Loading map...

1891 Map of Leadville

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Leadville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

Leadville sits at the heart of this high-altitude mining landscape, surrounded by the intense industrial activity of Carbonate Hill, Iron Hill, and Stray Horse Gulch. This late nineteenth-century survey, based on reconnaissance work from 1879 through 1889, captures the area during its silver-mining peak. The town serves as a massive rail hub, where the Denver and Rio Grande RR and the Colorado Midland Railway converge near Malta.

Beyond the primary mining district, the map reveals the scattered network of satellite camps and transport links that sustained the boom, including Kokomo, Robinson, and the notable Hagerman Tunnel piercing the divide. To the south, the resort at Interlaken on Twin Lakes offers a sharp contrast to the industrial character of the gulches. The terrain is defined by extreme elevations, with Mt Elbert and Mt Massive towering over the evolving settlements and timber-rich tracts of the White River National Forest.