Gilpin observer., 1907-12-19
HISTORY AND GROWTH OF THE
STATE SCHOOL OF MINES
AT GOLDEN.
ITS VALUABLE WORK
ESTABLISHED BY THE WISDOM
AND FORESIGHT OF COLO
RADIO PIONEERS.

crSon IN sketch contributed to Min
ing Science. AS cary as 1864 (only a
sew years after the discovery of gold
in Colorado) the miners of Gilpin
county set aside a portion of the re-
celpts coming from the sale and re-
ccrding OF mining claims towards the
support of school of mines. Very
little Is known of the school in those
days: 1t may have been a school Of in
Gtruction or it may have been a public
assay office. However, the seed was
sown and harvest resulted. When in
1868 Bishop Randall, of the protestant
Episcopal church. inaugurated his uni
versity at Golden, a School of Mines
was an integral part of the institution.
This continued in successful operation
until. In 1874. 1t was transferred to
the territory, and the territorial legis-
lature appropriated $1,000 for its sup
port. Hon. G. C. Welch introduced the
bill organizing the school.
With the year 1874, then, began the
School OF Mines as we now know It.
The first board OF trustees contained
men who have since become well
known in the history OF Colorado
Hon. w. A. Loveland. Senator Nathan
lei p. Hill. Capt. e. l.. Berthoud, Alp
heus Wright, c. c. Davis, w. w. Ware
and Capt James T. Smith, who has
held the office of secretary of the
board continuously since that time
and has signed every diploma the
school has ever issued. The school
remained under the Jurisdiction of the
territory until the state of Colorado
was admitted in 1876. when the new
state government took 1t over and II
HFa<1s k1xn II h
The year 1879 was critical one in the
history OF the school. for in that year
the afth-of-a-mill tax for the regular
support OF the school was established.
the first building was erected and the
agitation to remove the school 10
Boulder was begun. The mill tax has,
since that time. been In continuous
and successful operation; the build
inss and grounds have increased in
value from the original appropriation
of $500 in 1879 to $550,O0O in 1907,
but the removal of the school has
never gono beyond the point of acade-
mio discussion.
In 1S82 the attendance had grown TO
such an extent that more room was
needed and a second building was
erected at a cost of $14,500. This was
fcliewed by a third in 1890. These
three are now connected, and is one
building are devoted almost exclusive
Iy to the department of chemistry A
third building. called the Hall Of En-.
gineering. erected in 1894, and origin.
ally devoted to various uses, is now oc
cupted wholly by the department OF
physics Building Jagged for some
years thl In 1902 the assay laboratory
wRs completed. This is now regarded
as the best arranged and equipped ie.
boratory OF any School of Mines in this
country. or the world. 1t accommodates
30 students at one time and is so ar.
ranged that each man works as inde.
pehdenuy as If his furnace were the
only one in the laboratory. In 1905
the heating. lighting and power plant
was donated $4,000 by Mr.. Winfield
Scott Stratton, and completed for the
special use Of the departments of min
ing and metallurgy. This building
represents the latest engineer.
Ing ideas Of power plant
for an engineering school, uniting. as
1t does under one roof. the regular
power plant and the laboratories OF
the school naturally associated with H..
In 1906 Simon Guggenheim hall, the
gilt Qf Senator Simon Guggenheim.
was completed and formally dedicated.
II contains the administration Offices.
the library. the department OF geology
and mincralogy. lecture rooms fol
mathematics, and the auditorium.
There is now under construction new
gymnasium and club house. which
Will contain not only a well equipped
gymnasium but offices for the athletic
manager. large club room, lockers,
shower baths. bowling alleys and
swimming pool. During the past sum
mef an important innovation was made
BY the equipment OF an actual mine ON
tie side of Mt. Zion, one-half mile
west Of the school. Here tunnel
house has been erected, forges, drills
and all necessary tools supplied. and
me work OF driving tunnel into the
mountain actually begun electricity
and air are supplied from the power
plant Of the school. 1t is believed
that the school In the United States
TO have mine Of It's own for the prac.
ucal instruction Of its students In
actual mining operation.
A study Of the successive catalogues
~ tho school shows exceedingly inter.
esting lines Of development. In the
early days. the School of Mines offer.
ed the only instruction In applied
science In this part OF the country. The
school was small and Individual in.
struotors followed their personal
vhims. Prof. Arthur Lakes, for ex.
ample. taught painting to a class of
young ladies'. Students were admit.
1'd to take such special courses as
they desired. At one time electrical
engineering was included In the cur.
riculum. All this variation was prob.
amy wise at the time. but one persist.
eat force is evident throughout the en-.
tire history Of the school-the uso of
the mines. mills and smelters OF the
state as the outside, to-be-visited la.
b~ratory OF the school. As n result.
ing consequence the school has taken
IN recent years Its present dominant
lhAcaltarl0ilc Tint lr