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92-527: Leadville ( / ˈ l ɛ d v ɪ l / LED -vil ) is a statutory city that is the county seat , the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Lake County , Colorado , United States. The city population was 2,633 at the 2020 census . It is situated at an elevation of 10,119 feet (3,084 m). Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States and

184-488: A $ 5 debt. Despite overwhelming evidence implicating him, a jury found Holliday not guilty of the shooting or attempted murder. Gunfighter and professional gambler Luke Short also spent time in Leadville. Margaret "Molly" Brown , who became known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", moved to Leadville in 1885, when she was 18 years old. In 1886 she married a mining engineer who was twelve years older, James Joseph Brown at

276-461: A 2020 population of 127 is the least populous Colorado city, while the Town of Castle Rock with a 2020 population of 73,158 is the most populous Colorado town. At the 2020 United States Census , 4,299,942 of the 5,773,714 Colorado residents (74.47%) lived in one of the 271 municipalities active at the time. Another 714,417 residents (12.37%) lived in one of the 210 census-designated places , while

368-579: A city council with two members elected from each ward and one member elected at large. The mayor may be the city council member elected at large or the city council may appoint a mayor. Colorado has 157 statutory towns that operate under Title 31, Article 1, Section 203 and Article 4, Part 3 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The statutory town of Creede uses the official title "City of Creede". Garden City , Lake City , Orchard City , and Sugar City are statutory towns but use city at

460-471: A city or a town), statutory city , statutory town , and territorial charter municipality . State law makes relatively few distinctions between a city and a town. The charter of a home rule municipality may designate either a city or town municipal title. In general, cities are more populous than towns, although long-term population changes may skew this considerably, as illustrated by the City of Black Hawk and

552-424: A cold semi-arid climate (Bsk). The average January temperatures are a maximum of 29.5 °F (−1.4 °C) and a minimum of 4.6 °F (−15.2 °C). The average July temperatures are a maximum of 71.0 °F (21.7 °C) and a minimum of 39.2 °F (4.0 °C). There are an average of 271.7 mornings annually with freezing temperatures, which can occur in any month of the year. The record high temperature

644-699: A copublisher and journalist at the paper. That first issue was printed only 20 minutes ahead of its rival, the Cherry Creek Pioneer . The Rocky went from a weekly to a daily newspaper in August 1860, and from an evening to a morning newspaper in July 1870. In 1883, the newspaper took a stand against corruption and crime in Denver. One of its primary targets was city crime boss Jefferson Randolph Smith, alias "Soapy" Smith . In one crime-fighting campaign,

736-496: A federal charter that was drawn in by Leadville offering a good deal on the former high school building. In 1983, Ken Chlouber partnered with Merilee Maupin to founded the Leadville Trail 100 Run, a 100-mile ultramarathon through the rugged mountain terrain around the town. It succeeded, leading them to found the still-extant Leadville Race Series, which contains a variety of races. The Leadville Race Series has become

828-642: A full-time female reporter. Like the Rocky Mountain News , The Chronicle took the lead in outing criminals and thieves, in an attempt to clean up the town's shady business culture. Despite violent threats, the Chronicle survived without major incident. William Nye opened the first saloon in 1877, and it was followed by many others. The same year the Coliseum Novelty was the first theater to open. It offered sleeping rooms upstairs for

920-585: A large price. Tabor had the last laugh when his miners dug a few feet farther and discovered a rich ore body. Some time later the manager of the Chrysolite mine fooled an outside mining engineer into overestimating the mine's ore reserves. 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

1012-570: A letter to a London business contact, mine owner Eben Smith wrote, "The strikers got the worst of it in the raid on the Coronado and Emmet [mines], there were 10 or 12 killed; we do not know how many, and a great number wounded; they take care of their wounded the same as the Indians but every now and then a fellow turns up that the rats have been eating or who has gone to decay that we know must have been shot ..." World War II caused an increase in

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1104-408: A nightly rate and provided a variety of entertainments: dancing girls, dogfights, cockfighting, wrestling and boxing matches, and rooms for gambling. In June 1881, it burned to the ground. Ben Wood, who arrived in Leadville in 1878, opened the first legitimate theater, Wood's Opera House, with a thousand seats. It was a first-class theater, where gentleman removed their hats and did not smoke or drink in

