Denver’s Rich History Exhibits Resolve, Creativity of Settlers
By: Terrie Spieker
As a longtime resident of the Denver area as well as a career teacher with a lifelong interest in history, I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to visit this area. Part of Denver’s charm lies in the city’s rough-and-tumble roots, which involved gold prospecting and those who came to make their fortunes catering to these people.
For many years, the area now known as Denver held a minor role as an unsettled region in the Territory of Kansas. In 1858, however, two prospectors named Sam Bates and Green Russell discovered gold at Little Dry Creek. Although the amount of gold they found was not large, it captured the imagination of adventurers and fortune-seekers who rushed to the Rocky Mountain region in search of riches. By the next year, this episode of Denver history—today called the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush—reached its zenith, with ultimately more than 100,000 people traveling to the area in hopes of striking it rich. Moreover, a number of people came to open supply stores, groceries, hotels and boarding houses, saloons, and even brothels. This merchant and service class hoped that any wealth struck by the prospectors, as well as any money spent on living expenses and recreation, would trickle down to them.
Named for the former Territorial Governor of Kansas James Denver, the city provided a central and convenient location for mining supplies and boarding for miners. During the early days of the settlement, Denver grew slowly because so little gold was found in the region. When miners discovered rich deposits in the mountains near Denver, however, the population boomed. In 1861, settlers finally won their lengthy bid to have Colorado named a territory in its own right. This move enabled them to more effectively govern at the local level. United States President James Buchanan signed into law an Act of Congress which created the Territory of Colorado, the first step in the region’s quest to gain statehood. One of the first actions by the Colorado General Assembly entailed the incorporation of the City of Denver, along with neighboring Highland and Auraria, as Denver. The city also became the territorial capital for Colorado.
During the 1880s, Denver once again experienced a boom. This time, silver served as the triggering mechanism for the expansion. The economic explosion launched some Denver citizens to prominence, including James Brown, husband of the famed “Unsinkable” Molly Brown. This financial surge, however, lasted for only 10 years. Fortunately, by the time a financial panic hit the United States in 1893, Denver proved capable of weathering the collapse in the price of silver because other industries, such as ranching, railroads, farming, food processing, and trade, had become integral to the regional economy.
Nonetheless, while legitimate growth included the creation of schools and many families moving to the area, Denver still maintained a robust underworld, finding corrupt neighborhood bosses working hand-in-hand with police and city officials. In addition to taverns and saloons, opulent brothels and meager prostitution rooms flourished. The gambling enterprise also targeted miners and other fortune-seekers.
Today, Denver stands as one of the nation’s leading cities. Its history and beautiful location captures the attention of the world, as does its recognition for excellence in such areas as green living, education, and juvenile court systems. I highly recommend that anyone interested in seeing a world-class city combining cosmopolitan living with its original pioneer flavor visit the City of Denver.
