The incredible story behind the highest city in North America: “So much has happened here”
Leadville in Colorado was a bustling silver mining town in the 19th century but saw its population dwindle after its glory days ended.
“So many people, Americans included, are so unfamiliar with our story,” claims Katie Hild, manager of Tourism and Visitor Center in Leadville, Colorado. “This is a town that’s been shaped by bust and boom – so much has happened here.”
Despite being relatively unknown to many, Leadville, a statutory city, has a particular claim to fame. Located on US Route 24 in Lake County in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, at 3,109m (10,200ft), it’s the highest incorporated city in North America.
Leadville’s bust and boom
At present, the snowy city has a population of a little over 2,500. However, in the late 19th century, it was the second biggest in Colorado after Denver, with around 30,000 people living there at its peak.
That was instigated by a gold rush - gold was discovered in nearby California Gulch in 1860 - and boosted by the Colorado Silver Boom, which was in full swing in the decade that followed. Profitable silver mines led to a population swell and a bustling Leadville filled with hotels, saloons, stores, gambling halls, boarding houses, brothels and a whole lot more.
By 1880, the town was served by three railroads and had produced over 54 million ounces of silver, and was one of the places to be in the United States. The Guggenheim family was among many to build its fortune after investing in Leadville’s silver mines.
However, the glory days were short-lived. The silver crash of 1893 led to a decline which saw people flock away from the city just as quickly as they had arrived.
For well over a century, Leadville has faded into the background in Colorado ski country, surrounded by dramatic mountain landscapes and offering stunning panoramic vistas of the nearby peaks.
What to see and do in Leadville
It has, though, received praise far and wide for the way it has preserved its vibrant history.
“The Route of the Silver Kings,” a 20-square-mile historic mining district, is arguably the main attraction. Visitors can go on a self-guided driving tour consisting of a set of interconnected roads on which there are ghost towns, mines, a smelter and a power plant.
And potentially even more eye-catching is the Silver Dollar Saloon, adorned with diamond dust mirrors and its original wooden bar from 1879. “Walk into the Silver Dollar Saloon and you’re not just stepping into a bar – it’s an immersion into a living relic of this time,” says Adam Ducharme, Lake County’s tourism and economic development director.
The town’s layered past - from mining booms to busts - is at the forefront of its charm, adding depth to its character and making the journey along US Route 24 not just a scenic drive but a passage through a significant chapter of American history.
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