At an elevation of 10,200 feet, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States.
Mount Massive, elevation 14,421 feet, is the second highest peak in Colorado and third highest peak in the Continental U.S.
Designated as a National Historic Landmark District, Leadville's connection to its past is readily apparent. Seventy square blocks of Victorian architecture border on the 20 square mile mining district that made the town the richest silver mining boom towns in the late 1800s. The city's main thoroughfare, Harrison Ave. (Hwy 24) boasts over 50 noteworthy Victorian buildings, housing delightful shops and restaurants.
Located ½ block west of Harrison Ave., The Governor's Mansion is an ideal place to stay and immerse yourself in Leadville's past.
Leadville History
Harrison Ave. looking North. (Photo by Dave Nance)
Jesse F. McDonald
Of Scottish decent, Jesse F. McDonald was born on June 30, 1858, at Ashtabula, Ohio. After completing his schooling, he studied civil engineering and surveying. At the age of 21 he arrived in Leadville in 1879 to seek his fortune. With only enough money to buy a meal when he arrived, Jesse soon discovered the luck was also in his pocket.
Working for a mining company as a draftsman and later a chainman for a survey crew, McDonald put his education to work as a mining engineer. In 1884, he partnered with George M. Robinson and became owner of the Penrose and Harvard Mines as well as several other mines. He also had an aptitude for banking and was director and vice president of the American National Bank at Leadville.
He fell in love with Flora Collins of Leadville, and they were married on April 26, 1890. The house he built on W. 8th St. in 1881 was originally a three room structure that grew into a three-story mansion in 1892, a testament to his mining prowess.
Apparently, Jesse was not fond of shoveling any of the 250 inches of snow Leadville typically gets in winter. The paved sidewalk in his spacious front yard was equipped with a hot water heating system that melted the snow as it fell. He and Flora lived in the house together until she died in 1918.
McDonald turned his attention to politics and was elected mayor of Leadville for three successive terms from 1899 to 1905. He found success in state politics and served as a senator before being nominated and elected as Lieutenant Governor in 1904 by a decisive majority.
The gubernatorial election of 1905 has been called the most corrupt in Colorado's history. Alva Adams won the election and took office in January of that year, only to have his candidacy contested by James H. Peabody when the legislature met a few days later. The battle for governor raged on at the capitol over the governorship before consensus was finally reached. Peabody was seated on the condition he would immediately resign leaving Jesse McDonald to serve the two-year term. On March 16, 1905, Colorado had three governors in the course of that day.
A quiet man who always conducted himself in a businesslike manner, McDonald gained respect for the way he conducted the affairs of state. During his term in office, the state enjoyed one of the most prosperous periods in its history up to that time. A forward-thinking man, McDonald also fought hard for the protection of state lands. Using his engineering expertise, the Governor was known for his ability to insure that the state received a fair price for minerals being mined on state-owned land. McDonald made one more bid for the governorship but was defeated by John F. Shafroth. In 1910.
He was named chairman of the Republican State Central Committee, a position he filled until 1914 and again from 1931 to 1934. During this time, Jesse met and fell in love with Madaline Harrington. They were married in 1924. McDonald had no children by either of his wives. He headed the Colorado delegation to the Republican National Convention in 1932. Although McDonald had a long career in politics, he devoted much of his time to the Colorado Mining Association, the American Mining Congress and the state metal mining fund.
Jesse F. McDonald died on February 25, 1942, in Denver, and his ashes were scattered.
