Jackson's Rapids, in 1904
Courtesy Colorado Transcript, J.W. Walker Photographer

Only one of the founding people of Golden is known to have told the story of how Golden got its name. Here is the story, as George West told it in the Colorado Transcript on May 19, 1904, just below the picture above:

EARLY CLOUDBURST EXPERIENCE AT "JACKSON'S RAPIDS"

At certain seasons of the year, when the gorge through which Clear Creek's waters rush with impetuous madness towards the plains beyond the opening of the foothills, there are many points that present themselves to the onlooker with awe inspiring beauty, but there are none more grandly beautiful than those depicted by the little sketch at the head of this article. These rapids are located about two miles west of Golden, just below the point where Chimney cañon debouches into the creek. These rapids are named for Capt. George A. Jackson, one of Golden's earliest pioneers, and the discoverer of the first paying placer mines in Colorado near the mouth of Chicago creek a short distance above the now flourishing city of Idaho Springs, known ever since their discoverying in the winter of 1858-59 as the "Jackson Diggings." The story of the finding of these diggings has been published in THE TRANSCRIPT, compiled from the diary kept by Jackson himself, but the story of the exploit which gave "Jackson's Rapids" a name has never been published before, but was gathered by this writer from Jackson's own lips and those of his partner and companion - Tom Golden.

These two daring explorers and prospectors were returning to the valley from a prolonged prospecting trip through the mountains west of us, choosing a trail through the cañon of Clear creek, or Vasquez Fork as the stream was then known. It was in the early summer of 1859, with their lonely jack as their only transportation, they stopped near the head of the rapids to cook their last frugal meal before reaching the valley, and to eke out their now scantly grub pile Jackson proceeded to try his luck at fishing in the rapid stream while Golden prepared a fire and made other arrangements for their noonday meal. At that time, which was long before the washings and stamp-mills upon the creek and its tributaries above had driven them out, the creek was full of trout and Jackson was having fine luck in capturing the speckled beauties, having ventured through the rushing waters to a large boulder in the middle of the stream.

The two cronies had noticed for an hour or two that clouds were gathering in the west, but as they had no previous experience with the effect of the sudden storms in the mountains so familiar to them and others later they feared no danger. Above their camping ground there is a sharp turn in the creek, and not until too late did Tom Golden's shout of warning reach his companion. The heavy rain above, or, possibly a sudden "cloudburst" was sending down a mad rush of water, which had already reached the turn in the creek , and before Jackson could reach the shore from his perch in the middle of the stream the flood was upon him. He was swept off his feet amid a dangerous field of tree trunks, limbs and debris from the gulches above. After being carried down the stream over the rapids, by superhuman effort and presence of mind he managed to reach the shore several hundred yards below, little the worse for his experience, but Golden always insisted that he was dead sure for three or four minutes that George would pass in his cheeks and quit the game for good.

The two friends saw the danger of trying to reach the valley by following the swollen stream, and after christening the scene of the exploit "Jackson's Rapids" they climbed the precipitous side of the mountain through Chimney cañon and came down to the valley through the gorge now known as Chimney gulch to find the location they had left a month previous to the prairie dogs and jack rabbits now covered with tents and wagons and preparations in progress for the building of a city, which afterwards at the suggestion of Captain Jackson was named for his partner and friend - Tom Golden.