Black Hawk, Colorado#History

Black Hawk was established in 1859 as the mining camp of Black Hawk Point in the Territory of Kansas.{{cite web| url= http://www.cityofblackhawk.org/|title= City of Black Hawk Colorado |publisher= City of Black Hawk Colorado |access-date=May 7, 2012}}

File:Black Hawk, Colorado (1864).jpg

In May 1859 the discovery of gold in Gregory Gulch by its namesake, John H. Gregory, brought thousands of prospectors and miners into the area, combing the hills for more gold veins. The Bobtail lode was discovered the following month. The free Territory of Colorado was organized on February 28, 1861.{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/36th-congress/session-2/c36s2ch59.pdf|title=An Act To provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado|author=Thirty-sixth United States Congress|website=Library of Congress|author-link=36th United States Congress|date=February 28, 1861|access-date=December 24, 2024}} The Black Hawk Point, Colorado Territory, post office opened on December 6, 1862.{{cite book|title=Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989|first1=William H.|last1=Bauer|first2=James L.|last2=Ozment|first3=John H.|last3=Willard|date=1990|publisher=Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation|location=Golden, Colorado|isbn=0-918654-42-4}} Hardrock mining boomed for a few years, but then declined in the mid-1860s as the miners exhausted the shallow parts of the veins that contained free gold and found that their amalgamation mills could not recover gold from the deeper sulfide ores.A. H. Koschman and M. H. Bergendahl (1968) Principal Gold-Producing Districts of the United States, US Geological Survey, Professional Paper 610, p.86.

Nathaniel P. Hill built Colorado's first successful ore smelter in Black Hawk in 1868. Hill's smelter could recover gold from the sulfide ores, an achievement that saved hardrock mining in Black Hawk, Central City, and Idaho Springs from ruin. Other smelters were built nearby. Black Hawk's advantageous location on North Clear Creek made it the center of ore processing for the area, and it became known as the "City of Mills".James E. Fell, Jr. (1979) Ores to Metals, Lincoln: Univ. Nebraska Press, pp. 27-54. The name of the Black Hawk Point post office was shortened to Black Hawk on February 8, 1871.

The Colorado Central Railroad extended its line to the town in 1872.Paul K. Sims and others (1963), Economic Geology of the Central City District, Gilpin County, Colorado, US Geological Survey, Professional Paper 359, p.7-8. Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876,{{cite web |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-230-admission-colorado-into-the-union|title=Proclamation 230—Admission of Colorado into the Union|author=Ulysses S. Grant |date=August 1, 1876|publisher=The American Presidency Project|access-date=December 24, 2024}} and the City of Black Hawk was incorporated on June 12, 1886. The spelling of the Black Hawk post office was changed to Blackhawk on January 30, 1895, but was then changed back to Black Hawk on July 1, 1950. Black Hawk is currently the least populous city in the State of Colorado.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/dashboard/CO/|title=QuickFacts for Colorado|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 24, 2024}}

A restored narrow-gauge railroad depot and locomotive are on display on the east side of downtown. Black Hawk was also served by the two-foot-gauge Gilpin Tramway which climbed from Black Hawk to the mines above Central City.

File:Ameristar Casino, Black Hawk.JPG

Many historic buildings in the town have been restored following the opening of the casinos in 1991. The town has been in heated competition for gambling revenue with its neighbor Central City since casinos opened in both towns in 1991. Development of the area down Clear Creek from the historic Black Hawk townsite lining State Highway 119 has flourished. Gamblers from Denver pass the Blackhawk casinos before they arrive at Central City, and, as a result, Black Hawk has realized much more revenue from gambling than Central City. Gambling in Black Hawk also benefits from less restrictive zoning codes; while Central City until recently limited building heights to {{convert|53|ft}} to preserve the historic character of the town, Black Hawk has no such limits. In an attempt to close the competitive gap, Central City built the Central City Parkway from Interstate 70 near Idaho Springs as an alternative route, leading guests first to Central City, and then to Black Hawk. The Central City Parkway opened November 19, 2004. However, Black Hawk continues to have three times the number of casinos and generates more than seven times the gambling revenue that Central City does.Andy Vuong, "Eased gambling, building rules give Central City second chance," Denver Post, July 1, 2009, p.1A.

Although the 1990 statewide referendum allowing casino gambling in Black Hawk was promoted as a way to promote historic preservation in Black Hawk, critics have charged that it has had the opposite effect, and that the historic appearance of Black Hawk has been sacrificed to allow construction of the large casinos.{{Cite web| url=http://achp.gov/casearchive/cases4-99CO.html| title=Colorado: Construction of KMM Parking Structure (Black Hawk)| work=Archive of Prominent Section 106 Cases: April 1999| publisher=Advisory Council on Historic Preservation| access-date=November 17, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229232552/http://www.achp.gov/casearchive/cases4-99CO.html| archive-date=December 29, 2016| url-status=dead}}{{Cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9F00EED61130F934A3575AC0A961958260| last1=Brooke| first1=James| title=Colorado Rethinks Bet on Historic Preservation| work=The New York Times| date=September 7, 1997| access-date=November 17, 2016}}{{Cite news| url=http://www.westword.com/2006-04-13/news/a-house-divided/| last1=Calhoun| first1=Patricia| title=A House Divided| work=Westword| date=April 13, 2006| access-date=November 17, 2016| archive-date=February 3, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203041822/http://www.westword.com/2006-04-13/news/a-house-divided/| url-status=dead}}{{Cite web| url=http://www.nationaltrust.org/11Most/list.asp?i=11| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070215190859/http://www.nationaltrust.org/11Most/list.asp?i=11| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 15, 2007| title=11 Most Endangered Places (2006): Black Hawk & Central City| publisher=National Trust for Historic Preservation| access-date=November 17, 2016}}

Tax from the gambling revenue provides funding for the State Historical Fund, administered by the Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.[https://web.archive.org/web/20010505225832/http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/shf/shfindex.htm State Historical Fund], Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society, USA.

