USA > Colorado > Arapahoe County > History of the city of Denver, Arapahoe County, and Colorado > Part 30
USA > Colorado > Denver County > Denver > History of the city of Denver, Arapahoe County, and Colorado > Part 30
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Other Denverites have done proportionately well in Leadville, and very few of our interprising citi- zens have failed to make money in that metropo- lis, in whatever business they engaged. Everything was in their favor. They were not only first on
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the ground, but they knew the ground. Thor- oughly Western and wide awake, no time was lost in " looking around," and in debating what to do and how to do it.
Denver soon began to feel the reviving influ- ences of renewed activity in business and build- ing operations. The merchants were making money. The railways were taxed to their utmost capacity. Rents advanced, and real estate became active and strong. The South Park road was pushing on to Leadville with the money it was making, an unprecedented event in Colorado rail- way building. Though another year was to bring still greater prosperity to Denver, her business men were abundantly satisfied with the existing outlook.
September 24 inaugurated the annual fair of the Industrial Association, and, for the first time in many years, that company realized a handsome profit over and above expenses, thanks to the energy of the new Secretary, William R. Thomas, former editor of the News.
The autumn death-roll in Denver included two names of honored citizens-Rev. Alexander Reed, the beloved Pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church, and E. W. Keyes, member of the Board of Education. The death of Mr. Keyes was more deeply regretted because, in a moment of weakness, he lifted his hand against his own life. Dr. Reed was a man of eminence in his profession, formerly of Philadelphia, where he left an enviable record, as he did also in Denver.
CHAPTER XVI.
DENVER DURING THE YEAR 1879.
A T this writing, the record of 1879 is incom- plete, and only general reference can be made to the wonderful progress of the city dur- ing the season, which has been one of unexampled activity.
The year opened with a great rush of travel through Denver to Leadville. Every train came in loaded down with pilgrims for the new Mecca, many of them, as usual in such cases, no more fitted to succeed in that great lottery than so many children, while others showed the pluck and energy which command success in every emer- gency. Denver, too, was contributing largely to the immigration in that direction, but, despite this fact, the city seemed to grow every day, and houses to live in, and stores to do business in, were in greater demand than supply. Building operations commenced early in the year, if, indeed, they ever ceased throughout the winter, and new structures multiplied on every hand. By May, the streets of Denver were almost impassable, being blockaded with building material in almost every direction.
New Year's Day, 1879, was saddened for many good citizens of Denver by the sudden death of Joseph P. Farmer, a leading stock man, whose high character and universal kindness had won him many warm friends. At the annual meeting of the Stock-Grower's Association, January 14, his death was noted with many expressions of regret, he having been foremost in the work of the Association.
The first telephone exchange in Denver was opened for business February 20, and at once sprang into favor. This was instituted by the Bell Telephone Company. Later in the season, the Edison Telephone was introduced by the Western Union Telegraph Company, and both systems are now in successful operation, with large lists of subscribers. It is said that Denver is far ahead of any city of twice her size in the matter of tel- ephonic connections, and one of the local papers wittily remarks that the city is almost darkened by its network of telephone wires in every direc- tion.
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Mr. William N. Byers, the veteran editor of the News, who had sold his interest in that journal about a year previous, was appointed Postmaster of Denver April 14, 1879, succeeding William L. Sumner. Mr. Byers had been Postmaster of the city once before, in 1862 or thereabouts. The changes of the business of the office during the interval had been simply wonderful. The growth of the city had been great, but the growth of the post office was still more wonderful, because Denver seems to handle more mail matter than cities of twice its size down East. During the summer months, when the town was crowded with transient visitors, the throngs about the post office were such that it was nearly impossible to gain access to the building. Loog lines, extending away out into the street, would form in front of each deliv- ery window, and late comers frequently were com- pelled to wait an hour for their letters, although the delivery clerks worked early and late and hard to accommodate the public.
