History Colorado

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

Engagement #2: Miner Adaptations

What do you already know? And what do you still want to know? Respond in the boxes about the following topics; Colorado History, Colorado Geography and Mining.

K-W-L: Know, Want to Know, Learn

How did mining impact Indigenous nations in Colorado?

What is the Story?

What is one of the most interesting things that you learned in this Resource Kit?

K-W-L - What did you learn?

Read through the article (typed across these slides). 



How did Colorado change as a result of mining?

Reporting! News from Pike's Peak Colorado (1860)

Pick one aspect of mining, explain why it would change the territory we now know as Colorado. Is it a POSITIVE change or a NEGATIVE change?

Engagement #3: Mining's Impact on Colorado

Miners had to adapt to overcome the challenges presented by Colorado's geography in order to find gold! Living in the Rocky Mountains wasn't easy - from the terrain, to transportation to weather. Look through the pictures to determine what miners did to adapt and overcome these challenges. Identify the challenge and the adaptation in each image.

Adapting to Overcome Challenges

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

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

How did mining impact Indigenous nations in Colorado?  

 the quotes from the different indigenous nations

consider how the region they live in might impact their perspectives

Indigenous Perspective

How did mining impact Indigenous groups in Colorado?

Look over the events that show changes to indigenous land in Colorado during the years of mining in the region.

Indigenous Land in the Mining Era

Did mining have a positive or negative impact on the what is now the state of Colorado and the people who live here?

 Sort the images to answer this question.

Reflection

How did Colorado’s geography create challenges for miners?

Refer to Colorado Physical Map PDF below if needed.

Engagement #1: Colorado's Physical Geography & Mining

Men watch a miner pan for gold in Cripple Creek stream near Cripple Creek (Teller County), Colorado.

Types of Mining: Placer Mining and Hard-Rock Mining

Let's spelunk right into the history of mining in Colorado! From Gold to Silver and from the plains to the mountains, mining changed and evolved significantly from the 1860s to the 1930s. Join us to

how it connects to the physical geography, how technology and adaptations made it possible and how it had impacts on the land and people who were already in the region

Mining in Colorado (1860s -1930s); Educator Overview (1).pdf

Mining in Colorado_ Educator Answer Guide (1).pdf

Additional information about how to facilitate 

Mining in Colorado (1860s -1930s)

Geography

Social Studies

U.S. History

From the New York Herald; "Our Central Gold Region - The Pike's Peak Mining District," appeared in The Rocky Mountain News on September 7, 1860.

Images in slides do NOT come from the original article, they are from the History Colorado collection.

From the New York Herald. OUR CENTRAL GOLD REGION-THE PIKE’S PEAK MINING DISTRICT.

"We publish to-day an accurate and interesting history of the discovery of gold on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, and of the subsequent operations of the gold hunters, with the latest intelligence from that region, and a carefully prepared map of the mining district. It seems that so long ago as 1848 the first trace of gold was discovered by some Cherokee hunters on the banks of the stream known as Cache-la-Poudre, one of the tributaries of the South Platte. The following summer | similar evidence of the existence of gold in | Pike’s Peak district was reported by another expedition. The facts were made known to some settlers in the Indian country who had formerly been residents of the gold mining district of Georgia, and by them they were communicated to some friends in their native State. These latter determined to explore the country where the reported discoveries were made, but were prevented from carrying out their design until 1858, when a party was formed under the leadership of one Green Russell, whose name has. been given to diggings discovered by the party. About the same time(spring, 1858) a Delaware Indian offered for sale in the town of Lawrence, in Kansas Territory, some scale gold which he said he had found on the sources of the South Platte. The news spread, and within a few months numerous companies were formed in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri to prospect the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. — The Georgia and the Lawrence companies united in the neighborhood or what is now Denver City. Gold was discovered, but in small quantities, and many of the gold seekers returned to the settlements disappointed and disheartened. "

Newspaper Article,  OUR CENTRAL GOLD REGION-THE PIKE’S PEAK MINING DISTRICT.

... of the discovery of gold on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, and of the subsequent operations of the gold hunters, with the latest intelligence from that region, and a carefully prepared map of the mining district. 

