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What is the history of Denver, Colorado, USA?
People, Pictures, Old Postcards and Stories From the Past
Explore Denver, Colorado, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures and genealogy.
"Dem’ver, the capital and chief commercial city of Colorado, and county seat of Arapahoe co., is situated on both sides of the South Platte River, at an elevation of about 5196 feet. It is 1025 miles W. of Chicago, 540 miles W. of Omaha, and 106 miles S. of Cheyenne. Lat. 39° 45' N.; lon. 104° 59'23" W. It has a dry, healthful climate; mean annual temperature, 49°; annual rainfall, about 15 inches, The sun shines on an average 29 days in each month. The site slopes gently back from either bank of the river, and commands a beautiful view of a long mountain-range, with Pike's Peak on the S. and Long's Peak on the N. It is exceptionally well built, nearly all the houses being of brick or stone. It has wide streets that are lined with fine residences and substantial business houses (one of the latter costing $1,500,000). The streets are lighted by electricity. There are 108 churches, an assay mint of the United States, 2 first-class theatres, 3 high schools (one of which cost $321,370), and 37 district schools. The total value of public-school property in the 3 school districts which include the incorporated part of the city is $2,901,803. In addition to the above there are 18 schools classed as miscellaneous, some of which are public schools immediately outside the 3 districts referred to. There are also 10 academies and colleges. There are 11 national banks, which constitute the clearing-house association. The clearings for 1891 were $229,033,002.13. There are 6 savings-banks, 3 trust associations, several private banks, 3 public libraries, gas-works, electric-light-works, 2 water companies, 5 flour-mills, 3 smelters, 3 packing-houses, 3 canning factories, 6 breweries, 20 foundries and machine-shops, a cotton-factory, a paper-mill, a shoe-factory, steel-works. a stove-foundry, &c. According to the United States census the total product of manufactories in the corporate limits was $28,794,792 in 1890. The smelters and several of the other heavy manufactories are outside the corporate limits. The value of ore treated in Denver smelters in 1891 was $24,411,705.70. There are 6 daily newspapers, 1 being in German, and about 30 weekly and monthly publications. There are 95 miles (single track) of electric street railway, 43 miles of cable, and 3 miles of horse-car line. The total debt on March 7, 1892, was $1,735,577.85. The assessed valuation of property in May, 1892, was $70,708,780. The receipts of the post-office for 1891 were $296,408.88. Denver is the emporium of the rich gold- and silver-mining districts of the state, and also the chief centre of the coal trade. It was first settled in 1858. Pop. in 1870, £: in 1880, 35,629; in 1890, within corporate limits, 106.7". Estimated pop. in 1892, including adjacent suburbs which are practically a part of the city, 140,000."
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ...
Joseph Thomas
January 1, 1895
J.B. Lippincott
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ...
Joseph Thomas
January 1, 1895
J.B. Lippincott
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- 1858 - A party of prospectors led by William Green Russell discovered gold in what is now downtown Denver.
www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ colorado.html - 1858 - November 17 – The city of Denver, Colorado, is founded.
www.wikipedia.org
November 17, 1858 
1871 - Express Delivery
At Denver, Col., a few days ago, a man tried to have himself sent by express to Newtown Corners, Mass., by securing himself in a box expressly...Read MORE...- 1883 - Electric lights installed in Denver
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ namerica/ usstates/ cotimeln.htm - 1887 - PLUNGED THROUGH THE BRIDGE.
Denver, Col., Aug. 25. - An accident occurred on an east-bound Union Pacific express at Sand Creek bridge, 10 miles east of here, last night,...Read MORE... - 1889 - Walter Ives, aged ten years, fell from the top of a nine-story building at Denver, Col., on the 2d, struck the telephone wires, and then rebounded to a horse's back and was not fatally injured.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
February 9, 1889 
The A-86 Ajax Drill Sharpener
T. H. Proske, Denver, Colorado
Found at The Way It Was Museum, Virginia City, Nevada- 1893 - Fire
DENVER, Jan. 6. - One of the largest fires that ever occurred in this city started at 10:45 last night in the oil room of the E. A. Halleck Paint,...Read MORE... - 1894 - The Union Depot Completely Destroyed by Fire.
