The Boston Building, Golden's 1st building, in 1860
Originally a daguerrotype possibly taken by Diantha Ferris
Courtesy "Jefferson County Colorado: The Colorful Past of a Great Community" by Sara E. Robbins

Golden's 1st Citizen

The first permanent citizen of this valley, David King Wall, arrived here on April 30, 1859. While his companions from Indiana searched for gold, Wall saw potential for other riches from the soil, planting vegetables and crops though the area had long been denounced as the Great American Desert. Wall was successful, selling his food for fabulous prices and earning him praise as "The Father of Colorado Agriculture".

Boston Company

On June 12, 1859 the Boston Company arrived on the banks of Clear Creek. Its partners, led by George West, immediately saw this location at the gates to the gold fields as an ideal place for trade, and lay the cornerstone for Golden's 1st building at today's Parfet Park on July 4, 1859. The seven members of the company were president George West, business manager James MacDonald, Walter Pollard, James W. McIntyre, Lawrence Panton, Joe H. Bird, and Mark Leonardo Blunt. They ran a general mercantile and trading business, express and stage business, and on December 4, 1859 started Jeffco's first newspaper, the Western Mountaineer. Leader George West would continue living in Golden for decades to come, founding the Transcript newspaper in 1866 and publishing it for 40 years.

Prince of Pioneers

On June 22, 1859 a mercantile merchant named William Austin Hamilton Loveland arrived in Golden City. He quickly got into a contest with the Boston Company to see who could have the first completed building in town, and his mercantile would operate in Golden for 119 years until closing in 1978. Loveland became the leading spirit of Golden, helping it survive the Civil War depression, being instrumental in making it capital of Colorado Territory, making it headquarters of the Colorado Central Railroad which led to the gold fields, and more. He served as Mayor, donated land for 3 school buildings and 6 churches, funded a fire station, and served as the first president of the Colorado School of Mines trustees. Later he owned the Rocky Mountain News, was a founder of the city of Lakewood, and spearheaded the tramway line now being revived down West 13th Avenue. In life he was respected across Colorado as "The Prince of Pioneers".

The Honored Mothers of Golden

While other Colorado communities knew greater lawlessness, Golden started on a more wholesome footing thanks to the influence of many of its pioneer ladies. Women including Mary Boyd, Jeanette Ferrell, Helen Berthoud, Calista Johnson, Jane Carter, Sarah McKay, Miranda Loveland and Sarah Bennett, by their influence and acts of motherly and sisterly kindness, gave a healthful tone to the rough and rowdy elements of the community that threatened to get out of control, starting with their enthusiastic singing at Golden's very first church service in 1859. It was only the first of many important things Golden women have done to shape their community for the better.

Golden City Association

Golden's town company was the Golden City Association, formed when Golden was founded on June 16, 1859. Those present at that meeting were J.C. Bowles, Eli Carter, John M. Ferrell, William Grigsby, James MacDonald, Daniel L. McCleery, Walter Pollard, David King Wall, and George West. Names of original shareholders of the Golden City Association included W.G. Barkly, Frederick W. Beebee, Joe H. Bird, Mark Leonardo Blunt, Reuben Borton, J.C. Bowles, Richard L. Bright, Eli Carter, Joseph Casto, B.F. Chase, R.W. Clark, F. De La Marr, John M. Ferrell, Hi F. Ford, William R. Ford, Thomas Gibson, J. Glendinen, H.C. Green, Isaac E. Hardy, G. Harris, John G. Hendrickson, W. Hunt, J.B.P. Irwin, J. Keene, McCleery & Ross, F. McDonald, James W. McIntyre, J.N. Odell, Lawrence Panton, S.A. Pierson, Walter Pollard, Price & Harris, Albert D. Richardson, David King Wall, and George West.

Who Was Tom Golden?

Capt. Thomas L. Golden was a miner in his 20s from Georgia, who arrived in today's Jefferson County late in 1858. On November 29, 1858 he was the founding Treasurer of Arapahoe City, Jefferson County's 1st town, and there met and became gold prospecting partner of George Jackson from Missouri. When Jackson made his great gold strike at today's Idaho Springs on January 7, 1859 he trusted only Golden with his secret, writing in his diary "Tom Golden is the only man who knows I found gold up the creek, and as his mouth is as tight as a No. 4 Beaver trap, I am not uneasy." It was at Jackson's suggestion Golden was named for his trusted friend. Golden helped lay out the townsite, and then in July co-founded Golden Gate City at the mouth of its canyon, where he ran a hotel and storage and commission business, reputedly the first merchant to advertise prices in the region. Golden served in the legislature of the provisional Jefferson Territory. On September 24, 1860 he married Miss Fletcher at Nevada City (now Nevadaville). Golden left the area around 1861, and was not heard from since.