The
California Gold Rush of 1848–1855 and the
Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858–1861 filled the western United States with eager gold seekers. The first discoveries of
placer gold were found in the streams of the mountain foothills, but later searches for
hardrock gold and other minerals pushed
mining camps ever higher into the mountains. High elevation mining camps appeared rapidly and frequently disappeared just as rapidly. Very few western towns incorporated before 1876 unless they felt their territory was threatened. Most western towns were content just to have a post office. The following list shows the progression of these highest elevation towns in the United States. All but four of these towns (the incorporated municipalities of
Santa Fe,
Mountain City now
Central City,
Breckinridge now
Breckenridge, and
Alma) are now
ghost towns.
^
abSince their
GNIS elevations only differ by 3 feet (0.9 m), both
Rexford and
Holy Cross had legitimate claims to the highest elevation town in the United States from January 23, 1882 to November 10, 1883.
^The
Territory of Colorado incorporated the
Town of Alma on December 2, 1873. The Town of Alma, Colorado has been the highest elevation populated municipality in the United States since 1890.