Mines near Leadville

Abstract

The Leadville mining district was one of the largest lead-silver ore producers in the US. Placer gold was first discovered in the area of California Gulch in 1859, and a number of mining camps quickly appeared. One camp boasted a population of 10,000 by 1860. The rich gold placer deposits were depleted by the mid 1860s, but the identification of silver ore (that had been clogging placer equipment for years) in 1875-1876 was quickly followed by the discovery of silver lodes. The booming community chose the name Leadville from among several proposed names in 1877. By 1880 production from the mines was high and there were at least twelve smelters in the Leadville area. The town of Leadville contained numerous businesses, boarding houses, and places of entertainment. During its heyday from 1876 to the 1893 collapse of the silver market, the mines in the Leadville area produced over two hundred million dollars in ore, mostly silver.