That's My Steak, Valance

Dining out in frontier Leadville was so dangerous, patrons could find lead in their eggs.

- Sherry Monahan

Leadville’s mining boom exploded between 1878 and 1879—population between 6,000 to 8,000—and the Colorado frontier town gained a reputation for being raucous. Both John Henry “Doc” Holliday and Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor once called it home.

Dining out was often a dangerous event, especially if you complained about your meal. Leadville waiters were known for their cantankerous attitude. A hotel boarder complained to his waiter about how his eggs were cooked, and the waiter promptly shot and killed him.