Sale of the Arbuthnot & Sons' Gold Mines, 1864

From the collection of Samuel Arbuthnot.
Unknown mine and the men are not identified.
Boulder photographer, Joe Sturtevant
(aka Rocky Mountain Joe) titled this a "Slim Meal"

For an unknown reason in 1864, Carson W. Arbuthnot give Power of Attorney to his son William. Then sent William along with his Brothers to the Boulder County Courthouse to give Power of Attorney to sell off several discoveries and gold claim lodes up in Gold Hill (Boulder County, Colorado) area. There are several interesting clues held in these documents. First of all are all of the holdings of Arbuthnot & Sons.  The Fanny Lode was most likely named for Carson's wife (and the boy's mother), Mary Frances "Fanny" Jones Arbuthnot.  I wonder who Jennie was.  I also wonder if any of these lodes are a part of any current gold mines that are still active now.  And one wonders too, how much did Graham & Patterson get for these mines.

The following two pages were transcribed by me, form the original (microfilm) in the Grantee/Grantor books located in the Department of Records, Boulder County, Boulder, Colorado.

The documents appear here in the order that they were entered into the Boulder County Record Books, Boulder County, Colorado Territory.

Grantee/Grantor Book A, Page 464. 

Known all men by these presents: That we C. W. Arbuthnot by his attorney in fact William Arbuthnot, Samuel Arbuthnot, and James Arbuthnot of the County of Boulder & Territory of Colorado have this day made constituted and appointed and by these presents do make constitute and appoint Thomas J. Graham and A. O. Patterson of the aforesaid territory our true and lawful attorneys for us and in our names to sell and make executive and deliver a good and sufficient deed. Sufficing to convey the following described property lying and being situated in the County of Boulder and in the Territory of Colorado and more particularly described as follows to wit: Nos One (1) Two (2) and Three (3) East on the John Lode Nos Three (30 Four (4) and Five (5) NE on the Snow Load. The Discovery on the John Lode, Nos Four (4) Five (5) and Six (6) SW on the Jefferson Lode. Nos Four (4) Five (5) and Six (6) on the SW on the Cider Lode. Nos Two (2) Three (3) and Five (5) North East on the Fanny Lode. The Discovery on the Jennie Lode and the West half of number eighteen (18) West on the Horsfall Lode all in the Gold Hill District. 

To such person or persons and such sum or sums of money as my said attorneys or either of them may think proper and generally to do all act or acts for us and in our names as our attorneys in fact the same as if we were personally present and acting for ourselves. Provided they the said Graham and Patterson or either of thus our said attorneys in fact shall sell the aforesaid property on or before the 11 ^th day of September AD1864 and further we hereby agree to satisfy and confirm all acts thus being the sale of the above described property which our said attorneys or either of them shall legally do in the premises. In testimony whereof we hereunto to set our hand and seal this 11^th day of May AD1864
Carson W. Arbuthnot by L. S.
his Attorney in fact William Arbuthnot
Samuel Arbuthnot L. S.
James Arbuthnot L. S.
Territory of Colorado, County of Boulder; on this 11^th day of May AD
[Can not read the final line of this page, it would have the signature of the County Recorder, R. Culver]


Grantee/Grantor Book A, Page 465

1864 Personally appeared before me Clerk of Boulder County duly qualified to take acknowledgements C. W. Arbuthnot by his attorney in fact William Arbuthnot and Samuel Arbuthnot and James Arbuthnot personally known to me to be the identical persons who subscribed the foregoing Power of Attorney and acknowledged the signing and sealing of the same to be this voluntary act and deed for the purposes therein set forth
Witness my hand and the seal of said County of Boulder hereunto affixed this 11th day of May AD1864
L. S.
Robert Culver, Clerk of Boulder County, Col. Ter.
Filed for Record May 11th 1864
R. Culver, Recorder


Know all men by these presents that I Carson W. Arbuthnot of the County of Boulder in the Territory of Colorado do hereby appoint and constitute William Arbuthnot of the same county my true and lawful Attorney to do and transact all business of any kind whatever to buy or sell to transfer and convey any property now owned by me or in any way belonging to me to collect any money due me and receipt for the same and I do hereby consent and agree that all the business which he the said William Arbuthnot may do for me shall be as binding upon one in all respects as though I myself had done it.
Witness my and seal this eighth day of December AD1863. ($T.Stroup)
Carson W. Arbuthnot L. S.
Territory of Colorado
Boulder County 


Be it known on the eighth day of December AD1863 appeared before me P. M. Housel a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Boulder C. W. Arbuthnot to me well known to be the identical person whose name is and scribed to the foregoing instrument and acknowledge that he signed the same for the intent and purposes as these set forth.
P. M. Housel J.P.    L. S.
Filed for Record May 11, 1864
R. Culver, Recorder

This was not in Boulder County, but not far away at the Gregory Diggings,
near Central City.  This etching is excellent showing a placer mine and panning.
It was published in the book,
Beyond the Mississippi, Albert D. Richardson, 1867

Related link:  More information on Rocky Mountain Joe.

Denver Land Office, 1868

In this photo, you can see the building (on the right side) where the Government Land Office was located in Denver, Colorado Territory in 1868.  This is where the miners came to get land for their homes.  Whether they homesteaded, paid cash, exchanged a military or college script, this is where they came along with their witnesses to back up their claims to the land.

David Bruce Powers supply train from Leavenworth in Denver, 1868.
Western History Collection, Denver Public Library

Click here for a map of the route that the Leavenworth Express Company took to get to Denver.  1859.

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