At its height, Cripple Creek and the surrounding area produced as much as $25 million in gold in a single year (at $20 per ounce). Few "Wild West" towns experienced a more colorful past. Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey both worked here, the latter once fighting a long, bloody battle for $50. Texas Guinan, the speakeasy hostess, started her career here. In 1900, the town had a population of more than 25,000 with more than 500 gold mines in operation. Today, only a handful of people live in the shadow of 10,400-foot Mount Pisgah. The town has been designated a National Historic Mining District. The present buildings were built after a great fire in 1896 destroyed the old town.