Radio Chavura

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 - a