News from Gold Hill, April 23, 1859

Published in Denver, back when it was Kansas Territory, in the newspaper Rocky Mountain News on April 23, 1859, the following was published after visiting with a Gold Hill miner.  Gold Hill was only three months old at the time this was published, yet already, there were many men who had come to take the gold from this mountain.  Here is what the article reported...

Mr. O. P. Goodwin has just shown us a parcel of quartz gold, which he states was dug by himself about 8 miles west of Boulder and some 35 miles north of Cherry creek.  

These specimens are intermixed with particles of quartz rock, similar in appearance to that of California.  The largest specimen weighs 32 cents, and the parcel is worth something over $50.  Mr. G. states that he obtained it from a vein of decomposed quartz, six or eight inches in thickness and lying about three feet below the surface of the ground.

Gold Panning
After the silt and sand is washed away, flecks of gold remain.
Panning helps the miner locate where more, bigger gold may be found.

Quartz-Gold is quartz rock with gold in the quartz rock.
After locating where gold might be using panning,
then miners would start to dig to find larger amounts of gold.
Extracting the gold from the quartz was difficult and dangerous.
Extraction required the use of mercury after the rock was crushed.

Article 4, Gold Hill Mining District No. 1 - Laws

In January 1859, high in the Rocky Mountains before there was a Boulder, Colorado, gold was discovered.  The first miners there created the Mining District no. 1 of Nebraska Territory which became to be known as Gold Hill.

These men understood the implications of their discovery and wanted to get control of the situation before things got out of hand.  They held a gathering and created a "Book of Laws".   Below is Article 4 that I transcribed directly from the original law book that was created by the Gold Hill miners.  The book is housed at the Carnegie Library for Local History, a branch of the Boulder Public Library.  Article 4 contains the laws that my Great-great-grandfather, C. W. Arbuthnot, would have upheld as Sheriff in Gold Hill.

Any word that I could not decipher in the original I have indicated with [?] in the transcription.

Article 4 - Of Offenses

Offenses against Society

1.  Any man committing or attempting to commit crimes against the laws of society shall have a fair and impartial trial by jury, and if found guilty shall be dealt with as the people assemble in public meeting shall direct.

Of defacing or removing stakes

2. It shall be unlawful for anyone to obliterate or deface or remove or in any way alter any mark from any stake or tree marking the boundaries of any claim or claims and upon any conviction thereof, he shall forfeit all right or interest in the claim or claims, the mark or marks of which may be so altered or removed.

Of claiming a higher fee than is legal

3. Any officer that shall be found charging more than his lawful fees shall be fined at least ten dollars for the first offence and if convicted a second time shall pay a fine of twenty five dollars and his office shall be considered vacant.  An election for a new officer shall be called.

Of the sale of liquors

4. No one shall be allowed to sell intoxicating liquors within the boundaries of this district except for medicinal or medical purposes.  And upon convection of so doing, shall pay for the first offence a fine of not less than $25. Not more than $50.   And for the second offence a fine of not less than $50. Nor more than $100.  And for the third offense a fine of not less than $150.  And a like sum for every subsequent offense that shall be proven against the person or persons.

Mode of collecting fines.

The fines to be collected the same as other fines to be collected in the District.

5. Any persons who shall sell or give spirit-[?] liquors to any Indian shall receive 40 lashes on their back.

Process in [? - hole in paper] of liquor vendors

6. The President or Justice of the Peace of the District shall upon anyone filing a complaint with him, that he believes any one is guilty of violating the above resolutions, issue a warrant to the Sherriff or Constable for the  arrest of the party or parties so offending, commanding them to be brought before him immediately for trial.

(Source No. 5)

Horace Greeley Comments on Pikes Peak June 1859

On June 3, 1859, an article was published in the Rockford Daily News in Rockford Illinois.

(Page 3).  New York Tribune, a newspaper founder and editor Horace Greeley, for which the town of Greeley Colorado is named for, had a great deal to say about the gold rush to Pike's Peak.  He knew how to sell newspapers with the sensationalism of the day!  No doubt, this is the kind of talk that encouraged my family to come and seek gold.   They arrived in Boulder on June 20th, 1859.   

