Central City main street

Abstract

Photograph of the main street of Central City during what may have been the 1881 Fourth of July parade. The photograph shows a band in the foreground with the sidewalks and roof tops lined with people. Buildings shown include the First National Bank Block, which was built in 1874. Central City came to be known as "the richest square mile on earth." In 1859 John Gregory discovered the Gregory lode in this area. Within weeks of the report, around 3,000 men had arrived at Gregory Gulch. Within months there were between 20,000 and 30,000 people in the area. During that first summer an estimated $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 in gold were recovered from easily worked surface deposits. As the digging got tougher, the population declined to a more stable level. Although more than one camp was established in the area, Central City grew faster and in 1861 became the Gilpin County seat. By 1860 there were 60 stamp mills and 30 arrastras operating in the area. However, ore ...