1196-536: A popular endurance race series, attracting hundreds of athletes to Leadville each year. Leadville is often used as a base for altitude training and hosts a number of other events for runners and mountain bicyclists . At an elevation of 10,158 feet (3,096 m), Leadville lies close to timberline , which in Colorado is from 11,000 to 12,000 feet (3,400 to 3,700 m). The surrounding peaks are all well above 12,000 feet, and are thus bare of trees. Leadville has

1288-481: A robustly staffed on-line alternative newspaper could succeed and were looking for new backers. INDenver Times , still on-line as of April 2018 , does not use the subscription model, instead depending on advertising for its revenue. As of October 2013 , the three co-founders Kevin Prebuld, Brad Gray, and Ben Ray, editor Steve Haigh, and contributors Drew Litton and Ed Stein were the only remaining staff from

1380-475: A scandal in Colorado and beyond. For several years, the couple lived a lavish lifestyle in a Denver mansion, but Tabor, one of the wealthiest men in Colorado, lost his fortune when the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act caused the Panic of 1893 . He died on April 10, 1899, of appendicitis, destitute but remained convinced that the price of silver would rebound. According to legend, he told Baby Doe to "hold on

1472-549: A school for 1,100 students. Many business buildings were constructed with bricks hauled in by wagons. In early 1878, Meyer, along with Leadville's pioneer smelter entrepreneur, Edwin Harrison, after whom the famed Harrison Avenue is named, and Tabor established a post office in Leadville, with George L. Henderson designated as postmaster on July 16, 1877. The post office and the telegraph office both prospered, with Tabor serving as postmaster from February 19 to December 13, 1878. It

1564-581: 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.'" Several other notable figures visited the Tabor Opera House, including boxer Jack Dempsey . The town has made major efforts to improve its economy by encouraging tourism and emphasizing its history and opportunities for outdoor recreation. The National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame opened in 1987 with

1656-582: Is recognized around the world. Such are the vagaries of life." Alice Ivers, better known as Poker Alice , was a card player and dealer of the Old West who learned her trade in Leadville. Born in Devonshire , her family moved to America when she was a small girl. They first settled in Virginia , where she attended an elite girls' boarding school. When she was a teenager, her family moved to Leadville when

1748-593: Is surrounded by two of the tallest peaks in the state. Leadville is a former silver mining town that lies among the headwaters of the Arkansas River within the Rocky Mountains . The Leadville Historic District , designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, contains many historic structures and sites of Leadville's mining era. In the late 19th century, Leadville was the second most populous city in Colorado, after Denver . The Leadville area

1840-554: Is the second highest summit in the Rocky Mountains and state of Colorado, and the third highest in the contiguous United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the city of Leadville has an area of 1.1 square miles (2.9 km), all land. The lower part of California Gulch runs past the southern edge of the city, flowing west 3 miles (5 km) to the Arkansas River . Leadville has an alpine subarctic climate ( Dfc ) with cold winters and mild summers, bordering on

1932-639: The Colorado Press Association 's General Excellence Award, the award for the best large daily newspaper in Colorado (for the eighth year in a row). The photo and design staffs won 25 Society for News Design awards, placed eighth in the world, and won nine National Press Photographers Association awards and six Pictures of the Year International awards. In 2006, Jim Sheeler of the Rocky Mountain News won

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2024-466: The News on the market, with industry analysts saying the move was possibly a prelude to shuttering the paper. Although Brian Ferguson, a private equity investor from Texas, contacted Scripps to express interest, that deal fell-through for reasons that included complications of the joint operating agreement. On February 26, 2009, Scripps announced that the Rocky Mountain News would print its final edition

2116-601: The OpenStreetMap link at the right to view the location of these 273 municipalities. Twenty-one active municipalities currently extend into more than one county . 38°59′50″N 105°32′52″W  /  38.9972°N 105.5478°W  / 38.9972; -105.5478  ( State of Colorado ) Rocky Mountain News The Rocky Mountain News (nicknamed the Rocky )

2208-510: The Rocky Mountain News or KMGH-TV had the company never shuttered the paper. On March 16, 2009, several former Rocky Mountain News staffers announced a plan to develop a new on-line, real-time local newspaper, with a staff of about 30 journalists. The plan required 50,000 subscriber pledges before April 23, 2009; if that goal was met, the full website, with the name INDenver Times , would launch on May 4, 2009. On April 23, 2009, INDenver Times ,

