THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND MINERS’ WELFARE PIKES PEAK GOLD RUSH OF 1859
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The current mining and prospects of gold in the US, Colorado can be attributed to the initial boom experienced during the Gold Rush era, that occurred in the area mainly from 1859 until 1860s. The subsequent Gold Rush that happened a decade later, after the California incident was followed by an unprecedented increase of foreigners in the region, who came with the term “Pikes Peak or Bust,” in reference to the Front Range mountains that led most of the early prospectors to the area. The immigration of the prospectors in the area significantly influenced the area’s economy in many aspects. This article will analyze the welfare of the workers during this period and the impact it had on the region.
The northeastern Colorado Mountains held infinite amounts of gold and silver, and it was here that the first findings of those treasures were made1. While the fur trappers adequately used the animal wealth in the area, they were not interested, or did not know about the resources underground. Renowned mountain men initially reported their scant findings of trapped gold in various riverbanks. Lindsey points out, “it took almost 40 years later for the expeditions by William Gilpin in the Colorado northeastern creeks to identify the precious metal”. 2 In addition, as they transitioned back and forth from California; forty-niners mined the area with some success.
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1. Lindsey, David. “The Journal of an 1859 Pike’s Peak Gold Seeker, edited by David Lindsey, Winter, 1956.” (Lindsey, winter, 1956), 307.
2. Ibid., 309.
In 1853, Thomas Fitzpatrick also confirmed the findings of the sought out metal. Captain Marcy’s detachment members five years later started a search from Cherry Creek, the mineral form, yet it’s not until the 1858 summer that the Gold Rush officially started.
It is ironic that the natives or fur trappers wandering the region never discovered the precious metal, even though they were aware of its existence in the area did not discover the metal. Three expert placers from Georgia known as the Russell brothers were the first to find it. It was through their extensive searches of the Arkansas River to Dry Creek that led them to find the yellow glittering metal on 1858 July. Promoters from Missouri and Kansas initiated the Gold Rush period based on instigating the small findings of the Russell brothers and turned into the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush3.
Two significant figures during the Gold Rush period include William Green Russel from Georgia, not much about him is known, but it is undisputed that the roots of Denver can be traced back to him. He is one of the placers in Colorado that helped trigger the country into the third-gold rush due to their first-gold finding. Another Georgian, John Gregory is famous for finding a lode of gold in the nearby Colorado Mountains shortly after the initial Russell brothers finding.
Exactly a decade after the California gold rush, the latter event saw an increase in immigration activities in the region attributed to the Front Range Mountains that acted as a beacon for many of the pioneer placers and prospectors in the area. With the dramatic influx of foreigners in the area the prospectors gave rise to the first central white population in the region, leading to the establishment of many early towns examples include Boulder and Denver.
3. Ibid., 310.
The prospectors and placers mostly came to be referred to as the Forty-niners, referring to the period in which most of them left their homes for the expedition. Uniquely, these travelers were not entirely of American origin. Interestingly, the gold rush was an international event that brought prospectors from almost everywhere; for example, China, Turkey, France, Germany, Mexico, and others.
The main path and posts used included the California trails that catered for an approximate 250,000 of the farmers and fortune seekers to the fertile farmlands, and gold field of the 1840- 50s migrating mass, and golden state in the country’s history. As indicated by Smith “it was along the grand Missouri River that the general route begun and extended to other strategic places along the Sierra Nevada and California Oregon”. 3 The forty-niners and miners specific routes depended on their Missouri start of points and their ultimate California destination. The trail passed various posts in states like Idaho, California, Colorado, Utah, Kansas and others.
Economic Growth
The towns and mining posts developed during the rush. As a result, the immigration and the trade posts that were established in that; as people converged in the area for the gold, they set up necessary housing systems and as these grew due to the population influx, they reached town status. As the others moved in search of the elusive precious metal, others stayed and established a settlement and thus, the town and posts survived. However, not all of them survived; some became ghost towns as people moved.
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3. Smith, Duane A.. The trail of gold and silver mining in Colorado, 1859-2009 (Boulder, Colo.: University Press of Colorado, 2009), 174.
The trend was that the ones that arrived early could place a claim on the new lands, design some form of housing plan for the streets and the town then easily sell the property to the new arrivals. An example of such a pioneer is General William H. Larimer, he jump-claimed the Cherry Creek eastern side lands, designed a town and later renamed the place the city of Denver in hope of gaining political mileage. However, before the new Denver residence could properly settle in a new town, gold was again discovered in another new nearby mountain town known as Central City4. The town has remained as a significant region during this period.
