Overland in Denver in Denver County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Overland Park
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 6, 2022
1. Overland Park Marker
Most historical of Denver’s municipal parks. Created in 1882. This site was homesteaded in 1862 by “Potato” Clark. Jim Beckwourth, Mulatto “Daredevil”, erected a home in 1860 .6 mile northeast. Sam Brown’s toll bridge of 1859 located 4 miles south. Gold discovered during July, 1858 .2 mile southwest by Green Russell’s party from Georgia. That fall log cabins of Montana City were built about .5 mile south of this spot. Gold traces were found at Spanish Diggings 2 miles north in 1857.
Erected 1948 by State Historical Society of Colorado; William A. Braiden Foundation; Sons of the American Revolution; American Pioneer Trails; and the Western History Students of South High School.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the History Colorado, and the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
Location. 39° 40.962′ N, 104° 59.839′ W. Marker is in Denver, Colorado, in Denver County. It is in Overland. It can be reached from the intersection
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Front Range. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chamberlin Observatory (approx. 2.4 miles away); 1956 Hungarian Uprising (approx. 2.7 miles away); Zang Mansion (approx. 3.3 miles away); Grant-Humphreys Mansion (approx. 3.3 miles away); Governor's Residence (approx. 3.3 miles away); Camp Weld (approx. 3.3 miles away); The Buckhorn Exchange (approx. 3.4 miles away); Crawford Hill Mansion (approx. 3˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Denver.
Also see . . .
1. Overland Park Neighborhood History.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 6, 2022
2. Overland Park Marker
Overland was home to the first platted town on the eastern slope of the Rockies, Montana City. It was founded by a party from Lawrence, Kansas who wagon-trained west for gold in 1858.(Submitted on August 9, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)In 1859, Rufus H. (Potato) Clark homesteaded the area now known as the Overland Golf Course, and operated a farm from 1863 to 1873. Mountain man Jim Beckwourth homesteaded just south. In 1883, the promoters of Denver Circle Railroad bought the farms and built a race track, which they named Jewell Park after a former Connecticut Governor, Charles A. Jewell, who was also a stockholder in the racing park and the railroad.
In 1887, the park was sold to a group looking for a site for a country club. The racing park was renamed Overland Park. Henry Wolcott bought out the other members and took over the park. He introduced the game of golf to Denver, and developed a nine-hole course circling the race track.
2. Montana City, Colorado.
Montana City was the first settlement in what was later to become Denver, Colorado. It was established during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush on the(Submitted on August 9, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)east bank of the South Platte River, just north of the confluence with Little Dry Creek, in 1858. The site selected because it was adjacent to placer gold diggings along the South Platte River. However, the gold diggings at Montana City proved disappointing, and the site was soon abandoned in favor of the settlement of Auraria, a few miles downstream. The abandoned Montana City location is now the site of the Grant-Frontier Park located on South Platte River Drive in Denver, just southwest of the intersection of Santa Fe Drive and W. Evans Avenue.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 6, 20223. Overland Park MarkerFirst tee, Overland Park Golf Course in background
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 6, 2022
4. Overland Park Golf Course Entrance
The marker is located about 50 yards northeast of this sign
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 9, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 741 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 9, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
