| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — 1115 Washington Avenue — City of Golden, Downtown Landmark, Historic Preservation Board |
| | The Colorado Transcript, Colorado’s second oldest newspaper, began here on November 24, 1866. General Gorge West, a Civil War veteran, and one of the founders of Golden and the Colorado School of Mines, started the paper. Constructed in 1870, it is one of the oldest commercial structures in Golden. The newspaper occupied the second floor while the first floor was used by Dr. James Kelly. This structure housed the paper for nearly 100 years. Originally, the building was brick with a corbelled . . . — Map (db m49892) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — 5JF562 — 1211 Washington Avenue — City of Golden, Downtown Landmark, Historic Preservation Board |
| | The original building was constructed in 1870 by John H. Parsons and William H. Curry as the City Restaurant Hotel for an Italian immigrant Charles Garbarino. It originally had arched windows and doors on both floors and an ornate wood balcony used for public events and speeches. One of Golden’s longest lived hotels, this became the Crawford, Poe, and Cody Hotel, but most famously as the Avenue Hotel run by Carlos Lake beginning in 1906. In 1910 it lost its balcony when an orator crashed . . . — Map (db m49890) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — 700 Tenth Street — Golden High School |
| | City of Golden
Downtown Landmark
The Golden High School was dedicated in March 1924. Built on the site of the Eagle Corral and Stables, the school was hailed as the ultimate in high school construction. Designed by renowned Denver architect Eugene C. Groves, and built in the Beaux Arts style, it was the first Colorado high school to be accredited. Later it was converted to a junior high school and saw the last pupil attend class during 1988. The building remains home to a magnificent mural . . . — Map (db m50592) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — 922 Washington Avenue — Stewart Block Building |
| | City of Golden
Downtown Landmark
The Stewart Block building was completed in 1892. It served as a grocery for 52 years under a variety of owners including Caleb E. Parfet, Elvyn E. Stewart, and Leonard Vogel. The motto of the original building owners was “quick sales and small profits.” The upstairs served as a meeting hall for the Knights of Pythias and later, to the chagrin of many Golden residents, the Ku Klux Klan. The mural on the south exterior was painted in the 1920s as a . . . — Map (db m50593) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — A Daring Rescue |
| | During the Gold Rush, Rebecca Judkins and her sons William and Charles built a home near the northeast corner of 11th and Jackson Streets, just a block east of here. Bill Judkins was outside the day of June 6, 1869 when he saw something happen at the site of today’s Parfet Park. The event started in the race waterway going to the Golden Mill at the Ford Street Bridge. The story of what he did made the Colorado Transcript on June 9, 1869:
“A very narrow and wonderful escape from . . . — Map (db m49934) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Brewing on Clear Creek-Coors History |
| | In 1867, in Hamburg, Germany, young Adolphus Herman Joseph Kuhrs was preparing to stow away on a ship bound for America. By 1872, Coors had altered the spelling of his last name and arrived in the Denver area. He settled on golden because of its “can do” attitude, the presence of a workforce, and an abundant water supply. Coors partnered with Denver confectioner Jacob Schueler in October 1873 to purchase the old Welch tannery and water rights for $2,500. They converted it to a . . . — Map (db m50091) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Bridge Load Ordinance Background |
| | Colorado Transcript, September 13, 1882: “Washington Avenue Bridge was badly damaged last Saturday evening by some ignoramus driving and crowding a big drove of cattle on to it. The damage has since been repaired.”
Golden Globe, September 23, 1882: “A Grand Breakdown. Mutton Goes Down, While Taxes Go Up — The Avenue Bridge Falls with 200 sheep on board. A flock of sheep, numbering between two or three hundred head, and which was being driven thro’ Golden . . . — Map (db m49897) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Buffalo Bill |
| | (Upper Plaque)
In Memoriam
Colonel William Frederick Cody
"Buffalo Bill"
Noted scout and Indian fighter
Born February 26, 1846 Scott County, Iowa
Died January 10, 1917 Denver, Colorado
(Lower Plaque)
William F. Cody
Medal of Honor
Indian Scout 3 US Cav
Indian Wars
Feb 26 1846 Jan 10 1917 — Map (db m29670) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Charles E. Kirk |
| | In Memory of Charles E. Kirk, 1900-1981.