The Union Depot at Denver was burned down the morning of the 18th . The fire started shortly after midnight.
The origin of the fire is supposed to ...Read MORE... - 1895 - February 20 - Congress authorizes a US mint at Denver, Colorodo
historyorb.com
February 20, 1895 - 1897 - DEADLY LIVE WIRE
Denver, Sept 16. - August Plym, a saloon-keeper, was instantly killed at noon today, when in inadvertently seized a badly insulated live electric...Read MORE... - 1899 - June 25 – Three Denver, Colorado newspapers publish a story (later proved to be a fabrication) that the Chinese government under the Guangxu Emperor is going to demolish the Great Wall of China.
www.wikipedia.org
June 25, 1899 
Pavilion and Band Concern, City Park, Denver, Colo.- 1901 - DENVER CITY HALL BURNS. Large Number of Valuable Records Supposed to Have Been Consumed.
Denver, Col., Nov. 30. - Fire, tonight destroyed the Denver city hall, including, probably, a large amount of valuable records. The fire is supposed...Read MORE... - 1901 - Denver - The Queen City of the Plains by John Cotton Dana
Denver has historic background. Behind its own brief chronicles we note the outline of the story, full of the good work of strong men, of the...Read MORE... - 1902 - CHILDREN IN A FIRE. TWO HUNDRED ORPHANS RESCUED FROM FLAMES IN AN ASYLUM.
Denver, Colo., March 15. - St. Vincent's Orphan asylum, situated in the northern part of the city, was badly damaged by fire this afternoon. There...Read MORE... - 1902 - WRECK OF BIGGEST BALLOON.
The remarkable ascent of "Big Glory", the largest balloon ever built, sent up from Denver, Col., Monday, resulted in the wreck of the machine and...Read MORE... - 1910 - JOHNSTONE DROPS 800 FT. TO MEET HORRIBLE DEATH. HOLDER OF WORLD'S ALTITUDE RECORD KILLED WHEN WING TIP ON MACHINE BREAKS. HIS BODY VIOLATED.
CURIOUS THRONG OF RELIC HUNTERS CARRY OFF GLOVES AND SPLINTERS PIERCING AVIATOR.
Denver, Colo., Nov. 18. - RALPH JOHNSTONE holder of the world's...Read MORE... - 1916
Denver, the capital and chief commercial city of Colorado, and county-seat of Denver co., is situated on both sides of the South Platte River at an...Read MORE... - 1919 - SEVEN HURT IN COLLISION. HEAVY FIRE TRUCKS SMASH TOGETHER RACING TO FIRE. WRECK UNAVOIDABLE. WORST ACCIDENT OF ITS KIND IN DENVER IN MANY YEARS.
Denver, Colo. 11. - One young woman was probably fatally injured, six firemen were hurt, one seriously, and scores of bystanders had their lives...Read MORE... - 1922 - March 10 - KLZ-AM in Denver CO begins radio transmissions
historyorb.com - 1928 - Airplane Crash
H. E. Larue, pilot, Loren Craven and Dietrich were fatally injured when the machine went into a tail spin, and fell in flames near Lowry Field,...Read MORE... 
Sixteenth Street Looking Toward State Capitol, Denver, Colorado
Seventeenth Street, the Brown Palace Hotel and Broadway, Denver, Colorado- 1933 - DAM BREAK CAUSES HEAVY LOSS IN DENVER. WALL OF WATER CAUSES DAMAGE OF $1,000,000. MOUNTAIN CLOUDBURST CAUSES DISASTER IN COLORADO; TWO DEAD AND OTHERS MISSING.
ANOTHER STORM CLAIMS A LIFE.
TORRENT RIPS AWAY SIX BRIDGES WHEN IT REACHES METROPOLIS; BUSINESS HARD HIT.
Denver, Aug. 3. - (AP) - Crumbling...Read MORE... - 1934 - SECOND MAN KILLED IN FALL DENVER HOTEL.
