USA > Colorado > Colorado pioneers in picture and story > Part 3
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The Wilderness of the West
of the mountains and plains, by his achievements, placed himself in line with men who blazed trails in science and literature.
PIONEER MONUMENT AND CAPITOL
A magnificent monument com- memorating the pioneers of Colo- rado was erected under the direc- KIT CARSON tion of the public improvement committee of the Denver Real Estate Exchange, with J. S. Flower as chairman. The monument epitomizes truly the sacrifices, sufferings and victory of the pioneers. and is surmounted by an equestrian figure of Kit Carson.
One of America's greatest sculptors, MacMonnies. did the work, which so ably represents fine art dedicated to a heroic cause.
RICHENS L. WOOTON
Richens L. Wooton was a contemporary of Carson and his comrade in many encounters with Indians. He was born in Virginia and made his way to the West when about twenty years old. He had a good education, was far above the average frontiersman. and his ability, force
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
of character and kind heart made him many lasting friends, among whom he was familiarly known as "Uncle Dick." He had a long and adventurous career as trapper, trader, merchant and ranchman.
Inman. in "The Old Santa Fe Trail," tells this story of Wooton. In the caravan. in which he was employed as teamster, on this initial trip across the plains, every man had to take his turn in standing guard. Woo- ton's post comprised the whole length of one side of the corral, and his instructions were to shoot anything he saw moving outside of the line of mules farthest from the wagons. The young sentry was very vigilant. He did not feel at all sleepy. but eagerly watched for something that might possibly come within the pre- R. L. Wooton scribed distance. About two o'clock he heard a slight noise and saw something moving about. Of course. his first thoughts were of Indians, and the more he peered through the darkness at the slowly mov- ing object the more convinced he was that it must be a bloodthirsty savage. He rose to his feet and blazed away. The shot roused everybody and all came rushing with their guns to learn of the cause.
Wooton told the wagon master that he had seen what he supposed was an Indian trying to slip up to the mules, and that he had killed him. Some of the men crept very cautiously to the spot where the supposed dead savage was lying, while young Wooton remained at his post eagerly awaiting their report. Presently he heard a voice cry out with a customary oath: "If he haint killed Old Jack!" Old Jack was a lead mule of one of the wagons. He had torn up his picket pin and strayed outside of the
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lines, and the faithful brute met his death at the hands of the sentry.
Wooton declared that he was not to be blamed, for the animal had disobeved orders, while he had strictly observed them .*
As one of the pioneer business men of Denver I will speak of him later on.
JIM BRIDGER
Jim Bridger was also a comrade of Kit Carson, and a leader among the mountain men. He was born in Wash- ington, D. C .. and came to the West when a boy. He discovered the way through the mountains known as Bridger Pass, and acted as guide for the engineers who made surveys for a railroad to the Pacific. Later on he decided, in a few minutes, the route for the Union Pacific Railroad across the mountains, a problem that the engi- neers had worked over for a whole season.
The engineers of the Union Pacific Railway, while in Denver in the early 60's, became confused as to the most practicable point in the range over which to run their line. After debating the question they deter- mined, upon a suggestion from some of the old settlers, to send for Jim Bridger, who was then visiting in St. Louis.
When the old man arrived he asked why he had been sent for from such a distance. The engi- neers explained their dilemma. The old mountaineer waited pa- tiently until they had finished. when, with a look of disgust on
Jim Bridger
* Kit Carson, ten years before, while on his first journey, met with a similar adventure.
3
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
his withered countenance, he demanded a large piece of paper, remarking: "I could a told you fellers all that in St. Louis and saved you the expense of bringing me out here."
He was handed a sheet of manila paper, used for drawing the details of bridge plans. The veteran path- finder spread it on the ground before him, took a dead coal from the ashes of the fire, drew a rough outline map. and, pointing to a certain peak, just visible on the ser- rated horizon, said: "There's where you fellers can cross with your road, and nowhere else, without more diggin' an' cuttin' than you think of." The crude map is pre- served in the archives of the great corporation.
Jim Bridger had an interesting experience with Sir George Gore, a distinguished Irish sportsman, who aban- doned luxurious European life in 1855 and dwelt for over two years in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains. He had a train of thirty wagons, besides numerous saddle horses and dogs. His party consisted of fifty persons, compris- ing secretaries, stewards. cooks, fly makers, dog tenders. hunters and servants.
