The dome of the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver appears to glisten with the rich luster of gold. This is for good reason: the entire surface was plated with gold donated by Colorado mining companies in 1907. The early development of the city of Denver (and the entire state) sprang from the Gold Rush that followed the discovery of gold at Cherry Creek in 1858. Gold mining was a significant contributor to Colorado's economy for the next century.
The presence of gold in Colorado had been rumored since the times of the early Spanish explorers, but the first known discovery did not occur until 1803, when James Purcell found placer gold at the headwaters of the South Platte River. Isolated reports of modest discoveries abounded in the following decades, but serious exploration was rare until the California Gold Rush of 1849 triggered "gold fever" across the nation.
Various prospectors met with limited success throughout the 1850s, until several expeditions converged in 1858 in the area south of present-day Denver (between Cherry Creek and the South Platte River). By this time, the excitement of the California Gold Rush had subsided, and stories of success in the Pike's Peak region quickly spread across the nation.
The "Cherry Creek deposits" were reported in the New York Times and most every other major American newspaper, inspiring tens of thousands of prospectors to converge on the new city of Denver. The amount of gold in the Cherry Creek area proved to be limited and the first mines were quickly exhausted, but the flow of prospectors spread throughout the Pike's Peak region. Although this "second Gold Rush" did not result in the fortunes seen a decade earlier in California, the easier travel to Colorado led to even greater numbers of prospectors and settlers. Successful towns were established throughout the territory, and statehood followed (with Denver as capital) within 17 years.
The most productive gold mining area in Colorado was not discovered for decades after the initial rush. Although known as the "Pike's Peak Gold Rush," the early strikes were all 100 miles or more from the the famous mountain. In 1891, however, one of the world's greatest gold deposits was found at Cripple Creek, near the very base of Pike's Peak. This began a quarter century of prosperity for Colorado and led to the establishment of the United States mint in Denver.
No additional great strikes happened after Cripple Creek, but the gold mining industry continued through the 20th century. By the 1960s nearly 1400 standard tons of gold were estimated to have been mined in Colorado. By this time, much of the mining industry had diversified into silver, lead, zinc and molybdenum. Gold mining continues on a limited scale, however, to this day. As gold prices have increased and mining technology has improved, several old, abandoned mines have been reopened.
Today, gold hunting is a popular tourist activity throughout the Pike's Peak region. Amateurs and families pan for gold dust and explore for nuggets in the areas first prospected in the 1850s. Many former mines now have museums and shops that cater to fantasy prospectors.