Here is what was published...  

Horace Greeley on Pike’s Peak 

Under date of May 22, Mr. Greeley writes from Leavenworth, Kansas, to the Tribune respecting the gold region, in a tone which shows that he has caught the fever in its worst form. It is evident that the white coated philosopher has been sadly humbugged by someone.

Here is what Mr. Greeley says:

1. There is gold at Pike’s Peak.
2. Very little has yet been dug.
3. A considerable though very inadequate amount of prospecting had been done up to the 10^th inst., which is the date of our latest advices.
4. A great deal more will soon be done, as the snow only begins to be fairly melted out of the gorges of the Rocky Mountains, where the rich mines or placers must be found, if anywhere.
5. As yet this prospecting has not yielded enough to pay the board of those employed in it.
6. Yet a few, who have had extra luck, would seem to have done pretty well, and some of them (unless they lie outrageously) are now making $5 to $8 per day to the hand. The board of a rugged, hard-working miner in that region ought to cost $2 per day.
7. It is known to this hour that any extensive placer has been found, and nearly every miners still prospecting for better digging. (sic)
8. Hundreds of those who rushed madkly off on a gold hunt across five hundred miles of uninhabited, foodless country, in February and March, have either died outright of starvation, or have suffered and been famished to the last limit of mortal endurance. And all who have started in their track with but a few days’ provisions and scarcely any other resource but the clothes on their back have probably suffered, or will suffer, everything short of death, and some of them will probably die.
9. There is  as much uncertainty and distrust in the Gold Region as here, and many who have reached Denver City or Auraria have turned back in disgust, which others would do if they could do it in safety.
10. Many who had gone part way have been discouraged by the reports of those they met and are heading towards the States again.
11. There is no demand for labor in any part of the alleged Gold Regions, and many are there idle, who would gladly be hired and set to work.
12. It is not yet decided whether any considerable amount of Gold can be mined with profit in the new Gold Region. Months more of patient and well directed labor may be required to settle that point.
13. As yet, less than $10,000 in all, has been received on this frontier, in Gold, the product of the Pike’s Peak region.
14. It is highly desirable and proper that the capacity of the new Gold Region should be tested and ascertained. Those who are rationally employed in this work deserve well of the country. But there are people enough now in or near the new Gold Region for all reasonable purposes – far too many for the amount of food that now is or can soon be placed there.
15. It is not merely folly – it is criminal madness – to rush off to Pike’s Peak Gold Hunting without ample provision in the shape of food, clothing, blankets, mining implements, and money. He who goes without rushes on a suicide’s fate. H. G.

Related article:  Mr. Skinner hears Mr. Greeley speak at Fort Laramie 

Henry M. Skinner Letter from Gold Run

Henry M. Skinner
Illinois
Photo courtesy Ric Skinner

This letter is the earliest known letter that I have seen from the gold fields of what is now Boulder County, Colorado.  Thank you to Mr. Ric Skinner for sharing your family's story, letter, and photo with me.  I wonder if Henry was sitting up on one of the Flatirons above Boulder when he wrote this letter.  It's sure easy to picture him there with the description that he gives.  Any comments in [brackets] are mine.

Rocky Mountains

District No. 1  August 6, [18]59

[Sent to Rockford, Ill.]

My Dear Friends

It’s with pleasure that I pen you a few lines this morning to let you know our whereabouts and how we are.

I sit here on a mountain that is almost perpendicular.  On one side can be seen the Broad Plains up N. T. [Nebraska Territory] and on the other large mountains covered with snow from one pass and to another.  I left you alas near Fort Laramie on Sabbath.  I spoke of our meetings and what success we were having, also of a young man that was desirous in regard to his souls best interest.