(Associated Press)
Denver, June 4. - Marking the second fatal accident of its kind at the same place in two days a man, about 30, who had registered ...Read MORE... - 1935 - Denver, lays claim to the invention of the cheeseburger. The trademark for the name Cheeseburger was awarded in 1935 to Louis Ballast.
www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ colorado.html - 1936 - February 8, The temperature at Denver CO plunged to a record 30 degrees below zero.
The Weather Channel - 1939 - ONE MAN KILLED, 28 INJURED IN DENVER TRAIN COLLISION. D. & R. G. ENGINES PLOUGH INTO SANTA FE PASSENGER CAR THIS MORNING.
Conductor Meets Death and Others Go To Hospitals For Treatment.
Denver, Aug. 12 (AP) - A Denver and Rio Grande Western train, pulled by two...Read MORE... - 1946 - November 2 - A 31 inch snow at Denver CO caused roofs to collapse.
WeatherForYou.com
November 2, 1946 - 1948 - May 30 - Twenty carloads of glass were needed in Denver, CO, to replace that destroyed by a severe hailstorm.
The Weather Channel - 1952 - July 18 - KWGN TV channel 2 in Denver, CO (IND) begins broadcasting
- 1961 - September 3 - Denver, CO, received 4.2 inches of snow, their earliest snow of record.
WeatherForYou.com
Old Photos, Pictures, Advertisements and Postcards from Denver, Colorado, USA
Denver, Colorado, USA
The A-86 Ajax Drill Sharpener
T. H. Proske, Denver, Colorado
Found at The Way It Was Museum, Virginia City, Nevada
Denver, Colorado, USA
Pavilion and Band Concern, City Park, Denver, Colo.
Denver, Colorado, USA
Sixteenth Street Looking Toward State Capitol, Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado, USA
Seventeenth Street, the Brown Palace Hotel and Broadway, Denver, Colorado
National Geographic DNA Test Kit: Geno 2.0 Next Generation (Ancestry) - Powered by Helix
History and News of Denver, Colorado, USA
Add History/News-
1858 - A party of prospectors led by William Green Russell discovered gold in what is now downtown Denver.
www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ colorado.html
-
1858 - November 17 – The city of Denver, Colorado, is founded.
www.wikipedia.org
November 17, 1858
-
Denver - Travel Thru History
106 Denver - Travel Thru History Full Episode (www.youtube.com) -
1871 - Express Delivery
At Denver, Col., a few days ago, a man tried to have himself sent by express to Newtown Corners, Mass., by securing himself in a box expressly... Read MORE...
-
1883 - Electric lights installed in Denver
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ namerica/ usstates/ cotimeln.htm
-
1887 - PLUNGED THROUGH THE BRIDGE.
Denver, Col., Aug. 25. - An accident occurred on an east-bound Union Pacific express at Sand Creek bridge, 10 miles east of here, last night,... Read MORE...
-
1889 - Walter Ives, aged ten years, fell from the top of a nine-story building at Denver, Col., on the 2d, struck the telephone wires, and then rebounded to a horse's back and was not fatally injured.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
February 9, 1889
-
1893 - Fire
DENVER, Jan. 6. - One of the largest fires that ever occurred in this city started at 10:45 last night in the oil room of the E. A. Halleck Paint,... Read MORE...
-
1894 - The Union Depot Completely Destroyed by Fire.
The Union Depot at Denver was burned down the morning of the 18th . The fire started shortly after midnight.
The origin of the fire is supposed to ... Read MORE...
-
1895 - February 20 - Congress authorizes a US mint at Denver, Colorodo
historyorb.com
February 20, 1895
-
1897 - DEADLY LIVE WIRE
Denver, Sept 16. - August Plym, a saloon-keeper, was instantly killed at noon today, when in inadvertently seized a badly insulated live electric... Read MORE...
-
1899 - June 25 – Three Denver, Colorado newspapers publish a story (later proved to be a fabrication) that the Chinese government under the Guangxu Emperor is going to demolish the Great Wall of China.
www.wikipedia.org
June 25, 1899
-
1901 - Denver - The Queen City of the Plains by John Cotton Dana
Denver has historic background. Behind its own brief chronicles we note the outline of the story, full of the good work of strong men, of the... Read MORE...
-
1901 - DENVER CITY HALL BURNS. Large Number of Valuable Records Supposed to Have Been Consumed.
