In Chaffee County (once part of Lake County), the Lake County War was a series of events that led to the formation of a vigilante group that used illegal arrests…
In 1879, when the silver boom was at its peak, loads of the precious metal were being shipped from Leadville to Buena Vista via stagecoach. The days and times of…
John Henry “Doc” Holliday was a dentist who suffered from tuberculosis. He moved to Tombstone, Arizona for its dry climate. There, he became a fierce gambler, befriended Wyatt Earp, and…
Elizabeth McCourt, born in Wisconsin in 1854, was noted for being extremely charismatic and beautiful. In 1877, she married Harvey Doe. Together, they moved to Central City to work the…
Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith was a con artist, gangster, crime boss, and saloon and gambling hall owner who rose to fame while in Denver from roughly 1879 to 1892. Though…
A host of vibrant characters has passed through Leadville, leaving stories of love, wealth, and vindication in their wake. The discoveries of gold and silver brought tens of thousands of…
At the end of the California gold rush, some prospectors came to the eastern Rocky Mountains, hoping for the same kind of success. Placer gold was discovered in Cherry Creek…