Our usual house arrived for prayer meeting - there was 7 or 8 of us collected in one of the tents and before our meeting closed his burden of Sin was removed and he was able to rejoice with us.  We had a glorious time.  He is now on his way to Heaven with us.  He takes an active part in all our meetings, which we have Sabbath and Thursday evenings.  We arrived at Laramie on Tuesday and was informed that H. Greely [Horace Greeley] had lectured to the emigrants and Gold subject and the mines of N. T.   Our team was thrown into confusion by this for some wanted to go to California and some for the Peak and after a days consideration pack 4 wagons.  Started for the Peak and the rest for Cal.  We went down to the ferry on Wednesday Night and Thursday we crossed the Platte on 3 logs tied together.  Which was a very tedious job.  We all got safe across at about 5 o’clock and camped for the night.  Next morning we started on our journey once more, arrived at Laramie at 9 P.M.  After 2 weeks travel along the foot of the Black Hills and Rocky Mts we arrived at Boulder City about 5 o’clock Thursday, 230 miles.  We found it to be a beautiful situation on Boulder Creek.  With about 100 houses made of pine logs.  On Friday there was a party of 5 of us started up the mountains.  With our packs on our backs found it rather difficult work but we arrived at what is called 12 mile diggings, 12 miles from Boulder.  We saw some gould [gold] taken out some told us they was making from 5 to 8 dollars per day and some as high as $18.  We prospected over a week in the mountains and got lost and got rather close to the Snowy Range.  We have now got our wagons up on the mts and our cattle are ranched in Boulder vicinity.  We have each a claim and are hard at work and 2 of them have a good Prospector.  There is a great deal of excitement to the gould [gold] on the other side of the mts.  The report that some being is a man take out at the rate of a poun [pound] per day pretty big story but it may be so but we will soon see for we purchased a pony Friday and one of our men starts in the morning in ? with 4 others.  It’s rather dangerous ? [lunacy?] on account of the Utah Indians that they are going in the morning.  I was talking with a Gentleman that has been there.  He says there is gould [gold] there and says the Country is beautiful, plenty of Buffalo, Elk, Antelope, Deer, Mt. Sheep, and Bear and Panthers and others to numerous to mention.  Our party will return in 10 to 12 days and then we shall know all about it and I can advise my friends in regard to coming out here.

I would say that for these mines that we are at that they are good but the most of the gould [gold] is in the Quartz and we can not do anything with it until there is a Quartz mill here.  There’s men going after them this fall and have them here in the Spring but if we go over on the Colorado.  It will be all Gulch diggings, where there is no Quartz to bother us.

I often think of the old house at home and those I love when I let down and my mind runs back to past suns?.  I have a little inclination to be homesick.  I often think as I sit down to eat Beans, Bad Bacon and Corn Bread that if I was at Mother’s ? I would have something better.  But never mind, better days coming.  Just tell some of the folks to eat 12 large ears of corn for Skinner.  We could have plenty of Elk meat, Antelope or Deer if we could spend time to hunt it but we have no time.  I often think of the family alter and those I loved to kneel with and break out a Prayer to God for his kind care over us.  But thank God I am not deprived of the privilege of prayer yet.  We meet you Night and Morning at the one common mercy Seat.  We are 5 in No [number] now who are all ?.  We have some good times.  I suppose you have lots of good meetings which we are ? of but it will not be long before we see each other  again.  I suppose there’s a great excitement in the States in regard to the gold discoveries but tell all of my Friends to keep cool until next spring and then they can tell something about it.  I suppose that Frank’s eyes stick out some to see the big stories.  Betty spoke of my wife’s mourning on account of my absence but tell her to cheer up for I hope to see her some day.  Betty I would like to have you see us here living on a mountain where we have to keep the wagon blocked and the wheel chained in order to prevent it’s going down the mountain, it’s a Romantic sight, it rains in the mountains most every day.

Mother, as I am Cook part of the time, I would like you to see my Table Spread sometimes and see me cook for I think I can make as good Biscuits as any of them.  I shall have to close for this time.

