Leadville Mine Tour of a Bygone Era

Leadville Mine Tour of a Bygone Era

Almost anywhere you turn in the Colorado high country you’ll find a mine, either long abandoned or still operating. There truly is Gold (and Silver, and Lead, and all sorts of other valuable minerals) in them thar’ hills. From the 1850’s to today Colorado mining has a fascinating legacy that will keep you entertained for days, weeks, months, and years on end!

According to Wikipedia, cumulative production in the Leadville mining district through 1963 was 240 million troy ounces (16 million pounds; 7.5 million kilograms) of silver, three million troy ounces (210 thousand pounds; 93 thousand kilograms) of gold, 987 million tons (2.2 trillion pounds; 987 billion kilograms) of lead, 712 million tons (1.6 trillion pounds; 712 billion kilograms) of zinc, and 48 million tons (110 billion pounds; 48 billion kilograms) of copper.