A population boom started due to the gold rush. It directly led to increasing agricultural and commercial development in the state. These developments then sparked dramatic improvements in transportation, most significantly in the railroad sector. When a practical eastern U.S conduit was established by the transcontinental railroad, California agriculture became a dominant factor in the country. The railroad transportation later got established as the state’s main industry. Before the initiation of an active railway transport system and agriculture, the state had experienced a boom mainly due to an increase in food demand by the Gold Rush population.
Most of the prospectors who ventured into the business early made a lot of money. However, for the late comers, they often left the region or settled in with their dreams unfulfilled or shattered. The thought of instant riches as explained by Gower, “seemed useful for many people who ended up moving to the mines, but reality showed them a different picture of what was initially reported once they arrived”. 5
4. Gower, Calvin. “Kansas Historical Quarterly – The Pike’s Peak Gold Rush and the Smoky Hill Route.” – Kansas Historical Society 25, no. 2 (1958): 159.
5. Ibid., 161.
In addition, the chances of striking it rich were lessened by the fact that initial prospectors had devised better ways of getting the gold, leaving the venture only profitable to them as compared to the new arrivals.
Some of the issues affecting the miners as described by the National Park Services included the fact that they were immigrants this aspect left room for discrimination especially for the Mexican and Chinese the two largest groups. The unpredictable nature of nature and shifting rates of gold were other issues the miners had to handle. Lack of machinery to speed up the mining process was also another barrier to the process. This affected their finance since there was a monopoly. The economic strain affected the rates of the gold, making prices inflated, and this mostly affected the newcomers who could not manage costs. The work and unpredicted weather conditions affected their health; Security was also another issue, since the new terrain exposed the miners to many dangers. 6
The Western Ming history article showes that different towns established along the routes and thus, the famous term Boomtown was associated to them7. The term bust came because of those towns or post that eventually failed and became ghost towns. Over the approximated 30,000 foreigners that initially arrived from the gold search, only an approximate 4,000 succeed. Some sold and set up claims as opposed to mining for the commodity.
6. United States. National Park Service. “The New Empire of the Rockies: A History of Northeast Colorado.” (National Parks Service, Chapter 3), No. 16.
7. Free Software Foundation, “Western mining history: the Colorado gold rush”(Boston, MA: Author, 2002), 1.
Those that had succeeded wasted their money, while the unsuccessful continued to labor. In 1899, the discovery of gold in other places led to the end of the boom or bust town’s period as the miners’ shifted to the new places7.
Conclusion
It is clear that the gold rush events greatly contributed to the growth of California and the country as a whole. The initiatives for faster and better means of connecting transport also came about because of the gold rush. This resulted in faster growth of the railroad system. As the gold euphoria shifted, so did the state development, especially through agriculture and transportation systems designed for the moving population. Explore-old-West website claimed that “the event provided room for a perfect blend of ethnic mix in the west”8. In addition, the miners heightened the needs for railway and lumber ties. The gold rush helped ignite all the advances experienced in the West.
7.Explore-Old-West-Colorado.com “The Colorado gold rush: vast wealth discovered in the rocks”(Author, 2014).
8. Ibid.,
Bibliography
Calvin, Grower. “Kansas Historical Quarterly – The Pike’s Peak Gold Rush and the Smoky Hill Route.” – Kansas Historical Society. 25, no. 2 (1958): 158-170. http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-qy-hill-
David, Lindsay. “The Journal of an 1859 Pike’s Peak Gold Seeker, edited by David Lindsey, Winter, 1956.” http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1956/56_4_lindsey.htm
Duane, Smith A. The trail of gold and silver mining in Colorado, 1859-2009. Boulder, Colo.: University Press of Colorado, 2009. http://www.upcolorado.com/excerpts/9781607320111.pdfExplore-Old-West-Colorado.com. “The Colorado gold rush: vast wealth discovered in the rocks.” www.explore-old-west-colorado.com/colorado-gold-rush.html Free Software Foundation, “Western mining history: the Colorado gold rush”(Boston, MA: Author, 2002), 1.
United States. National Park Service. “The New Empire of the Rockies: A History of Northeast Colorado (Chapter 3).” National Parks Service. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/co/16/chap3.htm