1848 the first trace of gold was discovered by some Cherokee hunters

 on the banks of the stream known as Cache-la-Poudre, one of the tributaries of the South Platte. The following summer similar evidence of the existence of gold in Pike’s Peak district was reported by another expedition. The facts were made known to some settlers in the Indian country who had formerly been residents of the gold mining district of Georgia, and by them they were communicated to some friends in their native State. These latter determined to explore the country where the reported discoveries were made, but were prevented from carrying out their design until 1858, when a party was formed under the leadership of one Green Russell, whose name has been given to diggings discovered by the party. About the same time (spring, 1858) a Delaware Indian offered for sale in the town of Lawrence, in Kansas Territory, some scale gold which he said he had found on the sources of the South Platte. The news spread, and within a few months 

numerous companies were formed in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri to prospect the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains

. — The Georgia and the Lawrence companies

 united in the neighborhood or what is now Denver City. Gold was discovered, but in small quantities

many of the gold seekers returned to the settlements disappointed and disheartened

Image: Three standing, saddled burros, circa 1870-1880. A steep mountain slope is seen in the background, as the burros were used as part of a Hayden Survey expeditions. These expeditions, led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, mapped and documented much of the American West between 1867 and 1878.

Mounted albumen print of three standing, saddled burros, circa 1870-1880. A steep mountain slope is seen in the background. The burros were used as part of a Hayden Survey expedition.

The Hayden Survey expeditions, led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, mapped and documented much of the American West between 1867 and 1878. This photograph is an early example of a photo print used to highlight Hayden's findings for the US Geological Survey of the Territories. William Henry Jackson served as a photographer on multiple expeditions in the 1870s, and used many views like this one to secure his rise as an influential photographer on the national stage. Jackson would go on to operate his own photo studio in Denver between 1879 and 1893, take commission work from major railroad companies, and join the Detroit Publishing Company in 1897.

Inscription: Printed on recto of photograph from negative: "845". Printed on mount: "Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey of the Territories, Prof. F.V. Hayden in charge". Handwritten on verso: "gift of Cal J. Spiller, Baltimore, Member of Hayden Survey, ca 1870"

Photograph, Three burros on Hayden expedition

Photograph, Three burros on Hayden expedition (back)

...Since then the gold fever has several times increased

 almost to the degree in which the California gold fever raged ten or twelve years before, and

. But, on the whole, such encouragement was held out to our enterprising population as to cause a 

very large influx of immigrants to this central gold region

. The extent of the movement may be judged of from the fact that during the month of May last no less than seven thousand teams passed through Denver City on their way to the diggings; and it is estimated that from the 1st of February last to the 1st of August 

, most of whom were bound for Tarryall and Blue river diggings, in the neighborhood of the South Park. And now, in the language of one of our correspondents, the countless tributaries of the Grand and Green rivers, on the western slope, and the sources of the South Platte and Arkansas,

 are fairly lined with miners and prospectors."

Image: Men watch a miner pan for gold in Cripple Creek stream near Cripple Creek (Teller County), Colorado.

Negative, Panning for Gold at Cripple Creek, Colorado

...however, that the fortune of these adventurous spirits differs materially from that which fell to the lot of the earliest California and Australian gold hunters. By far

 the larger number have been and are doomed to disappointment

. It is supposed that there are no less than a couple of hundred quartz crushing machines at work, but very few of them have turned out to be fortunate speculations.- Still our correspondent informs us that the paying mines, already discovered, are extensive enough to secure the permanet settlement of a mining community half way between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans."

Image: A paper receipt received of G.R. Williamson from the Boulder Agency of the Boston and Colorado Smelting Company on August 21st, 1879. The receipt includes 1825 pounds of Sax "Yellow Pine" Ore mined from the Sugar Loaf Mining District in Boulder County, Colorado. The ore was valued at $333.34.

A paper receipt received of G.R. Williamson from the Boulder Agency of the Boston and Colorado Smelting Company on August 21st, 1879. The receipt includes 1825 pounds of Sax "Yellow Pine" Ore mined from the Sugar Loaf Mining District in Boulder County, Colorado. The ore was valued at $333.34.


Receipt from the Boulder Agency of The Boston and Colorado Smelting Co. a.jpg

Receipt from the Boulder Agency of The Boston and Colorado Smelting Co. b.jpg

Receipt, Boulder Agency of The Boston and Colorado Smelting Co.

is estimated at one million of dollars, and already an assay and minting office has been opened at Denver City, and is kept profitably employed. 

The growth of that mining town is equal to that of similar towns in California and Australia. On the

 1st of November, 1858, it contained just about a dozen log houses

. In another year it had grown up to a town of three hundred log houses. The first brick house was erected in it, in October, 1859; and 

now it contains about eight hundred buildings and six thousand inhabitants. It has five private banking houses, two daily and two weekly newspapers, and five stage lines.

