Being a 'Mile High' Native, Francine you nailed it.

Gold prospecting & mining did take a turn about the time the train spur out of Cheyenne arrived. It would be a few more years before silver became the next attempt at fortune.

This was not enough to prevent Colorado from becoming the 38th state of the Union in 1876. Thus, the 'Centennial State' and the attempts to host the 1976 Olympics in celebration of 100 years of statehood (those went to Innsbruck due to Colorado residents voting to withdraw fearing the high expenses & environmental impact).