The Colorado and Central Railroad passes over the main street in Black Hawk, ca 1878-1885. (Courtesy, Library of Congress)
The availability of a plentiful water supply made Black Hawk a milling and smelting center, ca 1878-1885. (Courtesy, Library of Congress)
The railroad is long gone and the two main streets in Black Hawk are now lined with modern casinos.Only a few of the original structures from the boom times remain.
A mill located just north of Black Hawk is a reminder of the town’s mining, milling, and smelting past.It operated intermittently in the late-1900s.
(Above)Several restored houses from the mining heyday sit above the road between Black Hawk and Central City.
(Right)“Daylight” stopes can be seen on a narrow ore vein on the hill above Black Hawk.
The mines of Nevadaville, located a mile and a half west of Central City, produced much of Gilpin County’s mineral wealth.Only a few historic structures remain.
This well preserved mine headframe in Nevadaville is sheathed in corrugated iron.
Photo Credits Mike and Pat Kaas (unless otherwise attributed)