As Douglas County extension agent (1946-65) Charlie was the motivating force in establishing 4-H in Douglas County. He was respected for his knowledge of Agriculture and admired for his help and belief in the Douglas County Fair. This fountain is dedicated in remembrance of Charlie Kirk by the Douglas County 4-H Council and community. (1981-82) — Map (db m46569) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Clear Creek |
| | Clear Creek is one of the most popular and historic waterways of the Front Range. The Clear Creek watershed covers approximately 1550 square kilometers (600 square miles), includes five counties, and more than thirteen communities. From the headwaters on the Continental Divide to the plains near Denver, Clear Creek connects small mountain communities with Colorado’s largest metropolitan area. It starts at Loveland pass and drains into the South Platte River, near Commerce City. The most scenic . . . — Map (db m49896) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Down by the Old Mill Stream |
| | Golden had a variety of businesses and industries in operation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among these were four flour mills-the Rock Mill, the Brick Mill, the Binder Mill, and the Golden Mill. Mill races, or ditches dug from Clear Creek channeled water to turn grinding wheels like this one for the mills to operate. Golden’s mills served the surrounding communities for nearly 100 years.
This stone is thought to be the grinding wheel from the Rock Flour Mill, donated by . . . — Map (db m50596) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Early History of Clear Creek |
| | For thousands of years native peoples have lived, hunted, and battled along this creek. The earliest western nation to claim the creek was France when it created the New World Province called Louisiana in 1682. In 1765 the French ceded the province to Spain. In 1800 France, under Napoleon’s rule, regained Louisiana, and in 1803 sold it to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
This creek had two names before it became Clear Creek. Its first known name was Cannon Ball . . . — Map (db m50598) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Farming |
| | Since 1859 Clear Creek has provided water through irrigation ditches to farmers east of Golden. Many such ditches were dug in the 1800s, including the Welch Ditch (originally Vasquez Ditch), Church Ditch (originally Golden City & Ralston Creek Ditch), Agricultural Ditch, Rocky Mountain Ditch (originally Table Mountain Ditch, Wanamaker Ditch, Swadley Ditch, Wadsworth Ditch, Croke Canal, and Oulette Ditch.
These irrigation ditches turned what had been called the “Great American . . . — Map (db m51912) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Ferrell/Berthoud Home (Miners Hotel) |
| | John M. Ferrell came to the Golden valley from upstate New York in June of 1859. He camped on the southeastern banks of Clear Creek and created the Washington Avenue crossing for the gold rushers. When Golden was organized, Ferrell became one of its 16 original founders and agreed to sell his bridge to the community.
Ferrell was accompanied by his wife Jeanette and sons Frank and Charles. They were soon followed by his daughters Helen and Prunette (Nettie), with husbands Edward L. . . . — Map (db m49895) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — First Bicycle Mishap in Golden |
| | The earliest bicycles that were popular in Golden were called velocipedes. One daredevil rider, son of Judge Boyd, who was to become a pioneer farmer east of Golden, made the following news in the Colorado Transcript on May 19, 1869 for his stunt charging south down Ford Street toward Clear Creek:
“The champion velocipdedstrian of this town is undoubtedly Jim Boyd. He can ride faster and jump off the highest bridge of any of them that have tried to tame the fiery, unconquerable . . . — Map (db m49933) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — First Resident/Agriculturalist |
| | David King Wall, one of Golden’s early permanent settlers, arrived from South Bend, Indiana on April 30, 1859. He brought a great deal of garden seed and tools with him. King defied the common belief that growing a garden would be impossible due to the high altitude and arid conditions. He had experience during the California Gold Rush in the use of irrigation. Wall dug a ditch from Tucker Gulch to irrigate his two-acre farm in the area of the rail yards at Depot Street. He successfully grew . . . — Map (db m50595) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Fun on Courthouse Hill |
| | “Courthouse Hill,” which is Washington Avenue south of 14th Street, was a favorite location of settler children. In the winter, sleds packed with eager youth picked up sufficient speed on the Hill to be able to coast across the Washington Avenue Bridge. Some traveled as far as the Railroad Depot on 8th Street. This site was not just for winter entertainment; one newspaper had an account of children joy-riding in a wagon down Courthouse Hill.
Not only children enjoyed Courthouse . . . — Map (db m50092) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Gold |
| |
In the mid-19th Century, prospectors coming into the Clear Creek valley discovered placer gold that had been carried downstream from mountain deposits. As the sandbars containing the placer gold were mined out, prospectors traced the fold upstream with their pans and rocker cradles, seeking the mother lode from which the deposits came.
