USA > Colorado > Larimer County > History of Larimer County, Colorado > Part 4
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The first newspaper appeared at Denver, April 23, 1859.
The first daily was the Rocky Mountain Herald. The first number was published May 13, 1860.
The first Denver theater was opened in Apollo Hall, October, 1859.
The first Denver jail was a log cabin on the west side of Cherry creek. It was rented by the Sheriff for the purpose, and prisoners were first confined in it about Jan. 1, 1862.
The first Masonic lodge was started in Denver in January, 1859.
The first Mayor of Denver was Charles A. Cook. The city was incorporated Nov. 18, 1861.
The first irrigation in Colorado was done by David K. Wall at Golden, in 1859.
The first crop of alfalfa was raised in 1863 on the ranch of Capt. Jacob Downing, who got the seed from Mexico.
The first grasshopper plague was in 1864.
The first telegraph line was completed to Denver April 17, 1863.
The First National bank was organized at Den- ver April 17, 1865.
The first bridge over the Platte was built in 1865. It stood near the mouth of Cherry creek.
The first meeting of the Pioneers' Association, composed only of the immigrants of 1858 and 1859, was held June 22, 1866.
The first smelter was opened at Black Hawk in January, 1868.
The first German colony was planted in the Wet Mountain valley in 1870.
The first extensive irrigation system was con- structed by the Union colonists near Greeley, be- tween 1870 and 1875.
The first railroad, the Denver Pacific, was built from Cheyenne to Denver, in 1870. The first train of the Kansas Pacific entered the Queen City of the Plains on Aug. 15, 1870.
The first rail of the Denver & Rio Grande was laid July 28, 1871.
The first street car was set in motion at Denver Dec. 17, 1871. Horse cars were superseded by cable and trolley lines in 1888 and 1889.
The first gas works were erected at Denver in 1870. Electric lights were introduced in 1880.
The first notable discovery of cliff dwellings was made in 1874 by W. H. Jackson and his compan- ions, of the Hayden Geological Survey.
The first election for State officers was held Oct. 3, 1876.
The first Governor of the Centennial state was John L. Routt.
The first State Legislature met at Denver, Nov. 1, 1876.
The first member of Congress from Colorado was James B. Belford.
The first Senators were Jerome B. Chaffee and Henry M. Teller.
The first passenger train ascended Pike's Peak, June 30, 1891.
The first specimens of the purple columbine were gathered on the Divide by soldiers of Long's expe- dition in July, 1820. It became the State flower in 1890.
The first Colorado sugar factory was erected at Grand Junction in 1899. The same year a sugar factory was built at Rocky Ford.
The first Flag day was celebrated by the public schools of Denver on June 14, 1894.
The first celebration of Colorado day was held on Aug. 1, 1908, the thirty-second anniversary of the admission of the Centennial State.
The first Catholic church in what is now Colo- rado was built on the Conejos river, in 1858. The first Catholic school was opened at Denver in 1863.
The first sermon preached in Denver was deliv- ered by George Fisher some Sunday in the winter of 1858-59. The first service conducted by Rev. Jacob Adriance was held at Auraria, July 5, 1859.
The first Methodist Episcopal church in Colo- rado was started at Central City in July, 1859. The first church society organized by the Metho- dists in Denver dates back to August, 1859; it afterward became Trinity M. E. church. The first service in Trinity church was held July 5, 1888.
The first Protestant Episcopal church in Colo- rado was founded in Denver, Jan. 21, 1860. The first rector of the congregation was Rev. J. H. Kehler, of Virginia, who conducted the first service on Jan. 23, 1860, in the Union school-house at Cherry creek and McGaa street.
The first meeting of Jews was held in Denver on a summer evening of 1860. The first synagogue was built in 1873 by the society now worshiping in Temple Emanuel.
The first Baptist church in Colorado was organ- ized at Golden, Aug. 1, 1863; the first pastor was
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HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
Rev. William Whitehead. The First Baptist church of Denver was founded May 2, 1864.
The first meeting of Unitarians was held in Den- ver, May 31, 1871; the first Unitarian church was dedicated Dec. 28, 1873; the second church (the new Unity church) was dedicated Sept. 4, 1889.
The first church of the Disciples of Christ was started at Golden in 1872.
