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 The
early explorers in the valley in which Golden is
located were Louis Vasquez, Major Stephen Long and
Kit Carson. The first inhabitants were the Arapahoe
and Plains Indians. In 1843, Rufus Sage camped on
the banks of Clear Creek where icy water from the
melting snowpack rushed out of the mountains and
onto the plains. Although he was not ignorant of
gold flakes in the stream, he was a hunter and did
not spend time investigating the source of the gold.
The
first settler in the Golden area was David Wall
who, in 1858, obtained land, laid out a two-acre
garden, and irrigated it with water from the creek.
By 1859 he was selling produce to the hordes of
gold seekers passing through the valley. The first
year he reaped a profit of $2,000, a large sum in
those days.
George
Jackson discovered gold in the rocky canyons of
Chicago Creek early in 1859. As word about the gold
discoveries spread, thousands of pioneers passed
through the valley. Many of the early settlers came
to the area with supplies and large wagons that
could not be moved into the mountain canyons. They
established campsites in the valley while other
members of the party headed for the rich gold fields
in the mountains.
 A
group of Bostonians, headed by George West, arrived
from a trip across the plains, flushed with gold
fever. They saw the growing number of settlers at
the mouth of Clear Creek and decided to go no further.
They built the first frame building to house their
Boston Company, and laid out a town which they designated
Golden City on June 20, 1859. For several years,
Golden City was the leading town in the Jefferson
Territory.
Homes,
stores and saloons were built and by the end of
1859 there were more than 700 citizens residing
in the city. Coal had been discovered at Leyden
and on Coal Creek north of Golden. The first schools
and churches were organized in 1859-60 and the first
Masonic Lodge meeting was held in 1859. George West
began publishing the Western Mountaineer, which
ceased existence one year later. There was a toll
bridge across the creek at Ford Street named after
the gambling tent owned by the Ford brothers. The
tent was also used for the town's first religious
ceremony.
In
1860, local citizens inaugurated a mountain road
system to link the mining communities with Golden
City; a weekly mail service was opened; and superb
deposits of clay were discovered in the area.
George
Pullman, who lived in Golden City, operated a gold
and money brokerage in Russell Gulch and began to
build the Pullman railway sleeping car, in which
bunks similar to those in miners' cabins were introduced
on railway cars.
From
1855 to 1959, Colorado was part of the Kansas Territory.
In 1859, the Jefferson Territory was formed, albeit
not a legal action. In 1861, the Colorado Territory
and Jefferson County were legally formed. Golden
City became the county seat of Jefferson County
and the following year became the territorial capital
of Colorado. It remained the capital until 1867.
The capital building, erected by W. A. H. Loveland,
is still in use in 1997 as the Silverheels Restaurant.
 Loveland
obtained a charter for the Colorado Central Railroad
in 1862. Colorado's first railroad company, the
Colorado Central and Pacific Railroad, was incorporated
in 1865 but the first train did not operate until
late in 1870. At the time of incorporation, Edward
L. Berthoud became Chief Engineer. Black Hawk, Central
City, Silver Plume, Idaho Springs, Dumont, Empire,
Georgetown and many other towns were dependent upon
Golden City for supplies needed to support the activities
of the gold seekers. At first wagons carried the
materials but eventually Golden City became an important
rail terminus. At one time there were approximately
30 trains passing through the switching facilities.
In the late 1800's, railroad headquarters were moved
to Denver and Golden ceased to be a rail center.
In
1866, George West began publication of the Colorado
Transcript, Colorado's oldest weekly newspaper,
which is still published in Golden as the Golden
Transcript. The name of Golden City was changed
to Golden in 1872. The following year, Adolph Coors,
Sr. founded the Adolph Coors Company and in 1874
the Colorado School of Mines was founded. In 1876,
Colorado was admitted to the Union as the 38th state.
Two
funiculars were in operation in the early 1900s.
One went up Castle Rock where a dance hall was located
and the other went to the top of Lookout Mountain
where Buffalo Bill Cody is buried.
 After
nearly 140 years of existence, the city is healthy
and progressive. It has become an energy center
as the search continues for alternate fuels at organizations
such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL). The Coors Brewery is Golden's leading industry
and attracts 300,000 visitors each year. Colorado
School of Mines, which offers degrees in science
and engineering, is operating at capacity enrollment
with students from all 50 states and many foreign
countries. The U.S.G.S. Earthquake Information Center
is housed on the campus at CSM. The headquarters
for the American Alpine Club and the American Mountaineering
Center are located in Golden.
Although
Golden is physically separated from the Denver metropolitan
area by North and South Table Mountains, access
is simple via Interstate 70, Colorado Highway 470
and U. S. Highway 6. Mountain recreation locations
and the gambling towns of Black Hawk and Central
City to the west are easily accessible by the same
highways. Numerous county and state parks are located
within easy driving distance. |