He camped first near Fort Laramie and there en- gaged Jim Bridger as interpreter, guide and companion in his excursion to the parks and forests for game. Middle and North Parks and the valleys of Routt County became familiar grounds to him and his attendants.
It is claimed that he was the first to visit Steamboat Springs, and, through difficult places in that rugged country, he built wagon roads and bridges for his con- venience in hunting. There are traces of these works still visible, and Gore's Range was named for him.
Sir George had an income of $200,000 per annum and was one of those enthusiastic sportsmen who, like our own "Teddy," derived real satisfaction from successful hunting. The adventures of this titled nimrod were upon a most gigantic scale. exceeding anything of the kind
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ever attempted on this continent, and are compared with the extravagant performances of Gordon Cumming in Africa. 1282558
Byers says : "While in the wilderness among savages, he was exposed to all the perils and privations consequent upon such a life, but in camp he lived like a king. His after-dinner habit was to read from Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott and other standards to the attentive, but not very appreciative Jim Bridger, who 'reckoned Shakes- peare was a leetle too highfalutin' for him and rayther calkerlated that the big fat Dutchman "full-stuff" was a little too fond of beer.' He believed 'Baren Mountchaw- son to be a durned liar,' and assured Sir George that ac- cording to Sir Walter Scott's account of the battle of Waterloo that 'them Britishers must a fit better than they did down to Horleans, whar Old Hickory gin um the forkedest sort o' chain lightnin' that perhaps you ever seen in all your born days.'"
JIM BAKER
Jim Baker was, next to Kit Carson, Fremont's most trusted guide. He was employed by the government in many undertakings and always rendered faithful service. He came to the mountain from Illinois when he was eighteen years old. Following his calling, he had many hair-breadth escapes and thrilling adventures, and became noted for his fearlessness and unselfishness; often he risked his life to defend or save a friend. He married an Indian woman.
Many of the trappers deserted their Indian wives, but old Jim Baker was true to his, though he had a poor opinion of Indians as a people. He is quoted as saying : "They are the most onsartainest varmints in all creation. an' I reckon thar not more'n half human, for you never seed a human, arter you'd fed and treated him to the best
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
fixin's in your lodge, jes turn 'round and steal all your horses, or any other thing he could lay hands on. No, not adzactly. He would feel kind o' grateful, and ask you to spread a blanket in his lodge ef you ever come his way. But the Injun don't care shucks for you and is ready to do you a lot of mischief as soon as he quits your feed."
After Denver was founded. Baker built a cabin a little to the north of it. He then moved to Clear Creek and built a bridge where the road to Boulder crosses that
11
"JIM BAKER
JIM BAKER CABIN
stream. It was a toll-bridge in the 60's, and is still known as "Baker's Bridge."
I often talked with him in the early days, and, though he had a rough exterior and rough manners, he was a generous, noble-hearted man.
From a pioneer I gathered the following incident in the life of Jim Baker:
"Jim was a squaw man and was very fond of his family, especially his oldest daughter, Jane. It was while he kept a toll bridge on Clear Creek on the Boulder-
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The Wilderness of the West
Greeley road that Jane became known to all the people 'round about' as a fine nurse. With patient kindness she nursed many an invalid back to health. Finally Jane sickened and died, and poor old Jim's cup of sorrow was full to the brim. Jane had kept his house and been his comfort in all his trying times, and her going left a deep wound in the old man's heart. He wandered over the hills day after day, perfectly inconsolable. He could not stand the house where the sound of her footsteps came back to him. His friends endeavored with consoling words to reconcile him to her loss, but it was of no avail. It was not until he left the house where Jane died that he became anything like himself. When advanced in years and feeble, he went back to the cabin with the queer 'lookout' which he built in the early 40's in the valley of the Little Snake river. in what is now Routt County, Colorado.
"An old organ was stored away in the loft of his barn. A traveling musician, whose business was the re- pairing and tuning of musical instruments, got hold of the instrument, put it together and tuned it. Old Jim was happy then. Often his cramped old fingers moved over the keys and low melodies, quivering with love and pain, filled the shadows of the cabin."