 The Express Company which supplies postal facilities handled in one day 1,700 letters, and their payment to the Overland Company for the carriage of Eastern bound letters amounted in the month of July to $4,227."

Image: The original building for Clark, Gruber & Co. (later Clark and Company), a private mint that was built in Denver, Colorado in 1860.

This albumen print on card mount was taken by an unidentified photographer in 1860. The photograph shows the original building for Clark, Gruber & Co. (later Clark and Company), a private mint in Denver, Colorado. In April of 1863, the United States government bought Clark, Gruber & Co. and used the building as an assay office until 1904 when they decided to begin minting coins at a new, more lavish building in Denver. The large signs on the building read "Bank & Mint" and "Clark, Gruber & Co." The smaller signs on the posts and windows read "City Treasurer's Office," "Office of the Territorial Treasurer," "Coin up for Gold Dust," and "Exchange, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Leavenworth, St. Joe."

Handwritten on the back "1860 Denver, Colo. Clark, Gruber & Co"

Photograph, Clark, Gruber & Co.

of the prosperity and growth of the central gold region

, and justify us in devoting to the subject the space in our columns which we to-day give to it. The Pike’s Peak mining district may not prove so rich to the mere diggers as the California gold regions have done, because generally the quartz is not sufficiently disintegrated to render the mere manual labor profitable: but

 the fact is established that the district is rich in gold and silver mines

, and there is no doubt that it will yield its riches to the power of machinery. The Pike’s Peak district may therefore be henceforth regarded as one of the gold producing regions of the world, and as destined soon to become the centre of a large an flourishing community."

Image: This albumen print of Larimer Street in Denver, Colorado was taken by an unidentified photographer circa 1865-1870

This albumen print of Larimer Street in Denver, Colorado was taken by an unidentified photographer circa 1865-1870.The names of the businesses are displayed on their streets signs. From left to right, they read: "G.W. Clayton" and "L.N Greenleaf & CO- Fancy Goods Notions Toys Cigars Tobacco Paper, Patent Medicines and Jewelry Manufactory." A man stands in front of the G.W. Clayton building in the lower left corner of the image. A horse waits on the street in the far right side of the image.

Photograph, Larimer Street in Denver

Gold brought immigrants to Colorado, in search of fortune! While some struck it rich, others did not. Yet the discovery of gold led to the 

 These were all things to write (or sing!) home about!

Image: Song from Cherry Creek Pioneer, April 23, 1859.

SONG FOR THE TIMES. By a Frontier Individual. 

Tune—"Hard Times" come again no more. 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. There’s a young lovely maiden, scarce sixteen summers old, Whose thoughts over the distant prairie roam, Where the idol of her vision is digging for the gold— Pike’s Peak is the place to make your home. 

Chorus—'Tis the life and the dream of the many, & ‘Fare the well, says the farmer to his loving child and wife, Be merry till the day we meet again, ... happy life. Pike’s peak is the place to get the 'tin.’ ‘I am tired’ says the merchant ‘of selling goods for years' When a fortune can be made in half the time. So he takes a barrel of whisky, besides a Sweitzer cheese Pike’s Peak is the place of his design. There is youths of every nation and men from far and near, Who are going to make their fortunes quick, There goes ‘paddy with his shovel, there Yoccup with his beer— Pike's Peak is the place to raise the chink.

SONG FOR THE TIMES. By a Frontier Individual. 

Tune—"Hard Times" come again no more. 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. There’s a young lovely maiden, scarce sixteen summers old, Whose thoughts over the distant prairie roam, Where the idol of her vision is digging for the gold— Pike’s Peak is the place to make your home. 

Chorus—'Tis the life and the dream of the many, & ‘Fare the well, says the farmer to his loving child and wife, Be merry till the day we meet again, ... happy life. Pike’s peak is the place to get the 'tin.’ ‘I am tired’ says the merchant ‘of selling goods for years' When a fortune can be made in half the time. So he takes a barrel of whisky, besides a Sweitzer cheese Pike’s Peak is the place of his design. There is youths of every nation and men from far and near, Who are going to make their fortunes quick, There goes ‘paddy with his shovel, there Yoccup with his beer— Pike's Peak is the place to raise the chink.

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Mining in Colorado (1860s -1930s)

Reporting! News from Pike's Peak Colorado (1860)

Guiding Question

Read through the article across the slides. How did Colorado change as a result of mining?