Smuggler Mine, Colorado

Not known to many present day visitors, Aspen, Colorado was at one time considered the richest silver-producing community in the world. The area ranks second only to Leadville in the production of precious metals in Colorado. Before skiing, snowboarding, and chic, Aspen was a mining town and the Smuggler Mine was the biggest silver mine in the valley.

Thousands of fortune seekers arrived by 1890 to stake their claims in this productive area. The world's largest silver nugget, 1,840 pounds, was uncovered in the Molly Gibson Mine in 1893, only to be surpassed by an even larger one from the Smuggler Mine in 1894. The largest silver nugget in the world weighing 2,054 pounds was more than 93 percent pure silver. Rich strikes were made in 1880 that attracted many mines, but the town grew slowly due to the absence of roads and the prohibitive cost of shipping ore to the outside world.

In 1887, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad came to town and Aspen was on its way. However, most of the best mines were in production long before the railroads came. By the early 1880's Aspen was producing in the millions and had a population of 12,000 by 1882 and 15,000 by 1887. At its height, Aspen had six newspapers, four schools, three banks, ten churches, a modern hospital, an opera house and a small but flourishing red-light district. But the city was hit hard by the silver panic of 1893, as Aspen was considered the greatest silver city in the world. The thriving town's population quickly dwindled to 2,000 persons and the town was never the same after that.

The historic Smuggler Silver Mine on Smuggler Mountain overlooks the quaint town of Aspen, Colorado. There is a great deal of lore surrounding the actual discovery of Smuggler Mine, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Walking tours delve 1,200-feet into the mine, complete with little yellow ore carts and old timber trestles. Tours are offered year-round through advance registration.