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Golden, CO
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The historic City of Golden is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the eastern edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 1859-06-16, the mining camp was originally named Golden City in honor of Thomas L. Golden. Golden City served as the capital of the provisional Territory of Jefferson from 1860 to 1861, and capital of the official Territory of Colorado from 1862 to 1867. In 1867, the territorial capital was moved about east to Denver City. Golden is now a suburb of its former mining camp rival. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 17,366 in 2005.
The Colorado School of Mines, offering programs in engineering and science is located in Golden. Also there are the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Coors Brewing Company, and the Colorado Railroad Museum. It is the birthplace of the Jolly Rancher, a candy bought out by the Hershey Foods Corporation. Famous western showman William F "Buffalo Bill" Cody is buried nearby on Lookout Mountain.
The Colorado School of Mines, offering programs in engineering and science is located in Golden. Also there are the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Coors Brewing Company, and the Colorado Railroad Museum. It is the birthplace of the Jolly Rancher, a candy bought out by the Hershey Foods Corporation. Famous western showman William F "Buffalo Bill" Cody is buried nearby on Lookout Mountain.
HistoryGolden has an unusually rich and colorful history for a small town in Colorado. Established as a Gold Rush town, Golden quickly became a leading economic and political center of the region, being a center of trade between the gold fields and the east, a crossroads and gateway of important roads leading to the mountains, and a center of area industry. By the close of 1860 Golden City had been popularly elected the seat of Jefferson County and was capital of the provisional Jefferson Territory. While the town lost much of its populace and leading citizenry during the American Civil War and its accompanying economic depression, the town persevered and became capital of the federally recognized Colorado Territory in 1862, continuing until 1867. Afterward, Golden matured and blossomed into the "Lowell of the West", a regional center of trade and industry that boasted at certain points in time 3 flour mills, 5 smelters, the first railroad into the Colorado mountains, the Coors Brewery, brick works, the only paper mill west of Missouri, clay and coal mines, and more. During the 1870s it became home to 3 institutions of higher education, the Colorado University Schools of which the Colorado School of Mines remains today. Golden was also home to an opera house and seven churches including Colorado's 3rd (Methodist) church, oldest Baptist church, and first Swedish immigrant (Lutheran) church. The town was home to sizeable populations of German, Swedish, Italian and Chinese immigrants and 5 immigrants eventually became Mayor of Golden.
Through the latter 19th to early 20th centuries Golden maintained a small town population of around 2,500 people. Several industries faded or were destroyed by tragic events, but others flourished to continue Golden's industrial legacy including its brewing, brickmaking, clay mining and porcelain industries. Golden became even more connected through mass transit, with two trolley lines extending to Denver, while the movie theater gradually took the place of the opera house for downtown entertainment. Downtown revitalization efforts began in the 1920s with its first streetscape and ornamental lighting project and urban renewal on its north and east, anchored by new senior high and grade schools. The historic cultural tension between the city's north and south sides gradually eased, and the town successfully endured additional major economic depressions including the Silver Crash of 1893 and the Great Depression. The School of Mines gained a worldwide academic reputation, Coors rapidly came to the forefront of the national and international brewing and porcelain industries, and the city modernized with a recreation center, paved streets and more.
After World War II Golden boomed, rapidly gaining population, size and economy. In 1959 the town nearly tripled in geographic size overnight when it annexed large properties to the south including the new Magic Mountain theme park, one of the earliest entertainment attractions of its kind. A number of new subdivisions were built and public infrastructure was modernized including a new senior high school, city hall and central fire and police stations, new downtown anchors including department stores and grocery stores, several new church buildings, new county offices, and the Horizon Plan which transformed the School of Mines. The Oil Crash and near simultaneous failure of several downtown anchors placed its central business district into recession by the 1980s, and the downtown was revitalized again through various initiatives including its second streetscaping project in 1992. The Coors Brewery had become the largest single site brewery in the world, its porcelain plant among the foremost of its kind in the world, and Golden became home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Today Golden has a population of around 18,000 people and is home to more people and businesses of national and international influence than ever before, yet maintains a small town historic identity all its own.
GeographyGolden is located at (39.746837, -105.210911). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . Its geographic features include North and South Table Mountains, Mount Zion, Lookout Mountain, Clear Creek, and several gulches. Mount Zion is clearly visible, with a large white M, for the Colorado School of Mines college.
Golden is mostly situated just north of Interstate 70; U.S. Route 6 connects most of town to it. Colorado State Highway 470 starts in Golden.
Golden is now regarded as a western suburb of Denver and part of the Denver Metropolitan Area. Golden and Jefferson County are home to some of the world's best mountain biking. Chimney Gulch/Windy Saddle to Apex Park is a common bike route, with several hairpin turns up the side of Mount Zion and Lookout Mountain. Many of the best trails in Jefferson County are either in or very near Golden.
Natural outdoor rock climbing is also a local pastime at the locally known North Table Mountain, with many bolted and trad routes from 5.5 to 5.13d.
Recently, as part of the Fossil Trace Golf Course in Golden, they have opened a free self-guided walking tour through some of the better preserved fossils:
Golden is scheduled to be the endpoint of the West Corridor in Denver's FasTracks commuter rail network by 2013.
GovernmentGolden is a home rule municipality of the city form of statutory government in Colorado. Its government is a city council/city manager form of leadership which consists of a popularly elected Mayor elected by the entire citizenry, two Councilors each representing a District comprising one half of the city, and four Councilors each repesenting a Ward which each District is divided into two of. These seven members of the City Council are each popularly elected from their Ward/District/At Large and they serve as the governing body of the city. The Council hires and supervises the City Manager, who hires and supervises the City Staff, which handles the daily operations of the city.