2300-574: The Town of Castle Rock . Neither village nor civil township is a type of civil division in the State of Colorado. The cities of Cherry Hills Village and Greenwood Village and the towns of Log Lane Village , Mountain Village , and Snowmass Village have the word "village" at the end of their names. Nineteen Colorado municipalities extend into two counties, while two cities – Aurora and Littleton – extend into three counties. In

2392-575: The Town of Sawpit with 19 acres (0.078 km ) of land area was the least extensive. The City of Glendale with a 2020 population density of 8,117 residents per square mile (3,134/km ) was the most densely populated municipality, while the Town of Bonanza with a 2020 population density of 38 residents per square mile (15/km ) was the least densely populated municipality after Carbonate. Colorado municipalities operate under one of five types of municipal governing authority — consolidated city and county , home rule municipality (which may be either

2484-466: 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 (discovered in 1911), and 53 thousand short tons of copper. A bitter strike by Leadville's hard rock miners in 1896–97 led to bloodshed, at least five deaths, and the burning of the Coronado Mine. In

2576-582: The 12,000-foot (3,700 m) elevation, and a defined portion of the village area, with specific exclusions for various buildings. The principal historic buildings are the Tabor Grand Hotel, St George's Church, Temple Israel , African Methodist Episcopal Church (est. 1881)African Methodist Episcopal Church (est. 1881), the Annunciation Church, Tabor Opera House, City Hall, Healy House , Dexter Cabin , Engelbach House, Tabor House, and

2668-538: The 53,804-acre Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, preserving the area’s important historic, prehistoric, natural, and recreational values. 10 miles (16 km) north of Leadville the old downhill training slope, Cooper Hill, located atop Tennessee Pass on the Continental Divide , now operates as the Ski Cooper resort. Much of the area is above the tree line , providing a panoramic view of

2760-714: The Church of Annunciation. The Brown family acquired great wealth in 1893 when Brown was instrumental in the discovery of a substantial gold ore seam at the Little Jonny Mine. The mine was owned by his employers, the Ibex Mining Company. Margaret Brown became famous because of her survival of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic , after exhorting the crew of Lifeboat No. 6 to return to look for survivors. A 1960 Broadway musical based on her life

2852-412: The Colorado Revised Statutes. A statutory city must have a population of at least 2,000 at the time of incorporation or reorganization, although three have lost population since. Statutory cities have an elected mayor and a city council composed of the mayor and two members elected from each ward. A statutory city may petition to reorganize as a Section 200 statutory city with an appointed city manager and

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2944-483: The Colorado Revised Statutes; and the home rule charter of each municipality. The state-authorized home rule charter determines the form of government. Home rule gives local municipalities the power to make legislation relevant to their areas, exercising control over issues of local concern while minimizing state intervention in municipal affairs. Colorado has 11 statutory cities that operate under Title 31, Article 1, Section 203 and Article 4, Section 100 or Section 200 of

3036-490: The Constitution of the State of Colorado. Broomfield has an appointed city and county manager , an elected mayor, and a city council of 11 members composed of the mayor and two members elected from each of five wards. As of 2024, Colorado has 102 cities and towns that are home rule municipalities, which are self-governing under Article 20 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado; Title 31, Article 1, Section 202 of

3128-512: The EPA reports: "A vast majority of the cleanup at the site has been completed, so current risk of exposure is low. Pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children are still encouraged to have their blood-lead levels checked." [1] As the population boomed, by 1878, Leadville had the reputation as one of the most lawless towns in the West . The first city marshal was run out of town a few days after he

3220-713: The Gold Rush Room with specimens of native gold, a large collection of mineral specimens, and a mining art gallery. The site also includes the Matchless Mine and cabin, former home of Baby Doe Tabor . Some historic sites are linked by the Mineral Belt National Recreation Trail , an 11.6-mile (18.7 km) all-season biking/walking trail that loops around Leadville and through its historic mining district. In part it follows old mining-camp railbeds. Interpretative kiosks recount

