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Empire Then: The 1860 Silver Strike That Put a Star-Shaped Valley on the Map

Before Leadville, before Aspen, there was Empire—Colorado’s first true fissure lode discovery

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In the fall of 1860, miners struck silver in what is now Empire, making it the first true fissure lode discovered in Colorado.

While the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush had already brought thousands to the territory, Empire’s silver represented something different—hard rock mining that would require industrial-scale operations.

The Discovery

The miners found silver embedded in quartz veins running through the surrounding mountains, launching Colorado’s transition from gold rush to mining industry.

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