The $500 gold strike that built a Colorado empire

History · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1890, a single discovery transformed a quiet cattle pasture into a booming mining metropolis. Within three years, the population exploded from hundreds to ten thousand, fueling a legendary gold rush that produced over thirty millionaires and left a permanent mark on the American West.

The Cripple Creek gold rush began on October 20, 1890, when Robert Miller "Bob" Womack discovered rich ore near the base of Pikes Peak. This discovery followed a period of skepticism; many prospectors had previously avoided the high valley, at 9,494 feet, due to the Mount Pisgah hoax, where gold was added to worthless rock to trick miners. The sudden influx of wealth was staggering: by 1892, the mining district was officially created, and the town's population surged from roughly 800 people at the end of 1891 to 10,000 within just three years.

The economic boom brought immense wealth and intense social complexity. The district eventually produced 22.4 million ounces of gold by 1910, with total production reaching approximately 23.5 million troy ounces by 2005. This wealth supported a massive infrastructure, including 150 saloons, 90 doctors, and 34 churches. However, the era was also defined by labor strife. The 1903 strike by the Western Federation of Miners led to the Colorado Labor Wars, as the state government deployed the National Guard to suppress union power.

Life in the district was often precarious. In 1896, two devastating fires destroyed much of the town, triggered by a dispute at a dance hall and a spilled grease kettle at a hotel. While the era produced 30 millionaires, the man who started it all, Bob Womack, died penniless in 1909 after selling his claim for $500 and a case of whiskey. Today, the area has transitioned from a mining hub to a center for tourism and legalized gambling, with the 2020 census recording a much smaller population of 1,155 residents.

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