Leadville, Colorado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Leadville, Colorado | |
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| Nickname: The Two Mile High City | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  State of Colorado |
| County | Lake County Seat[1] |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Incorporated | February 18, 1878[2] |
| Government | |
| - Type | Statutory City[1] |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1.1 sq mi (2.7 km²) |
| - Land | 1.1 sq mi (2.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 10,152 ft (3,094 m) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Total | 2,688 |
| - Density | 2,659.5/sq mi (1,026.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP codes[3] | 80429 (PO Box), 80461 |
| Area code(s) | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-44320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0204683 |
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Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States.[4] Situated at an elevation of 10,152 feet (3094 meters), Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States. A former silver mining camp that lies near the headwaters of the Arkansas River in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the city includes the Leadville Historic District, a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which preserves many historic structures and sites from Leadville's dynamic mining era.
In the late 1800s, Leadville was the second most populous city in Colorado, after Denver. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 2,688 in 2005.[5]
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[edit] History
[edit] Oro City
Placer gold was discovered in California Gulch on 1860, during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, and the town of Oro City sprung up near present-day Leadville. The boom was brief, however, and Oro City never became a major settlement. The placer gold mining was hampered by heavy brown sand in the sluice boxes.
[edit] Discovery of Silver
In 1874, gold miners at Oro City discovered that the heavy sand that impeded their gold recovery was the lead mineral cerussite, that carried a high content of silver. Prospectors followed the cerussite to its source, and by 1876, had discovered several lode silver-lead deposits. The city of Leadville was founded near to the new silver deposits in 1877 by mine owners Horace Austin Warner Tabor and August Meyer[6] , setting off the Colorado Silver Boom. By 1880, Leadville was one of the world's largest silver camps, with a population of over 40,000.
In 1882, the Tabor Opera House hosted Oscar Wilde on his lecture tour of the West, one of many celebrities who graced the city. Mayor David H. Dougan invited Wilde to tour the Matchless silver mine and open their new lode: "The Oscar." Wilde later recounted a visit to a local saloon, "where I saw the only rational method of art criticism I have ever come across. Over the piano was printed a notice - 'Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best.'"
Around 1883, famous outlaw Doc Holliday moved to Leadville, only a short time after the gun fight at the O.K. Corrall. On August 19, 1884, Holliday shot ex-Leadville policeman, Billy Allen, after Allen threatened Holliday for failing to pay a $5 debt. Despite overwhelming evidence implicating him, a jury found Holliday not-guilty of the shooting or attempted murder.[7]
In its early years, Leadville was the site of some famous mining swindles. When the Little Pittsburg mine exhausted its rich ore body, the managers sold off their shares while hiding the real condition of the mine from other stockholders. “Chicken Bill” Lovell dumped a wheelbarrow of rich silver ore into a barren pit on his Chrysolite mining claim in order to sell the claim to Horace Tabor for a large price; but Tabor had the last laugh when his miners dug down a few feet farther and discovered a rich ore body. Later, the manager of the Chrysolite mine fooled an outside mining engineer into overestimating the ore reserves of that mine.[8]
[edit] Decline
The city's fortunes declined with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893, although afterwards there was another small gold boom. Mining companies came to rely increasingly on income from the lead and zinc.
The district is credited with producing over 2.9 million troy ounces of gold, 240 million troy ounces of silver, 1 million short tons of lead, 785 thousand short tons of zinc, and 53 thousand short tons of copper[9]
During World War II, Leadville was a popular spot for visits by soldiers at nearby Camp Hale, but only after the town acted to curb prostitution; until then, the United States Army declared the town off-limits for its personnel. The Army Air Forces built the Leadville Army Airfield northwest of the city.[10] The war also caused an increase in the mining of molybdenum at the nearby Climax mine. At one point the mine produced 75 percent of the world's molybdenum.
[edit] Historic District and Life After Mining
| Leadville Historic District | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
| Location: | Leadville, Colorado |
| Built/Founded: | 1860 |
| Architect: | Tabor,H. A. W. |
| Architectural style(s): | Late Victorian |
| Designated as NHL: | July 04, 1961[11] |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966[12] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000248 |
| Governing body: | Local |
The closing of the Climax mine in the 1980s was a major blow to the town's economy. In addition, the many years of mining left behind substantial contamination of the soil and water, so that the Environmental Protection Agency designated some former mining sites in Leadville as Superfund sites. The town is now 98% cleaned up and the Superfund designation is about to expire. The town has made major efforts to improve its economy by encouraging tourism and emphasizing its history and opportunities for outdoor recreation.
The Leadville Historic District was designated in 1961.[11][13] It includes 67 mines in the mining district east of the city up to the 12,000 foot (3658 meter) level, and a defined portion of the village area, with specific exclusion of various buildings. Principal historic buildings in the district are: Tabor Grant Hotel, St. George's Church, Annunciation Church, Tabor Opera House, City Hall, Healy House, Dexter Cabin, Engelbach House, and Tabor House, as well as mining structures and small homes. Structures built after 1917 are considered non-contributing.
The National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame opened in 1987 with a federal charter. The town's altitude and rugged terrain contributes to a number of challenging racing events, such as the Leadville Trail 100 series of races. It is often used as a base for altitude training and hosts a number of other events for runners and mountain bicyclists.
Leadville is known for its festive atmosphere. Boom Days, held on the first full weekend of August, it a tribute to the city's mining past. The festivities include mining competitions and burro racing. Crystal Carnival, held late in winter, features a skijoring competition on Harrison Avenue. As a center for such celebrations, Leadville has unofficially been labeled "Parade Capital U.S.A."[citation needed] in recognition of the frequent, though sometimes small parades held in the downtown area, such as the quirky "St. Patrick's Day Practice Parade".
