Urban Culture - Denver
History (brief):
Denver was founded in November 1858 as a gold mining town (Green Russel and Sam Bates; Little Dry Creek; 620 g gold) -> spring 1859: 100 000 gold seekers -> Pike's Peak Gold Rush
Denver grew rapidly, becoming the new county seat of Arapahoe County and eventually the state capital.
A rail line from Cheyenne to western Kansas was built which traveled through Denver -> new people
Cheyenne (upper left corner in Colorado state) and Kansas (at the vertical line of the right side of Kansas state)
The Panic of 1893 and home rule: financial panic.
- Several years of droughts and harsh winters -> bad for agriculture
- Over-expansion
- Stock prices declined, banks closed, businesses failed, farms ceased operation
- Union Pacific Railroad declared bankruptcy
- 1893: New Governor Davis Hanson Waite wanted to end corrupcy by removing police and fire commissioners (gambling and prostitution business) -> they refused -> demonstration in City Hall -> court -> they were dismissed
- 1897: New Mayor T. S. McMurray
- Home rule: the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens
- 1897: economical recovery
Early 20th century: improving infrastructure (rail and air travel, new roads)
Denver's economy:
- Before World War II: dependent (shipping of minerals and ranch products)
- During World War II: prime location for more federal activity, far from either coast
- After World War II: oil and gas companies; purchasers: energy companies and the federal government -> expansion
A short video of the history of Denver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd2rslGyX3Y
Sources:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080628172253/http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Falls/2000/index.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20130927133514/http://www.ellensplace.net/hcg_fac8.html