victorian furnishings, mining artifacts, and a fine art gallery.

Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and near the Arkansas River, Leadville and Lake County offer a plethora of recreational opportunities. During the summer, try your hand at fishing, whitewater rafting, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, and golf. During the winter, enjoy cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing on local trails, or downhill skiing at local Ski Cooper, or less than an hour from home at Vail or Breckenridge.

Although the mining days are over, life is still golden in Leadville, Colorado!

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