George Andrew Jackson made one of the most pivotal gold discoveries in Colorado history around today's Idaho Springs on January 7, 1859. He had made his way up from camp at today's Golden townsite, later became a Golden citizen, and suggested the town be named after Thomas L. Golden who was the only person he trusted with the secret of his discovery.
Today is the 150th anniversary of one of the great gold strikes in Colorado history, when George A. Jackson, having traveled from his camp at today's Golden townsite, journeyed up to the vicinity of today's Idaho Springs and made one of the pivotal discoveries that triggered the Colorado Gold Rush in 1859. Jackson had believed there was gold to be found here for some time, since he first came in the winter of 1858 to Arapahoe City and its sandbar gold deposits which must have washed down from a lode somewhere up in the mountains. He sought out the mother lode from which the daughter deposits came from, and not liking town life camped with others in the Golden valley to use as a base camp from which to hunt and prospect.
The journey to his discovery was recorded by Jackson in his diary. George West, later a close friend of Jackson, was the first to publish this diary, in 1884 while Jackson was still alive. The journal tells not only of Jackson's discovery but of the adventures and perils of frontier life around here 150 years ago today. The diary narrates, with my notes in parentheses:
Dec. 26, 1858. Tom. Golden, "Black Hawk" and I left camp to day for an elk hunt. Took the old Ute trail with cart and one yoke cattle. Went into Elk Park about seven miles S.W. from our old camp on Vasquez Fork. Snowing. Camped at spring in Quakenasp. (note: Elk Park is today's Bergen Park and Vasquez Fork is Clear Creek)
Dec. 27th. Still snowing. Tom hunted for our oxen - Black Hawk and myself for elk. I killed one old bull to-day. No good. Black Hawk killed a fine fat doe. Still snowing.
Dec. 28th. Snowing fast, accompanied by high wind. In camp all day.
Dec. 29th. Clear. All out hunting today. Tom down the creek. B. Hawk to the north and I to the two Blue Mountains 1 1/4 miles to the west. Tom killed two deer, Black Hawk one deer and two elk. I got into camp late at night. Saw about six hundred elk, killed five cows and one old bull.
Dec. 30. All off for the elk ground of yesterday. Tom and Black Hawk to bring in the meat and I to follow up the band of elk. Left Tom and Black Hawk butchering the kill of yesterday, and I took elk trail west, followed to the brow of the mountains looking down on Vasquez Fork, ran into about six hundred elk, killed one fat cow and camped.
Dec. 31. Jerked elk meat until noon with intention of going down mountain to Vasquez Fork. Packed my meat and blankets and started down over fallen timber and through snow four feet deep. Had a hell of a time before I reached the creek. Went into camp on creek at dark, dogs and I almost tired out. Made a big fire after supper and dried my clothing and blankets. Turned in about 12 o'clock and slept until daylight.
Jan. 1, 1859. Clear day. My supply of states grub short. Two pounds bread - 1/2 lb. coffee - 1/2 lb. salt, plenty meat for myself and dogs. So here goes for head of the creek. Told Tom I would be back in a week to our old camp above Table Mountains. Off. Good traveling most of the way. Killed a mountain lion to-day. Made about 8 miles and camped at Mineral Springs near mouth of Small Creek, coming in from the south. Snow all gone around the Springs. Killed fat sheep and camped under three cottonwood trees. 1000 sheep in sight to night. No scarcety of meat in future for myself and dogs. (note: Mineral Springs are today's resort at Idaho Springs)
Jan. 2. Drum and Kit woke me by low growls at daylight. Sheep all gone mountain lion within 20 steps, pulled my gun from under the blankets. Shot too quick. Broke his shoulder, but followed up and killed him. Clear. High wind and very cold. In camp all day. Built bough house and eat fat sheep all day. Bread all gone - plenty fat meat, "no want um bread."
Jan. 3. Still clear and very cold. Sun dogs. Sheep came down again; are very tame. Walk up to within one hundred yards of camp and stand and stamp at me and the dogs. Mountain lion killed one within three hundred yards of camp to-day and scattered the whole band again. Went up the main creek to another tributary coming from the south, a little larger than this one.
Jan. 4. Pleasant day. Made a long tramp to-day. Followed the main fork five miles; here the main creek forks, each one about the same width. Followed up the north fork about three miles. Cañons and plenty snow. Got back to camp after dark. Mountain lion stole all my meat to-day in camp. No supper to-night, damn him!
Jan. 5. Up before day. Killed fat sheep and wounded mountain lion before sunrise. Eat ribs for breakfast. Drank last of my coffee. After breakfast moved up half mile to next creek on south side. Made camp under big fir tree. Good ground here. Looks like it carries gold. Wind has blown snow off the rim, but gravel is hard frozen. Panned out two cups. No gold in either.
Jan. 6. Pleasant day. Built big fire on rim rock, to thaw the gravel. Kept it up all day. Carcajou came into camp to-day while I was at fire. Dogs killed him after I broke his back with belt axe. Hell of a fight. (note: carcajou is a wolverine)
Jan. 7. Clear day. Removed fire embers, and dug into rim on bed-rock. Panned out eight treaty cups of dirt and nothing but five colors. 9th cup I got one nugget coarse gold, and before night several other pieces not so large but all coarse gold. Feel good to-night. Dogs don't. Drum is lame all over. Sewed up gash in his leg to-night. Carcajou no good for dog.
Jan. 8. Pleasant day. Well, Tom old boy, I've got the diggins at last, but can't be back in a week. Dog's can't travel. Damn a carcajou. Dug and panned to-day until my belt knife was worn out. So I will have to quit or use my skinning knife. I have about 1/2 oz. gold. So will quit and try and get back in the spring.
Jan. 9. Filled up the hole with charcoal from the big fire and built a fire over it. Marked the big fir tree with belt-axe and knife thus - 76 STEPS WEST. G.A.J. Cut the top off of a small lodge pole pine on a line from fir to hole 76 steps from big fir tree in westerly direction. Am fixed now. Will be off down the creek to-morrow.
Jan. 10. Snowing like hell, high wind and cold. In camp all day. Drum can hardly walk around to-day.
Jan. 11. Cold. Not snowing. Still in camp. Doctoring my dog to-day, his leg has swollen until it is as large as my arm above my elbow. Carcajou no good.
Jackson's dogs did recover and he made it back to the Golden valley. There he made his choice of whom to tell the secret which men would kill for: "Tom Golden is the only man who knows I found gold on the head of the creek, and as his mouth is as tight as a No. 4 Beaver trap, I am not uneasy." Gold seekers had become discouraged after gold-laden placer sandbars proved finite, but Jackson's discovery helped confirm the faith of the miners and set the Colorado Gold Rush into full boom in 1859. Six months after his discovery Jackson would discover a new town being laid out by gold rushers upon his valley campsite, which he suggested be named after his partner and friend, Thomas L. Golden. A street was named for Jackson, who settled in town and became good friends with news editor West, a friendship that lasted even through the Civil War where they faced each other in battle. Jackson, who made other gold finds in Colorado, died near Blue Mountain, Utah in 1897.