The fur trade of the Rockies had passed away, still he made his living hunting and trapping. He died in his eighty-eighth year-almost the last of that brave type of men who paved the way for civilization. His body was laid away a short distance from his cabin.
Jim Baker's cabin should be preserved as a landmark of Colorado. It is perhaps the oldest house in the State built by a white man, and is one of the few relics of the fur trade carried on by the brave men who dared the perils of the western wilderness. It was built for defense and for shelter ; from its "lookout" Baker and other trap- pers kept watch for Utes when they were on the warpath,
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
and the bullet marks on the heavy hewn logs still tell of the attacks made upon its occupants by the Indians.
SCOUT WIGGINS
Wiggins ran away from his home in Canada when a young boy and drifted into the employment of hunter and scout, and early in life earned the title of "old scout," which was his for more than sixty years. His services were ever in demand by trader, explorer and hunter. As hunter and scout he wandered over the plains of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. From 1858 until the beginning of the Civil War he hunted near what is now Denver. He was with the Third Colorado cavalry, under the com- mand of Colonel John M. Chivington, when it surprised the Indians at Sand Creek. For years after the close of the war he continued to scout.
The fur-bearing animals were exterminated; the fur business vanished, and in 1840 the old trappers considered the resources of the country were exhausted, their "occu- pation gone," and they dropped away, one by one, in search of "pastures new."
PART II THE ARGONAUTS
CHAPTER IV
THE FOUNDING OF DENVER
W. GREEN RUSSELL
A large proportion of the explorers, adventurers, pil- grims, prospectors and colonial tramps that, since the days of Noah, have marched away to establish settlements else- where have, to a great extent, been driven to it by some unpleasantness at home.
WILLIAM G. RUSSELL
DR. LEVI J . RUSSELL
J. OLIVER RUSSELL
RUSSELL CABIN
Colorado was, in measure, an out- growth of the great financial crash of 1857. Time-honored houses had reeled, tottered and gone down in the over- whelming business
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
convulsion of that period. and men were ready for any venture which gave even faint promises of rebuilding their ruined fortunes.
W. Green Russell. a miner in Georgia. when return- ing from California where he had been mining. heard from some Cherokee Indians of gold in the Pike's Peak region. In the spring of 1858 he organized a party of white men and Cherokee Indians to go to Pike's Peak to search for gold. When the caravan moved away it consisted of sixty people. thirty yoke of cattle. fourteen wagons. one two-horse team and a dozen ponies. They came out by the Smoky Hill route and camped June 24 under the cottonwood trees on the west side of Cherry creek. at a point where it empties into the Platte. This was the first organized party that came to the Pike's Peak region in search for hidden treasure.
Closely following them was another party from Law- rence, Kansas. under the command of John Easter. They put in at the base of Pike's Peak and camped in the "Garden of the Gods." Three men of this party-Frank M. Cobb. John D. Miller and Gus Voorhees --- climbed to the top of the peak. After they returned. other members of the party, in- cluding Mrs. Anna Archibald Holmes, also went to the top of the peak, which gives Mrs. Holmes the distinction of being the first woman to accomplish that ardu- ous task, and. according to the chronicler, she bore the fatigue of climbing with as much fortitude as the men. She was afterwards the first school teacher in Pueblo.
John Easter
Meantime, the Russell party prospected up the east side of the
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The Argonauts
Platte with such scant success that the Cherokees began to show signs of waning enthusiasm. They lacked in- dustry, patience and hope, which are so essential to the prospector, and, in less than ten days, were completely disillusioned of the charm of gold seeking. They argued that there would be trouble with the Indians, and the discontented white men added the argument that they had not found pay dirt and that they had all come out on a fool's errand.
Russell entreated them not to break up the party. but they refused to listen, and started on their long home- ward journey. Nothing daunted by the desertion of the larger number of the party, Russell and his remaining associates-thirteen in all-continued prospecting, and. finding gold where Dry creek empties into the Platte near the present site of Englewood, they stopped there. and gave it the name of "Placer Camp."
MONTANA CITY
The Lawrence party pulled into Placer Camp on the fourth of September. They were more inspired by the spirit of real estate speculation than digging for gold. and, thinking that Placer Camp diggings would help to build up a town. they organized a town company and went to work in earnest. By the middle of September a number of cabins were built fronting on the streets in dignified town-like manner. To this settlement, a mile north. of Placer Camp, they gave the name of Montana City. In the vocabulary of the West. a collection of houses was always a city.
