Enjoy Leadville's party

It was 150 years ago in April 1860 that the discovery of gold in California Gulch by legendary Leadville-ite Abe Lee was leaked to the public. That sparked the beginning of the tidal wave of settlement in the Upper Arkansas Valley, eventually developing into the Leadville we know today.

To celebrate this pivotal occasion, the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum will host a Miner’s Ball and Wine Tasting on April 24 in the museum’s convention center. This fundraiser will begin at 5:30 p.m. with tours of the museum and a wine tasting. The three-course, gourmet dinner will begin at 7 p.m., catered by Tennessee Pass Café.

The evening will include a living-history program featuring Abe Lee and Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor, the second wife of silver king Horace Tabor. Baby Doe died 75 years ago in her cabin at the Matchless Mine.

Bid in the silent auction and enjoy the Victorian dance with the Shadow Mountain String Band after the presentation. But the party won’t end there. There will be plenty of move-your-boots-and-skirts dance music until late in the night.

Tickets are $80 per person, or $150 per couple. Tables for eight to 10 are available for $70 per place. Reservations are requested, and you can get tickets and information by contacting the museum at 1-719-486-1229 or leadvilleco .com.

The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum is at 120 W. Ninth Street.