Leadville, CO 80461 5801 Hwy 24

Hayden Ranch was founded originally as Elkhorn Ranch in 1860. When the silver industry boomed in the Leadville Mining District, and settlers flocked by the thousands, a huge need arose for the agricultural foundations to support such an influx. These were found nearby in the fields of the Arkansas River Valley, where ranchers grew the copious amounts of hay needed to feed the animals that powered every cart. The successes and ultimate recessions of this industrial boom was mirrored in the systems it relied on, and in the 1890's the empty silvermine encampments of post-Gold-Standard America no longer consumed the resources it had a decade previously. The Hayden Family began grazing cattle, and built many of the structures we see today to house operations. The Ranch was sold in 1933 to the Callahan Construction Company and briefly used to breed horses for the US Army Cavalry, then resumed cattle breeding for another 14 years until it was sold again in 1947. The buildings fell out of use and into disrepair. The 1960s saw hopeful prospects through ski industry success, exemplified by nearby resorts like Aspen and Vail, and as a result many larger lots in Lake County were subdivided with thoughts of development. The lot to the north of the Hayden Homestead is one such example and was planned to house 40 condominiums, three of which were constructed.