History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 7

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791

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Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

vice mayor to sign in his stead. Finally, after a heated fight the Council adjourned, till 4 p. m. of the last day. In the meantime a large lobby gathered and many peti- tions for, and remonstrances against, were handed in. At the proper moment Mayor Barker, who had taken counsel and profoundly considered the matter in all its bearings, presented his views at length in writing, concluding with a declination to ratify the contract. D. J. Cook, then sheriff, put a quietus upon the conflict by serving an injunction restraining the Mayor from signing. The contract provided for a channel only 25 feet wide, which the Mayor contended was about one-fifth the size necessary to carry the water at flood time, and also that the contractors should widen it to 100 feet if necessary at an agreed price per yard that would make the cost about four times that mentioned. In brief, it was designed for a steal of large dimensions, hence his objections.

June 22nd, 1876, an election was held to vote upon a proposition to issue $75,- 000 in bonds, the proceeds to be expended in an attempt to turn the creek, but it was defeated. Again, in 1878, still another effort in the same direction came to naught.

Ladies' Relief Home .- The corner stone of this building, one of the most hide- ous examples of the old architectural monstrosities left upon the face of our city. situate in Whitsitt's addition overlooking Cherry Creek, was laid with Masonic cere- monies December 9th, 1875. The society was regularly formed in November, 1873, though it had been in operation for some time previous. The first officers were Miss Anna Figg, president; Miss Lizzie Miller, vice-president; Miss Mary Henry, secre- tary, and Miss Jennie Downing, treasurer. The society was organized and incor- porated in 1874, when an advisory board was elected, as follows: Mrs. John Evans, W. J. Barker, Henry Crow, C. B. Kountze, John R. Hanna, J. Q. Charles, W. H. J. Nichols, D. D. Beklen and Richard E. Whitsitt. The site and grounds of the Home, 12 lots, were donated by Mr. Whitsitt, who also bonded to the society eight adjacent lots for $2,000, payable at any time within the succeeding five years. The Home, though it accomplished much good for a time, was never equal to the anticipations of its builders.

First Public Library .- The founder of the first public library, though in dimin- utive form, was Mr. Arthur E. Pierce, in 1860, for the benefit of Auraria and Denver. About the middle of December, 1872, press and people became clamorous for a general library and reading room. At length, a number of citizens organized an association, and established a nucleus in rooms on Larimer street. Cyrus H. Mc- Laughlin purchased the private library of Mr. N. G. Bond, which, though small, was well selected. A number of newspapers, magazines, etc .. were placed on file, but it did not prosper. After some years of abortive effort, the rooms were closed and the books turned over to the East Denver High School, which constituted the basis of the present splendid Public Library, in the High School building. It was not until the Mercantile Library of the Chamber of Commerce was started in November, 1885, that any of the various measures instituted brought effective results. Under the able direction of Mr. Charles R. Dudley and well-ordered committees of the Chamber, it has become an unmixed blessing to the community.

State Historical Society .- This association should have been organized and well provided for by the territory in 1859, but it was not effectively begun until Feb- ruary 10th, 1879. On this date a meeting of those interested was hekl at the rooms of Prof. J. C. Shattuck, then state superintendent of public instruction. Dr. F. J. Bancroft was called to preside and Prof. Aaron Gove was made secretary. Under the operations of House Bill No. 134, of the legislature, the stingy little sum of $500 had been appropriated to set afloat one of the more important institutes of the state. With $5,000 at command, the society might have done something creditable, but with only $500 there was slight encouragement to extraordinary effort. Anyhow. the association was incorporated, and on July 31st, 1876), the corporators met and perfected this organization: F. J. Bancroft, president; Prof. J. A. Sewell and Rich-

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

ard Sopris, vice-presidents; W. B. Vickers, recording and corresponding secretary ; Win. D. Todd, treasurer; Dr. H. K. Steele, Aaron Gove and W. E. Pabor, curators. In the course of the intervening years, the officers have managed under many trials and difficulties from lack of funds, to collect a small but fairly representative museum, which has been transferred from the Chamber of Commerce to the State Capitol. Vast quantities of old memoranda, manuscripts and other data relating to the history of our commonwealth are in the hands of its pioneers, but should be lodged with the society's other relies for the benefit of the future historian. Had this work been begun twenty-five to thirty years ago, and properly maintained, the present author might have presented a more complete and interesting chronicle of Colorado than he has done under the crude conditions that have attended his work.

