Compromise Mine
Aspen, Colorado has deep roots into the mining world – before it became
the Beverly Hills of the Rockies and a world class ski resort – miners
picked and poked their way into the surrounding mountains looking for
the ultimate retirement plan. All it took was one big nugget of
silver and you were set for life. Even though the silver boom is
over a century long gone, the Roaring Fork River Valley is still rich
in its history and you can still get a glimpse of how things used to be
by touring one of the local mines.
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The Compromise Mine is where it all began. As prospectors crossed
the pass from Leadville in the late 1800s, it was the discovery of
silver in the Compromise Mine that led to Aspen's silver mining
boom. The mine stretches 2,000 feet into the depths of Aspen
Mountain. During July and August you can hop into an
18-guage-tour car and let an electric locomotive pull you through a day
in the life of a hard rock miner. Children under the age of five
are not allowed.
The Smuggler Mine, which once produced a silver nugget the size of an
African elephant, is one of the few silver mines still pumping out
ore. It was in this mine in 1894 that the largest silver nugget
in the world weighing 2,054-pounds more than 93 percent pure silver was
discovered. Smuggler Mine is just up the road from Compromise
Mine. Here you can opt for a one or two hour walking tour
spanning the mine's two levels.
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Black Hills South Dakota
Take a vacation to the Black Hills of South Dakota to experience an Old west mining town first hand!
