Leadville in Lake County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Side-Dumping Ore Car
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2025
1. Side-Dumping Ore Car Marker
Cars like this were used to remove ore from the mines.
Coupled together, they make up a train which is usually pulled by an electrically powered locomotive.
This car came from the Black Cloud Mine located east of Leadville.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce.
Location. 39° 15.08′ N, 106° 17.547′ W. Marker is in Leadville, Colorado, in Lake County. It is at the intersection of East 9th Street (U.S. 24) and Harrison Avenue, on the right when traveling west on East 9th Street. The marker and mining car are on the Leadville Heritage Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 102 East 9th Street, Leadville CO 80461, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley, in the Colorado High Rockies and on the Continental Divide. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Carnegie Library (here, next to this marker); Gravity Stamp Mill (a few steps from this marker); Shaker Concentrating Table (a few steps from this marker); Crib (a few steps from this marker); Headframe (within shouting distance of this marker); Healy House (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Historic Leadville Twin Lakes / Bienvenido a la histσrico Leadville Twin Lakes
this page online
Also see . . . Leadville mine closure ends an era (The Denver Post).
(By Steve Lipsher, 1/29/1999) Miners leaving the tunnels of the Black Cloud hung up their brass tags for the last time Thursday afternoon, signaling that they were all out of the shaft - and ending an era that defined this town for 140 years.(Submitted on December 13, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
The last operating mine in history rich Leadville, the Black Cloud produced millions of dollars of zinc and lead over the last 30 years, but depressed metals prices and a tapped-out ore body led to Thursday's closure.
Asarco, which got its start in Leadville before the turn of the century and contributed mightily to the fortunes of Meyer Guggenheim, expects to continue searching for ore bodies 1,650 feet beneath the surface, in hopes that prices someday will rise again.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2025
2. Side-Dumping Ore Car Marker
Looking west; East 9th Street is on the left.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2025
3. Side-Dumping Ore Car
Looking east; East 9th Street is on the right.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
