1864
–
Indians
attack supply wagon trains. Prices skyrocket. Nathan Hungate, his wife
and two daughters are
murdered
and their bodies mutilated by Indians. John Evans, territorial governor
organizes volunteers to
quell
Indian disturbances. Sand Creek massacre follows on Nov. 28, killing 500
Indians.
Camp
Rankin established on the Platte River in northeastern Colorado to protect
wagon travelers.
Congress
passes a bill making Colorado a state; Lincoln approves but the people
vote it down.
1865
–
Colorado
and Clear Creek Railroad Co. incorporated
1866
–
Colorado
and Clear Creek Railroad Co. name changed to Colorado Central and Pacific
Railroad Co.
More
than 300 buildings added in Denver this year. City population at about
4,000.
1867
–
Union
Pacific decides to cross the Rocky Mountains through Wyoming, bypassing
the rough mountain
terrain
of Berthoud Pass in Colorado to lay the ‘most track in the least amount
of time’.
Nov
19 – Denver Pacific Railway incorporated under the laws of Colorado by
the ‘Board of Trade’
established
for this undertaking.
Former
Governor Dr. John Evans and David H. Moffat propose to build the 106-mile
link between Denver
and
Cheyenne. Denverites subscribe to $300,000 in bonds, Arapahoe County votes
for $500,000 bond
issue.
General
F.M. Case starts surveying for the Denver Pacific line.
Colorado
Central and Pacific Railroad Co. name changed to Colorado Central Railroad
Company after it
became
clear the intercontinental railroad would bypass Colorado.
1868
–
Jan
1 – Ground breaking for Colorado Central at Golden.
March
11 – General Case completes the Denver Pacific survey from Denver to
Cheyenne.
May
18 – Grading work for the Denver Pacific starts at a point about one mile
north of Denver.
Union
Pacific agrees to lay Denver Pacific iron in exchange for $3.5 million
in Denver Pacific stock. (7/8 of
total
issue).
June
28 -Grading of the first 46 miles from Denver to the South Platte River
crossing is completed.
Generals
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan visit Denver, arriving by
stage.
Grading
starts on the Cheyenne end of the Denver Pacific line at a point 20 miles
south of Cheyenne at
Lone
Tree Creek.
September
19 – J. H. Banning, contractor for grading the north end of the DP line
stops grading process
‘until
he can get better protection from the Indians.’
First
Denver telegraph office opens, connected to Cheyenne and Santa
Fe.
Denver
sports gas street lights.
1869 -
January
3 - Crossing the South Platte River posed many problems. Construction of
a bridge there was
begun.
It will be 984 feet long.
March
3 – Congress authorizes Kansas Pacific to transfer its land grants between
Denver and Cheyenne to
Denver
Pacific in return for $800,000 in subsidy bonds to Kansas
Pacific.
March
6 – Bridge over the Platte River is completed.
Union
Pacific is pressed for cash to complete its main line and are unable to
carry out their agreement with
Denver
Pacific.
Denver
Pacific is $180,000 in debt with another $100,000 worth of grading to be
completed before rails
could
be laid. John Evans finds his project stranded.
May
10 – Union Pacific meets Central Pacific at Promontory Point,
Utah.
June
– Evans undertakes to finish the DP road himself. He received $3.5 million
in stock and $2.5 million
in
bonds issued against a land-grant mortgage, the Arapahoe County bonds,
and a small amount of cash.
Evans
turned to Kansas Pacific for help in providing the rails from Cheyenne
to Evans, Colorado and
reaches
an agreement. He is to retain control of the Denver Pacific for five years,
after which time, he is to
surrender
control to the Kansas Pacific.
September
11 – A turnout is laid at Cheyenne, connecting DP with UP
tracks.
September
12 – Work on the Denver Pacific line commences at Cheyenne.
October
4 – Denver Pacific rails enter Weld County, Colorado, the first rails to
enter from outside the
territory.
Ties
are secured at two locations: From the Cheyenne end, a site eleven miles
west of Laramie, known as
‘Wyoming’,
and from the southern end, floated down the Cache la Poudre River to Evans
from the vicinity
of
present-day Chambers Lake. The firm of Coe and Carter Contractors supplied
all the ties.
Sidings
and water tanks are constructed about every twenty miles between Cheyenne
and Evans. The first in
Colorado
south of Cheyenne is at Lone Tree (Carr), the second at Pierce, the third
at Evans.
October
– John Hughes & Company take over stage service from Wells, Fargo &
Co., who maintain their
express
services in the territory until 1875.
October
20 – Officers of the Denver Pacific predict the town of Evans will be ‘the
hub of the universe.’
Evans
already hosts five completed houses with five more under construction.
Lots there sell for $200-$400
and
antelope can be purchased for $1.
November
1 – DP reaches the site which is called Maynard Flats, but will later be
called Nunn, named in
honor
of a homesteader who flagged down a train to warn of a burning railroad
bridge up ahead.
November
5 – Union Pacific transfers rolling stock to a representative of the Denver
Pacific at Omaha. This
includes
36 cars and three locomotives.