Colorado's Growth in Three Decades
The population of Colorado by counties, as shown by the United States census of 1910, com- pared with the census returns for 1890 and 1900, follows:
County-
1910
1900
1890
Increase
Adams
8,892
10,263
163,017
32,135
Archuleta
3,302
2,117
626
1,185
Baca
2,516
759
1,479
1,757
Bent
5,043
3,049
1,313
1,994
Boulder
30,330
21,544
14,082
8,786
Chaffee
7,622
7,085
6,612
537
Cheyenne
3,667
501
534
3,166
Clear Creek.
5,001
7,082
7,784
2,491
Costilla
5,498
4,632
3,491
866
Custer
1,947
2,937
2,970
Delta
13,688
5,487
2,534
8,201
Summit
2,003
2,744
1,906
...
Denver
213,381
1,134
1,498
Douglas
3,192
3,120
3,006
72
Weld
39,177
16,808
11,736
22,369
El Paso.
43,321
31,602
21,239
11,719
Elbert
5,331
3,101
1,856
2,230
Fremont
18,181
15,636
9,156
2,545
Totals
799,024
539,700
259,324
48
Agricultural Products of Colorado and Their Value in 1910, Compared With 1900
Production 1910
Value
Production 1900
Value
Inc. in Value
Sugar beets.
806,000 tons
$ 4,375,000
6,656 tous
$ 26,711
$ 4,348,289
Potatoes
6,400,000 bu.
3,520,000
4,465,746 bu.
1,717,111
1,802,889
Hay
1,338,000 tons
14,448,400
1,647,321 tons*
8,159,279*
6,289,121
Wheat
8,721,000 bu.
7,351,220
5,587,744 bu.
2,809,370
4,541,850
Oats
7,898,00 bu.
3,633,080
3,080,130 bu.
1,121,745
2,511,335
Corn
2,846,000 bu.
1,707,600
1,272,680 bu.
508,488
1,199,112
Barley
864,000 bu.
518,400
531,240 bu.
246,510
271,890
Rye
56,000 bu.
37,520
26,180 bu.
13,876
23,644
Beet sugar.
. 195,100,000 lbs.
8,282,500
1,597,440 lbs .**
67,891 **
8,214,609
Poultry and eggs.
2,160,771 **
1,440,514
720,257
Butter and milk ..
9,479,000 **
6,752,513 **
2,726,487
Vegetables (except hot house)
3,000,000 **
1,131,950
1,868,050
Live stock production ..
31,235,000
16,077,988
15,157,012
Grand total.
$89,748,491
$40,073,945
$49,674,545
*Includes "forage production."
** Estimated.
Garfield
10,144
5,835
4,478
4,289
Gilpin
4,131
6,690
5,867
Grand
1,862
741
604
1,121
Gunnison
5,897
5,331
4,359
566
Hinsdale
646
1,609
862
...
Huerfano
13,320
8,395
6,882
4,915
Jackson
1,013
...
....
Jefferson
14,231
9,306
8,450
4,925
Kiowa
2,899
701
1,243
2,198
Kit Carson.
7,483
1,580
2,472
5,903
La Plata
10,812
7,016
5,509
3,796
Larimer
25,270
12,168
9,712
13,102
Las Animas
33,643
21,842
17,208
11,801
Lincoln
5,917
926
689
4,991
Logan
9,574
3,292
3,070
6,257
Mesa
22,197
9,267
4,260
12,930
Mineral
1,339
1,913
Montezuma
5,029
3,058
1,529
1,971
Montrose
10,291
4,535
3,980
5,756
Morgan
9,577
3,268
1,601
6,309
Otero
20,201
11,522
4,192
8,679
Ouray
3,514
4,731
6,510
Park
2,492
2,998
3,548
Phillips
3,179
1,583
2,642
1,596
Pitkin
4,566
7,020
8,929
3,754
Pueblo
52,223
34,448
31,491
17,775
Rio Grande.
6,563
4,080
3,451
2,483
Rio Blanco.
2,332
1,690
1,200
643
Routt
7,561
3,661
2,369
3,900
Saguache
4,160
3,853
3,313
307
San Juan.
3,063
2,342
1,572
721
San Miguel.