3312-535: The Golden Burro Cafe and Lounge, as well as mining structures and small homes. The National Mining Hall of Fame on West 9th Street is dedicated to commemorating the work of miners and people that work with natural resources. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Major exhibits include an elaborate model railroad , a walk-through replica of an underground hardrock mine,

3404-501: The Leadville area began in 1859 when prospectors discovered gold at the mouth of California Gulch . By 1872, placer mining in California Gulch yielded more than $ 2,500,000, roughly equivalent to $ 64,000,000 in 2023. In 1876, black sand , once considered bothersome to placer gold miners, was discovered to contain lead carbonates, leading to a rush of miners to the area and the founding of the town in 1877. By 1880, Leadville

3496-629: The Matchless mine   ... it will make millions again when silver comes back." She returned to Leadville with her daughters, Silver Dollar and Lily, where she spent the rest of her life believing Tabor's prediction. At one time the "best dressed woman in the West", she lived in a cabin at the Matchless Mine for the last three decades of her life. On March 7, 1935, after a snowstorm, she was found frozen in her cabin, aged about 81 years. Mining in

3588-829: The Plains with Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok , played shows at the Chestnut Street Theatre. Texas Jack had served in the Confederate Army at age 16 and subsequently joined the Tabor Light Guard, a local militia unit. Jack died of pneumonia on June 28, 1880. His funeral was held at the Tabor Opera House, and he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. On September 8, 1908, Texas Jack's best friend and former costar Buffalo Bill Cody visited Leadville with his Wild West Show and dedicated

3680-650: The State of Colorado, only Denver and Broomfield have consolidated city and county governments. The City and County of Denver operates under Article XX, Section 4 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado ; and Title 30, Article 11, Section 101 of the Colorado Revised Statutes . Denver has an elected mayor and a city council of 13 members with 11 members elected from council districts and two members elected at large. The City and County of Broomfield operates under Article XX, Sections 10–13 of

3772-605: The State of New York . The Town of Georgetown is the only municipality that still operates under a charter granted by the Territory of Colorado . The town operates under Article 14, Section 13 of the Charter & Constitution of the Colorado Territory enacted on January 28, 1868. The town mayor is called the police judge and the town council is called the board of selectmen . Download coordinates as: Select

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3864-491: The Tabor Opera House during his 1882 American Aesthetic Movement lecture tour. The reviews were mixed, and the press satirized Wilde in cartoons as an English dandy decorated with sunflowers and lilies , the floral emblems of the Aesthetic Movement. A Kansas newspaper described the event: Oscar Wilde's visit to Leadville excited a great deal of interest and curiosity. The Tabor-opera house where he lectured

3956-635: The city, and the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness is within 20 miles (32 km). List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city Colorado municipalities range in population from the City and County of Denver with a 2020 population of 715,522, to the Town of Carbonate , which has had no year-round population since the 1890 Census due to its severe winter weather and difficult access. The City of Black Hawk with

4048-556: The closure of the Rocky . Two years after the shutdown of the Rocky Mountain News , Scripps would re-enter the Denver market when it purchased the broadcasting assets of McGraw Hill , which included ABC affiliate KMGH-TV . At the time, the Federal Communications Commission prohibited cross-ownership of newspapers and TV stations in the same market, meaning Scripps would have either been forced to sell

4140-530: The demand for molybdenum , used to harden steel. It was mined at the nearby Climax mine , which at one time produced 75 percent of the world's output. By 1980, the Climax Mine was the largest underground mine in the world. Taxes paid by the mine provided Leadville with good schools and libraries and provided employment for many residents. When the market dropped in 1981, Leadville's economy suffered and many people lost their jobs. With little industry other than

4232-476: The early 1940s, the Rocky had nearly died. It was saved by then editor Jack Foster when he convinced Scripps to approve changing the newspaper from a broadsheet format to a tabloid design. Foster reasoned that the new format would make it easier for readers to hold and navigate and would make advertising more affordable. Foster's wife, Frances, introduced America's first "advice" column , called Molly Mayfield. It became an instant favorite among readers and

4324-401: The end of their names. Statutory towns have an elected mayor and a board of trustees composed of the mayor and four or six additional members elected at large. Colorado statutory cities and towns are limited to exercising powers that are granted by the state and are subject to provisions and limitations imposed by the state and are similar to villages in other states such as the villages of

