Northwest in Denver in Denver County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Gold Was Discovered

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2022

1. Gold Was Discovered Marker

Inscription. This tablet is the
property of the State of Colorado
———
One mile north of this point
Gold Was Discovered
on June 22, 1850, by a party of
California-bound Cherokees.
The discovery was made by Louis
Ralston, whose name was given the
creek (a branch of Clear Creek).
Reports of the find brought the
prospecting parties of 1858, whose
discoveries caused the Pike’s Peak
Gold Rush of 1859, which resulted
in the permanent settlement of
Colorado.
———
Erected by
The State Historical Society of Colorado
from the Mrs. J.N. Hall Foundation
and by
The City and County of Denver.
1941

Erected 1941 by State Historical Society of Colorado; Mrs. J.N. Hall Foundation; and the City and County of Denver.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the History Colorado series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 22, 1850.

Location. 39° 47.235′ N, 105° 3.547′ W. Marker is in Denver, Colorado, in Denver County. It is in Northwest. It can be reached from Sheridan Boulevard (Colorado Route 95) just north of West

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49th Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located along the park walking trail, near the northwest corner of Inspiration Point Park, about 200 yards northwest of the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4901 Sheridan Boulevard, Denver CO 80212, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Cherokee Trail (approx. ¾ mile away); Placer Mining (approx. ¾ mile away); Ralston's Gold Discovery (approx. ¾ mile away); Gold Fever (approx. ¾ mile away); William H. Smiley Branch — Denver Public Library (approx. 0.9 miles away); Berkeley School (approx. 1.3 miles away); Arvada's Trolleys (approx. 1.3 miles away); McIlvoy House (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2022

2. Gold Was Discovered Marker

(looking north from the Inspiration Point Park walkway)

markers in Denver.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . Colorado Gold Rush. Colorado Encyclopedia website entry:

More excitement was stirred in the summer of 1858, when the Russell brothers — William, Oliver, and Levi, along with John Beck and a party of Cherokees and whites from Georgia, reached Ralston Creek, where they found a little gold. They then headed upstream (south) along the South Platte, past Cherry Creek and on to Little Dry Creek in present-day Englewood, where they found paying quantities of placer gold. In the late summer and fall of 1858, hundreds of others followed in the Russells’ footsteps, leading to the founding of several towns including Auraria, Denver, and Golden.

(Submitted on August 10, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

View northwest from near marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2022

3. View northwest from near marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 9, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 859 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 10, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.