First Mining Exchange .- The original movement for the organization of a Mining Exchange, for the sale of stocks, occurred at the office of Peter Winne and Job A. Cooper, insurance agents, February 6th, 1875. W. J. Barker presided, and Fred Z. Salomon was the secretary. A committee consisting of Daniel Witter, L. C. Ellsworth, John W. Smith, Amos Steck, Henry Crow, C. B. Kountze, and R. R. MeCormie was appointed to consider the feasibility of the project, with instructions to report at a meeting to be held March 19th. At the time mentioned, and at the same place, Mr. Witter submitted a report of his correspondence with mining men as to their desires to list stocks on such an exchange, that was not wholly satisfactory. Nevertheless, the projectors concluded to persevere, therefore a committee was appointed to draft by-laws and a general plan of procedure. May 10th, the following officers of "The Colorado Stock & Exchange Board " were duly elected: Presi- dent, Daniel Witter; first vice-president. Dr. A. B. Robbins; second vice-president and caller, William D. Todd; secretary, E. W. Cobb; treasurer, George E. Snider; chairman executive committee, E. M. Ashley; chairman stock list committee, Owen E. Le Fevre: chairman arbitration committee, Walter S. Cheesman. The member- ship was limited to 60. The formal opening occurred June ist, 1875, in the okl "Tribune" building, corner of Holladay and 16th streets. The president announced, as a starter, the donation of one share of stock in the Marshall Tunnel at Georgetown, par valne $100, by Gen. F. J. Marshall, and that it would be sold for the benefit of the Ladies' Relief society. The share was called by Mr. Todd, and from $io was rapidly advanced to $100, when it was knocked down to Daniel Witter, who immediately redonated it to the Exchange. Again the bidding started briskly, and in a few min- utes it was bought by Jere Kershaw for $60. He in turn put it afloat, when it was taken by O. E. Le Fevre for $105. Thus, within the hour, this single share of stock had contributed $265 to the charity fund of the Ladies' Relief society.

Stocks of various kinds were bought and sold, one of the most extensive being East Roe, of Georgetown. Leadville and the great mines of the western slope had not then been discovered. During the winter and spring of 1876, business lan- guished, and the exchange threatened to collapse, when it was revived for a time by quite extensive transactions in California and Nevada stocks. A few months later, the entire project died out, and no further efforts were made until 1870, when another exchange was established in the Windsor hotel. This prospered only for a brief period. Then came the present Mining Exchange in July, 1889, which began in the basement of the Evening Times building, and whose history is well known.

The Christening of Gray's Peak .- This noted promontory of the main range above Georgetown, Clear Creek county, was named for Prof. Asa Gray, the noted botanist, by Prof. C. C. Parry, in 1862, the summer of which he spent in botanizing on the head waters of Clear Creek, largely about the slopes of this peak. His col- lection was divided between an institution near his home, Davenport, Iowa, and that in Philadelphia, of which Prof. Gray was the head. He received credit for 646 new plants, gathered by him that season. Dr. Parry was the botanist of the government

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

expedition which surveyed the "Gadsden Purchase," in Arizona, in the early ** fifties."

Much other memoranda, more or less valuable, appears in my note books, but cannot be set down in this edition for the want of space. The notes just given in regard to Gray's Peak, were furnished by Mr. Wm. N. Byers.

THE DENVER AND SOUTH PARK RAILWAY.

TERSE REVIEW OF ITS ORGANIZATION AND PROGRESS AND ITS SALE TO JAY GOULD.

The inception of this enterprise, following immediately after the completion of the Denver Pacific, Kansas Pacific and Colorado Central lines, and the beginning of the Denver & Rio Grande, has been set forth in Vol. 1], at pages 102-103. As there stated, the first articles of incorporation were signed September 30th, 1872, and filed October Ist. It appears that a new company was formed June 14th, 1873, with a capital stock of $500,000. The board of trustees for the first year comprised the following: John Evans, Henry Crow, W. S. Cheesman, Fred A. Clark, David H. Moffat, John Hughes, Charles B. Kountze, Leonard H. Eicholtz and John C. Rieff. For the second and third years they were the same, except that E. F. Hallack and John W. Smith were chosen in place of Clark and Rieff. In the fifth year, George W. Clayton succeeded John Hughes, and J. Sidney Brown took the place of Henry Crow in the directorate. September 2nd, 1878, John Evans, W. S. Cheesman, Charles B. Kountze, L. H. Eicholtz, D. H. Moffat, J. S. Brown, John W. Smith, E. F. Hal- lack and Geo. W. Clayton were elected. John Evans was made president, W. S. Cheesman, vice-president; C. B. Kountze, treasurer; George W. Kassler, secretary, and L. II. Eicholtz, chief engineer.