Upon entering the office, Mr. Byers began to work for the establishment of the free delivery system which our delegation at Washington had secured for Denver at the preceding session of Con- gress. Some delay was unavoidable, but finally six letter carriers were appointed and equipped, letter boxes were put up throughout the city, and the delivery system is now in operation, to the great relief not only of the public but of the over- worked post-office employes as well. The free delivery system was about the "last link" which joined Denver to the metropolitan cities of the country. Railways, telegraphs, water and gas- works, street cars, fire-alarm, telephones, free delivery-is there anything more to come ?
Among the marked improvements in Denver during the year may be noted the immense un- completed hotel on Larimer street, corner Eight- eenth, and the Tabor Block, which snpplants the old Broadwell House, on the well-known corner of Larimer and Sixteenth ; other elegant and massive buildings are being erected on Larimer, Lawrence, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Blake, and indeed every
business street in Denver, but the two named are thus far the most prominent, by reason of their magnitude and their architectural finish. The new hotel covers an immense area, and will, when com- pleted, compare favorably with the most preten- tious hostelrics of Chicago and St. Louis. It is a much-needed improvement, too, the hotels of Den- ver being at present entirely inadequate to the de- mands of the traveling public. The American, Grand Central, Wentworth, Alvord and other houses, have been crowded to repletion all summer, and the opening of the "Mansion," which is announced for May next, will merely relieve the pressure upon the excellent hotels already named.
The Tabor Block, which is being erected by the Leadville ten-millionaire of that name, has been planned, regardless of expense, to be the finest building west of Chicago, and bids fair to achieve that distinction. It will be a grand ornament to the city. It is designed for stores and offices, will be five stories in height, and the upper floors will be reached by an elevator.
Blake street boasts of an immense block erected for the most part to accommodate the increasing trade of Brown Brothers, the largest grocery house in the West. Lawrence street points with pride to the Moffatt & Kassler and Schlier Blocks, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets. Fif- teenth street is being built up with elegant busi- ness houses and hotels almost to Broadway, an elegant hotel being in progress at the corner of Glenarm street. Hundreds of residences have been built in every direction this summer, and hundreds more are under way.
Among the important events of the year has been the formation of a State Historical and Natural History Society, organized under the pro- visions of an act of the Legislature of 1879, which met in Denver early in January, and adjourned in February after a rather unimportant session. The Historical Society was incorporated July 11, and is making efforts to secure statistical and other data relating to the past history of
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Colorado, as well as a museum of Colorado's natural productions and curiosities. The following circular letter of the Secretary sets forth the aims of the Association.
DENVER, August 1, 1879,
Dear Sir: I heg to call your attention to the in- closed Constitution, By-laws and list of officers of the above Society. It is exclusively a State institution, con- stituted hy a special act of the late Legislature, and the incorporators of the Society have no more interest in the enterprise than any and every other citizen of the State. Not one dollar of the legislative appropriation in aid of the Society can he diverted to the use of any indi- vidual, and all donations made to the Society hecome immediately and must forever remain the property of the State of Colorado.
It is particularly desired that all citizens of the State, of either sex, who are interested in the grand object had in view, in establishing this State Institution, shall become active members and represent the Society in their several localities, no matter how remote from the capital. Indeed, the museum is more likely to be en- riched by contributions from distant points than by the personal efforts of residents of Denver and its vicinity, but the latter may do good service by receiving and caring for the contributions of other communities.
In a State so rich in natural curiosities, the cabinet of such a society is likely to prove its greatest attrac- tion, but the history of the State itself is rich in inter- esting facts and incidents. and the purely historical collections of the Society may, in the end, prove not less attractive than its museum. To this end contribu- tions of papers and sketches of historical value and in- terest are requested ; particularly from pioneer settlers of the country.
A moderate initiation fee has been established, to provide for the printing and other incidental expenses of the Society, in order that the Legislative appropriation may be entirely devoted to the collection and preserva- tion of material for the library and museum. It is hoped, and confidently believed, that a large number of the scientific men and women of the State will not only hecome members of the Society, but will do all in their power to promote its interests.
