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.

Contents

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 External links & references

History

Downtown Leadville

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.

Geography

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°14′50″N, 106°17′33″W] (39.247200, -106.292414)^{[Geographic references#1GR1]}.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 km² (1.1 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census^{[Geographic references#2GR2]} 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.

External links & references

The Delaware Hotel in downtown Leadville

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