Leadville, Colorado

 

Our visit to Leadville 

Includes re-visiting the famous Matchless Mine and the history of 

Baby-Doe Tabor (one of the foremost and most famous Women of the West)

and the story of Riches to Rags in the boom/bust wild west mining era.

The mine produced $1.9 billion in 1883, 

Horace Tabors assets had made him a billionaire in today's dollars.

Horace and Augusta had been married 25 years 

when Horace divorced Augusta and married Baby-Doe.

Horace (eventually) died nearly penniless but Augusta went on to become very wealthy.

Horace and Baby-Doe lived ever so lavishly, enjoying all their extreme wealth until the repeal of the Sherman Act in 1893 which caused the plunge of the silver prices  and thereby impoverished most of the miners in that era.

Baby-Doe was ostracized in Denver society, so she returned to Leadville and the Matchless Mine.  She believed that the Matchless would produce again.

She lived alone in the cabin for 35 years, became known as the "madwoman", and died penniless.  She was found in the cabin frozen to death. 

There is so much written of her history, but you may find this article interesting:

https://centralcityopera.org/the-wild-true-tale-of-baby-doe-tabor/

BOOM DAYS

These large stones are used in the annual hand-drilling contest for 

Leadville's Boom Days

In early August the Boom Days includes a Burro Race.

Maybe we'll make is some year.

At any rate, we always enjoy a visit to Leadville.

Cottonwood Pass and Tin Cup Colorado

These mountains have such incredible views 

(and roads to reach the top)

View to the east (toward Buena Vista)

Not too many guard rails on this road!

It is the highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the United States.

View to the west 

Tin Cup 

Tin Cup got its name from one of the prospectors that carried out his gold dust in a tin cup.  The underworld ruled Tin Cup and there never really was any law.  

Every time an honest sheriff would arrive, he would be told what to do by the leaders of the underworld.  If he didn't comply, he was killed.  

So, the cemetery at Tin Cup is filled with honest sheriffs 

and other good people that did not comply.  

Around the turn of the century there was said to be about 2000 people here, but the mining collapsed and so did the population.

A few families live here year round, but the rest have summer homes.

Frenchy's Cafe is popular in the summer.

The town hall holds church services in the summer.

Last Sunday, the preacher had come up from Denver.

Interesting architecture

The sign describes a wind storm that destroyed so much of the area.

There were a surprising number of recent headstones, 

but still had a few of the really old ones.

I guessed they didn't practice 'inclusion'

One of the wooden headstones with a date of 1900.

The new flags came on their 'clean up day' for the cemetery.

A surprising nice marble headstone for a Civil War hero.

The Jewish Knoll

Probably the most interesting one of all-

"Wm N. Roesner

Dec 22 1947

for years he was Posen

now proud to be a Rosen"

An interesting day!