LOOKING BACK: A brief look at the history of mining in Colorado
- Updated
Throughout the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, the mining industry was running wild in Colorado. Outdoor adventurers today can drive or hike to the remains of some of these mining sites and even visit the active mine near Cripple Creek. Here is a look at the history of Colorado’s mining days.
Bachelor Loop (Photo) Credit Mike Flynn
Miners Made Colorado
Coloradans have the mining booms, in part, to thank for the founding of the Centennial State. During the mid-to late-1850s, an extraordinary amount of people arrived in the region during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. By 1876, Colorado officially became a U.S. state.
Photo Credit: Mike Flynn.
Twin Lakes (Photo) Credit Ruth Peterkin (iStock)
Gold in Colorado
Most of the gold discovered in Colorado was found along rivers and streams, but it didn’t take long for prospectors to unearth other valuable materials from the mountains, such as coal and silver.
Photo Credit: Ruth Peterkin (iStock).
Gold Panning (Photo) Credit KaraGrubis (iStock)
Pikes Peak Gold Rush
The year 1858 brought the second largest mining event in the nation, following the California Gold Rush a decade prior. During the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, Colorado saw a dramatic influx of immigrants moving into the Rocky Mountains region. A popular saying at the time was "Pikes Peak or Bust."
Photo Credit: KaraGrubis (iStock).
Mining (Photo) Credit Hello my names is james,I'm photographer. (iStock)
Pikes Peak Gold Rush (cont.)
Prospectors swarmed the easy-to-find gold deposits in the Pikes Peak Region, but by 1863, the gold had nearly run dry. Hard rock and surface mining efforts were implemented and are still used today at sites like Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine.
Photo Credit: Hello my names is james,I'm photographer. (iStock)
Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine (Photo) Credit MiguelMalo (iStock)
Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine
According to the company website, the CC&V Gold Mine operations focus on gold deposits in Cripple Creek found within a 7-square-mile, 30 million-year-old, volcanic-intrusive complex that erupted and intruded through rocks that are over 1 billion years old. Since 1976, the mine has used surface operations to extract silver and gold.
Photo Credit: MiguelMalo (iStock).
Mining Cart (Photo) Credit rocketegg (iStock)
Coal Mining in Colorado
Colorado is the 10th-largest coal producing state in the U.S. Built in 1883, the Fox Mine Office still stands today in Boulder County.
Photo Credit: rocketegg (iStock).
Cokedale Coke Ovens (Photo) Credit Lynn_Burlbaw (iStock)
Hastings Coal Camp Disaster
In Las Animas County there is a memorial for the 1917 mining disaster at the Hastings Coal Camp. A total of 121 coal miners were killed in an underground explosion at the Victor American Fuel Company Number 2 Mine.
Pictured are abandoned Cokedale Coke Ovens. Photo Credit: Lynn_Burlbaw (iStock)
Ouray Ghost Town (Photo) Credit John Morrison (iStock)
Ironton Ghost Town
Between Ouray and Silverton, Ironton was the epicenter of an area filled with rich ores. In the 1880s, miners found large quantities of silver in the surrounding mountains. Ironton’s business fluctuated from the early 1890s into the first part of the 20th century, but slowly faded as mining operations declined. The site is now home to one of many ghost towns in Colorado.
Photo Credit: John Morrison (iStock).
Webster Pass (Photo) Credit SeanXu (iStock)
Montezuma
Montezuma was once the center of Colorado’s mining industry, though it is now one of Colorado’s least populated towns. Established in 1881, Montezuma grew to a population of about 10,000 people. Silver was a major resource found here, but the silver bust in 1893 was the town’s demise. But despite the crash in the silver economy, Montezuma technically isn’t a ghost town. There are about 65 people who still live there today.
Photo Credit: SeanXu (iStock).
Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine (Photo) Credit VisitCOS
Tours at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
Experience the depths of the underground where miners used to tap into mineral ores at the retired Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek.
Photo by VisitCOS.
Bachelor Syracuse Mine, Ouray (Photo) Credit wanderluster (iStock)
Tours at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine (cont.)
The underground walking tour at the authentic 1890s mine begins with descending 1,000 feet underground in a metal cage elevator. Visitors can see real gold veins and learn the evolution of mining operations from interactive displays. The tour also features a short ride in an underground rail car.
Photo Credit: wanderluster (iStock).
Bachelor Loop (Photo) Credit Mike Flynn
Drive the Bachelor Loop Historic Tour
Above the town of Creede in southwest Colorado is a 17-mile route through one of the best preserved historic mining districts. The Bachelor Loop winds through steep cliffs and jagged rocks of the San Juan mountains.
Photo Credit: Mike Flynn.
Bachelor Loop (Photo) Credit Larry Myhre
Drive the Bachelor Loop Historic Tour (cont.)
The silver mining sites in this area were active in the 1890s and the structures still standing today range from old log cabins to the largely intact Commodore Mine.
Editor’s Note: The old mines and buildings are deemed dangerous to enter and the mining equipment unsafe to be around. Mine shafts and tunnels are extremely unsafe. Follow all posted signage, do not trespass, and proceed with caution. Read more here.
Photo Credit: Larry Myhre
Creede (Photo) Credit chapin31 (iStock)
Drive the Bachelor Loop Historic Tour (cont.)
The self-guided driving tour typically takes about an hour. There are 14 interpretive pull-offs to learn about the 17 abandoned structures found in the area. At the north edge of Creede is the Underground Mining Museum that was 'mined' from solid rock and represents the methods and techniques used in the boom days of Creede.
Author’s Note: High clearance vehicles with low gearing are recommended for the Bachelor Loop due to the dirt road and steep climbs. The road is open year round, but may be snowed-in November through May.
Photo Credit: chapin31 (iStock).
Colorado Ghost Town (Photo) Credit John Morrison (iStock)
Colorado Mining Sites
While the majority of more than 100 mining sites in Colorado are abandoned, the history of the iconic industry is still preserved in these ghost towns. Visit these sites to learn about this part of the state’s storied past, but know that it’s also important not to disturb these relics. If damaged, pieces of Colorado’s past could be gone forever.
Photo Credit: John Morrison (iStock).