Arapahoe City was named after the Arapaho tribe, who had
lived in this region for a century
Pictured above are Little Raven (left), the earliest confirmed to visit the
new town’s area as early as 1839, and Friday (right), the last confirmed
to visit the area in 1867, camping in downtown Golden
Jefferson County’s first town was named after earlier inhabitants, the Arapaho tribe of American Indians. In writing to the Missouri Republican newspaper, Tom Golden wrote “Indians are thick here. We apprehend danger from them. They have sent us word by some of their chiefs to quit their country, but we think we can stand them a rub, as we have 700 white men here. We have laid out a town by the name of Arapahoe City after the aborigenes.” This was strangely inconsistent with other accounts of the Arapaho being friendly to area newcomers. The Arapaho never attacked Arapahoe City, and the natives and newcomers got along peacefully. Chiefs Neva and Niwot visited Arapahoe City citizen George A. Jackson at his gold base camp in the future Golden valley, and Arapahos knew other citizens of their namesake city as well. The Arapaho, part of the Algonquin family, had lived here since around 1750, having been pushed west from the Great Lakes area. Chief Little Raven had visited Arapahoe City’s vicinity since at least the late 1830s. Major conflict with the Utes diminished the numbers of the Arapaho before easterners arrived. However, the Arapaho actually outlasted Arapahoe City. The town faded away after the Gold Rush, but Chief Friday and his band continued to visit Golden as late as 1867.