4,700
5,379
2,909
Sedgwick
3,061
971
1,293
2,090
Teller
14,351
29,002
Washington
6,002
1,241
2,301
4,761
Eagle
2,985
3,008
3,725
Yuma
8,499
1,729
2,596
6,770
...
Colorado Fruit Production in 1910
Cantaloupes
1,179
381,698
Other fruits
372
457,655
Apples
2,536
$1,410,497
Peaches
1,136
636,527
Total
5,223
$2,886,397
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Lake
10,600
18,054
14,663
Prowers
9,520
3,766
1,969
Conejos
11,285
8,794
7,193
Dolores
642
Arapahoe
Cars
Value
HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
Total Value of Fruit Crop
Fruit shipped .. $2,886,397.00
Consumed at home (estimated ) .. 577,279.40
Total fruit crop. $3,463,676.40
Value of Canned Fruit
1910 OUTPUT OF COLORADO CANNING FACTORIES
Apples
$31,125
Cherries
11,994
Other fruits.
18,628
Total
$61,747
Acreage irrigated by Rio Grande and branches ... 450,000 Acreage irrigated by Grand and branches. .. ... 375,000
Number and Value of Live Stock in Colorado Jan. 1, 1911
-1911-
-1910-
Number
Value
Number
Value
Range cattle.1,091,000
$30,548,000
1,113,100
$30,051,000
Dairy cattle. 298,000
10,238,000
192,700
7,132,000
Hogs
419,000
4,261,000
561,000
5,690,000
Sheep
.1,610,000
3,941,000
1,868,500
5,604,000
Horses
306,000
28,236,000
279,000
25,170,000
Mules
16,300
1,684,000
15,300
1,560,000
Totals 3,731,000 $78,908,000 4,030,000
Comparative Mineral Output
1910
1909
1908
Gold
$20,397,888
$21,921,291
$22,312,865
Silver
4,661,684
4,796,409
5,610,845
Lead
3,365,989
2,584,570
3,079,988
Copper
1,136,304
1,640,619
258,962
Zinc
4,191,783
2,825,482
2,016,740
Totals
$33,773,638
$33,768,371
$33,279,400
Miles of Railroad Operated in Colorado, Jan. 1, 1911
Roads-
Main Line
Side Track
Miles
Denver & Rio Grande
1,848
600
2,448
Colorado & Southern ..
802
300
1,102
Union Pacific.
574
195
769
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe ..
447
260
707
Burlington
400
170
570
Colorado Midland.
260
80
340
Moffat Road.
214
45
259
Rock Island ..
167
22
189
Missouri Pacific.
152
38
190
Colorado & Wyoming.
82
2
84
Cripple Creek Central.
83
47
130
Great Western ..
56
11
67
Uintah Railway.
51
2
53
Denver, Laramie & Northwestern
60
8
68
Argentine Central.
16
2
18
Colorado Springs Creek
61
25
86
San Luis Southern
32
3
35
Joint track (Denver
Rio
Grande and Colorado
&
Southern) double ..
20
20
40
Manitou & Pike's Peak.
9
1
10
Denver, Boulder & Western
47
4
51
Colorado & Southeastern.
6
11
17
Colorado Eastern
18
18
Totals
5,405
1,846
7,251
Already irrigated by uncompleted schemes. .
262,070
Principal Watersheds
Acreage irrigated by South Platte and branches ... 900,000 Acreage irrigated by Arkansas and branches ... 525,000
15.81%
Average sugar content, 1909.
14.96%
Irrigated, Irrigable, Non-Irrigable and Forest Lands in Colo- rado, 1910
Acres
Area of state ..
66,526,720
Land
66,341,120
Water
185,600
Area in national forests.
15,554,115 22,400,000
Mountainous
43,755,520
Under canals.
2,894,000
Probable limit of irrigated land.
4,500,000
Under canals actually irrigated.
2,262,070
Area intended to be irrigated by schemes under way
2,528,747
Extent of Colorado's Beet Sugar Industry in 1910
Tons beets paid for during 1910. 806,000
Money paid farmers.
$ 4,375,000
Money paid for factory labor 1,285,000
Money paid field labor.
1,613,000
Money spent by factories for supplies. 1,031,000
Sugar output in pounds. 195,100,000
Men employed during campaign.
