This year, Colorado celebrates the fortune seekers that headed west 150 years ago for the Gold rush. In the spring of 1879, fortune seekers by the thousands rushed to the sleepy mining town of Leadville to fulfill their silver-coated dreams. they helped create one of the richest histories in the west.

The Route of the Silver Kings leads visitors on a driving tour through the 20-square-mile historic mining district surrounding Leadville. There are 13 stops on the tour, including mines, power plants, ghost towns and mining camps. The tour begins at Monroe Street and Harrison in downtown Leadville and can take a few hours to complete by car. The route is on public roads, but the mines are on private property - please respect "no trespassing" signs. Maps and souvenir booklets are available at the Visitor's Center at 809 Harrison. Open year-round.

1) Harrison reduction Works (Smelting operation) - One of 17 smelters working between 1879 and 1960, processing over 350 tons of ore a day.

2) The yak Tunnel & Power Plant - Steam-powered generating plant and four mile tunnel that drained water and transported ore.

3) A.y. & Minnie Mines - Meyer Guggenheim purchased these defunct mines and made a fortune here, extracting over $2,000,000.00.

4) Oro City - This city boomed with the discovery of carbonate - high in silver.

5) Adelaide Park - In 1879 it was described as beautifully located among the hills with a population of 2,500, a school, three lawyers and a doctor.

6) The Mikado or Gallagher Shaft - The shafts were owned by developer Senator Gallagher - all are reported haunted.

7) Finn Town - Originally settled by miners from England, large number of Finns later filled the town. They had their own stores, saloons, and even a sauna.

- The Robert Emmet Mine - The scene of a fierce battle between strikers and mine guards in 1896.

- The Wolfstone Mine - In 1911, mine mgr. Samuel Nicholson celebrated his discovery of zinc carbonate and invited 250 Leadville citizens to an elaborate underground banquet.

8) The Coronado - In 1896 miners set fire to the Coronado mine and the ensuing fight left three men dead. The miners wanted a raise from $2.50/day to $3/day. The strike closed 90% of the mines in the area.

9) Fryer Hill

- The Little Pittsburg - Horace Tabor grubstaked two prospectors for $17 and soon the mine was yielding $8,000/week. Tabor sold the mine for $1 million within a year.

- The Chrysolite Shaft - Tabor bought this property, dug 25 feet deeper than the previous owner and produced $1.5 million in rich silver ore before selling it.

- The robert e. Lee Mine - This mine produced $3 million in the first four years. This mine was dubbed "the silver vault of Fryer Hill."

10) Evansville - The population of this small settlement at the junction point of the roads was 1000 miners and families. Some stone foundations are still visible.

11) The resurrection no. 2 - This shaft is over 1,000 feet deep and operated until 1956. Lead, zinc, gold and silver were extracted and transported 4 miles in underground trains through the Yak tunnel.

12) Stumptown - Margaret "Molly" Brown lived here as a bride.

13) Ibex Mine Complex - Five shafts were operated by the Ibex Mine Co.
Three trains, one passenger and two freight, arrived and departed daily during the active years.

- The Little Jonny Mine - Brought a tremendous fortune to JJ Brown and his wife Margaret Brown, is Ibex shaft # 1. He was the mine manager who overcame drainage problems and bad mining conditions at the Ibex property in the early 1890s. "JJ" was the husband of "Unsinkable" Molly Brown of Titanic fame. In gratitude to Brown, the owners awarded him a 1/8th interest in the mine, which established Molly's fortune.