The Pioneering Jewish Community of Leadville: An Interview with Bill Korn

The merchant store that became a national conglomerate. The immigrant family that emerged as among the wealthiest in America. The synagogue president who was also county commissioner (and - bizarrely - for a short time, the owner of a brothel).

For a period of thirty years at the onset of the 20th century, Leadville was the economic driver of the state of Colorado and home to a thriving Jewish community.

This week on Radio Chavura, Bill Korn, an expert on early Leadville Jewry who helped spearhead efforts to rededicate the town's forgotten synagogue and cemetery, shares with us some of the more exciting anecdotes about the town's early Jewish residents and merchants.

Originally founded as a gold mining town, Leadville soon became known for its production of silver, zinc, and molybdenum.

Jews - including David May (founder of the nationally prominent May Company Department Stores); the Guggenheim Family, owners of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO); and  County CommissionerJoseph Monheimer - all became leaders among both the Jews and non-Jews in Leadville.

The demise of the community began with collapse of the silver industry following the Panic of 1893 and began a steady exodus out of Lake County. Few Jews live in or near Leadville today.

But Bill Korn and others maintain the old synagogue, Temple Israel, as an event center and museum.  And, with the help of B'nai Brith, the old Jewish cemetery remains open to visitors and the family of those buried there.

The annual community cleanup of the Leadville Jewish cemetery  - a Mitzvah, and a wonderful summer event for the entire Colorado Jewish community - will be taking place during the last weekend of June this year (additional details soon). 

To learn more about Jewish Leadville, be sure to attend Bill Korn's discourse at the JCC South  (9625 E. Arapahoe Rd. • Greenwood Village, CO • 80112) on Thursday, May 30th at 7:30 pm. 

[Do you have Jewish family roots in Leadville? Radio Chavura host, Maxwell Rotbart (in photo above with Bill Korn), is writing a history of Jewish Leadville and would like to hear from anyone with information, photos or memorabilia pertaining to Leadville during the period ranging from the late 1800s to World War II.  Contact him at [email protected] or phone 1-855-JEWISH-4.]

Photo: An artifact from early Jewish Leadville, where whiskey jugs such as this were quite common.  
Schloss Bros was one of many early Jewish businesses in the mining community.