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A baby buffalo on the 1st Territorial Road

Contributed by: Michael Robinson on 8/23/2006

A lot of things happened in the area that became Colorado in a very short time. In 1858, a group of would-be prospectors found a little gold in the Cherry Creek. During the next 2 years, an avalanche of rumors, fact and fancy led to thousands of people making the trek to Colorado.

Among the first to arrive in 1859 was Sylvester and Elizabeth Richardson. They camped out in the tent city that became Denver and Elizabeth gave birth to the first child born there. After getting settled, the Richardsons decided to establish a homestead and they traveled south down the Trappers Trail that had been in use for many years until they got to a heavily treed section. Another settler had gotten there first. His name was Daniel C. Oakes and he had started a sawmill that was quite successful. After the Richardsons had built a small cabin, they decided to sell lumber too and to build a small place for travelers to spend the night. The little ranch didn't have a name but Elizabeth Richardson was known as the "handsomest woman in the Territory" and the place became known as the Pretty Woman Ranch. Elizabeth was a great cook and travelers loved to stop at the Pretty Woman Ranch. Lumber from the Oakes and Pretty Woman Ranch built Denver. When the Territory of Colorado was eventually established, the road that connected the Pretty Woman Ranch to Denver became the First Territorial Road. Its there today.

Sixty years later, after the Automobile Age, wealthy Denverites would motor up to the same treed area where the Pretty Woman Ranch stood. They built summer homes there and enjoyed the expansive views of the Front Range of the Rockies. The Daniels & Fisher company had brought dry goods to Denver and when the widowed Mrs. Daniels died, she gave her summer home to Denver City for a mountain park. It was named Daniels Park and a herd of buffalo was put in place to roam there.

If you want to see this place, you can go to Signature Dishes of Colorado's home page and see a streaming video of Daniels Park and all its memories. If you want to drive there like the Denverites of the 1920's did, go to Highlands Ranch, CO andturn south on Wildcat Reserve Parkway. It eventually crosses Daniels Park road. Or you can come north on Santa Fe from Castle Rock and you will see Daniels Park road on your right. The First Territorial Road is still a dirt road where it passes the Pretty Woman Ranch and its easy to get lost in the past in this idealic spot.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Michael Robinson

Castle Rock , CO

Michael Robinson has posted 410 stories and 29 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. Michael Robinson's average story rating is 4.35.
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