1859

~ David King Wall begins region's 1st garden farm at today's railyards at Depot Street
~ John M. Ferrell arrives in valley and builds 1st river bridge, future Washington Avenue Bridge
~ Boston Company, 1st business, arrives in valley
~ Golden founded
~ 1st worship service, led by Rev. Lewis Hamilton in Ford Bros. tent
~ Golden organization completed
~ Chicago Saloon, legendary watering hole, opened by Col. Parker B. Cheney
~ William A.H. Loveland, prominent citizen and spearheader of community, arrives
~ Loveland Mercantile opened
~ First United Methodist Church founded
~ Edgar Vanover hanged
~ Western Mountaineer, Colorado's 4th newspaper, established by Boston Company and edited by George West

1860

~ Golden voted Jefferson County seat
~ 2nd school in Colorado established in Golden
~ 1st Masonic lodge in Colorado established in Golden
~ Golden Post Office established with Isaac E. Hardy 1st postmaster
~ Western Mountaineer ceases publication

1861

~ Great windstorm destroys 25 buildings and damages more

1862

~ Golden becomes capital of Colorado Territory

1863

~ Colorado Democrat newspaper run by William Train Muir
~ Camp Leavenworth, training Colorado Volunteers for the Union Army, established at Golden
~ First Baptist Church, oldest Baptist church in Colorado, established
~ Loveland Block (later serving as territorial capitol) built by Loveland and Golden Masonic Lodge

1865

~ Golden Mill, established in 1864 by David Barnes, moves to city from Bear Creek

1866

~ Sarell Hardware, now Meyer Hardware, moved to Golden from Central City where it was established in 1863 by William M.B. Sarell
~ Burgess House built as Burgess Block by Thomas W. Burgess
~ Golden School built by Golden School District #1
~ Wells Fargo builds relay station downtown
~ Transcript newspaper established by George West

1867

~ Rock Flour Mills established by Jonas Barber
~ Golden Paper Mills established by John J. Bush
~ Calvary Episcopal Church built
~ Astor House hotel built by Seth Lake

1870

~ First train of Golden-based Colorado Central Railroad begins service

1871

~ City government permanently established

1873

~ Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum established as Jarvis Hall Museum by Arthur Lakes
~ Golden Cemetery established
~ Coors Brewery established as Golden Brewery
~ Golden Globe, formerly Golden Eagle established in 1872, re-established by Edgar Watson Howe and William F. Dorsey
~ South School built by Golden School District #1

1874

~ Wells Fargo departs Golden
~ Territorial School of Mines acquired by Colorado Territory

1875

~ Trenton Smelting Works built

1877

~ Jefferson County Courthouse built
~ Malachite Smelting Works built

1878

~ Jarvis Hall destroyed by fire
~ Matthews Hall destroyed by arson fire
~ Golden House hotel destroyed by fire

1879

~ Golden becomes city form of government
~ Telephone service established by Golden Telephone & Dispatch Company
~ Water works built by City of Golden
~ French Smelting Works built by French syndicate
~ Valley Smelting Works built
~ Golden Opera House opens
~ Hayward murder avenged by hanging of Woodruff and Seminole

1880

~ Lookout youth detention facility established as State Industrial School for Boys
~ North School built by Golden School District #1

1881

~ St. Bernard Hotel (later Belle Vista) built

1887

~ Electricity established by Golden Illuminating Company

1889

~ White Ash Mine Disaster claims 10 lives

1890

~ Mines football team beats University of Colorado by score of 103-0, when touchdowns are worth 4 points

1891

~ Eagle Brewery established by Dorman and Ernest Waltmann

1892

~ Brooks Field created as Athletic Park

1893

~ Jefferson County Bank goes down with Silver Crash; reopens as Woods-Rubey National Bank

1894

~ Ella Deaver, elected Treasurer, becomes 1st female elective office holder in Golden

1896

~ Great Flood of 1896 claims 3 lives, damages city

1897

~ Eagle Brewery ceases operation

1905

~ Oscar Nolin saves South School from explosion

1908

~ Big M, designed by Francis O'Byrne, is constructed on Mt. Zion

1910

~ CoorsTek began as Herold China & Pottery by John J. Herold

1911

~ Gem Theatre opened in permanent home by Walter F. Seig

1912

~ Lariat Loop road up Mt. Zion began construction by William "Cement Bill" Williams

