Mining in Colorado (1860s -1930s)

Gold! Gold!! Gold!!! Gold!!!!

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Guiding Question

How did miners adapt to address the challenges of Colorado’s geography?

Map showing routes of the Gold region across the Kansas territory (what is now Colorado).

The state we now know as Colorado was a part of the Kansas territory in the 1850s, where our story begins.

At this time, the excitement of "Kansas Gold Fever" brought people to what is now the state of Colorado! Prospectors, people searching for gold, traveled west. As they had some success they began to tell their stories. Letters were written and sent back to friends back home. Songs were sung and the word was passed - you can find gold out west!

Excerpt from Song for the Times; "There’s a crowd in every village, and every town, astir, Who are going to gather up the gold; There’s a sound in every cottage, and a wring every ear, 'Pike’s Peak’ is the land for the young and old. Chorus. —’Tis the life and the dream of the many, 'Pike’s Peak’, 'Pike’s Peak’, the land of brave and bold. Many ways we have wandered and now we are told, 'Pike's Peak' is the place to get the gold.

What do you know about the geography across the state of Colorado? Look at the physical map of Colorado below.

Map of Colorado from FreeWorldMaps.net

Why Colorado?

The geology of Colorado makes it a state rich in mineral resources, and by 1858, Euro-Americans found these resources in the form of gold. Word of this gold spread quickly, causing new people to move to Colorado and for miners to begin establishing towns in places like Denver as well as in the mountains.

What do you notice about the geography across the state of Colorado?

Where do you think gold and other minerals were found?

Look at the map below to find out, the pink markings on the map show the location of metal mines across Colorado.

What do you notice about the location of the metal mines?
A view of a mining camp with tent, clothesline, and man and woman in Poughkeepsie Gulch, San Juan County, Colorado.

Settlements, and eventually towns, were established in the Rocky Mountains, where the people could mine for metal which includes gold, silver, lead, copper, and more.

How did Colorado’s geography create challenges for miners?

Write down 1 idea to answer this question before you go to the next slide!