4,180
Men employed during inter-campaign
525 to 1,025
Value of sugar produced.
$ 8,282,500
Tons of pulp produced.
358,530
Acres of beets harvested.
73,228
Average tonnage per acre
11
Average gross revenue per acre (including beet tops )
$64.50
(This gross revenue per acre, including beet
tops, ranges from $50 to $135, depending upon the energy and ability of the grower, the quality of the soil and the amount of water.)
Average expenses per acre.
$35 to $40
Average net revenue per acre.
$24.50-29.50
Money invested in factories ..
$18,250,000
Number of factories in the state.
16
Average sugar content, 1910.
Total
$75,207,000
Lines to Be Built in 1911
Union Pacific (Denver-Fort Morgan) ... 85 $ 2,550,000 Union Pacific (Denver-Fort Collins, via Dent, grading completed .. 26 780,000
[22]
& Cripple
Arable land.
HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
Laramie, Hahn's Park & Pacific (grad- ing progress)
57
1,500,000
900,000
780,000
Denver & Rio Grande and C. & S. (joint double track). 27
2,500,000
San Luis Southern. 22 550,000
Denver, Laramie & Northwestern .. 50 1,275,000
Total .333 $11,085,000
Early Expeditions
Spanish Traversed County in 1720
Probably the first time that ever Larimer county was traversed by white men was in 1720, when a Spanish military force crossed the county, all the way from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the Yellow- stone river, and which was destroyed by the In- dians. This expedition followed the base of the mountains and therefore crossed the county from south to north. It went in search of gold to en- rich the coffers of the Spanish throne, and there is evidence that mining had been extensively car- ried on near the head waters of the Yellowstone. Traces of iron tools, partly devoured by rust, were found as late as 1874; the line of a former ditch to convey water upon the bars and some other indi- cations which lead to the conclusion that the Spanish adventurers had gained a foothold in the region, but had perished there while in the realiza- tion of their dreams.
On their way northward through this county, the Spaniards probably prospected for gold in the streams that came out of the mountains which crossed their trail, though there is no positive evi- dence that they did.
Ashley's Trip in 1824
In November, 1828, Gen. William H. Ashley, of St. Louis, founder of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, with a party of men ascended the South Platte until he reached the mountains. He then made his way north along the base of the moun- tains through Larimer county and across the coun- try to the Laramie Plains, thence on to Green river where he went into winter quarters. The late Phillip Covington, father of H. C. Covington, of Laporte, and a former well-known resident of this county, was a member of General Ashley's party, and has often talked with the writer about his experiences on the trip.
Wooten's Expedition
In the spring of 1836, Richard Wooten, with a party of thirteen men left Fort Bent on the Ar-
Explorations
kansas river, and proceeded northwest on a trading expedition. The party had ten wagons loaded with goods for the Indian trade and crossed Larimer county, trading with the natives on the way, finally reaching Fort Laramie. Pushing thence to the Sweetwater country and then north to the Wind River valley, where they spent the winter. In the spring they made their way back to Fort Bent. All their goods had been disposed of and their wagons were loaded with furs worth many thousand dollars. This was Richard Wooten's first venture with a trading outfit. In after years he became famous as a trader, trapper, freighter and Indian fighter. He was associated with such men as Kit Carson, Colonel St. Vrain, Charles Bent, George Simpson, Lucien B. Maxwell, Joseph Doyle and many other noted men of the mountains. In later years he was known as "Uncle Dick Wooten."
He finally settled on a ranch at the foot of Raton mountain, where he died a few years ago.
Fremont's Second Expedition
That independent fur trappers operated on the Cache la Poudre, Big Thompson and St. Vrain, and their tributaries, during the early years of the nine- teenth century is altogether probable, as beaver abounded in those streams, and buffalo, bear, deer and antelope were plentiful on the adjacent plains. That these trappers had practically disappeared when Fremont passed through the county on his second expedition in 1843, is evident from what appears in his report.