August 4th, 1873, the board of county commissioners for Arapahoe county subscribed $300,000 to the capital stock of the company by authorization of a vote of the people, July 28th, 1873, and, in exchange therefor, issued a like amount of county bonds.

About the middle of August following, the work of grading this line began. Surveys, depot grounds, etc., had been provided for by an association of the parties interested, known as the " Denver Railway association," with which a contract was made to build the road. The plan was to construct a narrow gauge to the South Park, via Morrison, and the company believing the Platte Cañon route impractica- ble, the original line ran via Bear Creek. Meantime, a new project called the " Den- ver, Georgetown & Utah Railroad," had been instituted by the principals in the Kansas Pacific, which had in view the use of the South Park line, as far as Bergen Park, whence it would build a line of its own to Idaho Springs and Georgetown. Arapahoe county subscribed $200,000 to this scheme, but the bonds were not issued, and in due course the project was abandoned.

While the graders were proceeding toward Morrison, the engineers of the South Park company carefully examined the Platte Canon, and reporting it prac- ticable, that route was adopted, and the line located to the mouth of Trout Creek, in the Arkansas Valley. To satisfy all parties, the company resolved to complete its road to Morrison, build thence to Buffalo Creek and thence to the South Park, and it was upon this agreement that the people of Arapahoe county ratified the sub- scription of $300,000, the stipulation being that the road should be fin- ished to Morrison in nine months, and to Buffalo Creek within eighteen months.

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

The long detention of the terminus at Morrison, caused by the financial panic of 1873, gave rise to much caustic criticism of the management by the people, who demanded that the road be pushed into the mountains. But those were hard times for railway builders. The panic fell with paralyzing force upon all enterprises. Nevertheless the pressure for greater activity continued. Smarting under the lash of denunciation, harsh, bitter, unreasonable and long continued, Governor Evans. the principal target of these assaults, in April, 1876, tendered his resignation as president of the company. The Board of Trade that had given such efficient aid to the Denver Pacific, realizing the need of financial assistance to advance this later venture, undertook to raise funds by subscription, but the effort was not successful. owing to the stagnation in every department of business. Added to the financial panic came general destruction of crops by locusts in 1874-75-76. When the road reached Morrison, it seemed destined by the causes stated to remain there indefinitely for the lack of means to carry it on to its ultimate destination. But the surveys in the Platte Cañon were prosecuted with considerable vigor and a fair line was staked out. Some of the newspapers and a number of citizens violently attacked the company for its inaction and, to make matters worse, dissensions arose among the stock- holders.

These circumstances impelled Governor Evans to resign under the feeling ex- pressed to the trustees that he could no longer endure the injustice. Said he. "we have fallen upon evil times for building railroads," which was wholly true. Never- theless, the trustees adopted a resolution offered by Gen. Bela M. Hughes, express- ing entire confidence in the management and deprecating the unjust assaults upon the governor, closing with a request that he withdraw his resignation, and pledging him earnest support in the further prosecution of the work.

Funds being needed, and it being impossible to raise them in New York, on the 28th of April. 1876, the trustees met and adopted a preamble and resolution which recited in brief that John W. Smith and other citizens had represented that they could probably secure $150,000 wherewith to resume work and complete the road to Bailey's ranch on certain conditions. It was adopted with the proviso that the money was to be raised and duly applied as stipulated in the proposition sub- mitted by Mr. Smith. This involved the organization of a new company called the "San Juan Construction company," which was to assume all obligations of the original company, and especially to build said railroad, "and to pay this company on the first mortgage seven per cent. gold bonds of the Denver & South Park & Pacific company not to exceed in amount $16,666.66 per mile, and only to be issued on the completed road at par, dollar for dollar, for all of the moneys that have been paid in and credited on the stock subscription to this company, &c."