1913

~ Castle Rock funicular built by Charles F. Quaintance
~ Henry J. Foss purchases drugstore and names it Foss
~ Armory built by Colorado National Guard
~ Great Blizzard of 1913 dumps 60 inches on city

1914

~ Golden Library established by Golden Library Improvement Association

1916

~ Prohibition begins in Colorado, as Golden saloons convert to soft drinks and Coors converts to malted milk

1918

~ Great flu epidemic claims lives of Golden citizens while Armory serves as emergency hospital

1919

~ Golden Globe ceases publication
~ Jefferson County Republican newspaper established

1922

~ Downtown streetscaping project begins
~ Christmas lights begin making civic appearance in Golden with Community Christmas Tree

1924

~ Table Mountain Inn built as Hotel Berrimoor by Robert Berry
~ New Golden High School, now American Mountaineering Center, built by Golden School District #1

1925

~ Parfet Park created by North Side Improvement Association, named for George W. Parfet who helped spearhead it shortly before his passing

1927

~ E-Days celebration began by Colorado School of Mines

1928

~ Golden Plunge recreation center opened by Grant Churches

1930

~ Stevinson Chevrolet opened as Ashton Chevrolet by Ralph Ashton

1934

~ Safeway opens in Golden

1936

~ Mitchell Elementary School built as Central School by Golden School District #1

1937

~ Golden's bank reconstituted as First National Bank

1938

~ Golden History Center established as Jefferson County Pioneer Museum by Jefferson County Commissioners with aid of Works Progress Administration
~ Golden Days celebration began

1946

~ Jefferson County Republican merges with Sentinel and ceases publication
~ Golden Outlook newspaper established by George Barley
~ Piggly Wiggly opened by W.E. "Brownie" Thornton and Ted Andersen
~ Golden Days celebration phased out
~ Buffalo Bill Days celebration began

1947

~ Golden converts to Manager/Council form of government

1949

~ Welcome Arch built (Paul Reeves designer)
~ Jolly Rancher established by Bill and Dorothy Harmsen
~ Santa & Reindeer begin holiday appearances atop the Welcome Arch

1950

~ Horizon Plan to transform Colorado School of Mines implemented

1953

~ New Jefferson County Courthouse built
~ Jefferson Symphony Orchestra established as Golden Symphony Orchestra

1955

~ New Golden High School began construction

1957

~ Magic Mountain theme park established
~ Hesteds Department Store opened

1959

~ Golden triples in area by annexing south to Magic Mountain

1960

~ East Tincup theme park established by Pete Smythe
~ Denver Broncos begin holding training camps in Golden

1961

~ City Hall complex (Golden Municipal Center) completed

1963

~ Bell Middle School built as Bell Junior High School

1966

~ Hall of Justice built
~ Millers Market built
~ Golden Gate Market, originally Piggly Wiggly, closes

1967

~ King Soopers comes to Golden through acquisition of Food King

1968

~ Foothills Art Center established in old First Presbyterian Church

1969

~ Golden Post Office collapse claims 1 life, injures 4

1971

~ Heritage Square opens at former Magic Mountain

1972

~ Astor House saved from demolition by vote of the people, Astor House Museum established
~ Olde Golden Christmas celebration begins as Victorian Christmas

1975

~ Guy Hill School moved to Golden

1976

~ King Soopers closes
~ Dell Farm, originally Millers Market, closes
~ Golden Civic Foundation Auction began

1977

~ Hesteds Department Store closes

1978

~ Goldenfest celebration began as Oktoberfest
~ Golden Mercantile, originally Loveland Mercantile, closes

1983

~ Historic preservation ordinance established

1986

~ Old Heidelburg Inn destroyed by fire

1988

~ Heritage Square Music Hall opens

1990

~ Golden Fine Arts Festival begins

1992

~ 2nd downtown streetscape project created

1993

~ Current Jefferson County Courthouse built

1994

~ Golden Community Center built
~ Clear Creek History Park established as Clear Creek Ranch Park

1997

~ King Soopers returns to Golden

1998

~ New Mitchell Elementary School built

2000

~ Haas Block with Kenrows Restaurant destroyed by fire
~ Wells Fargo returns to Golden through acquisition of Norwest Bank

2003

~ Miners Alley Playhouse opens
~ 2nd largest blizzard in history dumps 50.5 inches of snow on Golden

2004

~ I-70 girder collapse claims family

2005

~ Loveland Block saved from major fire

2009

~ Current Golden High School opened
~ Welcome Arch on 13th Street built