Applications for membership and all correspondence should be directed to the Secretary at Denver. Speci- mens forwarded by mail should be similarly addressed, but larger specimens, or natural curiosities, sent as freight or by express, should be directed " Natural His- tory Society, Denver," as it is hoped that railway and express companies in the State will make liberal terms with the Society for the transportation of such articles. Before making such shipments, however, it would be well to inquire whether the Society can and will receive them, and, in view of the limited funds in the hands of the curators, no unnecessary expense should be imposed upon the Society.
All specimens, manuscripts, etc., belonging to the So- ciety will be stored in the State building, and, under certain wise restrictions, will be open to the inspection of the public.
The importance of this Society can scarcely be estimated. Denver and the State are growing so rapidly, that every year brings changes worthy of being recorded for the information of future gen- erations. Unless this is done methodically, and the records are preserved by the State, the histo- rian of the future will find his task even more dif- ficult than that of the present writer.
Who can guess the future of this great city ? Its population to-day is safely estimated at 40,000, and the additions thereto are counted by thou- sands. The present ratio of increase would make Denver a city of 100,000 inhabitants in five years. Granted, that the chances are against five years of such growth, the fact remains that two or three years of prosperity are assured by the develop- ments of the present time. Before the ordinary course of events is likely to check our growth, Denver will at least double her present population and increase her wealth at least one-half. But these little calculations are nothing when compared to the glorious future of Denver in coming ages, when the mineral wealth of our mountains will be fully developed instead of but partially known.
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CHAPTER XVII. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
B Y nothing is the remarkable growth and development of Denver more forcibly illus- trated than by the history of her common school system. The pioneers of Colorado werc, in a great measure, single men, but there were those who had left behind them wives and children, and, with scarcely an exception, they were men of intelligence, who knew the value of education as a factor in the success of any community. They had to build up the foundation of a new country from the lowest stone, and, from the first, recog- nized the necessity of education as the corner- stone of what they were even then convinced would eventually become a great common wealth.
Less than a year from the first discovery of gold in the mountain streams had elapsed, when women and children made their appearance on the fron- tier, braving all the dangers then attending a jour- ney across the plains, to rejoin the husbands and fathers who had come before. Then the necessity of a means of education began to be felt, and parents commenced inquiring concerning the pros- pects for schools. As usual in such emergencies, when the man was needed, the man was there.
Some time during the summer of 1859, a little over a year after the gold discovery was first made public in the States, a professional teacher, for several years connected with the schools of Ohio, found himself in St. Louis, where he met Joseph Doyle, a thriving merchant of the frontier, then preparing to take out a large train of goods for New Mexico. Mr. Doyle made a proposition to the young schoolmaster to accompany him to Las Vegas and Fort Union, and the offer being accept- ed, in due time Mr. Goldrick arrived at his des- tination. Very soon after reaching his home, Mr. Doyle received a letter from a partner in Denver (then Auraria), announcing the wonderfully rich discoveries in Cherry Creek, and accompanied by
a little vial of gold-dust. A number of gentle- men, among whom was Mr. Goldrick, at once started for the new gold-field, arriving here in five days from what is now the southern boundary of the State.
Soon after his arrival here, the subject of a school was broached. The prospect was anything but encouraging. Families were the exceptions in the social economy, and the likelihood of there being any very large community in what was then considered a mere desert, valuable only on account of its metalliferous wealth, was exceedingly slight. The Professor, however, was among the few who foresaw the future greatness of the country, and, nothing daunted by appearance, he commenced the work of educating and stimulating public sen- timent in favor of his project, with such success that, on the morning of October 3, 1859, thirteen children, two of whom were Mexicans, two half- breeds and nine whites, assembled in a little log building on the west side of Cherry Creek, near the present crossing of Larimer street, with Mr. Goldrick at the birch, and formed the first school in Colorado.
The immediate results were anything but grati- fying to the professional pedagogue who had for years been accustomed to the comparatively ad- vanced system of the East, but still the good accomplished was noticeable, and the school struggled, gradually increasing in numbers, and at the end of a year had attained quite respectable proportions.
