Leadville, Colorado
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View of Mount Massive looking west from Harrison Street in downtown Leadville |
Leadville is the
county seat of
Lake County, Colorado. The population was 2,821 at the 2000 census. The city is historically a
silver mining town on the
Arkansas River, lying southwest of
Denver,
Colorado.
Leadville had a brief
gold boom in
1860, and when lead was found with high silver content in
1877, it received its first silver boom. By
1880, it was one of the world's largest silver camps, with a population of over 40,000. In
1882, the
Tabor Opera House hosted
Oscar Wilde on his lecture tour of the West, one of many celebrities who graced the city. Mayor David H. Dougan invited Wilde to tour the
Matchless silver mine and open their new lode: "The Oscar." Wilde later recounted 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.'"
The city's fortunes declined with the repeal of the
Sherman Silver Purchase Act in
1893, although afterwards there was another small gold boom. Many tales from Leadville found their ways into
H.A.W. Tabor's works. It is the
highest city in the United States.
During
World War II, Leadville was a popular spot for visits by soldiers at nearby
Camp Hale, but only after the town acted to curb prostitution; until then, the
United States Army declared the town off-limits for its personnel. The war also caused an increase in the mining of
molybdenum at the nearby Climax mine. At one point the mine produced 75 percent of the world's molybdenum.
The closing of the mine in the
1980s was a major blow to the town's economy. In addition, the many years of mining left behind substantial contamination of the soil and water, so that the
Environmental Protection Agency designated some former mining sites in Leadville as
Superfund sites. Despite this handicap, the town has made major efforts to improve its economy by encouraging tourism, emphasizing its history and opportunities for outdoor recreation. The town is the site of the
Leadville Trail 100 Mile and other events for
runners and
mountain bicyclists.
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Location of Leadville, Colorado |
Situated at an elevation of 10,152 feet (3,094 m) above sea level, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the
United States.
Leadville is located at (39.247200, -106.292414).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7
km² (1.1
mi²), all land.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 2,821 people, 1,253 households, and 675 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,027.5/km² (2,659.5/mi²). There were 1,514 housing units at an average density of 551.5/km² (1,427.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.52%
White, 0.14%
African American, 1.28%
Native American, 0.32%
Asian, 0.11%
Pacific Islander, 12.34% from
other races, and 2.30% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 25.45% of the population.
There were 1,253 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were
married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution is 21.1% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,714, and the median income for a family was $44,444. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $23,512 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $20,607. About 9.1% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
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The Delaware Hotel in downtown Leadville |
*
"Leadville Today"*
Leadville.com*
Twin Lakes Chamber of Commerce history*
Today in Literature remembers Leadville's introduction to Aestheticism*
Leadville photos and information at Western Mining History
