BALLENGER & RICHARDS'...LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY, CONTAINING A COMPLETE LIST OF THE INHABITANTS, INSTITUTIONS, INCORPORATED COMPANIES, MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS, BUSINESS, BUSINESS FIRMS, etc. IN THE CITY OF LEADVILLE...

Leadville, Co.: Ballenger & Richards, 1888-1890, 1892, 1897-1898, 1901-1904, 1911, 1913, 1918.. Thirteen volumes. All volumes in original half calf, printed advertising boards, spine gilt, with cloth tab at head of spine for hanging. See detailed information below. Thirteen issues of the LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY spanning the turn of the 20th century. Thomas Corbett, W.C. Hoye, and John Ballenger published their first directory in 1880, noting that they were inspired to produce a directory "...to convince the most skeptical of the rapid growth and commercial importance of this wonderful city." The next year, Hoye left the partnership, and the subsequent seven issues were produced by Corbett and Ballenger. Corbett then left and Ballenger partnered with W.H. Richards to publish the directory for nearly thirty years, until Richards became the sole publisher in 1917. The directory ceased publication in 1918.

Each directory is full of particulars on local businesses, including merchants, banks, lumber yards, wagon makers, newspapers, photographers, mining firms, railroads, etc., as well as the occupations and addresses of the residents. Leadville was Colorado's most noted mining town, here at the peak of its silver production.

Due to the Denver Depression of 1893 and the Cloud City Miners' Union strike of 1896-97, the DIRECTORY was not issued in 1893 and 1896. In an introductory note to the 1897 issue, Ballenger & Richards remark, "The publication of the LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY for the year 1896 was omitted in consequence of the recent labor troubles...which of necessity would bring about such a change in the inhabitants of the city as to render the directory of little service to our patrons....It should be taken as an evidence of the sustainability of our mining interests...to see that we have overcome the attendant evils of this unfortunate affair, as well as that of the panic of 1893, either of which would have wiped out of existence a mining city less fortunately situated...."

The volumes included are as follows:

1) BALLENGER & RICHARDS' NINTH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY...FOR 1888. [5],34- 295,[1]pp., plus [9]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on pink stock). Wear and rubbing to boards, spine partially perished, textblock cracked, interior quite clean.

2) BALLENGER & RICHARDS' TENTH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY...FOR 1889. [5],34- 281,[1]pp., plus [19]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [3]pp. of advertisements on blue stock, [1]p. on pink, [1]p. on yellow, [2]pp. on tan, [1]p. on orange, and [2]pp. on thick pink cardstock). Wear, rubbing, and some soiling to boards, spine ends chipped, rear joint partially exposed, textblock cracked. Occasional marginal annotations in ink and pencil throughout.

3) BALLENGER & RICHARDS ELEVENTH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY...FOR 1890. [5],34- 262,267-87,[1]pp., plus [19]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on blue stock, [3]pp. on pink, [1]p. on yellow, [2]pp. on tan, [2]pp. on orange, and [1]p. on ivory). Lacks pp.263-66, wear, rubbing, and light soiling to boards, head of spine chipped, hinges partially exposed (but still strong). Ink ownership stamps in several places throughout, occasional marginal annotations in pencil throughout.

4) BALLENGER & RICHARDS THIRTEENTH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY...FOR 1892. [5],34- 299,[1]pp., plus [18]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on blue stock, [2]pp. on pink, [4]pp. on yellow, [2]pp. on orange, and [2]pp. on red). Wear and rubbing to boards, spine ends chipped, textblock cracked and starting to separate from binding. Ink ownership stamp and ownership inscription on p.[5].

5) BALLENGER & RICHARDS SIXTEENTH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY...FOR 1897. [5],34- 323pp., plus [16]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [4]pp. of advertisements on blue stock, [4]pp. on tan, and [1]pp. in yellow on glossy stock). Wear and rubbing to boards, spine partially perished, textblock starting to separate from binding.

6) BALLENGER & RICHARDS SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY...FOR 1898. [5],34- 312pp., plus [6]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on pink stock and [4]pp. on tan stock). Light wear and rubbing to boards, cloth hanging tab stapled to front board. Check from the Evening Star Mining Company laid in.

7) BALLENGER & RICHARDS TWENTIETH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY FOR 1901.... [5],34- 386pp., plus [12]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on pink stock, [2]pp. on grey, and [2]pp. on tan). Wear and rubbing to boards, spine ends chipped, hinges starting to separate but still strong, occasional fingerprints and spots of soiling throughout. Ink ownership stamps in several places.

8) BALLENGER & RICHARDS TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY FOR 1902.... [5],34- 375,[1]pp., plus [8]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on yellow stock and [2]pp. on blue stock). Wear and rubbing to boards, corners bumped, front joint starting to separate at head of spine. A few ink stamps and blue pencil annotations throughout, blank stock certificate from Golden Cycle Mining and Reduction Company laid in.

9) BALLENGER & RICHARDS TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY FOR 1903.... [5],34- 370pp., plus [12]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on pink stock and [2]pp. on grey stock). Wear and rubbing to boards, corners bumped, loss to head of spine, rear joint starting to separate at head of spine. Contemporary ownership inscription on p.57.

10) BALLENGER & RICHARDS TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY FOR 1904.... [5],34- 374pp., plus [12]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [4]pp. of advertisements on yellow stock and [2]pp. on pink stock). Wear and rubbing to boards, spine ends chipped, minor soiling to front pastedown and front free endpaper. Ink ownership stamps on front board, ink ownership stamps and ink inscription on p.[3].

11) BALLENGER & RICHARDS THIRTIETH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY FOR 1911.... [5],36- 317pp., plus [18]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [4]pp. of advertisements on pink stock and [4]pp. on ivory stock). Wear, rubbing, and light soiling to boards, corners bumped, spine ends chipped, occasional fingerprints and spots of soiling throughout.

12) BALLENGER & RICHARDS THIRTY-SECOND ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY FOR 1913.... [5],36-313pp., plus [17]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [2]pp. of advertisements on green stock, [2]pp. on tan, and [2]pp. on light blue stock). Light wear, rubbing, and soiling to boards, a few small scuffs to spine, faint tidelines to upper forecorner of textblock (no text affected).

13) RICHARDS' THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL LEADVILLE CITY DIRECTORY FOR 1918.... [5],38- 300pp., plus [20]pp. of preliminaries and advertisements (including pastedowns and [4]pp. of advertisements on red stock, [2]pp. on blue, and [4]pp. on orange stock). Wear, rubbing, and light soiling to boards, spine ends chipped, occasional fingerprints and spots of soiling throughout. Ownership inscriptions on front pastedown and front free endpaper. OCLC 5517080.