The beginnings of what became Denver are in this photograph--the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. The first edition of the recently-folded Rocky Mountain News identified located at "Cherry Creek, K.T."--short for Kansas Territory--in 1859. Where I was standing when I took the photograph last month was where the settlement Auraria had been founded the year before. Denver City, later shortened to Denver, was founded on the opposite side of the creek.
The towns sprang up in response to the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, settlers at that time were dubbed "the 59ers."
Kansas became a state in 1861, Denver and far-western Kansas Territory became part of the new Colorado Territory. On the left, the west side of the South Platte, is Confluence Park and a massive REI store.
I took this photograph about 15 minutes before sunset.
Next: South Platte River
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