George A. Jackson discovered gold near Idaho Springs on January 4, 1859. These were named the Jackson diggings. On May 6, 1859 the Gregory diggings were . . . — Map (db m49907) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Gold in Clear Creek |
| | From the mid-1800s, to the mid-1900s, gold mining and dredging represented an economic boon to the Clear Creek region.
In 1904, the National Dredging Company, led by Herman J. Reiling, purchased the historic Arapahoe Bar in Clear Creek, which had been mined various ways and times since 1858. The Company wanted to mine the bar to its fullest potential, using the then-new invention of gold dredging barges. The dredges were used to scoop the rich soil from the riverbed and sift out the . . . — Map (db m50601) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Golden Alarm Bell |
| | The Golden Alarm Bell was purchased in 1904 by the original Loveland Hose Company of Golden from the C.S. Bell & Company, Hillsboro, Ohio. The bell was mounted on a tower at the corner of 9th and East Streets, the present home of the American Legion Post 21. It was taken down in 1974 when the first department moved all operations to its present location on 10th Street. The Alarm bell resided at the City of Golden maintenance yard until it was restored and installed at its present home, 1010 . . . — Map (db m50594) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Golden and Clear Creek |
| | The history of Golden reflects the history of Clear Creek. Eons ago, this creek, then a raging river, coursed its way through the mountains, cutting out the canyon and leaving behind fertile soil where an abundance of plants provided food for wild animals. The animals attracted trappers to the area in the 1700s. The river also laid down the placer gold to be found by gold seekers in the mid-1800s, and provide underground aquifers supplying fresh spring water for the future settlement of . . . — Map (db m49908) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Golden City |
| | From the beginning, Clear Creek has determined the layout of the town first known as “Golden City.” Golden is placed at an angle from the compass to align its streets to the river. The first river crossing also determined the location of Golden’s main street, Washington Avenue. Originally, Golden’s streets had different names on each side of the river. On the south side, Jackson Street was originally Miner Street; Illinois Street was Jeanette (later Mary) Street; Maple Street was . . . — Map (db m49903) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Greeley’s Crossing |
| | In June, 1859, while the first bridge was being built over Clear Creek, the famous reporter Horace Greeley passed through Golden. He attempted to cross Clear Creek from this point on the south bank. Horace embarked on his mule from the river bank which lies directly before you. Later, after he traveled from Golden City to Central City to witness the Gregory Diggings,” he wrote his famous line “Go west young man, go west.” Edward Berthoud, whose home was just behind where you . . . — Map (db m49898) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Horace Greeley’s Crossing Point |
| | Before the first bridge on this site was completed, travelers forded the river just east of this bridge. It became risky during the peak of the spring river flows due to the melting snows that filled the streams and rivers.
In June of 1859, while the first bridge was being built over Clear Creek, the famous reporter Horace Greeley passed through Golden. He crossed Clear Creek from a point on the south bank 100 feet east of this present-day Washington Avenue Bridge. Edward Berthoud reported . . . — Map (db m50179) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Irrigation and Farming |
| |
Clear Creek irrigation ditches provide water to farmers east of Golden. Many irrigation ditches were dug in the 1800s, making the Clear Creek valley the breadbasket of early Colorado. Golden’s first resident, David King Wall, introduced irrigation following his arrival from South Bend, Indiana on April 30, 1859. Wall had caught a different “gold fever” than everyone else at the time, bringing with him a wagonload of seed. With a farmer’s keen observance for soil quality he noted . . . — Map (db m49902) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Jolly Rancher 1113 Washington Avenue — City of Golden, Downtown Landmark, Historic Preservation Board |
| | In May of 1949, Bill and Dorothy Harmsen purchased an ice cream machine and leased a storefront on the east side of Washington Ave. The Harmsens chose the name Jolly Rancher for their store to reflect a spirit of western hospitality. High quality chocolates and soft-serve ice cream were the first products dispensed at The Jolly Rancher. In the early 1950s, Bill invented a soft cinnamon-flavored taffy that he called the Fire Stix. Long ago, the company outgrew the storefront. The original building burned down in 1966. — Map (db m49893) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Lariat Loop Byway: Buffalo Bill Museum |
| |
Lariat Loop
•The Lariat Loop is a scenic circle of natural splendors, historic and cultural treasures and recreation pleasures. See spectacular mountain scenery and enjoy a vintage auto tour in foothills canyons. Welcome to 40 miles of fun.
