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Leadville, CO
Leadville, CO Map
Founded in 1878 in the wake of a phenomenal silver strike, Leadville was the quintessential Colorado boomtown-with hopes as high as the surrounding mountains. The small town became rich overnight and, just like that, transformed itself from a raw log-cabin camp into a bustling center of business. Stroll down Harrison Avenue today, and you are still reminded of that long-ago era. Still standing is the stately Delaware Hotel, where financiers and mining executives closed million-dollar deals; the elegant Tabor Grand Hotel, favored by the visiting leisure class; and the Tabor Opera House, where such stars as Oscar Wilde and Harry Houdini graced the stage. Leadville's silver mines have long since been depleted, and its population has dwindled to less than a tenth of what it was during the boom. But a nineteenth-century resident would still easily recognize Leadville today. The town's beautiful, old buildings radiate its past glories and remind visitors of days when silver reigned supreme.
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