About Golden, Colorado

This time-line was originally created by the Golden Historic Preservation Board for the 1995 Golden community meetings concerning growth. It is intended to illustrate some of the events and thoughts that helped shape Golden. Major historical events and common day-to-day happenings that influenced the lives of the people of Golden are included. Corrections, additions, and suggestions are welcome and may be relayed to either the Historic Preservation Board or the Planning Department at 384-8097.

The Golden Historic Preservation Board created an extensive history time-line for Golden, the region and Colorado for community meetings in 1995. Information for this time-line was gathered from a variety of sources. I’ve condensed important Golden dates herein:

1820 – Explorer Major Stephen H. Long declares eastern Colorado to be part of the Great American Desert .
1858 – Tom Golden first settles along Clear Creek (probably near the School of Mines football field) in what would later become Golden.
1859 – The Boston Company, with owner George West, helps to establish Golden. The Boston Company Trading Post is built along Clear Creek on what would later become Parfet Park.
1859 – George West establishes the newspaper The Western Mountaineer, which preceded The Colorado Transcript / The Golden Daily Transcript / The Golden Transcript.

1860 – First school established in Golden. Golden elects their first Mayor, J.W. Stanton.
1861 – Colorado Territory (consisting of the present boundaries of Colorado) is created by Congress. 1862 – Golden becomes the Territorial Capital and provisions for the legislators (ice and whiskey) are procured. It remained the Capital until 1867.
1864 – Golden Flouring Mill along Bear Creek is established and moves to Golden the next year.
1866 – Loveland Building (part of The Capital Grill), one of the first brick buildings in Golden, is completed. 1866 – The Burgess House (1015 Ford Street) is built.
1867 – Astor House and Calvary Episcopal Church is built. Fire Brick Works is established.

1870 – The population of Golden is described as follows: 484 native and 103 foreign, or 575 white and 12 colored.
1871 – Golden is incorporated. The Colorado School of Mines is established.
1872 – The first major smelter, The Golden Smelting Works, is established.
1872 – The First Presbyterian Church (now the Foothills Art Center) is built.
1872 – The Territorial Legislator changes the name from Golden City to Golden .
1873 – Adolph Coors opens a brewery in a former Golden tannery.
1873 – Everett Block (11th and Washington Ave.) is built. It served as a bank until its owner and Golden’s mayor, Francis E. Everett, committed suicide in 1884.
1873 – The Smith Block, which was Rubey National (11th and Washington Ave.) is built.
1874 – Colorado School of Mines is established. 1879 – The Golden Opera House (Ace Hi Tavern) is built.

1880 – The Golden vicinity has 5 smelters, 3 brick works, 6 coal mines, 3 flour mills, 2 breweries, 3 lime kilns, 2 quarries and 1 paper mill. 1881 – The State Industrial School (Lookout Mountain School) founded.
1881 – Golden has 22 industrial plants, 52 retail stores, and eight hotels. 1884 – The Belle Vista Hotel is built on site across the street from the Post Office; it has 75 rooms, a ballroom, and a billiard room.
1889 – Ten men are killed when water floods the White Ash Coal Mine near what is now the CSM athletic field. Their bodies remain entombed 730 feet below the ground surface.
1892 -The Nankivel & Jones Building (on the northwest corner of Washington Avenue and 10th Street) is built as a grocery store with the motto “Quick Sales and Small Profits.”
1896 – Clear Creek flood kills several people in the Golden / Morrison vicinity.
1899 – Ordinance passes prohibiting donkeys, cows and sheep from running loose in the streets. “LOL”

1900 – The Golden Illuminating Company installs the first incandescent streetlights in the state.
1901 – Alferd Packer (cannibal), recently paroled, works as a ranch hand on the Rooney Ranch – “What’s for lunch!”
1902 – The Table Mountain Resort opens with bowling and evening dance.
1905 – Golden High School has 21 graduates; largest class in history. School of Mines graduates 48 engineers.
1906 – Coors Building (north portion of The Capital Grill) is built as a saloon by Adolph Coors.
1906 – George West, one of Golden’s founding fathers, dies.
1906 – Guggenheim Hall (the one with the gold top) on the School of Mines campus is built.
1908 – The 104 Ft. x 107 Ft. letter “M” on Lookout Mountain is created.

1910 – 2003 Time-lines and full document: CLICK HERE.

Golden Museums

Golden has nine interesting and diverse museums. The “Golden History Museum” tells the story from Golden’s beginnings to present. While you’re downtown, visit the outdoor “Clear Creek History Park,” “Colorado School of Mines – Geology Museum,” “Foothills Art Center,” “Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum” and the “American Mountaineering Museum.” The “Astor House Museum” is temporarily closed for renovation (view history and video here).

The “Colorado Railroad Museum” will take you back in time, before the automobile, when railroads moved people, goods and ore to support the economic engine and growth of early Colorado expansion. Drive the “Lariat Loop Scenic & Historic Byway” up to the “Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave” on Lookout Mountain. You’ll enjoy discovering more history and sights along the Lariat Loop in historic Morrison and Evergreen.

Don’t forget to visit the “Golden Brewery Tour” at Coors. Tours begin in the southeast corner of the visitor parking lot, 13th & Ford Street, Golden, CO 80401. A free ticket is required for the Brewery Tour. Receive your ticket when you ride the tour bus to the Brewery.