AURARIA
A fall of snow about the last of September set Dr. L. J. Russell and his brother. Green, thinking of winter quarters, and they decided that the mouth of Cherry
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
creek would be a better place to winter than at Placer Camp or Montana City.
While their plans were being formed the old trader, John Simpson Smith, arrived at the camp. He proposed to unite with the Russell brothers and build a double cabin. W. Green Russell sanctioned the arrangement be- cause Smith was married to a squaw and on friendly terms with the Indians, which might be of advantage should the Indians resent the location of a town on their
land. They lost no time in building the double cabin which, being near an Indian tepee, was called "Indian Row." This formed the nucleus for the camp which was the actual beginning of Denver.
S. M. Rooker was the first man with a family to join the settlement. His house was a continuation of "Indian Row." McGaa came in with a number of Indians troop- ing after him and built a shack. A Frenchman named H. Murat drifted in with his wife. Murat was a queer genius and became commonly known as "Count," because he claimed to be related to Bonaparte, King of Naples. He shaved men's beards and his wife toiled at the wash- tub. Individuals and small groups drifted in from va- rious directions. The fanciful stories told around the evening camp fires of what the Russell boys had done at "Placer Camp" had a wonderful power in exciting the hopes and ambitions of the more recently arrived people.
About the first of October a town company was or- ganized, arrangements for surveys formed, and the chris- tening of the settlement was left to Green Russell, who selected the name of Auraria, after his home town in Georgia. A few days later, W. Green Russell and his brother, J. O. Russell, started to their old home for the purpose of organizing a large company of gold seekers. They were convinced that rich deposits of gold existed somewhere in the Pike's Peak region and they were de- termined to find it.
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The Argonauts
Cherry Creek, now risen to the dignity of a settlement, became the focus for gold seekers, and Pike's Peak con- tinued to be the popular landmark for the whole region. Up to this time there had been neither glass nor nails in the country and many expedients were resorted to in order to give the rude habitations light, entrance and exit. However, the pioneer merchants were not far be- hind the gold seekers. October 27th, Blake and Williams
t. P. STOUT
WOOTON'S BUILDING
CAMP AT CHERRY CREEK 1859
D.C. OAKES
ORF
ANDREW SAGEND
FIRST MASONIC TEMPLE
arrived with a large stock of mining merchandise. A week later Kinna and Nye came in with a stock of hard- ware, and other merchants soon followed.
A party under the command of D. C. Oakes reached the camp October 10th. Oakes was an energetic and forceful man. He saw the possibilities of a town near the mouth of Cherry creek, and returned East late that fall to remain through the winter. When he reached his home in Iowa, he published a pamphlet on Pike's Peak.
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
It was widely sold and had a potent influence in causing a great emigration to Pike's Peak.
E. P. Stout, with a small party, arrived in Auraria about the last of October. Mr. Stout became so promi- nent in founding Denver that a street was named for him. He gives the following experience : "We were met by Jack Jones and John Smith, traders with the Chey- enne and Arapahoe Indians, who were living in Auraria. That evening these two traders invited us to visit them and feast with them. We did so and were treated to a good meal provided by Jones' 'squaw wife.' It wound up with a hot whisky stew, made from whisky distilled from wheat and called 'Taos Lightning. From the ef- fect it produced on Jones and Smith, one would readily have concluded that it was a genuine article of fighting whisky. When it began to take effect those two gentle- men seemed to be seized with a fiendish desire to slaugh- ter somebody. and. with their Colts revolvers, commenced a rapid fusillade upon each other. As that kind of en- tertainment was rather too vigorous for us tenderfeet. we managed to slide out through the darkness, making our way to our own tents. leaving our hosts to the tender mercies of each other and expecting to find next morning both of them riddled with bullets. On the contrary. be- fore the sun was fairly up, both of these gentlemen came over to our tents to apologize in the most humble and contrite manner for the disgraceful and humiliating spec- tacle they had made of themselves before their invited guests. We came to the conclusion that it had been merely an effort on their part to impress us with their wonderful bravery."
