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Last One Central CityJul 1, 2014
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The richest square mile on earth...
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Info..
This will be out last update from Central City. We enjoyed our stay very much and would definitely return. We will be making one more stop in the awesome state of Colorado before heading to Nebraska. We love the state of Colorado, it is now second on our favorites list after Alaska. A month spent near Rocky Mountain National Park sealed the deal for us. The wildlife and the massive mountains are hard to beat. The only complaint we have about the area is the high elevations. We have both been feeling the difference in breathing, especially when we got to 12,000 feet at the tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park. We are looking forward to breathing full oxygen again.:-)
I am posting a bit of information about the history of Central City below from their website. I am also adding a few pictures of the area and hope you enjoy.
Central City, Colorado - a brief history
Courtesy of: Gilpin County Museum
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF35-1326]
In 1859, John Gregory discovered "The Gregory Lode" in a gulch near Central City. Within two weeks, the gold rush was on and within two months the population grew to 10,000 people seeking their fortunes. William Byers, founder of the Rocky Mountain News, and some companions pitched their tents on open ground squarely in the center of the mining district. Thus Central City was born and was soon the leading mining center in Colorado. It came to be known as "The Richest Square Mile On Earth". Gregory's discovery is commemorated by a stone monument at the eastern end of the city.
According to geologists and experienced miners, there are over 17,000 mining claims in the southern end of Gilpin County. For safety reasons, most of the mines have been "capped" with concrete slabs or have been filled in.
Many people are led to believe that gold mines run horizontally into the side of a hill , so they think it safe to enter them. However, this is not true. Gold and other precious metals were forced up through weak spots in the earth's crust. In order to follow the "vein", shafts were often dug straight down for hundreds of feet. The deepest shaft mine in the area is reported to be over 2,000 feet.