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Colorado’s economy was significantly shaped by the Denver gold mining scene after the Gold Rush began in the nineteenth century. After finding gold deposits near what is now Cherry Creek and in the western, mountainous region of the state, many people flocked to the state, intrigued by the newfound riches and beautiful land. The economic growth seen from this period includes everything from job creation, industrial growth, infrastructure development, and much more! Plus, with the help of The Argo Mill and Tunnel, such growth only increased at a faster rate due to the crucial role it played in the Gold Rush.
The Pikes Peak Gold Rush and Denver Gold Mining
In 1859, gold was discovered in Colorado and thus began the Colorado Gold Rush—what was then called the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. In only a year or two, an incredible economic boom began with the sudden influx of miners and settlers who came to Colorado in search of gold. This, of course, led to the immediate need for infrastructure development. Both the mountain towns and Denver gold mining settlements built their own towns, roads, and railroads.
Now, not only mining but also this infrastructure development created jobs for settlers moving into the state. Miners, millers, builders, and so many other jobs were needed to keep up with the growing economy. After a short time, the mining industry also spurred new technology and engineering in order to create a more effective and efficient mining process, which included new machinery.
The Denver gold mining industry generated so much wealth from gold that eventually, Denver became a financial hub, requiring banking, investing, and other business to be centralized in this soon-to-be city. Eventually, such wealth led to urbanization, real estate, schools, hospitals, and more, expanding into more towns and cities beyond Denver.
The Argo’s Crucial Role
The Argo Mill and Tunnel, while a short ways outside of Denver, contributed greatly to the wealth and growth of the Denver gold mining industry and shaping Colorado as a whole. During the beginning of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, Idaho Springs was one of the first places gold was discovered, and therefore, mining sites sprouted and the need for The Argo Mill and Tunnel was dire. Because The Argo Mill and Tunnel served so many mines in the Colorado Rockies, it became a hub of its own for miners, millers, other job seekers, and their families, contributing greatly to the economic stability of the more mountainous region.
Some of the greatest mining and engineering innovations of the Colorado Gold Rush came from The Argo Mill and Tunnel, as it consistently used advanced methods of ore transportation and gold extraction to be more efficient and increase the output of gold. These methods set the standard for the Denver gold mining and the entire gold mining industry beyond state lines.
Looking Ahead
The Argo Mill and Tunnel played a crucial role in contributing to Colorado’s economic prosperity, and still today and in the foreseeable future it serves as a historical site to provide education on its impact on Colorado’s development over the years. Denver gold mining practices and the industry itself continues to shape Colorado in very new ways. As the Gold Rush led to other forms of excavation for minerals and metals, mining in Colorado now proves useful in regard to something as simple as building new infrastructure to something as complicated as creating smartphones or medical devices. Gold mining was only the beginning to greater economic growth here in Colorado and across the world as we know it.