A Brief History:

In early January of 1859, George Andrew Jackson, a native of Glasgow, Missouri, left his winter camp at the site of present-day Golden, Colorado to go on a hunting trip. While camped out on a sandbar where Chicago Creek flows into Clear Creek with his two faithful dogs, Kit and Drum, Jackson decided to pan some of the thawed gravel around his campfire. Using his drinking cup, he washed out gold nuggets with a value of around nine dollars. He headed back to Golden with the news of his discovery. In April 1859, he returned to Chicago Creek with a team of men and supplies. Proceeds in the first seven days were $1,900. Word spread quickly about his discovery of gold and prospectors rushed to the area to seek their fortunes. Small camps of tents and shacks sprang up through the narrow valley of what is now Idaho Springs. In June 1859, the mining district was formally organized, the first recorded in Colorado history. There were 400 people in the settlement.

The first placer discoveries were soon followed by discoveries of gold veins in the rocks of the canyon walls on both sides of Clear Creek, as well as throughout the surrounding region. Hard rock mining became the mainstay of the area long after the gold-bearing gravels were exhausted. Idaho Springs was the center of the regional mining district throughout the late 19th century. When non-essential mining was banned during World War II, most of the area mines were forced to close. The boom was over, but Idaho Springs continued as the county’s primary center of business and residence.