Leadville History: 1895 - Today

Local businessmen decided to combat the downturn of the economy by building an incredible Ice Palace during the winter of 1895-1896. Requiring 5,000 tons of ice to be cut from the nearby lakes, the Ice Palace featured life-sized sculptures of prospectors and burros, a skating rink and a "gallery of commerce" with frozen produce, beer and more. A Crystal Carnival, with parade and fireworks, lit up the town and the throngs who came in by train from Denver and around the country. The Ice Palace melted in the spring of 1896, a glorious end to a fascinating era.

Mining continued, with zinc, lead and copper. But its last great resurgence came in 1918 with the opening of the massive Climax Molybdenum Mine north of Leadville. It employed more than 3,000 workers, and supplied half of the world's molybdenum.

In 1941, Minnie Dole approached the United States Army with the need to train troops for winter survival and skiing. The site for Camp Hale, at 9,300 feet altitude, 17 miles north of Leadville, Colorado, was chosen for the newly established Tenth Mountain Division. Read more about Camp Hale.

Today, Leadville has preserved an astounding amount of its history. Seventy square blocks have been designated a National Historic Landmark of Victorian Architecture, featuring more than fifty nineteenth-century buildings. Other historic attractions include a twenty-square-mile historic mining district, a historic railroad, more museums than any town in Colorado, and a yearly Boom Days event in August to celebrate it all.

Want to learn more? There are many wonderful books about Leadville, Twin Lakes and Colorado history available at local shops. 

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