A committee of five was appointed to assist the citizens in meeting their part of the compact. Omitting unimportant details, the committee labored industriously for some time and finally accomplished their mission. On the 23rd of July, 1876. the subscribers met and elected as trustees John Evans, D. H. Moffat, W. S. Chees- man and Charles B. Kountze of the old board, and Wm. Barth, John W. Smith, J. S. Brown, F. J. Ebert and George Tritch trustees of the new corporation. The capital stock was placed at $350,000. The first meeting of the new board was held July 26th, when officers were elected. Under these auspices the road was com- pleted to Bailey's ranch.

November 25th, 1877. the Denver & South Park Construction company was incorporated with a capital stock of $120,000. The corporators were John W. Smith, D. Il. Moffat, Bela M. Hughes, J. Sidney Brown. W. S. Cheesman, Wm. Barth, George Tritch, C. B. Kountze. A. B. Daniels and John Evans.

By this time the financial horizon had grown much brighter; new funds were supplied and it was believed that the road could be finished to the South Park by

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

the middle of June, 1878. By this time also, a new incentive for haste had arisen out of the discovery of extraordinary mineral deposits at Leadville.

When Jay Gould, Russell Sage and their associates began their scheme of con- solidating the Union Pacifie, Kansas Pacific and Colorado Central railways in 1878, overtures were made to the South Park company for close connection in the great and growing traffic with Leadville. Gould proposed to advance the Construction company $450,000, the latter to apply such part of that amount on debts already contracted, chiefly for iron, as might be necessary, and the balance to the completion of the road to the eastern foot of Kenosha Hill. In the course of negotiations the Gould syndicate purchased one-fourth of the capital stock of the stockholders in the Construction company, and to obtain a still greater interest, proposed to lend its aid to the rapid completion of the line to Leadville. But the Construction com- pany, now assured of success by the enormously increased traffic and the brilliant prospects ahead, was not inclined to part with any larger share of its holdings, so the proffer was rejected.

Toward the close of December, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé company. then engaged in deadly strife with the Denver & Rio Grande, endeavored to form an alliance with the South Park. Indeed, it made liberal offers of funds, and a contract was actually negotiated, but had finally to be abandoned. But the South Park company had little difficulty now in raising all the money it required, hence the work was pushed with the utmost rapidity over Kenosha Hill, into and across the Park.

Meanwhile, Gould and Sage having consummated the consolidation of the Union Pacific, Kansas Pacific, Denver Pacific and Colorado Central systems, and owning a large interest in the South Park, decided to obtain absolute control and use the latter as a feeder to their other lines. With the Kansas Pacific they had also acquired a subscription of $30,000 made to the stock of the South Park company which, with the agreements subsequently made, gave them a holding of about $300,000. Placing Gould's quarter of the stock at its face value, and adding the claim held by the Kansas Pacific, and the stock held by Arapahoe county, it gave them a total of $1,175,000. Therefore to make up the face difference between what he held and the full stock, required the payment of only $2,325,000.

Negotiations for the control began about November 1st, 1879. On the 8th, Gould telegraphed Governor Evans asking if he and his associates of the Denver pool would take 90 cents on the dollar for their stoek, and was answered in the negative. On the 9th, he asked what they would take for all the stock. On the 10th, Governor Evans replied, "One hundred cents on the dollar." On the same day Gould wired that the offer was accepted, and instructed Evans to procure proxies of the trustees, together with the stock, and meet him in New York.

The Governor obtained the proxies of the trustees, and their resignations con- ditioned upon the sale, with full power of attorney, and that evening left for New York. On the 16th, he telegraphed that the sale had been coneluded and the money deposited.

At the stockholders' meeting for the election of directors held January oth, 1880, Jay Gould, Russell Sage and Cyrus W. Fisher were chosen in place of Wm. Barth, G. W. Clayton and L. H. Eicholtz: Messrs. Evans, Cheesman, Moffat. Brown, Smith and Kountze remaining. The new hoard elected as officers: John Evans, president: W. S. Cheesman, first vice-president; C. W. Fisher, second vice- president ; C. B. Kountze, treasurer, and George W. Kassler, secretary.

The road was completed to the mouth of Trout Creek, 30 miles below Lead- ville, February oth, 1880, and from that point to Leadville its trains were run over the track of the Denver & Rio Grande. The line was subsequently extended to Gunnison via Alpine Pass.