I would ask your prayers for our Co [company] that we remain faithful.  Give my love to Anna, Nelly, and Diantha, Mather, Raymond, and all inquiring friends.  Betty Jeane faithfull Hopkins remember me in your Social Devotions, give my love to all my classmates and tell them we are striving to hold up the Blood Stained Banner of the Cross.  May Heaven Bless you all.  We will remember you at our Family alter, for it matters not we are in the mountains in the cold rain with nothing but a blanket to cover us as in camp .  We will pray for those at home.

Yours ever Affectionate

Friend and Brother

In Christ

H. M. Skinner

[Henry Mead Skinner]

Please send Rockford Papers

Direct to

Denver City

Source: Boulder Genealogy Society, Quarterly, v. 45, no. 3.

Related Article:  Maps - the routes that the gold miners took.

How they came - Gold Miner's Maps of '59

How they came...

In 1859 there were no trains to the Pike's Peak gold fields.  There were no roads, only trails that followed along the rivers.  With the exciting reports coming out of the west, many opportunists  published guide books and maps for getting to the Pike's Peak gold fields.  The entire region along the Rocky Mountain front range was considered Pike's Peak, including Boulder City.  These men had to be careful which guidebook they choose.  Sometimes a route was depicted shorter by the map maker, encouraging the potential miner that this guide book offered the best route.  (Anything to make a sale!)

There were basically three routes to the area that is today Denver.  To the north was the Platte River route, to the south the Smokey Hill route, and through the center of the area, the Republican route, all named for the corresponding rivers.  Of these three, the Smokey Hill was the most dangerous.  After the river ended, there was still a long way to travel without water and good grass.  While it was the shortest route, it was the riskiest too.  A fourth route came up from the south from the Sante Fe Trail, which had been a very old and well used trading route.  

The majority of those who came would have traveled along the Platte River which had been established as the route earlier to California and Oregon, also the Mormon's took this route to Utah.  While they continued on along the North Platte River, those headed to Pike's Peak broke off to the south and followed the South Platte River.  This is the route that the Arbuthnot men took.  Traveling roughly 75 days to get from their home in Tama County, Iowa, to arriving in Boulder City, Nebraska Territory on June 22, 1895.

Here are a couple of maps indicating the various route the "Argonauts" would have taken.

6.  Routes to the Gold Regions 1859
Pike's Peak Gold Rush Guidebooks of 1859.
From the collection by Editor, LeRoy R. Hafen,
State Historical Society of Colorado, 1941

7.  Map of the Gold Regions, 1850-1861
Colorado Gold Rush: Contemporary Letters & Reports, 1858-1959.
From the collection edited by LeRoy Hafen
State Historical Society of Colorado, 1941

The 40th parallel on these maps would be the same as Baseline Road today.  Some communities have been renamed, such as the town of Montana is now Golden.

Sources

Fifty-Niner's Directory - A few who arrived in 1859

Denver genealogist, Henrietta Elizabeth Bromwell collected and indexed the names of gold miners seeking their fortunes who arrived here in 1858 and 1859.  These miners were called the '59ers.  She published this collection in 1926 as the Fifty-Niner's Directory, Colorado Argonauts, Pikes Peak Region.

A complete listing of the index is available online through the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection.

While she does not list C. W. Arbuthnot, she does have his company and two of of the four sons that came with Carson.  I've also included some others who were at the 1860's miner's meeting when C. W. was voted in as Constable.  

While Ms. Bromwell has done an excellent job of acquiring this information, some of it, I have found, is not accurate.  Evidence will show that William Arbuthnot returned to the Boulder area before 1864.  We don't know how many trips back and forth the Arbuthnots made to Iowa, but we do know there were several trips made between the two areas.

Here are a few of the men from the Fifty-Niner's Directory, Colorado Argonauts.

ARBUTHNOT & COMPANY, mentioned in papers of 1859 as mining in placers of Pleasant Valley, and working two men.

