1868Ī New York Times article from 1884 described the towns in Gregory Gulch as they were in 1862: Hence, Black Hawk took its place as the industrial center of the district.īobtail Lode - Black Hawk, Colorado ca. Its location at the bottom of the gulch meant more water, and water was required to run the mills and smelters that separated the gold from the ore. Black Hawk was known as the 'City of Mills'.
Like nearby Central City, the town Black Hawk got its start in 1859 after gold was discovered in Gregory Gulch. The site of Black Hawk has special significance in that this is where John Gregory discovered the first flakes of gold in what would become the most important mining district in Colorado for the following two decades. Black Hawk is located near the bottom of what was known as 'Gregory Gulch', which was the location of the first major lode gold discovery in the Rocky Mountains.