Andrew Sagendorf and Oscar Lehow drove into Den- ver the first week in November and built a cabin, which was conspicuous because it had the first glass window in the whole Rocky Mountain region. but it had no door.
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The Argonauts
"What are we going to do for a door, Oscar ?" asked Sagendorf.
Lehow was silent. Later he unstrapped some boards concealed under the wagon in which the two had crossed the plains. Sagendorf had not seen them before. He was surprised and also pleased with the prospect of a door for their cabin. "Why did you bring those boards. Oscar?" he asked.
"If you must know, Andy, I brought them to make a coffin for you," replied Lehow.
Sagendorf was a delicate man, but through the re- cuperative effects of the climate he outlived Lehow by eighteen years. He filled many important positions and was highly respected.
The first Masonic meeting was held in the Sagendorf and Lehow cabin. December 10, 1858. In January. 1859. a lodge was regularly instituted under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, and its meetings were held in the same cabin.
FIRST ELECTION
The politicians were busy even at that early day. An election was held in Auraria on the sixth day of No- vember, 1858, about three weeks after the settlement of the town. H. J. Graham was elected a delegate to Con- gress and A. J. Smith was made representative to the Kansas legislature. In this election charges of fraud were openly made. Two days after this swift political action, Graham set out on his long journey to the national capital to deal with Congress. His instructions were to get Pike's Peak region set apart as an independent Terri- tory to be called "Jefferson." He was a man of ability and earnestly endeavored to accomplish the wishes of his constituents. But he found himself without influence at Washington. The country was so far away from civili-
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
zation that Congress refused to consider the scheme of its proposed permanent settlement, and doubtless regarded Graham as an escaped lunatic.
However, he had the honor of being our first repre- sentative in Congress, and his unselfish devotion to the public service was evident in the fact that he paid his own expenses, which makes him a unique character in politics.
Smith was more successful in Topeka. Arapahoe County had been created in 1855 by the first legislature of Kansas, so he was recognized in the legislature, and the region was launched into political existence as Arap- ahoe County. Kansas Territory.
ST. CHARLES
The Montana real estate speculators were keeping their eyes open, and one fine day T. C. Dickson, Adnah French, Frank M. Cobb, John A. Churchill and Charles Nichols walked over to the mouth of Cherry creek with the view of founding another city. They fixed upon the land on the east side of the creek for their town. These promoters took Smith and McGaa into their company on account of their connection with the copper-colored people. They held a meeting and adopted the constitu- tion of the St. Charles Town Association. Frank Cobb and Adnah French made and drove the first stake for the city of St. Charles.
All of these St. Charles men, except Trader Smith and McGaa, decided to go to Kansas to spend the winter. They had not built any kind of a structure on their town- site. When a short distance down the Platte, they met parties destined for the settlement at Cherry creek, and they became apprehensive that some of these people might locate on their unimproved townsite. Charles Nichols
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The Argonauts
was at once sent back and instructed to put up a building on the land as evidence of the company's right to it.
Nichols offered to give lots to anyone who would build on them, but town lots "went a-begging." In east- ern Kansas in those days all that was needed to establish
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INKAN
BLAKE STREET IN 1859
priority of claim was to cut four logs and lay them in the form of a square. He resorted to this expedient.
FIRST STRUCTURE EAST SIDE OF CHERRY CREEK " FOUR"OG"
DENVER
In 1858, James W. Denver of Ohio was governor of the Territory of Kansas. The reports from the western end of his dominion demanded his attention. He com- missioned three county officers-H. P. A. Smith. probate judge; Hickory Rogers, chairman of the county board of supervisors; and E. W. Wyncoop, sheriff, to go to the new county as representatives of Kansas government. These officials fell in on the way with a company which had been organized at Leavenworth. They arrived at Cherry Creek November 16. The pioneers of 1858 were. as a rule, men of unusual force of character ; these Leav- enworth men were distinctively so; they didn't stand around whittling sticks and talking about what they were going to do; they immediately opened a new chapter of local history.
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Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story
In less than a week after their arrival they had taken possession of the St. Charles townsite, which they de- clared was deserted. the only improvement on the land being Nichols' unfinished cabin. They named the new city Denver. in honor of J. W. Denver. Governor of the
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