ARBUTHNOT, Samuel, born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Aug 17, 1836, arrived gold fields spring of 1859, mined in Gold Hill, Boulder City, Pleasant Valley and Russell Gulch, Gilpin County, later California Gulch, all until 1863, when he went to farming in Left Hand Creek, and took claim in Hay Stack Valley, and in 1880 was President of the Left Hand Ditch Company, organized in 1866. Clerk also of School Board. He married Mar 29, 1870, Miss Mary R., daughter of J. P. Johnson of Left Hand.

ARBUTHNOT, William, arrived 1859. Was born Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Aug 30, 1835; lived first in Iowa, then came to gold fields, mined in Gold Hill in Central City, and Boulder City, returned to Iowa but came back 1864, and in 1869 married, Aug 29, Miss Mary E. [Bader], daughter of J. G. Bader of Left Hand, Colorado. He was a farmer once in Arkansas Valley.

BLORE, William R., arrived Auraria Nov 2, 1858. Was one of the discoverers of the famous Horsfal Lode, in Gold Hill, which gave $10,000 in two seasons, with sluices. This was in Jun 1859. He was born Otsego County, New York 1833, of German descent. Resided as a child Erie County, Pennsylvania. In 1856, Nebraska (Sarpy County). After coming to Auraria he was one of the stockholders, assisting in laying out town, helping to build its first log houses. He mined and prospected in several places, but preferred Boulder County. Was President of the Gold Hill Mining Company, and several others. In three years the Horsfal Lode made $300,000. He had a ranche, which he sold and later was in the War, at the Battle of Sand Creek. He returned “to the States” and later, after returning, bought large ranche.

GLOTFELTER, E. S., Secretary Pro Tem, miners’ meeting of Jul 23, 1859, reported in the RMN. This meeting was at Gold Hill.

HOUSEL, Judge P. M., an arrival of 1859, was born Milton, Pennsylvania 1823, lived Davenport, Iowa 1852, Newton, Iowa 1857, then crossed Plains and engaged in mining at first on Horsfal Lode for three years, after which he removed to Boulder Valley. In 1862 was elected County Judge of Boulder County, elected again ’64, and later trustee of Boulder Valley Railroad, was at first a Whig, later a Republican in politics, and Ruling Elder in Presbyterian Church. (Notes from History of Boulder Valley.)

McCASLIN, Matthew L., was a pioneer, over land, to California 1849. Was born Butler County, Pennsylvania 1822. Then emigrated with father to Iowa, became river pilot and in 1855, after six years in California, emigrated to Auraria with saw mill in autumn of 1858, later mining and working mill at Gold Hill in Boulder County. In 1862 preempted farm on St. Vrain Creek (near Longmont site), and in 1880 was a very prominent farmer, quite wealthy. He married in 1856 before coming to goldfields, Miss Miranda Hagerty of Pennsylvania (see History Boulder Valley, published 1880). In 1859 M. L. McCaslin “of Auraria” Sep 27, was grantor to A. O. Holbrook of same place lots in Auraria on St. Louis Street, with all buildings, etc. (75 feet from the southeast side of lot 11, block 34.)

Dedication & The 1859 Gold Rush

A Dedication...

By 1800 the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations had come to the foothills of what is now called the Rocky Mountains.  The Arapaho Chief Ni Wot (Left-Hand) wintered along the Left Hand Creek at the foot of Haystack Mountain.  It was here at this same location where my family settled and established their roots.  I would like to dedicate my work here to those who came before us and to those who stand here today.  To those who once lived at Haystack Mountain and to those who return. To the families who love and respect their elders and who love their children, passing along their heritage.   Families who just wanted to live in peace and today, stand proud, still here.  I dedicate my blog to such families as the Left Hand-White Antelope family.  Our family's paths have crossed once again and it is a very good thing.

May the wounds of the past one day be healed and may we know peace and kindness as a humanity.  And to my Arapaho friends, never give up!

Mr. and Mrs. Left Hand-White Antelope at their ancestor's home.
Haystack Mountain, Boulder County, Colorado.
Photo credit: Donlyn Arbuthnot 

The 1859 Gold Rush - "Pikes Peak or Bust!"