During the next year, the number of pupils increased so rapidly that Mr. Goldrick, with his limited accommodations, could not provide for the educational needs of the now thriving community, and two private schools were put in successful operation, one by Miss Ring, and the other by Miss Sopris. Other schools were inaugurated
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from time to time, and the foundations laid for an educational system.
In 1862, the people of the Territory became alive to the necessity of a legal system of public instruction, and the Territorial Assembly of that year levied a school-tax, and elected a Territorial Superintendent. On the first Monday of Septem- ber, 1862, Mr. Goldrick was elected School Superintendent of Arapahoe County, and organ- ized a public school in rear of Solomon's com- mission house, now the West Lindell Hotel. A. R. Brown, now of Boulder, was selected as Principal of the school, and, with two assistants, controlled and educated 140 pupils. The new Superintendent also divided the county into dis- tricts, which have remained substantially the same ever since.
For ten years, very little change was made in the system, which was common to the whole Territory. The schools grew and flourished, but acquired no property, other than the necessary furniture, the tax being all consumed by the ordinary run- ning expenses. In 1871, however, the num- ber of schools and school children had so increased that it became apparent that a more complete sys- tem was necessary, and that buildings must be erected for the better accommodation of the pupils. In 1868, three lots on Arapahoe street were do- nated by the Hon. Amos Steck to the local Board for school purposes. In 1870-71, five more in the same block were purchased for $3,500. Bonds were issued in November, 1872, for $75,- 000, payable, ten per cent in five years, and ten per cent annually thereafter, bearing interest at one per cent per month, and during the same year the Arapahoe School, so called, then in process of construction on the lots already purchased, was completed and occupied. The building is, in many respects, a model of school architecture, is three stories in height, built of brick and stone, well lighted and ventilated, heated throughout with hot-air furnaces, and contains eleven schoolrooms and one classroom, with commodious apartments in the basement for the accommodation of the
janitor and his family, the laboratory for the use of High School pupils, and cellars for the storage of fuel, surplus furniture, etc. The entire cost of the building was $79,205.47, and its pres- ent value is something more than $100,000.
In 1873, the special requirements of a district growing so rapidly as Denver at that time, made necessary a still more perfect organization, and ac- cordingly the Territorial Legislature of 1873-74 passed an act creating the city of Denver a special School District. Four Wards of the city-Sec- ond, Third, Fourth and Fifth, all lying west of Cherry Creek and south of the Platte, availed themselves of the privileges of the act. So care- fully was this important law, organizing the school system of Denver, drawn, that on the organization of Colorado as a State in 1876, it was adopted, with scarcely any modifications, as the School Law of the State.
Upon the completion of the Arapahoe building in 1872, Mr. F. C. Garbutt was chosen Superin- tendent, with a corps of seventeen teachers. The new building, with two or three rooms in the old Academy, a Methodist venture which resulted dis- astrously, was sufficient to accommodate all the pupils. The growth of Denver in 1872-73, how- ever, was astonishingly rapid, and in June, 1874, it was found necessary to erect a new building. Eight lots were purchased on Stout street in the eastern part of the city, and a commodious build- ing erected thereon, costing $24,089.19, and con- taining seven schoolrooms and one classroom. At the time of the completion of this building in 1874, it was thought that more room would not be needed for years, but a year had not elapsed before the rapid increase of population rendered further extension an absolute necessity. At the close of 1875, twenty-five teachers were employed.
In 1874, Mr. Aaron Gove was chosen Superin- tendent, taking the position in September.
On the commencement of the fall term in 1874, it was evident that a grade higher than any previ- ously taught was necessary, and accordingly the ninth grade was formed, and the High School of
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CHAPTER XVIII. RAILROADS-THE DENVER PACIFIC.
