The Trail of Gold and Silver: Mining in Colorado, 1859-2009

by Duane A. Smith

In The Trail of Gold and Silver, historian Duane A. Smith details Colorado's mining saga--a story that stretches from the beginning of the gold and silver mining rush in the mid-nineteenth century into the twenty-first century. Gold and silver mining laid the foundation for Colorado's economy, and 1859 marked the beginning of a fever for these precious metals. Mining changed the state and its people forever, affecting settlement, territorial status, statehood, publicity, development, investment, economy, jobs both in and outside the industry, transportation, tourism, advances in mining and smelting technology, and urbanization. Moreover, the first generation of Colorado mining brought a fascinating collection of people and a new era to the region. Written in a lively manner by one of Colorado's preeminent historians, this book honors the 2009 sesquicentennial of Colorado's gold rush. Smith's narrative will appeal to anybody with an interest in the state's fascinating mining history over the past 150 years.

Genres: Geology

289 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Duane Smith received his academic degrees from the University of Colorado and completed his Ph.D. in 1964. That year he began to teach at Fort Lewis College where he is a Professor of Southwest Studies. His areas of research and writing include Colorado history, Civil War history, mining history, urban history and baseball history. He is an extremely popular professor at Fort Lewis, and he is the author of over thirty books on a variety of subjects including Rocky Mountain Mining Camps: The Urban Frontier; A Colorado History; Horace Tabor: His Life and the Legend; Silver Saga: The Story of Caribou Colorado; Colorado Mining: A Photographic History; Fortunes Are for the Few: Letters of a Forty-niner; Rocky Mountain Boom Town: A History of Durango; A Land Alone: Colorado’s Western Slope; Song of the Hammer and Drill: The Colorado San Juans, 1860-1914; Mining America: The Industry and the Environment, 1800-1980; Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries; The Birth of Colorado: A Civil War Perspective; and Sacred Trust: The Birth and Development of Fort Lewis College.

Reviews

[Geonostalgist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read full of character, this review of Colorado precious metal mining accomplishes its task well. The rush and excitement, rise and fall, boom and bust in mines, towns, and hearts of those who participated in these events is well covered, and it is a particular joy to hear so much of it conveyed in their very own words (from newspapers, diaries, letters, etc.). This is indulged in to such a degree that it may be off-putting to some, but I find it to be a characteristic strength of the book. The main weakness of the book is the emphasis on silver and gold at the expense of other metals that would have better framed the challenges and opportunities of the industry, and thus better encapsulated hte history. The book also struggles slightly (due to its size vs its scope) in keeping up with the booming developments in hard rock mining in a broader contextual sense, but the review of the changes that better smelting brought to the industry does scratch this itch somewhat. Overall though, for the size of the book given its scope it does creates an admirable and accessible portrayal of Colorado precious metal mining that certainly is worth the read.

[Jeff Posey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great read, but adequate for a history book. If you really want to know the mining history of Colorado, you'll enjoy this. If not, you probably won't. But that could be said for nearly any straight-history book.