My Arbuthnot family had headed west - to Iowa.  They had all been born in Pennsylvania to their Scottish-Irish immigrant parents.  In 1853, there were timber men, working a sawmill, preparing wood for buildings.  It had seemed that they had settled down, had established their roots.

In the early 1800's in Europe, hats and items were made of silk.  As time went on, the Chinese had stopped the exporting of silk and then items of beaver pelts had become popular.  But due to over trapping of the beaver in Europe, the industry turned to the United States as a source.  By the 1830's fur trappers who were registered with the U.S. Government traveled west into the mountains to trap these highly sought after pelts.  Only forts along the rivers housed those who had come this far west.  Until 1858, there were no towns, no cities, no transportation other than ox and horse here in the Rocky Mountain area.

Maj. Stephen H. Long on his expedition here in 1820 had stated that this area was nothing but a dessert.  That this area was unfit for those dependent upon agriculture.  There were no trees on the plains, only short prairie grass, not even along the creeks and streams.  It was clear to him that there was not enough water.

Henry Wood Elliot's drawing of Boulder Valley with Table Mountain and Haystack Mountain.
Mr. Elliot served with the Hayden Expedition Survey Team
This drawing is from 1860 of men digging a ditch.

Imagine what it was like, back in the fall of 1858, when the first 13 white men were camped at the opening of what is now Boulder Canyon.  There were no grocery stores here, no Whole Foods.  No great restaurants, no James Hotel or Boulderado with comfy beds and spas.  There wasn't even a fruit tree here, no apples or cherries.   Only short prairie grass with plenty of pheasants, deer and elk to consume.  Not much else.

The Natives (yes, the true Natives, the American Indian) knew there was gold in the hills.  They knew that this beautiful land would be populated if the white men knew what they knew.  In the fall of 1858, gold was discovered by these white men and the cry went out....

PIKES PEAK OR BUST!

Pikes Peak was the only identifiable, mapped location in the Rocky Mountain region.  So the cry went out that there was gold plentiful along the whole front range that they knew as Pikes Peak.  After suffering from an economic down turn in 1857, the cry of gold gave so many hope for a bright future.  Gold!  A way to take care of their family, a way to be wealthy, free of worry nor want for the future.   And you didn't have to go over the mountains to get to it like you had to do in the California gold rush of '49.  Gold was easily accessible!  Or so these gold seekers were told.

In January of 1859, gold was discovered at Gold Hill, Nebraska Territory  (12 miles up the canyon from what is now Boulder, Colorado).  A bad snowstorm in the gold camp forced the men to come down to where Boulder Canyon opens to the plains.  There the surveyor lined up his scope with Valmont Butte to the east and laid the first street, Pearl Street.  On February 10th, 1859, the town of Boulder City, Nebraska Territory, was born.  A vote was taken and it was agreed that Boulder City would be a "high town".  Lots went up for sale at $1,000 each.  (A" low town" meant that any riff raff, the poor, could settle there.)

When Boulder was being laid out in 1859, my Great-great-grandfather, Carson W. Arbuthnot, lived in Salt Creek Township, Tama County, Iowa.  He had moved his wife and eight children there in 1853.  Two of his brothers families had moved there as early as 1850.  We will never know who's idea it was first to go for the gold, Carson's or his sons.  But we do know that Carson packed up his four sons and his son-in-law, left his wife and daughters, and headed out to "Pikes Peak".

On June 20, 1859, Carson Arbuthnot, and his son's Samuel, William, James, and Charles along with son-in-law, Stephen D. Newton arrived in Boulder City, Nebraska Territory.  Samuel was 25 years old and not married.  William was 23 years old and not married.  One wonders if Samuel or William left a sweetheart behind in Iowa.  James was just 17 years old, Charles was just about to turn 12.  Stephen was married to the eldest daughter, Esther, who stayed behind with her mother and younger sisters in Iowa.

Did the Arbuthnot men find any gold?  I'll leave that up to you to decide.