T THE natural desire of a new community for rail- road communication was intensified in the case Colorado. The expense of freighting across the of six hundred miles of arid land between the mount- ains and civilization, and the impossibility of utiliz- ing thousands of tous of low grade ores, lying neglected on the dumps, because the cost of the transportation of means for their reduction was too heavy to permit them to be worked at a profit, rendered the coming of the railroad the most important factor in the development of the State. Of course, so young and comparatively poor a com- munity could not be expected to do much in the way of railroad building, but it was willing to help, and watched anxiously the western progress of the rival trunk lines, ready to turn its hands in the direction that gave the promise of the most speedy connection with the great East. In 1865 came the first glimmer of hope. The Union Pacific had then commenced the building of its line, and the faith of the people of Denver in the future great- ness of their city was so strong, that they could not understand how a great transcontinental line could afford to pass Denver by on the other side, and so they waited patiently while the northern trunk line pressed steadily onward, every day com- ing nearer and nearer Denver, and raising the hopes of her citizens. In the latter part of 1866, it began to be whispered that it was possible that the Union Pacific would not touch Denver, but would pass a hundred miles to the north of this city. This suspicion became a certainty in the early part of 1867, and the people commeneed looking for relief from other sources. The Kansas Pacific was then away down in Kansas, coming westward certainly, but coming so slowly that it could not be foretold when it would reach Denver, besides the managers of the line were uncertain what to do-whether to build north, connecting
with the Union Pacific, or to build south to Pueblo. The latter town, even at that early day, indulged in the hope of becoming the capital of the future State, and held out strong inducements to the Kansas Pacific, and between the several projects then on foot, there seemed to be but little hope of a railroad reaching Denver, unless its own people took the bull by the horns, and compelled respect from the railway magnates who acted as if they held the destinies of Denver in their hands.
The first loophole of escape from the threatened danger to the commercial interests of the city was afforded hy a project to build the Colorado Central from some point on the Union Pacific road, the intention being to extend the line to the mountain towns, and it was then authoritatively stated that if the Colorado Central would grade the road to Cheyenne, the Union Pacifie would complete the construction of the line. On this proposition a meeting was held at the Planter's House July 10, 1867. But few of the leading citizens were pres- ent at the meeting, and a public meeting was called for the following evening. At this meeting, a reso- lution was adopted requesting the County Com- missioners to issue a proclamation calling an election to vote $200,000 in bonds, in aid of the railroad. On the 13th of July, the Commissioners ordered the election for that purpose to take place on August 6, attaching the condition to the call that the road should be built from some point on the Union Pacific road by the most direct route to Denver. Before the day of voting on the proposi- tion, it became apparent that the managers of the Colorado Central did not propose to build the road as stipulated, hut proposed building on the north and west side of the Platte, and make the terminus of the road at Golden, sixteen miles west of Denver. This resolution grew entirely out of the attitude assumed by Golden toward Denver, Golden also
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having aspirations toward becoming the capital, law. On the 18th, the committee reported and contending that its location was the only point the organization of a railroad company, under the name of the "Denver Pacific Railway and Tele- graph Company," with a capital stock of $2,000, 000, and a Board of Directors. On the 19th, at another meeting, the Board of Directors announced that they had elected Hon. B. M. Hughes, Presi- dent; Luther Kountze, Vice President; D. H. Moffat, Jr., Treasurer; W. T. Johnson, Secretary ; F. M. Case, Chief Engineer; and John Pierce, Consulting Engineer. The organization of the Company was now complete, and the committee on subscriptions went ont at once. Before the fol- lowing night they had secured subscriptions of $225,000. By the 22d, the subscriptions had swelled to $300,000. at which the railroad system of Colorado could properly center. In this claim, it was supported by the mountain towns, and thus, at the very out- set of her efforts to secure railroad connection with the East, Denver found herself opposed by the most thriving of the outside communities. On account of this suspicion that the interests of Den- ver would not be secured by a connection with the Colorado Central, the Commissioners of Arapahoe County so changed the order of election that the issue of the bonds was made conditional upon the construction of the road upon the east bank of the Platte. The result of the vote was 1,160 for, and 157 against the issue of the bonds.
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