Mound City, Colorado

Mound City, Colorado 1893
Mound City, Colorado 1893

Mound City History

Mound City was one of four towns that popped up in Squaw Gulch following the Cripple Creek gold boom that started in 1890. Mound City was built around two large ore mills that serviced the mines of the Cripple Creek District.

Colorized version of 1893 Mound City scene
Colorized version of 1893 Mound City scene

The town was established in 1891 and is said to have had up to two thousand residents within a few years. In 1900 around a thousand people still lived here.

Mound City had numerous commercial businesses, including three grocery stores, two meat markets, and at least two saloons.

Log House at Mound City, Colorado ca. 1900 - colorized photo
Log House at Mound City, Colorado ca. 1900 - colorized photo

Mound City's largest mill was the Brodie Mill which operated until 1900. When the mill shut down, the town started to decline. By the latter half of the decade most people had moved on to other towns in the district, and Mound City was absorbed by Anaconda, the largest settlement in Squaw Gulch at the time.

A Tour of Colorado Mining Towns

A tour of Colorado mining towns

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Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

More of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.