WHAT’S HAPPENING IN GOLDEN TODAY?
8AM Saturday Morning Run and Social Walk @ Golden History Park
8AM-1PM Golden Farmers Market @ Golden Library west parking lot
10AM-noon Breakfast Burritos @ The Golden Mill
10AM-3PM Brunch at the Rose @ Buffalo Rose
10AM-3PM Saturday Train Rides @ Colorado Railroad Museum
10AM-2PM Paint Recycling Event @ Denver Kickers Club
10AM-2PM Homestead Open House @ Golden History Park
10AM and 1PM Wild West Walking Tour
10AM and 1PM Wild West Short Tour
10AM-12PM Worldwide Knit in Public Day @ Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave
10:15AM Family Time @ Golden Library
11:15-11:45AM Pride Family Story Time @ Golden Library
12-12:30PM Quick Class: Avocado Awesomeness @ Natural Grocers
1PM Robin Hood (Children’s Theater) @ Miners Alley Playhouse
1-3PM PAWS for Reading @ Golden Library
7PM Golden Ghosts & Spirits Tour
7:30PM The Oldest Boy: A Play in Three Ceremonies @ Miners Alley Playhouse – FINAL 2 PERFORMANCES
SEE THE COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS.
LIVE MUSIC
11AM-2PM David Henning @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
11:30AM Maya Ogea @ Tributary Food Hall
4-8PM Funk It Up @ Wrigley’s
5-8PM Live Music @ Eddy Taproom
5PM Cosmic Charlies @ Over Yonder
5:30-8:30PM Earl Nelson & the Company @ Goosetown Station
7-10PM Howard Dlugash @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
9PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
GOLDEN HISTORY MOMENT
One of the more lurid stories in Golden history is that of banker Francis E. Everett. In searching old Transcripts, I learned about his arrival in Golden, the construction of “The Everett Block” (one of the prettiest buildings in town), and his many civic contributions.
He came to Colorado from his home town of Boston in 1868. He spent a couple of years in Gilpin and Boulder counties, engaged in mining and milling business, before arriving in Golden in 1871 and buying a banking business. Golden was happy to have him: he was clearly a man of substance, virtue, and acumen.
In 1873, he built his “banking house” at 12th and Washington, and in December of that year, held an open house to welcome his friends and customers. The Transcript reported that he entertained them in a princely manner, with a fine collation. “Golden could illy afford to lose a gentleman of his integrity and worth.”
In 1873, he was a member of the school board. In 1874 he was elected as a trustee for Jefferson County, and a trustee for the Golden and South Platte Railway. In 1877 he contributed greatly to establishing a new Hook & Ladder company (firefighters), which was then named “F.E. Everett Hook & Ladder Co.” In 1879, he became a trustee for the School of Mines. In 1881 he was elected as Mayor of Golden, and in 1884 he was reelected.
I was happily cruising through the articles that traced his charmed life, when suddenly I arrived at August of 1884, where an article referred to the administrators of the estate of the late F. E. Everett. Wait…did I miss something?
That’s when I discovered that our online Transcript archive is missing the issues from mid-July to mid-August, 1884. That’s the very period I had most hoped to read about! There are occasional gaps in that online archive, and they usually cover some of our most interesting events.
Fortunately, Lorraine Wagenbach and Joann Thistlewood covered this story in great detail in their book, Golden – The 19th Century. From their book, I can report that Everett killed himself in July of 1884. It seems he had been using bank funds to speculate in various mining and milling businesses. He probably intended to repay the funds when the investments paid off–he gave the bank his personal notes for the amounts borrowed–but his investments did not pay, and he got deeper and deeper in debt, until at last he committed suicide.
The first issue of the paper after his death expressed great sorrow at his untimely end and assured everyone that the bank was sound and would be opened in a few days. He was given a spectacular funeral, very well-attended. As days went by, concern about the state of the bank grew. A committee was formed to examine the assets of the bank, and at that point, Everett’s speculations and bad investments were uncovered.
Among the depositors who lost money with this bank failure were the County, the City, the School District, the Industrial School, the School of Mines, the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Presbyterian Church, and the Presbyterian Ladies Aid Society.
In common with other 19th century merchants, Everett had a home on 12th Street. The building burned on May 1, 1983.
Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
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