Leadville visit

We took a drive to see the historic city of Leadville, 35 miles north of Buena Vista. Leadville, nickname "the two mile high city", is the highest incorporated city in the U. S. at 10,200 ft elevation. It is an old mining town -- gold, silver, lead and later molybdenum was mined. In the late 1800's, Leadville was the second most populous city after Denver; Oscar Wilde was one of the celebrities who came to the famous Tabor Opera House. Now the population is about 2,500. The last mine closed in the 1980's and Leadvillle hit hard times.


Leadville is very historic but not a pretty town in our opinion. Many of the old houses are still standing, some have been restored but most are still in need of repair.
We talked to a couple of people who live in Leadville -- they said that many of the employees who work at the big ski resorts live in Leadville because it is still affordable. This is a great area for people who love winter sports but need to live on a budget.

The Climax molybdenum mine is set to re-open in 2010, so the locals are looking forward to a boost in the economy.