Destination 10
Leadville, CO
The View
One of my personal highlights of the entire journey was a day trip from Buena Vista to Leadville, CO (about 40 minutes by car), with my brother and his wife. Originally founded as a gold mining town in 1859, Leadville quickly became a center for the mining of silver, lead, zinc and other minerals. At its peak, approximately 30,000 people resided in Leadville, including some of the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan settlers, swindlers and entrepreneurs of the West.
Leadville was a true "Wild West" town of hard work, lawlessness and harsh environmental conditions. In particular, the long winters at an elevation of over 10,000 feet would have been unforgiving. Many of the historic buildings, including the famous Tabor Opera House, hotels, homes and original mining structures, are still standing. Today, Leadville is known for tourism, including the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad, and outdoor recreation.
I have a family connection to historic Leadville. My great grandfather, a Finnish immigrant and miner, was killed when the cable supporting him and another miner snapped, and both men fell to their deaths. Thanks to research conducted by my brother, we were able to visit the actual mine where the men died (Emmett Mine, below), as well as numerous other historic mining structures on and near the Mineral Belt Trail, just outside town. We explored the area by car, so we wouldn't be limited to the structures accessible by the trail.
This was a wonderful opportunity to get a small sense of what life would have been for those, such as my great grandfather, who came to places like Leadville in search of opportunity.
