Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
GOLDEN PASSES
SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY
Played Important Part in Early
History of Colorado.

Golden is sixty years old.
1t was just sixty years ago this
week that those hardy pioneers
comprising the Boston company
halted their oxen on the bank of
the raging stream now known as
Clear Greek, and decided that here
was the ideal site for a town
which might prove the main out
fitting point for the mining COM
munities of the mountains, the in
dications also being that this
place would be booming mining
town itself.
In the Boston company were
James Mcdonald, Walter Pollard.
George West, Mark Blunt, James
Mcintyre Thomas Panton and
Joe Bird. Other early settlers
were w. A. H. Loveland, John M.
Ferrell, P. B. Cheney, Fox Diffen-
dorf, John F. Kirby, George Jack
son, DR.. Hardy, Charles Ferrell.
T. P. Boyd, Charles Remington, E.
B. Smith, j. c. Bowles, Daniel
McCleary, j. B. Fitzpatrick and
w. j. Mckay.
The gold excitement spread,
and Golden City, as the new com.
munity had been named, develop
ed into an active mining town,
while Golden Gate and Mount
Vernon rapidly built up into thriv-
ing villages. The little town of
Arapahoe, just at the mouth of
Table Mountain canon, sprang up
and was thronged with prospect
ors. Arapahoe occupied a site near
what is now the Wannamaker
ranch, and there is absolutely
nothing left there now to show
that once there was hustling,
booming mining camp.
Clear Greek, what was then
known as Vasquez fork, was rap
idly rising into an impetuous tor
rent, and every day the waters be-
came more difficult for the excit-
ed crowd of prospectors to pass.
John Ferrell saw the difficulty,
and constructed a bridge exactly
where the present Washington
avenue bridge is located. Follow
ing the construction of the bridge
hundreds of prospecting parties
arrived and camped on the grassy
banks of the creek.
If there had been any ideas
that this was to be but a tempor-
cry stopping place, they were
abandoned, a town company was
formed and the town of Golden
City was regularly organized by
the following gentlemen: James
Mcdonald, George West, Walter
Pollard, Mark Blunt, James Nc
Intyre, Thomas Panton, Joe Bird,
Dave Wall, J. M. Ferrell, ]. F..
Kirby, J. C. Bowles, w. A. H.
Loveland, H. J. Carter Ensign
Smith, E. L. Berthoud, William
Davidson, Stanton, Clark and Be-
bee.
Twelve hundred and fifty acres
were selected and marked off for
the townsite, the major portion
being ON the south side of the
stream. Three hundred and
twelve acres were marked out in
to lots and blocks, but the whole
townsite was not completed and
surveyed until 1860.
About the first of July the Bos-
ton company cut logs from the
nearby hills and commenced work
on a two story house. This build
ing is still standing here, in good
condition. 1t is the residence oc-
cupied by Mrs. John Nichols and
family, just north of the Avenue
bridge.
The first floor of the building
was occupied by a general store,
and in the second story George
West set up his little printing
outfit, which he had with great
difficulty transported across the
plains in OK wagons. Here he is
sued little paper called the
Western Mountaineer.
A saw mill and a shingle mill
provided the necessary lumber for
building, and by the end of 1859
Golden City had seven or eight
hundred inhabitants and all the
paraphernalia of brisk frontier
mining town. Everybody worked
eagerly, the influx Of prospectors
and business men was continuous
and fresh discoveries of gold in