Colorado Gold Rush

The Colorado Gold Rush was the boom in the prospecting and mining of gold in present-day Colorado in the United States that began in 1859 and lasted throughout the early 1860s. The gold rush, which followed approximately a decade after the California Gold Rush, was accompanied by a dramatic influx of emigrants into the region of the Rocky Mountains and exemplied by the phrase "Pikes Peak or Bust", a reference to the mountain in the Front Range that guided many early prospectors to the region westward over the Great Plains. The prospectors provided the first major white population in the region, leading to the creation of many early towns in the region, including Denver and Boulder, as well as many other smaller mining towns, some of which have survived (such as Idaho Springs and Central City) but many of which have become ghost towns.

Related Topics:
Gold - Colorado - United States - 1859 - 1860s - Gold rush - California Gold Rush - Rocky Mountains - Front Range - Great Plains - Denver - Boulder - Idaho Springs - Central City - Ghost town

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The boom was largely concentrated along the South Platte River at the base of the mountains, the canyon of Clear Creek in the mountains west of Golden, and South Park. As prospectors flooded the region in search of quick riches, the rapid population growth led to the creation of the Colorado Territory in 1861 and to the U.S. state of Colorado in 1876. The easy-to-reach gold deposits were largely played out by 1863, although the region would continue to produce gold ore many other minerals up to the present day. The railroad lines built to haul gold from the mountains were a major factor in creating the economic base of the region in the following decades, especially as Colorado would experience a second major mining boom in 1879 with the Colorado Silver Boom.

Related Topics:
South Platte River - Clear Creek - Golden - South Park - Colorado Territory - 1861 - U.S. state - 1876 - 1863 - Ore - Railroad - 1879 - Colorado Silver Boom

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