Golden's current elected officials are:
Mayor - Jacob Smith Councilor (District 1) - Marjorie Sloan Councilor (District 2) - Karen L. Oxman Councilor (Ward 1) - Mary A. Weaver Councilor (Ward 2) - Joseph G. Behm Councilor (Ward 3) - Diane L. Chesbro Councilor (Ward 4) - Vacant
The current City Manager is Michael C. Bestor.
Golden was among the first municipally governed cities in Colorado and has one of the oldest continuously functioning governments in the state. To date Golden has held 88 popular elections for municipal officials since its first such election in 1860, including 84 regular elections and 4 special elections in 1860, 1882, 2005 and 2006.
MediaNewspapers Golden Transcript - founded in 1866.EducationGolden, originally home to the second school in Colorado, is today part of the Jefferson County R-1 School District which provides public education throughout Jefferson County, Colorado. The city has two elementary schools, Mitchell and Shelton Elementary; one middle school, Bell MIddle School; and Colorado's oldest senior high school, Golden High School. In higher education Golden features the oldest public owned institution of higher education in the state, the Colorado School of Mines, which campus lies near the heart of the city overlooking its core area.
CultureThere is an unusual variety of cultural interests for Golden residents and visitors to choose from. Golden is home to the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra, which performs seasonally at Bunker Auditorium in the Green Center at the Colorado School of Mines, and has performed continuously since 1953. The city is also home to the Foothills Art Center, a nationally renowned art exhibition venue housed in a historic church. Two live theater groups are housed in Golden, including one of only two Denver metro area dinner theater groups, the Heritage Square Music Hall, which has performed since 1986; and the dramatic live theater venue of the Miners Alley Playhouse in downtown Golden, which has performed there since 2001. Golden is home to possibly the most museums per capita of any place in Colorado, including the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Colorado Railroad Museum, Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum, Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, Golden Pioneer Museum, Astor House Hotel Museum, and the Clear Creek History Park.
Golden has several annual events which draw people from around the city and Colorado. These include Heart & Soul Month in February, two Independence Day fireworks shows sponsored by Heritage Square (since 1971) and the Golden Lions Club (since 1972), the largest event of the year in Buffalo Bill Days in late July (since 1946); the Golden Fine Arts Festival in August (since 1990), Goldenfest in September (since 1978, originally Oktoberfest), and Olde Golden Christmas (since 1972) in November to December.
SportsGolden's competitive athletics go back for well over a century and feature public school and collegiate teams and athletes. Golden High School competes in various sports in 4A competition in Colorado, and its football program dates as far back as the 1890s. The Colorado School of Mines competes primarily in NCAA Division II athletics in a variety of sports including football (dating to 1888), baseball and basketball. Clear Creek is also home to a nationally renowned kayak course, and the city is home to the American Mountaineering Center and features noteworthy rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and hang gliding opportunities in close proximity. Golden has to date generated three Major League Baseball players, four Olympic competitors and two Olympic medalists.
People of Historical InterestGolden has had a long, rich history spanning nearly one and a half centuries, which includes many who were important in Colorado and American History.
A few people that have been born, lived, or died in the Golden area are:
Edward L. Berthoud (1830-1910), Colorado engineer, historian, geologist Leroy Taylor Brown (18??-19??), Olympic silver medalist, men's high jump, Paris 1924 Adolph Coors (1847-1929), co-founder of the Adolf Coors Company Alexander Cummings (1810-1879), Territorial Governor of Colorado James Darden (Coach of original Denver Nuggets, member Colorado Sports Hall of Fame) William L. Douglas (Founder Douglas Shoe Company, Governor of Massachusetts) Douglas Fairbanks (Movie actor) Bill and Dorothy Harmsen (Founders of Jolly Rancher) Roy Hartzell (Major League Baseball utility player, St. Louis Browns, New York Highlanders/Yankees) Edgar Watson Howe (Author, newspaper editor) Albert E. Jones (Major League Baseball pitcher, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals) Gertrude Kasebier (Photographic artist) George M. Kimball (Stage actor, principal of Kimball's Komedy Kompany, newspaper writer) Arthur Lakes (Geologist and paleontologist, discoverer of Brontosaurus and Stegosaurus near Golden) William A.H. Loveland (Colorado railroad pioneer and industrialist) Grace McHugh (Movie actress) Chick Morrison (Movie actor) Frank B. Morrison (Governor of Nebraska) Pete Morrison (Movie actor) George Alexander Parks (Territorial Governor of Alaska) George M. Pullman (Railroad industrialist) Steve Reed (Major League Baseball pitcher, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles) George Eliphaz Spencer (Founder of Breckenridge, Colorado, Alabama Senator) Charles David Spivak (Founder Jewish Consumptives Relief Society) Robert Williamson Steele (Nebraska Territorial Senator, popularly elected Governor of provisional Jefferson Territory) Joseph C. Taylor (Colonel leading Philippines resistance in World War II, author of They Fought Alone) J.J. Thomas (Olympic bronze medalist, men's halfpipe snowboarding, Salt Lake City 2002) John Charles Vivian (Governor of Colorado) John F. Vivian (Colorado Republican leader)External linksCity of Golden websiteCDOT map of the City of GoldenMile High Newspapers (Based in Golden)Colorado School of Mines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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By Chiara
4 days
Enjoy this 4-Day trip starting at Colorado Springs, then heading to Golden 1 night and another night in Evergreen. The distance between each city is only a short hop, so after a hearty breakfast each morning, you still have time to do another city activity before heading to the next.
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