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Denver City - #28
1401 Blake Street
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The area known today as Lower Downtown is the location of the original town of Denver. Gold seekers from Lawrence, Kansas staked the first claim in September 1858, under the name St. Charles Town Association, but they left only one man to protect their claim. Late that same year, another group form Kansas persuaded the lone man to relinquish the claim. General William Larimer named the town in honor of the Kansas Territory Governor, James William Denver, to ensure the success of this new claim. There were only 25 cabins in Denver during that first winter of 1858, and less than 50 in the neighboring town of Auraria. However, the following year of 1859 brought thousands of men who had heard the often-exaggerated talk of large gold strikes in the Denver area. Between the years of 1858 and 1870, over 27 million dollars in gold was taken out of the vast wilderness area surrounding Denver. Although some settlers came to start a new life in this young town, most were only interested in making a quick fortune. As a result, Denver’s rapidly growing population consisted largely of disorderly vagrants. In the beginning
of Denver’s history, most of the town’s buildings were constructed
of wood. Consequently, the
fire of 1863 completely destroyed large portions of the young town.
To prevent the possibility of future disasters more permanent
brick buildings were erected. These
buildings, as well as the ones built during the ensuing years, can still
be seen in the historic Lower Downtown District. |
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