July 1887, Summit County: Two prospectors blast their way into a pocket of GOLD and pull out a massive nugget – 13 and a half pounds! To keep the bonanza safe, Tom Groves swaddles the rock in a blanket and holds it tenderly all the way back into town. Folks there called the chunk “Tom’s Baby,” and it was boxed up and shipped to Denver … and disappeared.
Generations later, a search leads to a bank vault in Denver with a dusty wooden crate labeled “dinosaur bones.” But inside, a shimmering mass of gold. Tom's Baby! What happened to those missing three and a half pounds of gold in the 80 years between sightings? But Tom’s Baby is still the largest piece of gold discovered in Colorado. Look for it in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. And in Breckenridge, look for the statue of Tom Groves in Prospector Park, and give the 13 and a half pound “baby” he's cradling a rub for good luck.
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
