Unit 4: Miners Unit 4: Miners

LEADVILLELEADVILLE• 1860-Gold found in this area

• 10,000 people here by 1861

• One major problem was a heavy black sand that kept clogging the sluice boxes. Analyzed in 1876 and it was carbonate of lead-loaded with silver

• Earlier silver, lead and zinc were looked upon as a nuisance-no market

• Increasing industrial activity and governmental purchases increased the value = the silver rush was on

LEADVILLELEADVILLE

• Population– 1877 200 People– 1878 5,000 people– 1880 30,000 people

Leadville built an Leadville built an Ice Palace in 1896Ice Palace in 1896

The TABORSThe TABORS• Horace Tabor and his wife Augusta were some

of the first arrivals into this area – Augusta was the first woman in the area and would

remain the only one for quite some time

• Horace Tabor had been to many of the gold camps (Idaho Springs, Central City) with no luck. He finally struck for $7,000

• He opened a general store, became the postmaster and also the mayor. As mayor he played a role in naming the town “Leadville”

• Tabor grubstaked many of the miners-Food and supplies for a part of their claim

• Grubstaked: supplies or funds furnished to a mining prospector on promise of a share in his discoveries

• This area began to fade after the initial gold rush of the 1860’s

• Tabor grubstaked two shoe cobblers. Result of this grubstake was “The Little Pittsburgh” which brought Tabor $20,000/wk. Sold his share for $500,000

• “Matchless” produced $10,000,000 worth of silver

• Bought a mansion in Denver but spent most of his time in Leadville

• Noticed Elizabeth McCourt “Baby Doe”

• Secret divorce in Durango and secretly married Elizabeth in St. Louis

• Durango priest had refused to sign divorce papers-living in sin led to a scandal and not complete acceptance from Denver’s social elite

• Spent lavishly until silver crashed in 1893

• Horace became postmaster in Denver for $3,000/year

• He died 16 months later and 14,000 attended his funeral

• He told Baby Doe to hold on to the Matchless.

• She turned into a reclusive old woman who eventually froze to death in the cabin by the Matchless mine.

LEADVILLELEADVILLE

• By the end of the silver rush Leadville had given over $500,000,000 worth of ore

• The hills had also been stripped of their trees

GEORGETOWNGEORGETOWN• 1859 - a minor gold rush

• Became Colorado’s first silver queen

• Belmont-Lode was the first silver mine in the state

• The first power drill was also used here

• August 1877 the Colorado Central came to Georgetown. The Georgetown Loop was a narrow gauge went from Georgetown to Silver Plume

• Silver Plume is 1.5 miles from Georgetown and 1,000ft higher yet it took 3 years and 4.5 miles of track to complete

GEORGETOWNGEORGETOWN

• Georgetown became the shopping center, distribution center and transportation center for the district

• Over $100,000,000 worth of ore taken out of Georgetown

• At one time the only town in Colorado without a mayor

ASPENASPEN• Only camp to rival Leadville

• Silver gave Aspen it’s start

• Almost passed Leadville in the 1890’s

• Had the richest ore

• Largest nugget ever found-over 1 ton.1840lbs after it was trimmed

• Population went over 15,000

• 1893 depression and the population dropped to 700

CRIPPLE CREEKCRIPPLE CREEK

• In the shadow of Pike’s Peak

• Pike’s Peak had given it’s name to the gold rush yet none had been found there

• 1890’s Cripple Creek became Colorado’s greatest gold district

• Bob Womack discovered gold here in the 1880’s taking the sting out of the silver crash

CRIPPLE CREEKCRIPPLE CREEK• Winfield Scott Stratton-Most famous millionaire

• His independence Mine (July 4,1891) made several million before he sold for $10,000,000 (with no income tax)

• Last of the great 19th century mining rushes

• Mining was big business and miners began to join labor unions

• 1894 strike over low pay and long hours led to 8 hour days at $3/day