Article Contributed on: 6/20/2009 1:32:07 PM
150 years ago today on June 20, 1859, the second meeting creating the new city of Golden was held, at the Ford Bros. tent at today's northwest corner of 12th and Ford Streets. Here the organization of Golden was completed, and from here our town went forward in full force.
Frederick W. Beebee proceeded to diligently survey the town lots so that eager gold rushers could build, while streets were named for the brothers
Hi and
Billy Ford and others who were here. The town company acquired the Washington Avenue Bridge and made it free, and it has been free to all travelers ever since.
Our town company which oversaw everything was the Golden City Association, made up of shareholders of the people of the valley. 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.. Although no women were members of the Association, at least initially, they were certainly not left out of land ownership in Golden, for every woman was entitled to be given a town lot for free.
Calista Johnson chose hers right next to the Fords' tent, thinking the lot was right on the corner, when in fact the tent was. The Johnsons' Rocky Mountain House hotel rose one lot removed from the corner, but a strategic location nevertheless.
The Ford Bros. tent, where our second founding meeting took place, was described by George West's son
Harley in the
Transcript newspaper in later years. He wrote: "A large tent stood on the corner of Ford and 12th street in 1859. Many crude signs were painted on its surface. One read "Hi Ford's Bar." It boasted a well stocked bar but gambling was the main attraction. It seemed to be sleeping during the day, but night brought awakening. Candle-lighted lanterns hung from every pole gave a weird illumination. The Rocky Mountain House, part tent, part log, was scarce fifty feet away. Mr. Johnson had stepped from his hotel door to inspect the progress of a new well when a volley of shots rang out from the big tent. Hastily lifting his small daughter into the well he crouched behind the excavation in time to escape the bullets that made of the log cabin a backstop. A man dashed by with a number in close pursuit. The runner eluded the pursuers for a time but was taken from a cabin nearby, where he was hiding under a bed. He was taken to the north side of Clear creek, tied to a post, given a severe flogging and ordered to leave town. He had been caught cheating at cards, a high crime in those days."
Golden was today fully and officially launched, to become what all know and enjoy today. If you would like to find out more about Golden through time on this 150th anniversary, go see its upcoming sesquicentennial display in the rotunda of the Jefferson County Courthouse, where it will remain through June. You may also see more at my 150th anniversary website for Golden at http://gardnerhistory.com/sesquicentennialstories/golden .