Webmaster's Note: Due to a Y2K error our website has reset itself back to the year 1900.
We are terribly embarrassed.  It may take a month or so to get these problems corrected, so until then please bear with us and become accustomed to how our front page looked at the turn of the 20th century.  If you like, please take this opportunity to educate yourself on what was going on in Golden during the year 1900.
Thank you for your understanding!
 

Golden Landmarks Association will be a charitable organization of citizens interested in preserving history, education and entertainments.  Organization membership will be open to anyone expressing an interest in learning more about the history of the Golden valley or sharing their own personal knowledge with others.  Participation at any level will be encouraged.  If you have work to share, artifacts to exhibit, or wish to attend a history lecture or class, Golden Landmarks Association will be a worthwhile and industrious way to explore your historical interests.
 

DISASTROUS FIRE
An historic Golden industry wiped out by the Fire Fiend.

The plant pictured above, at the northeast corner of Illinois St. one block north of Clear Creek, was destroyed when a fire broke out in the engine room at 4 o'clock in the morning of November 2, 1900.  With the smoke vanished one of Golden's great industries, which has served western America for nearly four decades.  The Golden Paper Mills were the first and only paper-producing manufactory west of Missouri and was depended on by customers in many state and territories.  It was originally built by John J. Bush of Rochester, New York in 1867, finally becoming operational in 1868 after an Indian attack destroyed the train carrying its first set of paper making machinery.  It opened under the able management of superintendent Robert Chapin of Canandalgua, New York, and at the time the Denver Times crowed "Colorado, New Mexico and Arizonia can thenceforth be supplied with all the printing paper and wrapping paper they want, at ‘christian prices.’"  In 1869 the plant was joined by Reuben Wells, the onetime assistant bookkeeper to a plow manufacturer named John Deere, who converted the plant into a money-making proposition and bought it in 1880.  Eight years later, he was joined in the operation by the accomplished businessman, Mr. Charles D. Peppard.  Throughout its existence the Golden Paper Mills have never used wood pulp, but discarded rags and straw in the manufacture of white, brown and wrapping paper.  Hopefully the loss of this valued landmark shall not long diminish Golden's reputation as the "Lowell of the West."
 

Landmarks presently mourns the death of one of our esteemed young men and pioneer citizens, Capt. William C. Rooney, killed in the line of duty at the state penitentiary at Cañon City on January 22, 1900.  A group of four inmates known as the "Boiler Gang" made good an attempt at liberty, in the process committing the dastardly murder of young Rooney, night captain of the guard at the penitentiary.  The Transcript reports that when confronted Rooney refused to give up the keys to the prison doors, as they were found on his person after he was discovered dead, caused by six stab wounds.  Rooney was the son of our old pioneer citizens, the family of Alexander Rooney of their ranch south of Golden, and was a graduate of Denver High School in 1890, a  young gentleman of excellent character.
 

A man by the name of Corn was recently married to a lady named Wheat.  At the conclusion of the ceremony the choir sang "What Shall the Harvest Be?" and a boy in the rear of the church sang out "Nubbins."  He was forthwith ejected from the church.  - Colorado Transcript 3/7/1900.
 

Mr. George West asks for our assistance in an important matter in the Jun. 20, 1900 issue of the Transcript.  While it is commonly known that Cemetery Hill in north Golden was an early municipal cemetery, he writed Golden's very first burial ground actually was on the rising ground south of the Boys Reform School west of the South Golden Road.  He writes that John Carter, son of Judge Eli Carter who was accidentally shot by James B.C. Boyd in 1860 is buried there, as well as an infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Potts.  The reason West writes this is to inquire if anyone knows of the names of the five or six others buried there.  No record of the burials can be found, and West will consider it a personal favor if anyone with knowledge of who is buried there may contact his office, east side of Washington Ave., 1 block south of Clear Creek.
 

Old man Wortham always was a contrary cuss, and we are not surprised that he refused to stay dead even after being so declared in THE TRANSCRIPT, and now we hope he will stick to it and come out all right.  Before going to press last week our reporter was informed that he had passed away by not less than three reputable gentlemen, but as stated above, he declined to stay dead, and we hope he has many years more of usefulness before him.  In our notice we refrained from saying anything very nice about him, fearing this very contingency that now confronts us, in which case we would be compelled to take it all back.  With the Globe we certainly hope he will live to prove up on his homestead, as that paper can illy afford to lose its five dollars. - Colorado Transcript 6/6/1900.
 
Most of the historic illustrations and much material on this front page are courtesy of:
 

The purposes of Golden Landmarks Association shall be to encourage conservation and preservation of both natural and human-made features, structures and artifacts of historical significance in and around Golden; to encourage the study and documentation of Golden's rich history and traditions; to increase public awareness of Golden's heritage through various educational projects; and to oversee the curation of the organization's collections of artifacts, photographs, textiles and ephermera.