Leadville, CO

The 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale was developed out of the need for soldiers to be prepared for winter warfare prior to the US entry into World War II. Soldiers that had been stationed at Fort Snelling in my hometown of Minneapolis were acclimated to the cold Minnesota winters, but they had no training in mountainous terrain. The US government, at the urging of the American Alpine Club, began training troops of the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale in the Eagle Valley of Colorado. Primary training was in mountaineering, endurance, cross country skiing, down hill skiing, rock climbing and combat. By 1943, Camp Hale had a full division of 14,000 troops creating the Mountain Training Center at Camp Hale which is in close proximity to Leadville, CO.

The National Ski Association in Colorado reviewed and assisted the US government in training. The 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale became the alpine combat arm of the US military. Over a dozen units comprised the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale.

In January 1945, the division was deployed to the mountains of Italy. Up to that time, US soldiers had failed in breaking through German lines in the Northern Italian Alps. In February of 1945 troops scaled Riva Ridge, capturing the vital stronghold. Additional victories were won by the 10th Mountain Division in March and April of that year. On May 2, 1945 the Germans surrendered in the Po Valley.

During the Italian campaign, the 10th Mountain Division sustained heavy losses including 978 troops killed in action. In September of 1945, the 10th Mountain Division reported to Camp Carson in Colorado as Camp Hale had already been deactivated. In November of 1945, the 10th Mountain Division was also deactivated.

The 10th Mountain Division was re-activated in 1948 during the Korean War and became the became the 10th Infantry Division in June of 1954. The 10th Infantry Division was again deactivated in June of 1958. In 1985, the 10th Infantry Division was reactivated, but this time as the 10th Mountain Division stationed at Fort Drum, New York.

Today when you drive by the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale all that remains are building foundations, but Camp Hale remains an important part of our military history.

Today Leadville, CO is a charming and quaint tourist town for those that travel into the Rockies. But the Leadville, CO of today belies the history that this historic town has to tell.

Originally called "Cloud City" because of it's elevation of 10,152 feet, Leadville, CO is the highest incorporated city in the country. Placer gold mining was started in 1859. Gold was found in 1860 in California Gulch which in turn brought prospectors with gold fever to Leadville, CO by the thousands. In 1877, the silver "mother load" was found on Iron Hill outside Leadville, CO and people like Horace Tabor , his wife Augusta and JJ and Molly Brown made fortunes from both precious metals. In 1880, silver production in Leadville, CO reached $11 million dollars annually and stayed at approximately that level until the Silver Crash of 1893. The city of Leadville, CO was officially incorporated in January of 1878. By 1893, the population of Leadville, CO reached 60,000 people.

The gold and silver that was mined in Leadville, CO had to be transported down the mountain to Buena Vista and from there out on the railroad. The 1st leg was primarily done via Stagecoach. One notorious outlaw that robbed the stagecoaches leaving Leadville, CO in 1879 was Jesse James. Today, you can still see the old Stagecoach road along Highway 24.

Legend has it that the Stagecoach was being consistently robbed even though the schedule of the Stagecoach was never made public. The local sheriff could not figure out how the "outlaws" knew when the Stagecoach was leaving Leadville, CO with the gold and silver. So, the lawmen devised a plan to ambush the outlaws. The sheriff and his men hid along the stagecoach route and jumped the robbers when they attempted their heist. The outlaws were shot dead. When the outlaws mask's were removed, it was discovered that one of the robbers was in fact the wife of one of the lawmen! The outlaws had "insider information" on the the Stagecoach schedules! The wife of the lawman was buried right there beside the stage line route. Today you can still see a marker from Highway 24 that reads:

"My Wife, Jane Kirkham, Died March 7,1879, aged 38 years 3 months 7 days".

Because of the affluence found in Leadville, CO many famous people visited the town, among them Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, the "Younger Gang", Jesse James, Harry Houdini and John Phillips Sousa.

After the Silver Crash of 1893 decimated the silver mines in Leadville, CO, the re-discovery of gold revitalized mining. It was during this period that the Ibex Mining Company became a standout in the industry by acquiring many of the old mines and reopening them. Lead and zinc started being mined in large quantities as well as manganese and bismuth. This diversification in mining allowed Leadville, CO to maintain a moderately productive level until the time of the Great Depression when low prices and the high cost of production forced the closure of most of the Leadville, CO mining operations.

Molybdenum, affectionately called "Molly" was discovered at the Climax mine 14 miles northeast of Leadville, CO. "Molly" is a necessary alloy in the production of steel and by the 1940's the annual production of "Molly" was over $13 million annually.

Today, Leadvile, CO is a charming and beautiful Victorian town. I highly suggest that if you have the oportunity to visit that you do. You can visit the Tabors Matchless Mine which today is open for tours.