Leadville, Colorado

Leadville is the county seat of Lake County, Colorado. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,821. The city is historically a silver mining town on the Arkansas River, lying southwest of Denver, Colorado. Leadville had a brief gold boom in 1860, and when lead was found with high silver content in 1877, it received its first silver boom. By 1880, it was one of the world's largest silver camps, with a population of over 40,000. The city's fortunes declined with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Act in 1893, although afterwards there was another small gold boom. Many tales from Leadville found their ways into H.A.W. Tabor's works. It is claimed to be the highest town in the U.S.A..

During World War II, Leadville was a popular spot for visits by soldiers at nearby Camp Hale, but only after the town acted to curb prostitution; until then, the United States Army declared the town off-limits for its personnel. The war also caused an increase in the mining of molybdenum at the nearby Climax mine. At one point the mine produced 75 percent of the world's molybdenum.

The closing of the mine in the 1980s was a major blow to the town's economy. In addition, the many years of mining left behind substantial contamination of the soil and water, so that the Environmental Protection Agency designated Leadville as a Superfund site. Despite this handicap, the town has made major efforts to improve its economy by encouraging tourism, emphasizing its history and opportunities for outdoor recreation. The town is the site of the Leadville Trail 100 and other events for runners and mountain bicyclists.

Situated at an elevation of 10,152 feet (3,094 m) above sea level, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States.

Geography

Leadville is located at 39°14'50" North, 106°17'33" West (39.247200, -106.292414)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 km² (1.1 mi²). 2.7 km² (1.1 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,821 people, 1,253 households, and 675 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,027.5/km² (2,659.5/mi²). There are 1,514 housing units at an average density of 551.5/km² (1,427.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 83.52% White, 0.14% African American, 1.28% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 12.34% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. 25.45% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,253 households out of which 24.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% are married couples living together, 8.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% are non-families. 35.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.91.

The age distribution is 21.1% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 107.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $36,714, and the median income for a family is $44,444. Males have a median income of $28,125 versus $23,512 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,607. 13.3% of the population and 9.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.5% of those under the age of 18 and 7.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

• "Leadville Today" (http://www.mscd.edu/~history/camphale/lvt_001.html)
• Leadville.com (http://www.leadville.com/)

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