Courtesy, Colorado Historical Society [Trinidad Collection, F-43,013 / 10027869]

California may have boasted the largest gold rush, but it was not the only one. Some African- American migrants ventured into Colorado after the Pikes Peak gold rush of 1859. The journey west could be treacherous. In the summer of 1849, cholera plagued those who rushed west in search of gold, and many died before reaching the mines.