Article Contributed on: 6/16/2009 10:38:38 PM
Today is Golden's 150th birthday! On June 16, 1859, nine of the gold rushers camped in this valley went to the tent of Grigsby & Bowles, pitched at the beautiful spring later known as Carpenter Spring, and founded the town we call Golden. At that meeting were Boston Company members
George West, James MacDonald and
Walter Pollard, along with
David King Wall, the vegetable grower who was the valley's first permanent resident;
John M. Ferrell who had just opened the first bridge across the river,
Eli Carter, Daniel L. McCleery, Bill Grigsby, and
J.C. Bowles.
This meeting began organizing Golden's town company, and according to West the attendees "saw the advantages of the location, its vast water-power, and its proximity to the timber and to the mines being among its chief recommendations." Preliminary arrangements were settled at that meeting, including steps for pre-empting the ground for a townsite, and making provisions to hire
Frederick W. Bebee to survey and plat the town. Valley dwellers held off on building until the town lots could be surveyed. The town association immediately began negotiations with Ferrell, who built the river bridge and operated it as a toll bridge, to acquire the bridge and make it free. They were promptly successful in doing so, gaining the goodwill of all, while Ferrell continued making money putting together his Miners Hotel next to the bridge where Clear Creek Commons stands now.
Golden's birthplace, the Carpenter Spring, is at today's 402 23rd Street. The spring is enclosed within the historic home of Judge
Chester Calvin Carpenter there, who lived there for many years after building the home in 1872. The meeting of June 16, 1859 adjourned without yet fully organizing our city or giving it a name, but Golden was born.