Tomorrow (Wednesday the 27th) will be a good day for Golden history geeks (like myself). The Golden History Center is offering two tours–one by foot and one by car.
From 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, historian and storyteller Ed Weising will lead the Gold Rush Walking Tour. Experience the stories of Old West pioneers Rufus Sage and George Jackson. Learn the importance of Golden as the gateway to the gold mines in the mountains. Visit historic sites along Clear Creek as well as historic buildings in downtown Golden. Buy tickets online.
From 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, join Ed Weising on a Golden Foothills Caravan Tour to experience the beauty of the foothills on this adventure to historic places in the mountains. Visit the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave, Boettcher Summer Mansion and Heritage Park (formerly Magic Mountain). Learn about the legendary characters who lived in the foothills including John Brisbane Walker, founder of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Drive your own vehicle from site to site and learn about the history of the city. Buy tickets online.
From 6:30-7:30, the Director of the Golden History Center, Nathan Richie, will give a FREE lecture at the Golden Library: Early Golden City and the Quest for the Capital. When gold was discovered in 1859, the population of the Rockies exploded. Reliable infrastructure, security, and governance was an immediate need. But the designation of a territorial capital sparked an intense power struggle that pitted Denver against the rest of the territory who wished to check the influence of the ambitious city. Golden emerged as the best suited town to claim the mantle of leadership—which it did temporarily in 1862. What happened after was a messy, personal, and salacious battle to secure the permanent seat of power.
