A Glance at the Past 1847-1899: The Cornerstone of Mines

摘要

Colorado Territory was a raw mining frontier in 1869, seven years away from statehood, when Episcopal missionary George M. Randall helped lay the cornerstone of the first building on the site that would later become the Colorado School of Mines. Randall, who came to the Colorado Territory from Boston in 1866, had originally planned to build a divinity school in the region. Several prominent citizens of Golden, including Edward L. Berthoud, W.A.H. Loveland, Charles C. Welch and George West were instrumental in building a collegiate institution in the community. From the beginning, Golden City's growth was inextricably related to minerals and the mining industry. Located on Clear Creek, the town was in the heart of the 1859 gold rush district with close proximity to prospectors mining near Golden Gate, Apex and Mount Vernon Canyons.