The Spirit of Adventure

History of Idaho Springs, Colorado - Article written by Ian Neligh

Waist-deep snow, brutal temperatures, back-breaking terrain, mountain lions and wolverines — the going was decidedly rough for George A. Jackson in early 1859.

The Missouri hunter, trapper and veteran prospector was following his wanderlust on a frigid morning in January when he decided to begin exploring without his hunting companions. He promised to meet up with them in a week and with his two dogs, Kit and Drum, he headed west. They traveled along what would become known as Clear Creek.

This was a bad time of year to do that, not to mention the many hazards that awaited those traveling through the Colorado Territory, but Jackson was up to the task and as rugged as the valley he plowed his way up. It was ultimately that tenacity and sense of adventure that would soon lead to the discovery of gold, the founding of Idaho Springs and the creation of a state.

On January 2, Jackson was awakened in the pre-dawn hours to the sound of his two dogs growling. Looking around the camp, he spotted a mountain lion creeping up on them.

“[I] pulled my gun from under the blankets. Shot too quick; broke his shoulder,” Jackson later wrote in his diary. Taking careful aim he fired a second shot, killing the lion. As the sun rose on that clear and chilly day he built a fire to warm himself and spotted a second mountain lion sneaking up on him which he also shot.

Jackson spent January 4 following the stream ten miles further west, then returned after dark to find that the supper he hunted previously was stolen by yet another mountain lion. Discouraged, he wrote, that he went to sleep with nothing to eat. The next day he continued west.

The land he traveled was largely new to the white European settlers, but was explored by the Spanish at least two hundred years before and long-inhabited by the Utes and Cheyenne. So it was no surprise when he came across what he thought was smoke from a Native American campfire. He crept towards it cautiously, crawled up an embankment and saw it was instead steam from a hot spring. The surrounding snow was melted, and the green vegetation drew a herd of bighorn sheep.

“Killed fat sheep and camped under three cottonwood trees. About 1,000 mountain sheep insight tonight; no scarcity of meat in future for myself and dogs. Good,” Jackson wrote. The next day Jackson inspected the area around his new campsite and thought the streams looked promising for gold.

“Good gravel here; it looks like it would carry gold. Wind has blown snow off the rim, but gravel is hard frozen. Panned out two cups; nothing but fine colors.” Jackson said.

He built a fire on the side of the stream to thaw the frozen gravel. While he was doing this a wolverine got into his camp, which resulted in a battle between it, Jackson, and his two dogs. With the wolverine finally dead, he was later free to dig in the thawed gravel. Jackson used his tin cup to “pan” through the dirt for gold. After nine cupfuls of dirt and rock, he discovered a gold nugget that he later had made into a ring for his wife. All the next day he continued his quest to dig for gold and after finding an ounce, he secretly marked the area and traveled back to meet up with his companions.

On January 14 he returned to his friends with his moccasins so worn he was nearly barefoot. He was excited about his find but careful, initially not to tell anyone but his friend Tom Golden.

“Tom is the only man who knows I found gold up the creek, and as his mouth is as tight as a No. 4 beaver trap, I am not uneasy.”

Jackson waited for spring, then on April 17 took a company of 22 miners, wagons and supplies back to the location where he discovered gold. It was difficult and often the men had to hack away at the wilderness or disassemble and reassemble wagons to get past obstacles. It was May before they arrived, but the hard work had been worth it. The group found $1 million in gold in today’s currency.

Not only was there gold, but enough to start a bonafide gold rush, then called Jackson’s Diggings. As many as 100,000 people hurried west that year to lay claim to a piece of the untold wealth hidden in the Rockies.

The hunt for gold evolved from panning to digging shafts along the streams, and into the mountains themselves. Drills, black powder, and dynamite were used. The epicenter for the Colorado Gold Rush grew up around the spot, becoming Sacramento City, then Idaho and finally Idaho Springs.