4416-416: The era, "The outpouring of the precious metal from Leadville transformed the struggling Centennial State into a veritable autocrat in the colony of states. As if by magic the rough frontier town of Denver became a metropolis; stately buildings arose on the site of shanties; crystal streams flowed through the arid plains and the desert blossomed and became fruitful. Poverty gave way to the annoyance of wealth and

4508-496: The fame of silver state spread throughout the world." Swindles were not uncommon in the mining community. When the Little Pittsburg mine was exhausted of its rich ore body, its managers sold their shares while concealing the mine's actual condition from the other stockholders. "Chicken Bill" Lovell dumped a wheelbarrow load of silver-rich ore into a barren pit on his Chrysolite claim in order to sell it to Horace Tabor for

4600-592: The family since the 1960s. The town has frequent, sometimes small parades held in the downtown area, such as the quirky St Patrick's Day Practice Parade. The Leadville Trail 100 , an ultramarathon , takes place each August since 1983 on an out-and-back course on trails around Turquoise Lake, over Hagerman Pass , the Colorado Trail, through Twin Lakes, across the Arkansas River, up and over Hope Pass, to

4692-485: The feasibility of a relaunch. The intellectual property was purchased by Clarity Media Group, Anschutz's newspaper holding company, and the web site posts links to articles from Denver television media. Anschutz launched a Denver edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette in 2020, which publishes material from the Rocky Mountain News archives daily. In 2000, the Rocky Mountain News photo staff

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4784-455: The first full weekend of August, is a tribute to the city's mining past. The event has been honored by Congress as a Local Legacy Event. The festivities held over three days include mining competitions and burro racing , motorcycle games, a rod and gun show, live music, a craft fair and parade. The annual skijoring event and Crystal Carnival take place in March. This is a horse-drawn skiing for

4876-460: The first prospectors to arrive in Oro City. Horace was appointed as the postmaster of Oro City on November 30, 1868. His wife made money as postmistress, banker, cook, and laundress while Tabor was a prospector. The early miners had noted that mining for placer gold was hampered by heavy black sand in the sluice boxes , and in 1874 it was discovered that the heavy sand that impeded gold recovery

4968-408: The first three months, at $ 24. The 12 owners of the website committed to working for free until the end of September 2009. The website stopped publishing new content on October 5, 2009. In December 2014, Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz was reported to be exploring the possibility of reviving the Rocky Mountain News ; he had placed a prototype online and was conducting market research to assess

5060-586: The ghost town of Winfield . The "Route of the Silver Kings" is a driving tour of the 20-square-mile (52 km) historic mining district. The tour passes mines, power plants, ghost towns and mining camps. Situated within the San Isabel National Forest and surrounded by three wilderness areas, Leadville is popular with hikers and campers. The Mount Massive Wilderness and Buffalo Peaks Wilderness are within 10 miles (16 km) of

5152-629: The highest elevation of any city in the United States. Leadville lies in a valley at the headwaters of the Arkansas River which flows through the southern Rocky Mountains and eventually empties into the Mississippi River . It is situated between two mountain ranges, the Mosquito Range to the east and the Sawatch Range to the west, both of which include several nearby peaks with elevations above 14,000 feet (4,300 m),

5244-584: The history and a photograph of what was on that particular site more than a century ago. The trail is well-marked with interpretive signs and altitude and mileage markers. Created by Executive Order in 1889 to increase the supply of fish for inland waters, the Leadville National Fish Hatchery was established. Camp Hale is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Leadville in the Eagle River valley north of Tennessee Pass . It

5336-540: The managing editor, John Arkins, allowed disrespectful comments about Smith's wife and children to be published and Smith assaulted Arkins with a cane, severely injuring the editor. The News continued its crusade to rid Denver of its most celebrated bad man, which took nearly a decade to complete. The E. W. Scripps Company bought the Rocky Mountain News in 1926. The Rocky Mountain News and its competitors, including The Denver Post , resorted to gasoline giveaways and other promotions in an attempt to boost circulation. By

5428-402: The name for the proposed restart, reported that only 3,000 people had subscribed to the premium content subscription model. The three co-founders said that they did not intend to continue the planned business model, and, instead, would create a less-staffed news site, while Steve Foster and several former Rocky Mountain News journalists said that they believed that the original business model of