Fremont's second expedition was undertaken early in the spring of 1843. Experience had taught the chief of the expedition the necessity of a com- plete outfit, consequently everything thought to be needed was provided. Maj. Thomas Fitzpatrick had been selected as guide. Charles Preuss was again chosen as assistant topographical engineer. Lucien Maxwell was engaged as hunter. Among other members of his party were Theodore Talbot, of Washington, D. C .; Frederick Dwight, of
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Colorado & Southern (Cheyenne to Well- ington) grading .. 30
Burlington (Hudson to Greeley) 26
Denver & Rio Grande (second main track ) 10 250,000
HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
Springfield, Massachusetts, who was on his way to the Sandwich Islands; William Gilpin, of Mis- souri, who afterwards became the first Territorial Governor of Colorado, journeyed with Fremont to Oregon. The men who enlisted in the enterprise were largely chosen from the members of the first expedition. They were Alexis Ayot, Francis Badeau, Oliver Beaulien, Baptiste Bernier, John A. Campbell, John G. Campbell, Manuel Chapman, Raisoni Clark, Philibert Courteau, Michel Crelis, William Creuss, Clinton De Forest, Baptiste De- rosier, Basil LaJeunesse, Francis La Jeunesse, Henry Lee, Louis Menard, Louis Montreil, Samuel Neal, Alexis Pera, Francis Pera, James Power, Raphael Proue, Oscar Sarpy, Baptiste Tabeau, Charles Tap- lin, Baptiste Tesson, Auguste Vasquez, Joseph Venot, Patrick White, Tiery Wright, Louis Zindel and Jacob Dodson. The party was armed with Hall's carbines and also a twelve-pound brass howitzer. The camp equipage, provisions and in- struments were carried in twelve carts, drawn by two mules each. It left Kansas City on the 29th of May. On arriving at a place called Big Timber, the force was divided. Leaving twenty-five men in charge of Major Fitzpatrick to follow on with the heavy baggage, Fremont took fifteen men, the mountain howitzer, the cart containing the instru- ments, and pushed forward, reaching the South Platte on June 30th, and followed up the stream to St. Vrain's fort, which point he reached on the 4th of July. On the 6th, the journey up the Platte was continued; in a day or two later camp was made on the site of the city of Denver. Fremont ex- tended his explorations as far south as Pueblo, where he met Kit Carson, who had been with him on his expedition the year before. This noted frontiersman and guide was added to the command. The party soon after retraced its steps to Fort St. Vrain, arriving there on the 23rd of July, where was found the detachment under Fitzpatrick await- ing them. On the 26th the party was again divided, Fremont taking thirteen men for his own company and Fitzpatrick the remainder with instructions to proceed by way of Fort Laramie, North Platte, Sweetwater and South Pass to Fort Hall and there await the detachment under the personal charge of the explorer. Before leaving St. Vrain, Fremont made the following comment in his report, regard- ing the country over which he expected to travel and the object of his explorations from St. Vrain west :
"I had been able to obtain no certain information in regard to the character of the passes in this por-
tion of the Rocky Mountain range, which had always been represented as impracticable for car- riages, but the exploration of which was incident- ally contemplated by my instructions, with the view of finding some convenient points of passage for the road of emigration, which would enable it to reach, on a more direct line, the usual ford of the Great Colorado, a place considered as determined by the nature of the country beyond that river. It is singular, that immediately at the foot of the moun- tains, I could find no one sufficiently acquainted with them to guide us to the plains at their western base; but the race of trappers who formerly lived in their recesses has almost entirely disappeared, dwindled to a few scattered individuals, some one or two of whom are regularly killed in the course of the year by the Indians. You will remember that in the previous year, I brought with me to their village near this post, and hospitably treated on the way, several Cheyenne Indians, whom I had met on the lower Platte. Shortly after their ar- rival here, they were out with a party of Indians (themselves the principal men) which discovered a few trappers in the neighboring mountains, whom they immediately murdered, although one of them had been nearly thirty years in the country, and was perfectly well known, as he had grown gray among them.
"Through this portion of the mountains, also, are the customary roads of the war parties going out against the Utah and Shoshone Indians, and occasionally parties from the Crow natives make their way down to the southward along the chain, in the expectation of surprising some straggling lodge of their enemies. Shortly before our arrival, one of these parties had attacked an Arapahoe vil- lage in the vicinity, which they found unexpectedly strong, and their assault was turned into a rapid flight and a hot pursuit in which they had been compelled to abandon the animals they had ridden, and escape on their war horses. Into this uncertain and dangerous region, small parties of three or four trappers who now could collect together, rarely ventured, and consequently it was seldom visited and little known. Having determined to try the passage through a spur of the mountains made by the Cache la Poudre river which rises in the high bed of mountains around Long's Peak, I thought it desirable to avoid any incumbrances which would occasion detention."
