Post by Doris McCraw
aka Angela Raines
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| Image (C) Doris McCraw |
One thing that fascinates me is how people react to setbacks and frustrations. That can apply to Colorado’s path to statehood.
Now you may wonder how such an idea would even have gotten
started. Well, according to an article from June of 2024, a group of Men in April of 1859 met in a saloon and gambling house owned by “Uncle” Dick Wooten. They
were trying to gather support for creating a territory known as Jefferson.
There had been some talk of actually making it the State of Jefferson, but
had that been the case, they would have had to fund their own government.
In October of 1859, the Territory of Jefferson was created. It operated from October 1859 to February 1861 and included most of what is Colorado, as well as parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. It was created out of frustration with the federal government's failure to oversee the gold rush.
The governor of the territory was a man by the name of
Robert W Steele. The capital of this territory was Golden City. It took its
name from one of the early prospectors by the name of Thomas L. Golden. Founded
in 1859, it not only served as the capital of the Jefferson Territory but was also the official capital of the Colorado Territory for a time.
The name was shortened to Golden when the town was incorporated in 1871.
Congress didn’t agree to the name Jefferson, but in 1861, the
Colorado Territory, using most of the verbiage from the laws passed when it was
Jefferson Territory. It was formed from part of the Kansas Territory.
For more complete information on Jefferson Territory, you can follow this link: Jefferson Territory
Until next time
Stay safe - Doris
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