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Gregory Street, Black Hawk
Church and schoolhouse on hill
1899
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Courtesy, Denver Public Library,
Western History Department, L-213
Photo by Harry H. Lake
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Peak to Peak
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Segment 1: Introduction and Discovery and Dreams
Standards-Based Themes: Economics, Multicultural Influences
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Summary
The first half of the Peak to Peak starts at Black Hawk and continues through Nederland to Ward. In the 1800s this area was a mining center. In 1859 more than 100,000 people rushed to Denver hoping to make their fortunes mining for gold. While Denver had no gold, there was a great gold strike in the Central City–Black Hawk area. Three towns arose: the mining town of Nevadaville, the commercial center at Central City, and the mill town of Black Hawk. It was in Central City that the full effect of prosperity was realized, culminating in the building of the Opera House in 1878. |
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| Miners with ore cart |
Courtesy, Colorado Historical Society
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10028439
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| Mining and millwork were dangerous pursuits. The crowded living conditions led to diseases, and the toxic waste from the smelting process posed a severe health threat. The average age at death in the mining camps in 1885 was 21. The Dory Hill Cemetery chronicles the history of those who came to the gold camps. Included are Jennie Golden, a former slave who became Black Hawk’s midwife; Henry Teller, a lawyer, gold mine owner, hotel builder and senator; and Chin Lin Sou, a Chinese immigrant who made his fortune and became the leader of the Chinese community in the area. |
Vocabulary
gold rush
gulch
mill
ore
prosperity
smelter
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Pre-Viewing Focus
- What three groups traveled what is now known as the Peak to Peak?
- Why did 100,000 people leave their homes to head west in 1859?
- What did the people of Central City build to celebrate the town’s prosperity?
- What three towns made up the mining district along the Peak to Peak? What was the main activity in each town?
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Post-Viewing Discussion
- Why was Gregory Gulch known as the richest square mile on earth? What effect did this wealth have on the way Colorado grew?
- Chin Lin Sou was a very successful man. What qualities helped to make him so successful?
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The Chinese in the West >
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Black Hawk Mill
Courtesy, Black Hawk Smelters, 10026411, F5188
Black Hawk is a mill town. With mines operating 24 hours a day the town is never quiet. Smoke billows from the stacks as smelters bang away.
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Delmonico Mine, near Central City
Courtesy, Denver Public Library, Western History/ Genealogy Department, 10060852, X-60852, Photo by A. E. Dickerson
In 1885, due to the dangers of mining and rampant disease, the average age of death in Black Hawk is 21 years.
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Central City Opera House
Great Divide Pictures LLC
1878
Central City builds an Opera House to bring culture to the Rockies and celebrate the town’s prosperity.
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John Hamilton Gregory
Courtesy, Denver Public Library, Western History Department, F21908
The opera house is located in Gregory Gulch, an area named after John Gregory, a prospector from Georgia who struck gold on May 6, 1859. Gregory Gulch becomes known as the richest square mile on earth, with 85-million dollars in gold mined from the surrounding mountains. |
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Copyright © Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network, Inc. All rights reserved.
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