[edit] Geography
Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States. This can be misleading: higher towns and unincorporated settlements do exist. See Extreme points of the United States.
At an elevation of 9,927 feet (3026 meters) the Leadville Airport (Lake County Airport, KLXV) is the highest airport in the United States. At 9,680 feet, the Mount Massive Golf Course is the second highest golf course in the United States.
Leadville is located at (39.247200, -106.292414).[14]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.7 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Potential Dangers to Town
see Leadville tunnel
Above Leadville, there is Drainage Tunnel which was built during the Second World War to facilitate the mining effort. It is known as the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel (LMDT, and not the Yak Tunnel which is a separate drainage tunnel that has been remediated in the 1990s via EPA Superfund site), and is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. In 2001 this tunnel collapsed and water has continued to build in the mine shaft that the tunnel served. The water pressure inside the tunnel has been increasing since 2001 because of the rising water level in the mines. There is little doubt that this is a serious problem. If the blockage suddenly released, it could destroy a community near the tunnel outlet known as East Fork Village and contaminate the Arkansas River (which flows in to the Mississippi River) with heavy metals. There has been word that off pumping could begin on Thursday Feb. 21st 2008.[15]
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 14,820 |
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| 1890 | 10,384 | -29.9% | |
| 1900 | 12,455 | 19.9% | |
| 1910 | 7,508 | -39.7% | |
| 1920 | 4,959 | -34.0% | |
| 1930 | 3,771 | -24.0% | |
| 1940 | 4,774 | 26.6% | |
| 1950 | 2,987 | -37.4% | |
| 1960 | 4,008 | 34.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,314 | 7.6% | |
| 1980 | 3,879 | -10.1% | |
As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 2,821 people, 1,253 households, and 675 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,659.5 people per square mile (1,027.5/km²). There were 1,514 housing units at an average density of 1,427.3/sq mi (551.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.52% White, 0.14% African American, 1.28% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 12.34% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.45% of the population.
There were 1,253 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution is 21.1% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,714, and the median income for a family was $44,444. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $23,512 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,607. About 9.1% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Community
Leadville host an annual skiing event called Skijoring and Crystal Carnival in March.[17] This is a horse-drawn skiing for the family since the 1960s.[18]
[edit] Transportation
Leadville is served by Lake County Airport. However, there are no scheduled airline services available from this airport. The closest airports to provide scheduled services are Eagle County Airport and Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, both located 62 miles (100 km) away.
[edit] Major Highways
US 24 is an east-west highway running from Interstate 75 near Clarkston, Michigan to the intersection with Interstate 70, near Minturn, Colorado. Its western terminus is located just 32 miles north of Leadville. It is also the main route to the Eagle-Vail valley and Colorado Springs.
State Highway 91 is a 22.5-mile stretch that connects Leadville to the intersection with Interstate 70, near Copper Mountain. It is the best route to get from Leadville to Denver.
[edit] In popular culture
- Film
- "The Unsinkable Molly Brown"
- "The Silver King" with Edgar G. Robinson playing Horace A. W. Tabor
- The Day of the Dead, setting but not filming location.
- The Under Siege 2: Dark Territory: the Leadville Airport in the first few minutes was dressed as the National Guard Leadville Airbase.
- The Silver City: The downtown strip of Leadville, plus locations around the county were featured.
- The Switchback, some filming locations.
- Television/Music
- Pepsi's Super Bowl XXX ad, "Northern Exposure" dressed Leadville as an Alaskan logging town.
- The Ballad of Baby Doe, the opera
- The town of Leadville is alluded to in the South Park episode Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow
- Literature
- "Angle of Repose", 1972 novel by Wallace Stegner
- "Plague Year" by Jeff Carlson: Leadville is the capital of the US, with a city population of 650000, in the Scifi novel
[edit] References
- ^ a b Active Colorado Municipalities (HTML). State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
- ^ Colorado Municipal Incorporations (HTML). State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives (2004-12-01). Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
- ^ ZIP Code Lookup (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved on November 14, 2007.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2006-06-20). Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
- ^ Meyer, August 1851-1905, Parks -georgekessler.org
- ^ HistoryNet: Spitting Lead in Leadville: Doc Holliday’s Last Stand
- ^ Mining Swindles: Leadville
- ^ Ogden Tweto (1968) Leadville district, Colorado, in Ore Deposits in the United States 1933/1967, New York: American Institute of Mining Engineers, p.683.
- ^ Air Fields Database: Leadville
- ^ a b Leadville Historic District. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ Joseph S. Mendinghall, Gregory Kendrick, and Sara J. Pearce (November, 1987), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Leadville Historic DistrictPDF (1.07 MiB), National Park Service and Accompanying 26 photos, from 1975, 1979, and 1983.PDF (2.12 MiB)
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ CNN News: Eruption of tainted water could swamp Colorado town
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Leadville Community Calendar
- ^ Leadville Chronicle
[edit] External links
- City of Leadville contacts
- "Leadville Today"
- Leadville.com
- Twin Lakes Chamber of Commerce history
- Today in Literature remembers Leadville's introduction to Aestheticism
- Leadville photos and information at Western Mining History
[edit] See also
- Colorado municipalities
- Edwards Micropolitan Statistical Area
- Lake County, Colorado
- State of Colorado
- Leadville mining district
- Further reading
Dan Plazak – A Hole in the Ground with a Liar at the Top ISBN 978-0-87480-840-7 (includes a chapter on mining swindles of early Leadville)
- Related content
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- Leadville, Colorado is at coordinates Coordinates:
