Placer gold was discovered in California Gulch near Leadville, Colorado in late 1859 and by the spring and summer of 1860, thousands of prospectors were pouring into the area. Oro City (Spanish for gold) was soon established and the town and area boasted a population of some 10,000 people. Vintage photo by William Henry Jackson around the turn of the century. Vintage photo restored by Kathy Weiser-Alexander.