On the afternoon of July 26th, Fremont resumed his journey, the route taking him through Larimer
[24]
HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
county from the southeast corner almost to the northwest corner.
"A French engagee, at Lupton's fort, had been shot in the back on the 4th of July, and died dur- ing our absence to the Arkansas. The wife of the murdered man, an Indian woman of the Snake nation, desirous, like Naomi of old, to return to her people, requested and obtained permission to travel with my party to the neighborhood of Bear river, where she expected to meet with some of their villages. Happier than the Jewish widow, she car- ried with her two children, pretty little half- breeds, who added much to the liveliness of the camp. Her baggage was carried on five or six pack horses, and I gave her a small tent for which I no longer had any use, as I had procured a lodge at the fort."
For his own party, Fremont had selected the fol- lowing men, a number of whom old associations rendered agreeable to him: Charles Preuss, Chris- topher Carson, Basil LaJeunesse, Francis Badeau, J. B. Bernier, Louis Menard, Raphael Proue, Jacob Dodson, Louis Zindell, Harry Lee, J. B. Dirosier, Francis LaJeunesse, and Auguste Vasquez.
After giving the latitude of St. Vrain fort as 40 degrees, 16 minutes, 33 seconds, its longitude as 105 degrees, 12 minutes, 23 seconds, and its altitude at 4,930 feet, Fremont continues: "At the end of two days, which was allowed to my animals for necessary repose, all the arrangements had been completed, and on the afternoon of July 26th, we resumed our respective routes. Some little trouble was experienced in crossing the Platte, the waters of which were still kept up by rains and melting snow, and having traveled only about four miles, we encamped in the evening on Thompson's creek, where we were very much disturbed by mosquitoes." (This camp was about where the present town of Milliken is.) From this point it is difficult to trace the route followed by the description given, but from the map accompanying the report on which the route is marked, it appears that the party fol- lowed up the Big Thompson to about the present city of Loveland, thence across the divide to the Caché la Poudre river, fording that stream July 28th, a short distance above the mouth of Boxelder creek; thence along the north bank of the river to the canon where they went into camp for noon. The map indicates that they penetrated the canon to the mouth of the North Fork, up which they as- cended to its canon. Being unable to get through the canon, they made a detour to the east, return- ing to the river at a point near the Halligan dam,
where they went into camp. The next day they followed up the North Fork, coming out on Boulder ridge, where they got their first glimpse of the Laramie plains, camping that night at a spring of cold water near the summit of the divide. The following day they crossed Sand Creek pass and dropped down on to the Laramie river at about Gleneyre, where they camped for the night. From this point they followed the trend of the Medi- cine Bow mountains to the North Platte, which they forded and then turned north to intersect the overland emigrant trail along the Sweetwater river.
There is a tradition to the effect that Fremont and his party entered North Park on this expedition and discovered and named Independence mount- ain, but both the map and the report are silent on this point, from which we conclude the tradition is founded on a myth. There is also a tradition that Fremont sent an exploring party up through the canon of the Cache la Poudre to what is now known as Cameron pass and that they returned and reported the route impracticable. Some color is lent to the truth of the tradition by the finding in 1885, by John Zimmerman under a big pine tree in his own yard, of a steel case-knife bearing the letters U. S. A. stamped on the blade. The knife is sup- posed to have been lost by Fremont's men when they camped under the tree. The story is hardly credible, however, as at no time after Fremont left St. Vrain did he stop long enough on the road for men to make the trip to Cameron pass and back. His report shows that he kept moving every day from the time he left St. Vrain until he reached the North Platte. Thirteen years after Captain Fre- mont had completed the exploration covered by this expedition, he was nominated, in 1856, as the first candidate of the newly organized Republican party for the office of President of the United States, but was defeated at the election in November of that year by James Buchanan. He was called the "Great Pathfinder" in the campaign of that year.
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