In April of 1859, prospector John H. Gregory made a startling discovery. While exploring along Clear Creek west of Golden, Colorado, he discovered high concentrations of gold dusk in the waters. Following this literal trail of gold led Gregory to a point along North Clear Creek known as Forks where the highest concentration of gold was found. News spread of this discovery and soon, hundreds of hopeful prospectors began settling along North Clear Creek. By the summer of 1860, it is estimated that around 15,000 people were living on North Clear Creek in the vicinity of Forks. This mining camp would go on to form the foundation of Black Hawk, Colorado, of which would become a focal point of the Colorado Gold Rush. 

By the mid 1860's, the majority of the surface gold deposits had been exhausted in and around Black Hawk. However, gold was still plentiful if advancements in extraction occurred. In 1865, the first gold smelter was constructed in Black Hawk paving the way for an increasingly mechanized process of gold mining. Another problem arose with the transporting of both crude ore and refined ingots. This led to the creation of the Colorado & Clear Creek Railroad on February 9th, 1865. The Colorado & Clear Creek was to be constructed west out of Denver, Colorado, to Black Hawk and beyond and was the first railroad chartered within the territory of Colorado. Before any construction began, on January 20th, 1866, the Colorado & Clear Creek's name was changed to the Colorado Central & Pacific Railroad. Finally, in May of 1867, ground was broken in Denver for the construction of the Colorado Central & Pacific's main line. On January 14th, 1868, the railroad's name was changed yet again to the Colorado Central Railroad. As illustrated by the constant changes in corporate structure, the Colorado Central was constantly involved in aggressive corporate takeovers by competing parties trying to claim a stake in the increasingly lucrative Colorado railroad scene. This included Jay Gould's Union Pacific as well as the Kansas Pacific. The Union Pacific would end up being the highest bidder and secured control over the Colorado Central in 1879. 

On December 11th, 1872, the Colorado Central Railroad ran their first train into Black Hawk. To lower costs, the line from Denver to Black Hawk was built as 36" narrow gauge with a section built as dual gauge from Denver to Arapahoe. Now with the Colorado Central connecting Black Hawk to the outside world, the problem still persisted with transporting raw ore from the various mines in Gilpin County to the smelters in Black Hawk. Thus, on July 29th, 1886, five men, Henry C. Bolsinger, Bradford H. Locke, Robert A. Campbell, Andrew W. Rogers, and Henry J. Hawley charted the Gilpin Tramway Company under the laws of the state of Colorado. The railroad was chartered as a 24" narrow gauge common carrier steam railroad planned to run from Black Hawk out to the various gold mines scattered throughout Gilpin County. Construction crews began grading the Gilpin Tramway right of way in May of 1887 and the first rails were laid on July 1st, 1887. The first train ran out of Black Hawk on September 1st, 1887, powered by brand new Shay #1, the "Gilpin". Beginning in December of 1887, the Colorado Central Railroad main line through Black Hawk was converted to dual gauge for Gilpin traffic. By the end of July in 1888, the Gilpin Tramway main line had been completed to the Frontenac Mine near Russell Gulch. This would be the furthest the railway extended until the Banta Hill Branch was built in early 1906.

The Gilpin Tramway, or "Gold Tram" as it was sometimes called, served a dozen or so gold mines throughout its existence. Some of which being the California Mine on Quartz Hill, Gunnell Mine in Eureka Gulch, and Old Town Mine in Russell Gulch. To reach the mines, the Gilpin utilized switchbacks. Noted railroad historian Mallory Hope Ferrell notes that the Gilpin had the most switchbacks of any common carrier in the entire country. To reach one mine, a total of seven switchbacks were built illustrating the importance of this strategy in reaching higher elevations.

In January of 1899, the bankrupt Colorado Central Railroad, under the banner of the Union Pacific, Denver, & Pacific Railroad, was purchased by the Colorado & Southern Railway Company. As the Gilpin Tramway continued to find success, the Colorado & Southern began eyeing the tramway for possible acquisition. On June 27th, 1906, the Gilpin Tramway Company was officially purchased by the Colorado & Southern Railway Company. The tramway would be renamed the Gilpin Railroad and operate as a subsidiary of the Colorado & Southern. On July 29th, 1906, 30 years after the Gilpin Tramway was created, the charter officially expired and all of the Gilpin Tramway's assets were transferred to the Colorado & Southern. Unfortunately for the Colorado & Southern, the Gilpin was purchased during the apex of its success. 1910 would be the most successful year for the Gilpin. As gold prices began to drop due to government regulations and other economic factors, the Gilpin began to inch closer and closer to unprofitably. By the mid 1910's, the Gilpin was running in the red and improvement seemed impossible. On January 17th, 1917, the last train ran out of Black Hawk and in June of 1917, the Colorado & Southern officially sold the railroad for scrap.

With the Gilpin Tramway gone, communities once served by the railroad began to decay. Once prosperous gold mining camps such as Russell Gulch, Nevadaville, and Quartz Hill, soon faded away into history while larger towns like Black Hawk continued to grasp for some source of relevance. It didn't help that the former Colorado Central Railroad was ripped up during 1941 further isolating Black Hawk and surrounding villages. Today, Black Hawk continues to survive thanks to various casinos that have moved in during the last 30 years. Although considered unsavory by many, these gambling halls have allowed Black Hawk to hang on. Regarding the Gilpin, little survives today. A balloon stack from Shay #3 has been "preserved" at the Colorado Railroad Museum but little else has been saved. Ruins of various mines once served by the Gilpin remain, forgotten and abandoned. Like the Gilpin, these mines, instrumental in the opening of the west, have faded from memory even to those that wouldn't live west of the Mississippi if not for the Gilpin and the institution of gold. 

Sometime between January of 1900 and July of 1906, Gilpin Tramway Company #4 works the Old Town Mine in Russell Gulch, Colorado. The shaft itself is out of frame directly behind the locomotive. Note the ore tailings in the background characterized by the wooden retaining wall and lighter dirt. The Old Town Mine, located around milepost 43.2 on the Gilpin, was the most consistently profitable mine on the entire line. Other mines like the Iron Mine and Gunnell Mine located closer to Blackhawk were more profitable than the Old Town but only in short stretches. The estimated gross tonnage value of the Old Town mine was calculated to be in the ballpark of $2,700,000 with $400,000 being straight profit. In 2019 dollars, that rounds to approximately $12,000,000 in straight profit. It is recorded that ore mined at the Old Town was shipped to Black Hawk to be concentrated before being shipped to the Jackson Mine in Idaho Springs, Colorado, via the Colorado & Southern Railway. Both the Jackson Mine in Idaho Springs and the Old Town Mine were owned by the same people. Additionally, take note of the darker building in the background located to the top right of the locomotive. I believe this building to be the Watauga Shaft which was one of the first mines to be served by the Gilpin.