A Trip to: Denver, CO

Colorado Sightseer Historical Tour of Denver
Guided tours are a great way to see many sights and get a feel for the layout of an unfamiliar town. We wanted our tour to be educational and were attracted to The Colorado Sightseer tour company's motto, "See, Learn, Explore". They offer interactive tours of not only Denver, but of Rocky Mountain National Park, Gold Mining Country, and the Pikes Peak area as well.

We toured downtown Denver on our way to the historic Brown Palace Hotel. As we drove, our guide narrated the history of Denver.

In 1858 the Russell Brothers traveled from Georgia to Colorado, then part of the Kansas Territory. They came to an area where Cherry Creek runs into the Platte River and began to pan for gold. They found some gold nuggets, filed a claim - and decided to start a new city called Aurelia, from the Latin word for "golden."

Claims were generally filed quietly, to avoid "rush" situations (like that which occurred in 1849 in San Francisco). However, a newspaperman named Beyers got wind of the claim and grossly exaggerated it in his newspaper. He published a "Gold Seeker's Guide" with maps and instructions for finding gold. It launched the Pike's Peak or Bust Gold Rush. Many people rushed to the area to stake their own claims, only to discover that the story was distorted. People were ready to lynch Mr. Beyers. Fortunately, a man named John Gregory happened to uncover a huge vein of gold - 34" in diameter in some spots - and the word of his major strike saved the newspaperman from being killed or run out of town.

An enterprising fellow named George Latimer recognized the need for a new town to accommodate the influx of people during this gold rush. The Governor of the Kansas Territory was a man named Denver. He was politically savvy, and had many connections with powerful people. There was talk that he might even run for President of the U.S. Latimer got Denver's backing to build the town, and named it in his honor. Unfortunately, sometime later, Mr. Denver got in an argument that led to a shootout. He killed his opponent, thereby ending his political aspirations. Latimer never knew about Denver's misfortune - and so the name "Denver" just stuck.

Meanwhile, residents of the town Aurelia were wiped out by a flash flood. They moved to Denver - and a real town was born. Interestingly, the Arapahoe Indians had warned white men not to build on or near the Platte River saying that the river waters rose fast. Their warnings were ignored, and even Denver's town hall was wiped out by a flash flood. Eventually, a reservoir was built to control the Platte River that had earned the name "Tiger of the Plains."

In 1870 the transcontinental railroad was built through neighboring Cheyenne. Gold and silver barons in Denver worked fast to raise money to literally overnight -- build a railroad linking Denver to Cheyenne. The result was a boon for Denver's growth.

The Colorado Sightseer, Inc.
Location: 6780 W. 84th Circle, Suite 60, Arvada, CO 80003
Phone: 1-800-255-5105 or 303-423-8200
Web: http://www.coloradosightseer.com/

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