Arapahoe City Historic Marker, 2008
Courtesy Gardner Family Collection
• Jefferson County’s 1st town, founded November
29, 1858
• Located on north side of Clear Creek west of McIntyre Street
• Named for the Arapaho tribe of this region
• Finished 2nd to Golden for County Seat, getting 288 votes to Golden’s
401
• Jeffco’s 1st post office, established February 1860, Asa Smith
postmaster
• Gold first discovered here by the Estes Party in 1834
• Jeffco’s 1st mining district started here on November 28, 1858
• Population around 200 at its height in 1859
• Arapahoe had around 60-70 buildings usually made of hewn logs
• Each settler got a free lot if they built on it within a required time
• Idaho Springs gold discoverer George A. Jackson came from here
• Central City/Black Hawk gold discoverer John H. Gregory came from here
• Postmaster Asa Smith elected to provisional Jefferson Territorial House
• Arapahoe City faded away in favor of Golden and mountain gold finds
• Locale evolved into the Fairmount community
• Gold still mined here by hydraulic and dredge miners until 1907
• Moved Arapahoe City buildings may still survive in Golden and area
• Denver’s Wynkoop Street named for Arapahoe founder Edward Wynkoop
• Denver’s Curtis Street named for Arapahoe founder Samuel S. Curtis