5520-547: The newspaper won two Pulitzers, in Feature Writing and Feature Photography . The paper's final issue appeared on Friday, February 27, 2009, less than two months shy of its 150th anniversary. Its demise left Denver a one-newspaper town, with The Denver Post as the sole remaining large-circulation daily. The Rocky Mountain News was founded by William N. Byers and John L. Dailey along with Dr. George Monell and Thomas Gibson on April 23, 1859, when present-day Denver

5612-461: The next day, and that the newspaper's masthead, archives, and web site would be offered for sale, separate from its interest in the newspaper agency. Following the shutdown of the Rocky , the Post , now the only daily newspaper in Denver, resumed seven-day-a-week publication. A few years later, a study by a Portland State University professor attributed a decline of 30% in civic engagement following

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5704-485: The only source of recreation for the trainees, Leadville was persuaded to change its moral character, perceived "to be on a rather low plane" at the time. In 2019, Camp Hale was designated as a National Historic Site offering a self-guiding tour with interpretive signs at ten stops and a larger interpretive site at the main entrance. President Biden used his authority under the Antiquities Act in 2022 to establish

5796-621: The original venture. The site relies on 15 contributors and six "INSighters". On September 7, 2009, INDT.com unveiled a new website design, allowing readers to read the news in a more organized format. On July 4, 2009, Steve Foster and several former Rocky Mountain News employees launched a new venture known as the Rocky Mountain Independent . The new website used a three-pronged revenue strategy: advertising, subscription revenues, and outside contributors. Subscriptions cost $ 4.00 per month and yearly subscriptions were 50% for

5888-460: The peaks of the Sawatch Range to visitors. A memorial to troops of the 10th Mountain Division is located at the summit. The Evergreen Cemetery was the first cemetery in Leadville, established on November 1, 1879. The town's first library was built in 1904. A federal building was built in 1905 on Harrison Avenue and 8th Street. It served as the town post office until 1973. Boom Days, held on

5980-542: The permanent memorial that marks Texas Jack's grave today. The Texas Jack Association erected highway historical markers on roads in and out of Leadville. In the summer of 1879, American author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote arrived in Leadville. It is believed her time in Leadville inspired her writing. In 1882, shortly after the gun fight at the O.K. Corral , Doc Holliday arrived in Leadville, where he dealt faro . On August 19, 1884, he shot ex-Leadville policeman Billy Allen, who had threatened him for failing to pay

6072-642: The presence of a lady. Less than a year later, Wood opened the Windsor Hotel. His opera house was regarded as the largest and best theater constructed in the West , an honor it held until the opening of the Tabor Opera House . Horace Tabor's Opera House was the most costly structure in Colorado at the time. Building materials were brought by wagons from Denver. The massive three-story opera house, constructed of stone, brick, and iron, opened on November 20, 1879. Tabor, originally from Vermont , became

6164-404: The remaining 759,355 residents (13.15%) lived in the many rural and mountainous areas of the state. In 2020, only 1,968 square miles (5,097 km ) of Colorado's 103,642 square miles (268,431 km ) of land area (1.90%) were incorporated in the 271 active municipalities. The City of Colorado Springs with 195 square miles (506 km ) of land area was the most extensive municipality, while

6256-427: The silver boom drew hundreds of new residents to the area. At the age of twenty she married a mining engineer who, like many of the men at that time, frequented the numerous gambling halls in Leadville. Alice went along, at first just observing, but eventually she began to sit in on the games as well. After a few years of marriage her husband was killed in a mining accident and she turned to cards to support herself. Alice

6348-691: The so-called fourteeners . Mount Elbert , 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Leadville, is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the highest point in the Colorado and the entire Mississippi River drainage basin . An ultra-prominent 14,440-foot (4,401 m) fourteener, Mount Elbert is the highest summit of the Sawatch Range and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney in California. Mount Massive , 10.6 mi (17.1 km) west-southwest of Leadville, at 14,428 ft (4,398 m)

6440-449: The spring of 1880, Texas Jack Omohundro and his wife Giuseppina Morlacchi arrived in Leadville. Morlacchi, a famous Italian prima ballerina who had introduced the Can-can dance to the United States, performed several plays at the Grand Central Theatre, including Around the World in 80 Days and The Black Crook . Texas Jack, who had starred in The Scouts of the Prairie with Buffalo Bill Cody and Ned Buntline , and later in The Scouts of