In February 2013, the Colorado Supreme Court overturned a citywide ban on bicycle traffic through Black Hawk, ruling that the city had failed to comply with state traffic law. In 2010, the Black Hawk banned bicycle use on most of the streets in the city. The ban was prompted by a surge in traffic following the change in maximum casino betting limits from $5 to $100. Black Hawk City Manager Michael Copp said that the city council, which passed the new law, believed it was best for the casinos and their patrons. The penalty for riding a bicycle through Black Hawk was a $68 fine.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/18/black-hawk-colorado-bans-cyclists| title=That's all, spokes: Colorado town of Black Hawk bans cyclists| last=Pidd| first=Helen| date=June 18, 2010| work=The Guardian| publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited| access-date=June 20, 2010| location=London}}[http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/23825796/detail.html Bicycles Banned in Black Hawk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209133206/http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/23825796/detail.html |date=December 9, 2011 }} [http://www.thedenverchannel.com KMGH Denver] June 7, 2010 Retrieved 2010-06-08. Bicycle advocacy groups challenged the bike ban, with the case ultimately going to the Colorado Supreme Court.{{cite news| url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna37768244| title=Casino city bans riding bikes through town| last=Banda| first=P. Solomon| date=June 17, 2010| work=NBC News| access-date=June 20, 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://bicycling.com/blogs/roadrights/2010/06/24/an-illegal-bike-ban-%E2%80%94-and-the-fight-against-it/ |title=An Illegal Bike Ban – Road Rights |access-date=June 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416063204/http://www.bicycling.com/blogs/roadrights/2010/06/24/an-illegal-bike-ban-%E2%80%94-and-the-fight-against-it |archive-date=April 16, 2015 |url-status=dead }} State Highway 119 and County Road 279 in Black Hawk are part of the Great Parks Bicycle Route and the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway touring route.

The town is located along the north fork of Clear Creek and Gregory Gulch.

At the 2020 United States census, the city had a total area of {{convert|6.871|km2|acre|order=flip}}, all of it land.

{{US Census population

|align=left

|1870= 1068

|1880= 1540

|1890= 1067

|1900= 1200

|1910= 668

|1920= 253

|1930= 253

|1940= 289

|1950= 166

|1960= 171

|1970= 217

|1980= 232

|1990= 227

|2000= 118

|2010= 118

|2020= 127

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census

}}

As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 118 people, 54 households, and 28 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|80.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 79 housing units at an average density of {{convert|54.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 84.75% White, 3.39% African American, 0.85% Native American, 5.93% from other races, and 5.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.17% of the population.

There were 54 households, out of which 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 131.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 131.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,583, and the median income for a family was $52,500. Males had a median income of $29,688 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,985. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.

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Black Hawk Public Schools are part of the Gilpin County School District RE-1. The district has one elementary school and one high school, Gilpin County Elementary School and Gilpin County Undivided High School.{{cite web| url= http://www.greatschools.org/colorado/black-hawk/|title= Black Hawk Schools|publisher= GreatSchools, Inc.|access-date=May 7, 2012}}

Dave MacKenzie is the Superintendent of Schools.{{cite web|url=http://gilpin.k12.co.us/our_district/superintendent|title=OUR_DISTRICT/SUPERINTENDENT|publisher=Gilpin County School|access-date=March 12, 2019}}

There are approximately 380 students enrolled in the district.{{cite web| url= http://www.trulia.com/school-district/CO-Gilpin_County/Gilpin_County_School_District_Re_-_1/| title= Gilpin County School District Re – 1| publisher= Trulia Inc.| access-date= May 7, 2012| archive-url= https://archive.today/20130105002140/http://www.trulia.com/school-district/CO-Gilpin_County/Gilpin_County_School_District_Re_-_1/| archive-date= January 5, 2013| url-status= dead| df= mdy-all}}

The Black Hawk & Central City Tramway, operated by the cities of Black Hawk and Central City, provides a free shuttle between the two towns. Ramblin Express and Ace Express Coaches provides transportation from Denver.{{Cite web |title=Bus Routes to Black Hawk |url=https://visitblackhawk.org/travel/bus-routes/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Visit Black Hawk |language=en}}

• William A. Conant (1816–1909), merchant, politician, and railroad agent
• Nathaniel P. Hill, Brown University chemistry professor, Black Hawk smelter magnate, U.S. senator

{{portal|Geography|History|United States|Colorado}}

• Central City/Black Hawk Historic District
• Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
• Front Range Urban Corridor
• List of municipalities in Colorado
• List of populated places in Colorado
• List of post offices in Colorado
• Pike's Peak gold rush

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{{sister project links|auto=yes}}

• [http://www.cityofblackhawk.org/ City of Black Hawk]
• [https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado]
• [http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/staticdata/Downloads/CityMaps/Black%20Hawk.pdf CDOT map of the City of Black Hawk]
• [https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080711152033/http://www.rockymountainprofiles.com/black_hawk_colorado.htm Photos of Black Hawk Colorado Ghost Town site provided by Rocky Mountain Profiles]

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Category:Cities in Gilpin County, Colorado

Category:Cities in Colorado

Category:Colorado Mining Boom

Category:Populated places established in 1859

Category:Gambling localities in Colorado

Category:Denver metropolitan area

Category:1859 establishments in Kansas Territory