During the 1858 Pike’s Peak Gold Rush prospectors found gold at the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. At that time the area was part of the Kansas Territory, so the town founded by the prospectors was named after the then Governor, James W. Denver. As a result of the gold rush, the US Government in 1861 established the Colorado Territory and Denver boomed as a mining supply centre, becoming capital of the Territory in 1867. The 1893 collapse in silver prices brought the boom to an abrupt end, but this prompted the city to diversify into agriculture, manufacturing and tourism which restarted growth. Now a city of nearly 600,000 people, Denver sits on the plains just east of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5,280 feet (or 1,609 kilometres), and hence is known as ‘The Mile High City’.
Conestoga Wagon, Colorado History Museum
The Colorado Historical Society owns twelve museums and historical sites spread across the state. The Colorado History Museum in Denver is their flagship museum with exhibits tracing the history of Colorado from ancient times to relatively modern times. This picture shows a Conestoga Wagon as used by the pioneers to move west and a familiar sight to everyone who has ever watched a Western.
Denver
Colorado State Capitol
In 1867 Denver became capital of the Colorado Territory and the search began for a site for a Capitol. Real estate businessman Henry C. Brown donated land at East Colfax and Lincoln streets that had a commanding view over the city and the Rocky Mountains. There was no money to start building work and come 1876 Brown had become tired of waiting so he took back the land. Shortly afterwards Colorado was admitted to statehood and the constitution required an election for state capital. In 1881 Denver won that vote but it was not until 1886 that the Supreme Court awarded Brown’s land to the state. Designed by Elijah E. Myers, delays in selecting the design and in construction meant that the Capitol was not fully completed until 1908.
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US Mint from Cherokee Street
Production of US coins began in Philadelphia in 1793. Three branch mints opened in 1838 but when the Civil War broke out all were in Confederate territory and only one reopened for a time afterwards. The US Mint opened an assay office in Denver in 1865. The intention was to make coins close to the sources of gold and silver, but it was not until 1906 that coin production began. The Philadelphia Mint is still operational, but the Denver Mint is now the single largest producer of coins in the world. Mints at San Francisco and West Point (NY) specialise in commemorative and proof coinage. Tours of the 1897 Denver Mint building are available but we were told by the tourist office that they were fully booked for several days ahead.
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Hamilton Building, Denver Art Museum
The Colorado History Museum is in a fairly ordinary looking building, A couple of blocks away is a museum building that is far from ordinary. The Denver Art Museum occupies two buildings, the North Building and the Hamilton Building. Daniel Libeskind is an American architect of Polish Jewish descent and when he designed the Hamilton Building he had in mind the peaks of the nearby Rocky Mountains and geometric rock crystals that are found in the foothills. Named after Frederic C Hamilton, the Chairman of the museum’s board of trustees, the building opened in 2006.
Daniels & Fisher Tower, 16th Street Mall
In 1982, part of Denver’s 16th Street was converted into a pedestrianised mall. The mall has since been extended to 2 kilometres (1.25 miles) long and runs between Union Station and Civic Center Station. A free shuttle bus service known as MallRide runs along the street and during peak shopping times the buses are so frequent that if you miss one the next will already be visible about a block behind. In the evenings the service becomes sparse, and we found it much quicker to walk to our restaurant. This picture shows the Daniels & Fisher Tower which was built in 1910 as part of a department store of that name. The tower was modelled on the St Mark’s Square Campanile in Venice. The department store was demolished in the 1970s but the tower was on the National Register of Historic Places so it was spared from demolition.
City & County Offices from Civic Center Park
The State Capitol and the City & County Offices face each other across Civic Center Park. There can be no doubt that the lofty gold domed Capitol is the grander building, but the City & County Offices are not lacking in grandeur. Opened in 1932, the Beaux-Arts Neoclassical building was designed by a coalition of 39 leading local architects. The building houses offices of the Mayor, meeting chambers for the City Council, offices for the Department of Law, and courtrooms for County and District Court.
Molly Brown's Museum
Margaret Tobin was born in Missouri in 1867, the daughter of Irish immigrants. In her teens she moved to Leadville in Colorado, where she met and married mining engineer J. J. Brown. J. J. was not rich until he helped to discover gold at the Little Johnny Mine. The Browns used their new found wealth to purchase a house in Denver and they also developed a taste for travel. They separated in 1909, but Margaret kept the house and was given a generous financial settlement. In 1912 while on a trip to Europe she heard that her grandson was ill and booked the first ship home - the Titanic. She escaped the sinking on a lifeboat and on the way to New York she set about organising help for the survivors. When asked by reporters how she survived she replied ’Typical Brown luck, we're unsinkable.’ Margaret died in 1932 but in the 1960s she was immortalised as ‘Unsinkable Molly Brown’ in a stage musical and film. Her house has become a museum furnished much as it was in her day and and it can be viewed by guided tour.
Byers-Evans House Museum
One of Denver’s historic houses has been preserved by the Colorado Historical Society, albeit with a modern building looming over it. The house was built in 1883 for Williams Byers, publisher of Denver’s first newspaper the Rocky Mountain News. He sold the house in 1889 to William Gray Evans and his wife. Evans was the son of Governor John Evans who was Colorado’s influential second territorial governor. The house remained in the family until the death in 1981 of the Evans’ last surviving child, Margaret Evans Davis. It opened as a museum in 1990 and can be viewed by guided tour.
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© Mike Elsden 1981 - 2025
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