Lariat Loop Byway: Buffalo Bill Museum
•When William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody visited Lookout Mountain park, he was impressed by the view of mountains and plains. He told his wife Louisa, daughter Irma, foster son Johnny Baker, and others . . . — Map (db m46567) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Lariat Loop Byway: Denver Mountain Parks |
| |
Origins of the Park System
•These foothills west of Denver have long been a popular destination. In 1890 landscape architect Frederic Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park, was hired by local developers to design a resort in this area. Three years later the project was canceled due to financial problems. In 1911, a group of Denver citizens began planning a system of parks in the foothills. The idea of a city maintaining a parks system more than 12 miles outside of its limits was . . . — Map (db m46568) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Native Americans on Clear Creek |
| | For many years, the Ute Indians lived in the mountains west of the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon, hunting and trading with area travelers. The Arapaho, refugees from the Great Lakes region, and the Cheyenne arrived in the area during the mid-18th Century, as European settlement displaced them from their ancestral homes. The new arrivals lived on the plains and often clashed with the Utes. There was an inter-tribal battle in 1839 in today’s Coors Valley. In that battle, as reported by mountain man . . . — Map (db m49899) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Our Changing Landscape-From Sea Floor to Mountain Top |
| | •Colorado’s geologic history dates back nearly two billion years. Several mountain ranges have been uplifted and eroded away before the rise of today’s Rocky Mountains. The landscape you see in front of you has undergone many dramatic changes. This story starts at a billion years ago.
•The sea covers Colorado: 80 million years ago. Today’s Rocky Mountains did not exist. Where you are standing and all before you was beneath a shallow sea that covered the middle of the North American . . . — Map (db m46438) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Play in the Wind |
| | Windy Saddle Park is named for the nearly constant wind currents that can be felt blowing through the foothills. Winds traveling across the plains are forced upward when they hit the Rocky Mountains, and as the air rises, it has enough force to lift objects into the sky.
Many large birds use these currents to conserve energy. Being lifted into the sky by this wind, called a thermal, is much easier than flapping wings that can span eight feet from tip to tip. Using thermals saves energy and . . . — Map (db m46157) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Porcelain and Malted Milk |
| | With temperance pressures rising, Adolph Coors knew diversification was crucial to his industry. In 1910, he invested in John J. Herold’s pottery works at 8th and Ford Streets. During the middle of the decade, embargoes on German import porcelain created a market for high quality chemical porcelains and consumer products.
Production of the home-use pieces ceased in 1941 when Coors Porcelain reinvented itself as part of the American war effort. The company provided porcelain housings for . . . — Map (db m50090) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Recreation: Past to Present |
| | Windy Saddle Park has a long history of being a favorite place for recreation. When Lookout Mountain Road was opened in 1914, it was a destination for the first automobile tours. The Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway now passes through Windy Saddle Park, which offers many recreational opportunities. The steep trails and winding road are a challenge to those looking for a workout, while the wind makes this an ideal spot for paragliders to sail like birds on the breeze. — Map (db m46155) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Settlement of Clear Creek Valley |
| | In the 1700s French trading parties came to trade with the Utes. Around 1820 Americans such as the Long Expedition began to explore the Clear Creek valley. In 1834 the Estes Party discovered gold on a sand bar, later known as Arapahoe Bar, on the north shore of Clear Creek east of North Table Mountain. Mountaineers and trappers of beaver, otter, muskrat, and mink came to the Clear Creek area in the 1830s. They made a living trading with the forts in the region. During the early 1800s the Clear . . . — Map (db m50600) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Settler Farm Wife’s Initiative |
| | Here is a story from the Colorado Transcript of August 12, 1885:
“We like to hear a good story, and here is one on Jim Boyd: Last spring Jim’s wife wanted to peddle vegetables in Denver. Jim laughed at her, believing she could not even drive a horse let alone sell garden sass; but to keep peace in the family he let her have her own way. He told her to skip out, and that she could have all she made; he would get up the loads but with the understanding that he was to have all she . . . — Map (db m49910) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Territorial Capitol of Colorado — 1862 to 1867 |
| |
This Tablet is the property of the State of Colorado
————
From 1862 to 1867
Golden was the Territorial
Capital of Colorado
Legislative sessions were held in this building (erected by W.A.H. Loveland) and in others, now demolished, across the street.
