President Grant did when he visited Central City, Colorado.
It was 1873, and Central City was in the middle of a gold and silver mining boom. Throughout Colorado and elsewhere, the town was known as the “richest square mile on earth.”
That claim may or may not have been true, but for awhile the town was very rich indeed. The town fathers were so proud of their town that they invited President Grant to pay them a visit.
When he agreed, they were astonished and pleased. They wondered how they could impress their important visitor. They found their answer in silver bricks.
When President Grant stepped out of the stagecoach, he stepped on to a sidewalk of bricks made of solid silver.
