THE DENVER OF EARLY DAYS.
Henry Allen was the first postmaster of Denver, so called, and charged
50 cents for bringing a letter from Fort Laramie. The first Leavenworth
and Pike's express coach arrived there on May 17, 1859, having made the
trip in nineteen days. This company reduced the postage rates on letters
to 25 cents. The first postmaster of this concern was Mr. Fields, who
was succeeded by Judge Amos Steck in the fall of 1859.
On June 6, 1866, Horace Greeley, of the New York _Tribune_, arrived in
Denver by express coach en route to California, and addressed the
citizens that same Monday evening. The next day he straddled a mule for
the Gregory mines in company with A. D. Richardson, then a Western
correspondent of the _Tribune_. On the 11th, they returned from Gilpin
County mines, and published under Greeley's signature in a _News_ extra
his views concerning the extent and richness of the gold diggings which
he had just witnessed with his own eyes. The circulation of this extra
along the routes to the States soon caused another immense immigration
to return there that fall.
On October 3d the first election for county officers was held under
provisional government. B. D. Williams was then elected to represent the
new Territory of Jefferson in Congress.
The first marriage took place in Aurora (West Denver) October 16, 1859,
Miss Lydia R. Allen to Mr. John B. Atkins, Rev. G. W. Fisher
officiating. The first school ever started in Denver was by O. J.
Goldrick, October 3, 1859, in a little cabin with a mud roof, minus
windows and doors; and the first Sunday-school was organized October 6,
1859, by Messrs. Tappen, Collier, Adrian, Fisher, and Goldrick, in the
preacher's cabin on the west bank of Cherry Creek.
The first theater, called Apollo, was opened in Denver October 3, 1859,
by D. R. Thorn's troupe from Leavenworth, with Sam D. Hunter for leading
man and Miss Rose Wakely for leading lady. Old-timers will remember her
well. She was considered the most beautiful lady that had graced Denver
City in the first years of its existence.
The first election for territorial officers and legislative assembly
occurred October 24, 1859, when R. W. Steele, a miner, was made first
governor. Over 2,000 votes were cast in the twenty-seven precincts of
the Territory at that election.
The first legislature assembled in Denver November 7, 1859, comprising
eight councilmen and nineteen representatives. On New Year's, 1860,
Denver had about 200 houses and Aurora (now West Denver) nearly 400,
with a total combined city census of over 1,000 people, representing all
classes, creeds, and nationalities; hence its cosmopolitan style from
that day to this. Many brick and frame buildings, stores, hotels, shops,
and dwellings were put up in both towns during 1860. One was the banking
house of Streeter & Hobbs, corner of Eleventh and Laramie streets. The
rate of interest charged by them at that time was from 10 to 25 per cent
per month, according to the collateral security, and from 10 to 25 cents
per hundred pounds was the rate from the Missouri River for freight by
ox or mule train.
On the 8th of December, the day of the adjournment of the first
legislature, an election was held by those in favor of remaining under
the Kansas regime, and Capt. Richard Sopris was sent as representative
in the Kansas legislature.
John C. Moore was elected the first mayor of Denver, December 19, 1859,
under a city charter granted by the first provisional legislature. In
the fall of '59 there were no particular politics there. The great
question of the day was: "Are you a Denver man or an Aurorian?" Rivalry
ran high between the two towns until the consolidation of Denver,
Aurora, and Highlands, April 3, 1860. The first officers of the Aurora
town company were W. A. McFadding, president, and Dr. L. J. Russell,
secretary. Those of the Denver town company were E. P. Stout, president,
and H. P. A. Smith, secretary. Strange to say, not a single one of these
property holders is now living there, or is now the owner of a single
lot in this large city.
I must not forget an event that happened in Denver then. A family
arrived there from the East, consisting of father, mother, two
daughters, and a son. One of the young Denverites took a fancy to one of
the young ladies, but parents and son were opposed to the young man; yet
he was not to be got rid of. One evening he took advantage of the
absence of the parents and married the girl, and on the return of the
parents in the evening the mother and son started to look for them, and
threatened to kill the young man if they could find him. They found them
at the Platte House, on Blake Street. The mother of the girl went to
break in the door, but finally concluded not to do so, and left for her
home. The parties are still living in Denver, and are well off and
greatly respected.
On November 10, 1859, a lager-beer brewery was established by Solomon,
Tascher & Co. It was said that the beer was drinkable. It was as
innocent of malt and hops as our early whisky was of wheat or rye.
Thirty-three years ago next July the patriotic pioneers celebrated the
Fourth of July in this city. It took place in a grove near the mouth of
Cherry Creek. One Doctor Fox read the Declaration, and James K. Shaffer
delivered an oration. There was music by the Council Bluffs band.
July 12, 1860, a series of murders and violence began there by
desperadoes who had infested Denver during the summer. They tried to
muzzle the mouth of the press, which bravely condemned their dastardly
outrages, and as a consequence they raided the _Rocky Mountain News_ and
tried to kill its proprietor.
The first regular United States mail arrived there on August 10, 1860;
P. W. McClure, postmaster. The first Odd Fellows lodge was instituted
there on Christmas Eve, 1860.
The close of the year 1860 saw 60,000 people in the Territory, 4,000 of
whom were in and around Denver.
At this juncture of time Denver was tolerably well favored with the
three great engines of civilization, to wit, schools, churches, and
newspapers. There were three day schools, two or three newspapers, and
the following church denominations, each with a place for holding
services: Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal South, Roman
Catholic, Presbyterian, and Protestant Episcopal. The latter
denomination was well and truly cared for by the Rev. J. H. Kehler, who
established St. John's Church in the wilderness, as he then called it.
Therefore, to the praise of our pioneers let it be recorded that though
then remiss in many of the modern enterprises, their liberality
encouraged religion, morality, and popular education. They claimed that
Whittier's apostrophe to Massachusetts might and should apply equally to
Colorado in these regards:
The riches of our commonwealth
Are free, strong minds and hearts of health;
And more to her than gold or grain
The cunning hand and cultured brain.
Nor heeds the sceptic's puny hands,
While near the school the church-spire stands;
Nor fears the blinded bigot's rule,
While near the church-spire stands the school.