First White Gold Seekers October 17, 1858

At the base of the Red Rocks, on the western edge of what today is Boulder Colorado, and near where the rocks are green, called the Green Rocks, the Arapaho Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a plaque. The DAR placed it there on June 14, 1938.  It was this party of men who first found gold up Four Mile Canyon, Boulder County, Colorado.  They found gold 12 miles up the hill that established the "Gold Run" mining area and up the hill a little further, the first mining camp was established called the Gold Hill Mining District No. 1.  The plaque reads:

Original Gold Seekers Party

October 17, 1858

Alfred A. Brookfield

Captain Thomas Aikins

Daniel Gordon and brother

William Dickens

Theodore Squires

Wheelock Brothers

Captain A. K. Yount

Charles Clouser

Thomas Lorton

Samuel J. Aikins

John Rothrock

L. O. Aikins

It is these first "Gold Seekers" who were camped at the mouth of Boulder Canyon where they were met by Chief Ni Wot (Left Hand).  After coming into the Aiken's camp to negotiate peaceful co-exhistance, the Arapaho Chief shared with the Captain that he had a vision in his dream. Ni Wot had dreamed that the land where he lived was covered by a great flood, swallowing his tribe, yet the white men survived.  He interpreted this to mean that he could do nothing to stop the flood of gold seekers that was about to come to where he lived.  Where the U.S. Government had designated in signed treaties in 1851 (Treaty of Ft. Laramie) that this was "Indian Territory".  Yet, Chief Ni Wot knew that there was little that he could do to stop the flood of those seeking a new place of riches.

Article five of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 establishes the land boundaries where the Cheyenne and Arapaho lived.  The following is this portion of Article five.

The territory of the Cheyennes and the Arapahoes, commencing at the Red Butte, or the place where the road leaves the north folk of the Platte River; thence up the north fork of the Platte River to it's source; thence along the main range of the Rocky Mountains of the head-waters of the Arkansas River; thence down the Arkansas River to the crossing of the Santa Fe road; thence in a north westerly direction to the forks of the Platte River, and thence up the platte River to the place of beginning.