By Paul Haseman - Guest Historian
At one time there were many streets named for Golden women. In 1904 those names were removed and the “women” streets were renamed mostly after trees. In any event and as part of honoring these women (a few listed below), Golden Public Works this past week installed commemorative signage on several streets – Elm, Maple and Illinois.
These former street names speak to the history of a growing city. Golden was first platted in 1859 by F. W. Beebe, showing few streets. Later the survey was expanded with a recorded 1863 plat map done by Edward Berthoud and his Union College fraternity brother, Silas Burt. Silas had married Nettie Ferrell in 1855 and Edward Berthoud married her sister, Helen, a year later. One would expect that if you are naming streets, you would name them in part after friends and family. With this in mind, here is a short list:
Helen Berthoud
Helen Street honored Helen S. Berthoud (nee Ferrell). It is now today's Maple Street on the Mines campus. Her parents, John and Jeanette Ferrell, came Golden as early settlers in 1859. They built and operated Golden’s first hotel, the one-story Miners Hotel, at now Washington and 11th Street where Clear Creek Commons now stands. A year later, in 1860 Edward and Helen joined Helen’s parent in Golden. Helen instantly made a major impact to the newborn community, bringing civility and kindness while she assisted in the operation of her parents’ Miners Hotel. And in 1862, when her husband answered the call to duty as a Union Army officer, Helen went with him. She served as a field nurse during Capt. Berthoud’s combat operations with the Second Colorado Volunteer Infantry in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri from 1862-1865 ministering to the wounded in camps and field hospitals. This began her legacy of service to the troops, continuing after the war with her service as an officer with the Golden chapter of the Women's Relief Corps, W.R.C. No. 5, which was an adjunct of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), similar to today’s American Legion. Helen Berthoud also was a early member of Golden’s Calvary Church.
In keeping with her commitments to her church and the W.R.C., Helen proposed a group home for indigent and disabled soldiers and sailors. This goal was fulfilled shortly after Helen’s untimely death at 56 on 2 August 1887, when Edward Berthoud donated a house and lot at the northwest corner of 17th & Jackson to establish the “Helen Berthoud Hospital” to serve as a home for indigent and disabled servicemen, who have served in the Civil War. The State soon took over operation of this home and relocated it to Homelake, CO. The Home continues today as the Colorado State Veterans Center, listed today on the State Historic Register.
Jeanette Ferrell
Jeannette Street is today's Illinois Street in the middle of the Mines campus. As noted above, Jeannette was the mother of Helen Berthoud and Jeannette (Nettie) Sarah Burt. Becoming ill, Jeanette returned to the East in 1862 and died that year. As renamed in 1864, Jeanette Street became Mary Street and in 1904 it became Illinois Street.
Mary Clow Boyd
Mary Boyd (1815- 1871) was among Golden’s first citizens, arriving in June 1859. With her husband, future Jeffco Judge and Commissioner Theodore Boyd, they built Golden’s first private residence. In later June, Mary, a devoted Christian woman, attended Golden's first church service in the Ford Brothers saloon tent, where she and other town ladies sat in front of the colorful roulette table that was the makeshift pulpit. They were "surrounded by a motley crowd of pistol-bedecked men" who were tough miners, teamsters, gamblers, and more. Mary and the other ladies began singing loud and clear and were soon joined by the whole group of men in the tent. When the Mountain Fever epidemic later struck the region, Mary became the founding president of the Ladies Samaritan Society, Jeffco’s first medical organization, to care for the sick. In 1867, she became a founding member of Calvary Church in Golden. Illinois Street was originally platted only north of Clear Creek, but the 1904 ordinance extended it south of the Creek becoming the main Mines campus street. As Illinois St already existed, the City’s renaming ordinance omitted the removal of Mary Street.
Jeanette (Nettie) Burt (nee Ferrell)
Nettie Street is today’s Elm Street, also on the Mines campus. Born Jeannette Sarah Ferrell, she is the daughter of Jeannette and sister of Helen. In 1855, she married Silas Burt, a friend of Edward Berthoud, who a year later married Nettie’s sister, Helen. The two sisters and their husbands, living in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas Territory, joined the sisters’ parents, the Ferrells, in 1860 in Golden. Nettie also worked in the Miner’s Hotel, but with her mother’s illness, she returned east with her parents in 1862.
Kate Ferrell
Kate Street is mid-block between the Golden Welcome Center and the Fire Dept off 10th St. Today it is the entryway east off 10th to the GPD and GFD parking lot. It was named in the 1863 plat and, although never formally removed, it is no longer listed as a city street. In any event, a commemorative marker now shows the site of Kate Street. Kate was a niece of Edward and Helen Berthoud and granddaughter of Jeannette Ferrell. Kate was 4 years old when Edward Berthoud completed the town survey.
City Ordinance Changing Street Names
Colorado Transcript - July 7, 1904
“Section 1. That the names of the streets mentioned in this Section, situated in the City of Golden, shall be, and they are hereby changed as follows:* * * *
Junction Street is changed to First Street.
Main Street is changed to Second Street.
Park Street is changed to Third Street.
Golden Street is changed to Fourth Street.
Gregory Street is changed to Fifth Street.
Fayette Street is changed to Sixth Street.
King Street is changed to Seventh Street.
Wall Street is changed to Eighth Street.
Garrison Street is changed to Ninth Street.
Platte Street is changed to Tenth Street.
First Street is changed to Eleventh Street.
Second street is changed to Twelfth street.
Third street is changed to Thirteenth street.
Fourth street is changed to Fourteenth street.
Fifth street is changed to Fifteenth street.
Sixth street is changed to Sixteenth street.
Seventh street is changed to Seventeenth street.
Eighth street is changed to Eighteenth street.
Ninth. street is changed to Nineteenth street.
Tenth street is changed to Twentieth street.
Eleventh street is changed to Twenty-First street.
Twelfth street is changed to Twenty-Second St.
Thirteenth street is changed to Twenty-Third St.
Fourteenth street is changed to Twenty-Fourth St
Helen street is changed to Maple Street.
Nettie street is changed to Elm Street.
Esther street is changed to Birch Street.