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

Such, in brief, is the carly history of the Denver & South Park railway, now a part of the Union Pacific system.

The town of Buena Vista was laid out in the month of August. 1879, by the Buena Vista Land company, W. S. Cheesman, president; Major W. Marsh Kasson. vice-president and agent, and Charles Wheeler, treasurer. It is now one of the most attractive and substantial towns in the Arkansas Valley.

THE UNION DEPOT.

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ITS INCEPTION AND COMPLETION.

The first well ordered railway depot, or station for the accommodation of the traveling public, and to serve as a common center for the arrival and departure oi trains, was built by the joint capital and effort of the Denver Pacific and Kansas l'acific railways; the first having been completed to this city in June, and the second in August, 1870. From this small nucleus a mighty system has developed with the passing years until Denver is now one of the great railway centers of the West. The structure in question was a large two-story brick, erected in the summer of 1870, at the foot of 22nd street, then about the limit of settlement in that direction and but sparsely occupied. It was considered quite a remarkable and rather imposing edifice in its time, but as railways multiplied and traffic increased, a much larger buikling and general concentration were found to be essential. The Colorado Central had erected a small frame structure at the foot of 15th street, near the Platte river, after the change of its line from the Denver Pacific.

The original plans for creating a Central depot for the narrow gauge roads were formulated October 24th, 1879, when Governor Evans representing the South Park, W. A. 11. Loveland, the Colorado Central, and D. C. Dodge, the Denver & Rio Grande, conferred at a meeting held on that date. An agreement was then reached whereby the Rio Grande and the South Park, whose stations were on the west side of Cherry Creek, extended their respective lines to the Colorado Central station.

The first meeting of what was then termed "The Union Depot and Railroad Company," to consider plans for the erection of the present U'nion depot, was mainly brought about by Mr. W. S. Cheesman, beginning with a proposition made by him to Jay Gould, and subsequently perfected by correspondence. The representatives of the several roads met in conference November 24th, 1879. The subject having been fully discussed. "The Union Depot and Railroad Company" was duly or- ganized and articles of incorporation framed, bearing the signatures of Bela M. Hughes, Walter S. Cheesman, D. C. Dodge. A. A. Egbert and J. F. Welborn as corporators, and those of W. S. Cheesman, Sylvester T. Smith, S. H. 11. Clark, A. A. Egbert and D. C. Dodge as trustees for the first year. The trustees elected the following officers:

President, W. S. Cheesman: vice-president, S. T. Smith; treasurer, George W. Kassler: secretary, D. C. Dodge. The capital stock was $400,000. These pre- liminaries arranged, it became necessary to purchase land for the building and terminal facilities, wlach duty was assigned to Mr. Cheesman, who shrewdly foresaw that all such negotiations must be conducted with great skill and secrecy to prevent the frustration of his purposes by real estate speculators. In due time he secured at fair valuation twelve acres of land running from 16th to 18th streets, and adjoin-

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

ing Wynkoop on the north. On December 10th, 1879, the company issued $300,000 of 7 per cent. twenty year bonds, which were sold, and the proceeds applied to the cost of the land and the proposed building.

February 2nd, 1880, an agreement was executed by the representatives of the roads to concentrate their terminals at this point.

The company employed as architect, Mr. W. E. Taylor, of Kansas City, who completed his plans March 20th, 1880, and on that date advertised for proposals to lay the substructure. May 25th, the contract for this was let to A. H. Garfield and W. R. Barton, who completed it in July, 1880. On the 2nd, of that month, James A. McGonigle of Leavenworth, Kansas, took the contract for the superstructure, which was mainly, though not entirely finished, June Ist, 1881, at which time, how- ever, the building was occupied. It was 503.6 feet long, by 653 feet wide, two and a half stories high, built of lava and sandstone, the first from quarries near Castle Rock in Douglas county, and the latter from the sandstone quarries near Morrison. The Union Pacific owns four-fifths, and the Denver & Rio Grande one-fifth of this now extremely valuable property: the other roads centering there paying rental for the facilities afforded them. The total cost of the building and grounds (without recent additions) was $525,000.

April 28th, 1881, Commodore William B. Trufant was appointed superin- tendent, and by reason of his marked efficiency, retained that position to the time of his death in 1894.

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History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 7

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company Publication date: 1889-95 Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co. Number of Pages: 791

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791