6532-539: The start of the Colorado Silver Boom . Tabor's house was also built in 1877, at 116 E. 5th Street. The town was built on desolate flat land below the tree line . The first miners lived in a rough tented camp near the silver deposits in California Gulch. Initially, the settlement was called "Slabtown", but when the residents petitioned for a post office, the name "Leadville" was chosen. By 1880, Tabor and Meyer's new town had gas lighting, water mains, 28 miles (45 km) of streets, five churches, three hospitals, six banks, and

6624-580: The tourist trade, most of the former miners left, and the standard of living declined. Climax reopened in 2008 and started production in 2010. It currently is the most efficient mine producing molybdenum in Colorado and is estimated to have a production life of thirty years. The many years of mining left behind substantial contamination of the soil and water and the Environmental Protection Agency designated some former mines Superfund sites, such as California Gulch . As of 2019,

6716-518: The town's first mayor. After striking it rich, he had an estimated net worth of 10 million dollars and was known for his extravagant lifestyle. In February 1879 the Lake County seat was moved to Leadville, where it has remained ever since. In 1879, An impressive courthouse was built on the west side of Harrison Avenue, joined by a new post office that same year. Telephone service was introduced by Western Union on May 15, 1879, and gas lighting downtown

6808-457: Was 1.70 inches (43.2 mm) on February 13, 1986. Average annual snowfall is 156.9 inches (3.99 m). The most snowfall in one year was 362.0 inches (9.19 m) in 1995. The most snowfall in one month was 77.6 inches (1.97 m) in May 1995. The Leadville Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1961. The district encompasses 67 mines east of the city up to

6900-490: Was 86 °F (30.0 °C) on July 17, 2023. The record low temperature was −38 °F (−38.9 °C) on February 1, 1985. Average annual precipitation is 13.52 inches (343.4 mm). The wettest calendar year was 2014 with 18.08 inches (459.2 mm) and the driest 1994 with 8.27 inches (210.1 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 4.83 inches (122.7 mm) in January 1996. The most precipitation in 24 hours

6992-399: Was a U.S. Army ski warfare training facility constructed in 1942 for what became the 10th Mountain Division . Some of the nation's finest skiers were employed as instructors. Soldiers were trained in mountain climbing, Alpine and Nordic skiing, and cold-weather survival, as well as various weapons and ordnance. When it was in full operation, approximately 15,000 soldiers were housed there. As

7084-585: Was a daily newspaper published in Denver , Colorado, from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday–Friday circulation was 255,427. From the 1940s until 2009, the newspaper was printed in a tabloid format. Under the leadership of president, publisher, and editor John Temple, the Rocky Mountain News had won four Pulitzer Prizes since 2000. Most recently in 2006,

7176-428: Was appointed, and his replacement was shot dead within a month by one of his deputies. Fearing the town would be lost to the lawless element, Mayor Horace Tabor sent for Mart Duggan , who was living in Denver, as a replacement. Duggan was well known at the time as a fearless gunfighter. Using strong-arm and lawless tactics, during his two stints as marshal, Duggan brought order to Leadville by 1880 when he stepped down. He

7268-447: Was attractive, dressed in the latest fashions, and was in great demand as a dealer. Eventually Alice left Leadville to travel the gambling circuit, as was common of the male gamblers of that time. She continued to dress in the latest fashions but took to smoking cigars. Well known throughout the West, gambling halls welcomed her because she was good for business. Alice said that she won more than $ 250,000 by gambling during her lifetime. In

7360-601: Was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography "for its powerful collection of emotional images taken after the student shootings at Columbine High School ." In 2002, the paper won more first-place awards than any other Western newspaper. In 2003, the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography was awarded to the Rocky Mountain News photography staff "for its powerful, imaginative coverage of Colorado's raging forest fires." The paper also won

7452-528: Was considered more politically conservative than the Post . On January 23, 2007, the Rocky Mountain News redesigned the newspaper to a smaller, magazine-style format with more color pages and photographs, full-page photo section covers, a new masthead logo, and different page numbering from the previous design. The redesign was the result of new presses that allowed the newspaper to print about 25% faster than its old presses, at an average speed of 60,000 issues per hour. On December 4, 2008, E. W. Scripps put