Denver, Col., Nov. 30. - Fire, tonight destroyed the Denver city hall, including, probably, a large amount of valuable records. The fire is supposed... Read MORE...
-
1902 - CHILDREN IN A FIRE. TWO HUNDRED ORPHANS RESCUED FROM FLAMES IN AN ASYLUM.
Denver, Colo., March 15. - St. Vincent's Orphan asylum, situated in the northern part of the city, was badly damaged by fire this afternoon. There... Read MORE...
-
1902 - WRECK OF BIGGEST BALLOON.
The remarkable ascent of "Big Glory", the largest balloon ever built, sent up from Denver, Col., Monday, resulted in the wreck of the machine and... Read MORE...
-
1910 - JOHNSTONE DROPS 800 FT. TO MEET HORRIBLE DEATH. HOLDER OF WORLD'S ALTITUDE RECORD KILLED WHEN WING TIP ON MACHINE BREAKS. HIS BODY VIOLATED.
CURIOUS THRONG OF RELIC HUNTERS CARRY OFF GLOVES AND SPLINTERS PIERCING AVIATOR.
Denver, Colo., Nov. 18. - RALPH JOHNSTONE holder of the world's... Read MORE...
-
1916
Denver, the capital and chief commercial city of Colorado, and county-seat of Denver co., is situated on both sides of the South Platte River at an... Read MORE...
-
1919 - SEVEN HURT IN COLLISION. HEAVY FIRE TRUCKS SMASH TOGETHER RACING TO FIRE. WRECK UNAVOIDABLE. WORST ACCIDENT OF ITS KIND IN DENVER IN MANY YEARS.
Denver, Colo. 11. - One young woman was probably fatally injured, six firemen were hurt, one seriously, and scores of bystanders had their lives... Read MORE...
-
1922 - March 10 - KLZ-AM in Denver CO begins radio transmissions
historyorb.com
-
1928 - Airplane Crash
H. E. Larue, pilot, Loren Craven and Dietrich were fatally injured when the machine went into a tail spin, and fell in flames near Lowry Field,... Read MORE...
-
1933 - DAM BREAK CAUSES HEAVY LOSS IN DENVER. WALL OF WATER CAUSES DAMAGE OF $1,000,000. MOUNTAIN CLOUDBURST CAUSES DISASTER IN COLORADO; TWO DEAD AND OTHERS MISSING.
ANOTHER STORM CLAIMS A LIFE.
TORRENT RIPS AWAY SIX BRIDGES WHEN IT REACHES METROPOLIS; BUSINESS HARD HIT.
Denver, Aug. 3. - (AP) - Crumbling... Read MORE...
-
1934 - SECOND MAN KILLED IN FALL DENVER HOTEL.
(Associated Press)
Denver, June 4. - Marking the second fatal accident of its kind at the same place in two days a man, about 30, who had registered ... Read MORE...
-
1935 - Denver, lays claim to the invention of the cheeseburger. The trademark for the name Cheeseburger was awarded in 1935 to Louis Ballast.
www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ colorado.html
-
1936 - February 8, The temperature at Denver CO plunged to a record 30 degrees below zero.
The Weather Channel
-
1939 - ONE MAN KILLED, 28 INJURED IN DENVER TRAIN COLLISION. D. & R. G. ENGINES PLOUGH INTO SANTA FE PASSENGER CAR THIS MORNING.
Conductor Meets Death and Others Go To Hospitals For Treatment.
Denver, Aug. 12 (AP) - A Denver and Rio Grande Western train, pulled by two... Read MORE...
-
1946 - November 2 - A 31 inch snow at Denver CO caused roofs to collapse.
WeatherForYou.com
November 2, 1946
-
1948 - May 30 - Twenty carloads of glass were needed in Denver, CO, to replace that destroyed by a severe hailstorm.
The Weather Channel
-
1952 - July 18 - KWGN TV channel 2 in Denver, CO (IND) begins broadcasting
-
1961 - September 3 - Denver, CO, received 4.2 inches of snow, their earliest snow of record.
WeatherForYou.com
Denver, Colorado, USA Genealogy
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Updated: 4/26/2019 3:40:59 PM
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