Golden
was named for Thomas L. Golden who camped on the site in 1858. Town founded by Boston Company June 12, 1859. Incorporated Jan. 2, 1871. — Map (db m39337) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — The Boston Company |
| | Seven members of the Boston Mechanics’ Mining & Trading Company, namely George West (President), Walter Pollard, James MacDonald (Business manager), Mark Leonardo Blunt (later Postmaster), James McIntyre, Lawrence Panton, and Joseph T. Bird arrived in Golden on June 12, 1859. They remained, out of a much larger party who had come from Boston, and had passed through Missouri in April. Having arrived in Denver on June 10, they stayed for two days to help the Rocky Mountain News get out its first . . . — Map (db m50180) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — The White Ash Mine Disaster |
| | For many years, Golden’s people have respected the flood waters of Clear Creek above ground. However, it was the flood below ground that claimed the most lives. On September 9, 1889, water broke into the White Ash Mine beneath Clear Creek at the west end of 12th Street roaring down to levels as deep as 730 feet. It continued to flood at the rate of 85,000 gallons a day until an estimated three million cubic feet of water had flooded into the shafts. Ten miners lost their lives: David L. Lloyd, . . . — Map (db m49900) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Tourism |
| |
Clear Creek Canyon was also a popular tourist area. Resorts such as Beaver Brook Pavilion were built along the creek. Early travel was mostly by train. In the early 1900s automobiles became a viable way to tour. Golden Tourist Park was a popular camping ground. Located in Golden, it provided easy access to Lookout Mountain Drive and to the rest of the Lariat Loop tourist route. This designated Colorado Scenic Byway was, and remains, a renowned tourist attraction.
Pictures:
Castle Rock . . . — Map (db m51913) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Transportation |
| | In 1860, Col. Thomas W. Know, a famous traveler and editor of the Western Mountaineer newspaper, believed the route up Clear Creek Canyon was a place he “never expected to see a mule go who had his senses, or a decent regard for his neck.” When he returned to Golden in 1877, and then journeyed up the canyon by Colorado Central Railroad, Mr. Knox marveled at what progress had occurred. Clear Creek Canyon provided a transportation link to the mining towns upstream enabling Golden . . . — Map (db m49901) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Water Carves Canyons |
| | Flowing water is the reason you see a canyon in front of you. As the Rocky Mountains lifted, water was forced to flow to either the east or the west, creating creeks and rivers. Clear Creek has been eroding this canyon for hundreds of thousands of years, cutting the floor ever lower. The walls of the canyon grow wider as steep hillsides tumble into the creek, where they are washed away by water.
Caption A canyon starts as a shallow stream that cuts through the bedrock for thousands of . . . — Map (db m46156) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — What You Can See From Here Today |
| | •This diagram illustrates the features you can see from here. North and South table Mountains are remnants of ancient lava flows now separated and eroded by Clear Creek. The Dakota Hogbacks on the left and right sides of the image were one continuous, but they have been cut off by the Golden Fault shown in black in this picture and on the geologic map. The rocks you are standing on were uplifted along the Golden Fault and are now two miles higher than the same rocks under the Table . . . — Map (db m46439) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Windy Saddle Park / Connecting to the Past |
| | Windy Saddle Park
Jefferson County Open Space
Windy Saddle Park offers sweeping scenic views and trail connections to adjoining areas. Recreation opportunities on Chimney Gulch Trail and Lookout Mountain Trail included hiking, biking and horseback riding. The remaining trails are Hiker Only.
Connecting to the past Windy Saddle Park
Lying between the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains and the western edge of the Great Plains, Windy Saddle park has served as a gateway for . . . — Map (db m46158) HM |
| Colorado (Jefferson County), Golden — Winter Wind on the Mesa |
| | This stunning sculpture provides beauty and grace to the Clear Creek and Table Mountain backdrop. She was placed to honor the Native Americans indigenous to Golden, primarily the Arapahoe, Ute and Cheyenne. Funding was sponsored by Peak Properties and Clear Creek Commons. A Project of the Golden Public Art Partnership. Artist: Marie Barbera, Dedicated July 1, 2003. — Map (db m49894) HM |
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