7544-398: Was equally owned by the E. W. Scripps Company and by MediaNews Group , which owns The Post . The two newspapers continued to publish separately except during the weekends, when the Rocky Mountain News was published only on Saturday and The Denver Post only on Sunday; each newspaper had one page of editorials in the other paper's weekend edition. They maintained their rivalry. The Rocky

7636-668: Was first settled in 1859 when placer gold was discovered by A. G. Kelley in California Gulch , and by Abe Lee in April (25/26) 1860, during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush . Prospectors panned for gold in the stream that ran through California Gulch in what became the town of Oro City ( oro is the Spanish word for gold). Horace Tabor , who became known as the "Leadville Silver King", and his wife Augusta were among

7728-418: Was installed on November 18 that same year. Billings and Eilers Smelter installed a generator and lights for the town on May 13, 1881. On May 19, 1882, a large fire broke out at the corner of Harrison Avenue and East Chestnut. Horace Tabor divorced his wife of 25 years and married Baby Doe McCourt on September 30, 1882, who was half his age. Tabor was by then a US senator , and the divorce and marriage caused

7820-433: Was one of the world's largest and richest silver camps, with a population of more than 15,000. Income from more than thirty mines and ten large smelting works produced gold, silver, and lead amounting to $ 15,000,000 annually. The Leadville strike of 1880 was the first major labor conflict in the central Colorado silver boomtown, shutting down most of the area’s mining district from May 26, 1880. According to one historian of

7912-520: Was packed full. It was rumored that an attempt would be made by a number of young men to ridicule him by coming to the lecture in exaggerated costume with enormous sunflowers and lilies and to introduce a number of characters in the costume of the Western "bad men". Probably, however, better counsel prevailed and no disturbance took place. Mayor David H. Dougan invited Wilde to tour the Matchless Mine and name its new lode "The Oscar". Wilde later recounted

8004-565: Was part of the Kansas Territory and before the city of Denver had been incorporated. It became Colorado's oldest newspaper and possibly its longest continuously operated business. Its first issue was printed on a printing press from Omaha, Nebraska , that had been hauled by oxcart during the start of the Colorado Gold Rush . Elizabeth "Libby" Byers accompanied the press from Nebraska to Denver and joined her husband as

8096-667: Was produced, along with a 1964 film adaptation of the musical, both titled The Unsinkable Molly Brown . Her home in Denver has been preserved as the Molly Brown House Museum. Meyer Guggenheim of the Guggenheim family started out in Leadville in mining and smelting . The family went on to possess one of the largest fortunes in the world. Family members have become known for their philanthropy in diverse areas such as modern art and aviation, including several Guggenheim Museums . Oscar Wilde appeared in April at

8188-456: Was said that the Leadville post office was the busiest one between St. Louis and San Francisco. In 1878, the town's first hospital, St. Vincent's, was opened. The town's first newspaper was The Reveille , a Republican weekly, in 1878. Three months later, a competing Democratic weekly, The Eclipse , emerged. The Chronicle was the town's first daily and first newspaper in America to employ

8280-417: Was shot and killed in 1888 by an unknown assailant, most likely an enemy he had made when he was a Leadville marshal. Historian Robert Dearment writes, "Mart Duggan was a quick-shooting, hard-drinking, brawling tough Irish man, but he was exactly the kind of man a tough, hard-drinking, quick-shooting camp like Leadville needed in its earliest days. His name is all but forgotten today, but the name " Matt Dillon "

8372-535: Was soon adopted in many other newspapers, paving the way for advice columnists such as Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren . After a continued rivalry that almost put both papers out of business, the Rocky and The Post merged operations in 2001 under a joint operating agreement . Through the agreement, the Denver Newspaper Agency was formed. The new company ran all noneditorial operations of both papers, namely advertising and circulation, and

8464-429: Was the lead mineral cerussite , which has a high silver content. Prospectors traced the cerussite to its source, present day Leadville, and by 1876 had discovered several silver-lead lode deposits. As the gold has been tapped out of the gulch and attention was averted to nearby Leadville, a mile or two away, Oro City became a ghost town. Leadville was founded in 1877 by mine owners Horace Tabor and August Meyer at

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