The Real Gold Rush ; Region Settled in Vain Pursuit of Big Riches
Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo. › November 24, 2008
Linked as:
Summary
"Pike's Peak or bust!"
In the late summer and fall of 1858, with the nation on the brink of financial ruin -- torn apart by internal strife -- these four words, painted on the sides of a thousand westbound wagons, came to symbolize the hope of a generation.See the full content of this document
Extract
The Real Gold Rush ; Region Settled in Vain Pursuit of Big Riches
Gold was struck along Cherry Creek to the north, and, riding a wave of desperate optimism, as many as 100,000 people crossed the "Great American Desert," scanning the endless horizon for the distant outline of the peak they believed held their salvation. Colorado had no name, and it was known by its most famous and easternmost mountain.
The would-be miners would learn that all that glitters is not gold, and by 1861 most had gone back home, headed farther west or joined the armies gathering War. some stayed and formed the outposts on the edge of civilization that...See the full content of this document
Sponsored links