November
8 – DP tracks reach Stage (named for brakeman Billy Stage) and Pierce,
where number-2 siding
is
installed.
November
11 – Rails reach the site which would later become the town of Ault. The
siding there was not
installed
until 1888, however.
November
15 – Union Pacific rails reach Cheyenne. Wells, Fargo runs daily stage
service from Denver to
Cheyenne.
DP tracks reach the site of Eatonton (Eaton.)
November
23 – The road reaches the present city limits of Greeley, running out of
rails 2,300 feet south of
the
Cache la Poudre. Work to reach Evans was delayed as rails destined for
the Denver Pacific were
rerouted
to Brigham Young’s railroad in Utah.
December
4 - Union Colony organized by Nathan Cook Meeker at Cooper Institute in
NYC.
December
7 – First commercial freight shipment on the Denver Pacific reaches Saloman
Brothers at the end
of
the track (future site of Greeley.)
December
9 – Needed rails finally arrive.
December
12 – The rails are laid to Evans, completing the northern portion of the
line.
John
Hughes & Company begin twice-daily stage service from Denver to the
rails at Evans.
December
17 – Denver Pacific passenger and freight service officially opens for
business at Evans.
1870
–
April
5 – Union Colony locating committee makes their final selection for a site
on the south bank of the
Cache
la Poudre.
April
20 – Union Colony Board of Trustees meeting suggests the town be named
‘Meeker’, which Mr.
Meeker
declines. It is then unanimously named ‘Greeley’.
May
– Fifty families reach their chosen destination by rail and establish the
Union Colony.
May
6 – Track-laying continues on the Denver Pacific Evans-Denver
portion.
May
9 – The first Denver Pacific locomotive (Engine #28) crosses the newly
completed bridge over the
South
Platte River at Evans.
May
11 – DP track reaches the site which will become LaSalle.
New
cars for the Denver Pacific arrive at Evans. They are the ‘latest and best
in railway construction.’ The
ladies’
car has green plush seats.
May
17 – DP tracks reach the future site of Peckham.
May
20 – DP tracks reach the site of Nantes (later Gilcrest after a lumber
dealer who laid out the town.)
May
23 – DP reaches future site of Houston.
May
24 – DP track reaches Vasquez (Three miles north of the reconstructed fort),
and Platteville.
June
1 – Four-week old Greeley contains 70 houses and 460 inhabitants. Most
homes are physically moved
there
from Evans.
June
2- DP reaches Lupton (Stage station.)
June
5 – Denver Pacific track is completed to Hughes Station (now
Brighton.)
June
15 – The first Denver Pacific train chugs into the Denver vicinity from
Cheyenne.
June
22 – Track-laying is completed on the Denver Pacific line.
June
23 – Denver Pacific line opens to traffic. Territorial Governor John Evans
and dignitaries drive a
tin-foil
covered iron ‘last spike’ as the specially prepared silver spike is late
in arriving from Georgetown.
(Seems
the men carrying the spike stopped off at Golden to quench their thirst
and had a bit too much.)
July
4 – 60 people leave Cheyenne on a special train for Greeley. Lemonade is
served to the visitors at
Island
Grove Park, the ‘most beautiful spot on the Cache la Poudre.’ Total attendance
is 1000, spoken to by
General
E. M. Lee in lieu of Horace Greeley.
August
– Kansas Pacific reaches Denver. (The Denver Pacific line gives the KP
a route to the West Coast.)
September
– Colorado Central’s 15.5 miles reaches Denver and joins with Denver
Pacific.
Denver
population just under 5,000.
October
12 - Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune visits the town named
after him.
November
16 – The Greeley Tribune, a weekly newspaper, established.
Nathan
C. Meeker of the Union Colony (Greeley) attempts to convince the Union
Pacific of agricultural
wealth
available in the area. Describes Greeley as having ‘about 350 buildings,
including 17 stores, 3
lumberyards,
3 blacksmith and wagon shops, and a newspaper.
December
6 – Construction train begins laying track at Hughes for the Boulder Valley
Railroad.
1871
–
Fort
Rankin closed as wagon trains dwindle with the availability of railroad
travel.
January
22 – Denver installs its first gas streetlights.
First
horse car line opens in Denver. Water mains and fire hydrants installed.
The ‘City Ditch’ provides
water
for green lawns and shade trees.
Union
Pacific supports extension of Colorado Central to gain mining business.
Julesburg Branch is started,
aimed
toward Greeley with intent of connecting to Longmont, Golden, Black Hawk
and Central City mining
districts.
1872
–
Spring
– Kansas Pacific purchases Denver Pacific.
1873
–
Kansas
Pacific defaults on first mortgage bonds.
1876
–
August
1 – President Grant proclaims Colorado the 38th state. Its designation,
‘The Centennial State’ is
originated
by Capt. R.W. Woodbury, editor of the Denver Times.
1877
-
Pioneer
Robe and Leather Tannery established in Greeley {Buffalo
robes.)
November
- Colorado Central extension from Longmont to Cheyenne
completed.
