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Timeline of historic international, national, state and City of Golden events.

Early explorers in the valley in which Golden is located were Louis Vasquez, Major Stephen Long and Kit Carson. The first inhabitants were the Arapahoe and Plains Indians. In 1843, Rufus Sage camped on the banks of Clear Creek where icy water from the melting snowpack rushed out of the mountains and onto the plains. Although he was not ignorant of gold flakes in the stream, he was a hunter and did not spend time investigating the source of the gold.

The first settler in the Golden area was David Wall who, in 1858, obtained land, laid out a two-acre garden, and irrigated it with water from the creek. By 1859 he was selling produce to the hordes of gold seekers passing through the valley. The first year he reaped a profit of $2,000, a large sum in those days.

George Jackson discovered gold in the rocky canyons of Chicago Creek early in 1859. As word about the gold discoveries spread, thousands of pioneers passed through the valley. Many of the early settlers came to the area with supplies and large wagons that could not be moved into the mountain canyons. They established campsites in the valley while other members of the party headed for the rich gold fields in the mountains.

A group of Bostonians, headed by George West, arrived from a trip across the plains, flushed with gold fever. They saw the growing number of settlers at the mouth of Clear Creek and decided to go no further. They built the first frame building to house their Boston Company, and laid out a town which they designated Golden City on June 20, 1859. For several years, Golden City was the leading town in the Jefferson Territory.

Homes, stores and saloons were built and by the end of 1859 there were more than 700 citizens residing in the city. Coal had been discovered at Leyden and on Coal Creek north of Golden. The first schools and churches were organized in 1859-60 and the first Masonic Lodge meeting was held in 1859. George West began publishing the Western Mountaineer, which ceased existence one year later. There was a toll bridge across the creek at Ford Street named after the gambling tent owned by the Ford brothers. The tent was also used for the town's first religious ceremony.

In 1860, local citizens inaugurated a mountain road system to link the mining communities with Golden City; a weekly mail service was opened; and superb deposits of clay were discovered in the area.

George Pullman, who lived in Golden City, operated a gold and money brokerage in Russell Gulch and began to build the Pullman railway sleeping car, in which bunks similar to those in miners' cabins were introduced on railway cars.

From 1855 to 1959, Colorado was part of the Kansas Territory. In 1859, the Jefferson Territory was formed, albeit not a legal action. In 1861, the Colorado Territory and Jefferson County were legally formed. Golden City became the county seat of Jefferson County and the following year became the territorial capital of Colorado. It remained the capital until 1867. The capital building, erected by W. A. H. Loveland, is still in use in 1997 as the Silverheels Restaurant.

Loveland obtained a charter for the Colorado Central Railroad in 1862. Colorado's first railroad company, the Colorado Central and Pacific Railroad, was incorporated in 1865 but the first train did not operate until late in 1870. At the time of incorporation, Edward L. Berthoud became Chief Engineer. Black Hawk, Central City, Silver Plume, Idaho Springs, Dumont, Empire, Georgetown and many other towns were dependent upon Golden City for supplies needed to support the activities of the gold seekers. At first wagons carried the materials but eventually Golden City became an important rail terminus. At one time there were approximately 30 trains passing through the switching facilities. In the late 1800's, railroad headquarters were moved to Denver and Golden ceased to be a rail center.

In 1866, George West began publication of the Colorado Transcript, Colorado's oldest weekly newspaper, which is still published in Golden as the Golden Transcript. The name of Golden City was changed to Golden in 1872. The following year, Adolph Coors, Sr. founded the Adolph Coors Company and in 1874 the Colorado School of Mines was founded. In 1876, Colorado was admitted to the Union as the 38^th state.

Two funiculars were in operation in the early 1900s. One went up Castle Rock where a dance hall was located and the other went to the top of Lookout Mountain where Buffalo Bill Cody is buried.

Golden Today

After nearly 140 years of existence, the city is healthy and progressive. It has become an energy center as the search continues for alternate fuels at organizations such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The Coors Brewery is Golden's leading industry and attracts 300,000 visitors each year. Colorado School of Mines, which offers degrees in science and engineering, is operating at capacity enrollment with students from all 50 states and many foreign countries. The U.S.G.S. Earthquake Information Center is housed on the campus at CSM. The headquarters for the American Alpine Club and the American Mountaineering Center are located in Golden.

Although Golden is physically separated from the Denver metropolitan area by North and South Table Mountains, access is simple via Interstate 70, Colorado Highway 470 and U. S. Highway 6. Mountain recreation locations and the gambling towns of Black Hawk and Central City to the west are easily accessible by the same highways. Numerous county and state parks are located within easy driving distance.