EARLY YEARS OF DENVER AND COLORADO HISTORY

Early Years of Denver Downtown Denver

EARLY YEARS OF DENVER AND COLORADO HISTORY

EARLY COLORADO
Centuries before the first fur trappers and gold seekers scoured the mountains in search of wealth, primitive peoples hunted over the mountains and plains of what is now Colorado. The early nomadic hunters were followed by more sophisticated, agricultural people, such as the Anasazi who built the cliff dwellings in the Mesa Verde region of southwestern Colorado.In the 16th century, Colorado's written history began with the coming of the Spanish explorers. The Spanish did not find the gold they sought, but they began a series of exploratory and religious expeditions which laid the groundwork for later settlements.

The first permanent European settlements were in the San Luis Valley and the town of San Luis, founded in 1851, is generally considered the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado. At the beginning of the 19th century, Easterners began to have a significant impact on Colorado. In 1806, Captain Zebulon Pike led the first official United States exploration party into the region. He made an unsuccessful attempt to reach the summit of the peak which bears his name. Other government explorers, Major Stephen Long, Lieutenant John Fremont, and Captain John Gunnison also explored the area.

DENVER HISTORY
What we now know as Denver first began along Cherry Creek River and the South Platte River when the Arapaho Indians and forty-five mountain men began a trading camp on the creek in 1815.

During the 1840's, trappers and fur traders established many trading posts throughout the region, but it was the discovery of gold that was first reported in the Pikes Peak region in 1858 that permanently changed Colorado. Gold was first discovered in the Cherry Creek and Platt Rivers near the Auraria settlement, by William Green Russell and his party of Georgians. In the fall of 1858 General William Larimer, Jr. claim jumped the settlement and proclaimed himself as founding father Denver City when the Russell party left to join the Confederate Army.

When early settlers married into local Indian tribes, the white man was able to acquire more land from the Indians to expand Denver. Part of the agreement included naming various streets after the white man´s Indian wives. To this day the names of Wewatta, Champa, and Wazee remain. During 1994, Little Raven Street, between the 2100 block of 15th Street and Elitch Gardens, was named in honor of the Arapaho chief the white man first met when they arrived in the area. By 1880 the most notorious red light district in the Rockies, with an estimated 1,000 prostitutes, existed on today´s Walnut Street.

On May 6, 1859, John Gregory made a very rich strike in Central City. In order to make sure this was not another hoax, Horace Greeley, the famous writer, came to investigate. The miners made sure he was impressed by loading shotguns full of gold and shooting them into the mountains. He was very impressed, and after returning home, he wrote the immortal words, "GO WEST YOUNG MAN, GO WEST".

People from the East had written "Pikes Peak or Bust" on their wagons and headed west to find their fortune. Thousands of fortune hunters came to Colorado during the Pikes Peak gold rush of 1859. After several fruitless months, they had written "Busted by Gosh" on their wagons and many settlers returned home.

Denver City soon grew to a town of 25 buildings. Auraria also grew on the other side of the river, and the two towns existed as rivals until the spring of 1860 when a torchlight ceremony on the bridge spanning the Cherry Creek united the two towns, and they agreed to name the city "Denver". The site of this historical meeting was named Confluence Park, the point where the Cherry Creek and the Platte River come together.

In 1863 a large fire destroyed much of the Denver business district. The following summer the plains were scorched by drought. The next winter was cold beyond all previous experience. In the spring of 1864 a flash flood tore along Cherry Creek, destroying nearly a million dollars worth of property and killing 20 people. In the wake of these natural disasters, Plains Indians responded to a massacre of their people at Sand Creek by attacking settlers, destroying stage stations, and disrupting communication and supply lines to the East.

The people of Denver persevered. Recognizing the importance of transportation to future growth, business people organized with the Denver Chamber of Commerce to bring the railroad to Denver in 1870. With this accomplished, immigration increased steadily and young Denver began to prosper. With a population of 35,000 in 1879, Denver was the first city in the West to have telephone service.

In the 1880's and 1890's the city experienced another boom - silver. One mining camp after another exploded with prosperity, bringing considerable wealth to Denver.

When the silver panic of 1893 jarred Denver's economy, the city began to diversify - becoming an important center for livestock sales, tourism, and agriculture. By 1910 the city had become the commercial and industrial center of the Rocky Mountain region.

During World War II, Denver industry contributed heavily to the war effort and after the war, Denver boomed again. Medical research, aerospace development, military installations and high technology companies contributed to making Denver a major American city. It was also becoming the nation's "second capitol" with a proliferation of federal offices.

DENVER PROFILE
Denver is located on the High Plains at the foot of the spectacular Rocky Mountains. The plains and grasslands to the east and the mountains to the west offer not only contrasting scenery, but also varied vegetation, wildlife and recreational opportunities. From nearly every point in Denver, the beautiful Rockies dominate the vista.

East High School was the first high school in Denver, opened in 1875 with a total enrollment of 108 students. The first graduating class was in 1877. Graduates who have gone on to greater fame: Douglass Fairbanks, Harold Lloyd, Paul Whiteman, Marilyn VanDerBar (1957 Miss America), and Judy Collins.

Denver Squares are abundant in the older sections of the city, as a result of the 1863 fire that destroyed the entire downtown Denver business district. Denver was built on both banks of the Cherry Creek and a devastating fire broke out leveling the wooden shacks and stores. The result was the city ordinance stipulating that all future buildings be constructed of brick. Materials for making brick are found in the foothills to the west.

Cheesman Park was Denver's first cemetery site in the late 1800's. The graves were moved after the land was purchased in 1890 by the city of Denver. Cheesman Park was named in honor of Walter Cheesman, Denver's first water commissioner. The Cheesman family provided construction funds for the Colorado Yule Marble Pavilion. It is located at the east end of the park at 1000 High St. A mountain marker in front of the pavilion points out 48 distinctive peaks and 150 miles of Continental Divide which are visible from the site.

Denver also boasts a zoo, Gates Planetarium, Phipps Auditorium, the Museum of Natural History, the Botanic Gardens, two outdoor amphitheaters, and a plethora of outdoor activities including world class skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, biking, sailing, etc. Most of Colorado's land is government-owned and set aside for our use and pleasure.

We have 54 mountain peaks over 14,000 feet to challenge hikers, 150 parks in the City and County of Denver alone, and more than 150 miles of bike paths interconnecting throughout Denver and the suburbs where many organized bike tours are held.

COLORADO FACTS
Colorado - Spanish name meaning "color red"
Nickname - The Centennial State
Statehood - 1876
Flag - 2 blue and 1 white strip at left of large red "C"
Song - "Where the Columbine Grow"
Flower - Columbine
Tree - Colorado Blue Spruce
Animal - Big Horn Sheep
Bird - Lark

As the distribution center of the Rocky Mountain and High Plains region, Denver has a highly developed transportation network. Denver International Airport, the fourth busiest commercial airport in the world, is served by 22 major and regional airlines and various commuter and charter services. Denver is also the center of railroad traffic in the region, and the city is situated at the crossroads of six major highways: I-70, I-25, I-76, I-225, I-270, and C-470.

MILEAGE TO DENVER