1878
–
April
2 – Denver Pacific goes into receivership.
1879
–
Ute
uprising: Nathan Meeker (White River Indian Agent) killed along with his
men; Meeker’s wife and
another
woman are kidnapped. In retaliation, the Indians are moved from their desirable
land on the western
slope
to barren lands in Utah.
February
– Colorado Central leased to Union Pacific for 50 years, name changed to
the Colorado Division
of
the Union Pacific Railroad Company.
Feb.
20 - Bell Telephone installs first exchange in Denver. 125
subscribers.
1880
–
Jan.
4 - Kansas Pacific purchased by Union Pacific. UP assets: $36,762,300;
Kansas Pacific assets:
$10,000,000;
Denver Pacific assets: $4,000,000 form the new Union Pacific Railway Company.
UP
indebtedness
now equals $126,818,046.
Denver
population at 35,629.
Colorado-Edison
Electric Light Company supplies electric lights to homes in
Denver.
Chinese
riots shake Denver when railroad workers determine they undercut labor
wages.
1881
–
Jan.
– Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific incorporated.
Denver
is voted the state capital, taking the title from Colorado City and Golden
which had been temporary
capitals.
Union
Pacific builds branch line from Julesburg to Denver, joining DP rails at
LaSalle.
Union
Pacific acquires Denver, South Park and Pacific.
Union
Station, Denver opens, replacing several small, individual train stations.
The building is proclaimed
the
largest single structure in the West.
1885
–
First
electric street lights in Denver are put into service (Third city in the
world to do so.)
Second
Colorado city to get electric light plant: Greeley
1886
–
Denver
Union Stockyards established. Construction started on State Capitol
Building.
1887
–
Cable
cars had replaced all but a few horse cars on Denver
streets.
1889
-
June
30 – 13 million of a total 19 million acres of land grant had been sold
for $31,325,294 with
$11,661,676
outstanding. Average price per acre was: Union Division-$2.54; Kansas Division
- $3.78;
Denver
Division - $4.26.
Electric
trolleys supplant cable cars in Denver.
1890
–
Elitch
Gardens amusement park opens in Denver.
Cog
Railway completed up Pike’s Peak
1891
–
State
Capitol Building completed. Brown Palace Hotel opens.
1892
–
Colorado
is the leading silver producer in the world.
1893
–
Women
get the vote in Colorado (second to Wyoming.)
1894
–
Electrical
short circuit at Union Station in Denver destroys the high wooden tower
that tops it off. Later
replaced
by a plainer, shorter style, later yet, removed.
1897
–
July
– In anticipation of upcoming foreclosure sale, Union Pacific Railway Company
renamed to Union
Pacific
Railroad Company.
Nov.
– Kuhn, Loeb syndicate purchases Union Pacific lying between Omaha and
Ogden for $58,448,223.
1898
–
April
1 – Denver Pacific returned to Union Pacific along with Kansas Pacific,
previously sold piecemeal by
the
reorganization committee.
John
Peckham builds a cheese factory at the site that will later bear his
name.
1900
–
Denver
population reaches 133,859.
Denver
spends $2 million on improvements including an efficient sewer system and
more than 23 miles of
paved
streets.
2000
–
Denver
Pacific grading still in use by the Union Pacific.
Denver Pacific locos included previously owned engines from the Union Pacific:
Engine
#28
Engine
#29 – Later named D.H. Moffat
Engine
#30 – Named Robert E. Carr (Listed as Engine #31 in one
source.)
Engine
#31- Named Walter S. Cheesman
(Still under research. If you have any information, please e-mail.)
DP Railway Stations in Colorado in 1879 (shown in miles from Denver):
2 Junction (of DP/Boulder Valley)
14
Henderson’s Island
20
Hughes
27
Fort Lupton
33
Johnson
36
Platteville
48
Evans
52
Greeley
67
Pierce
86
Carr
96
Summit
100
Cheyenne
Resources:
Union
Pacific Country by Robert G. Athearn, Rand McNally & Co.,
1971
The
First Five Years of the Railroad Era in Colorado, E.O. Davis, Sage Books,
Inc., 1948
Railroads
of Northern Colorado, Kenneth Jessen, Pruett Publishing Co.,
1982
Headlines
from History, Fifty Memorable Front Pages from the Rocky Mountain News,
Denver Publishing Company, April, 1984
Tracking
Ghost Railroads in Colorado by Robert M. Ormes, Century One Press,
1980
South
Platte Country by Dean Krakel
Wells
Fargo in Colorado Territory by W. Turrentine Jackson, Colorado Historical
Society, 1982
Weld
County Old & New, Carol Shwayder, Unicorn Ventures,
1983
A
History: Greeley and The Union Colony of Colorado, By David Boyd, A.M.,
The Greeley Tribune Press, 1890
The
History of The Union Pacific – America’s Great Transcontinental Railroad,
Cahill & Piade, Smithmark Publishers, 1996
Trails
of the Iron Horse, The Western Writers of American Doubleday & Co.,
1975
News
articles and out-of-print books provided courtesy of Greeley Municipal
Museums.