1 HEV^IwHlffij}] §J % A i x ill J M Mm \i Vi f ,|„C01t ■HflHBSHHIIHSI STATE CAPITOL BUILDING, DEN V E R, CO LOR ADO. * RES. SENATOR N.P.HILL fourte J.W.BAILEY, RES. COR. GRANT & CAPITOL AVES. RES. J.T PANORAMA VIEW OF D 3RANT & COLFAX AVES ER FROM CAPITOL HILL l_Jl I 1 1 < I II. 1 H I U I III 01 1 III I HI III 1 HI II If ii!inaniiTia]ii^iTi|iirmTimin*fl: nrlHSiTiiTiiTflfriflra t ti ri TiTii-ntrnfni niTHTiirni ni n l< TI Ti Ti; Til TUmil HIT ti III TlliTII Til IT i ninriiTiiiiiTiiiTi HOTEL METRO POLE. Broadway. ST. J AMES HOTEL, CURTIS ST CLAYTON BLOCK. 15 TH ST. ST. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL episcopal UNITARIAN CHURCH ST. PAULS M E. CHURCH, evan's chapel. ■\ fe •> ^ntr^ jp| TyT s teL± ¥ flffi "wKTs' • pi UaL 1 fW\ If; ^rn^^^f-^, 1 «H^^P<4iuiLi \ ■ pr^SHf^BB Wr -^^H Uu..:; !^~^==^^^ LOTHROP BLOCK. COR. LAWRENCE AND 18 ST. UNIVERSITY OF DENVER RES. J. A FLEMING Broadway hs, ^k RES C.B.KOUNTZE grant av« RES DAVID H MOFFAT LINCOLN AVE BROADWAY DRIVE NEW BARTH BLOCK cor. sixteenth and stout st TABOR OPERA HOUSE MC MANN BLOCK CITY HALL. ST OFFICE KEENER BLOCK HENRY LEE BLOCK EVANS BLOCK, larimer st. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE m irt i tad 1 1 WINDSOR HOTEL VIEW ON SIXTEENTH STREET. DENVER, COLORADO POPULATION, 82,000. Published and Copyrighted, 1887, by Ward Bbos., Dealers in View Albums of all American Cities, Columbus, Ohio. THE capital and principal city of Colorado, the seat of Arapahoe County, lies at an altitude of 5,197 near the western border of the plains, and within twelve miles of the mountains, the front range of which may be seen for a distance of two hundred miles. Where, in 1858, there were only a few log cabins, tents and wagons to shelter about a hundred people, are now many thousands ol tine buildings, many of which have oosl from - was $23,717,340, of which $4,447,077 was gold, $14,083,190 silver, $5,143,566 lead, and $43,507 copper. Gold milling ia now more actively prosecuted than for many years, and the outlook for a heavier gold product in future years is one of the hrightest features of the mining industry of Colorado. Of silver mines, it is sufficient to say it is to her inexhaustable deposits of that predotU metal that Colorado owes her supremacy among the Rocky Mountain Hi Coal mining has advanced in ('(dorado with prodigious strides, and compare favorably with the rifting Of the Other industries of the State. All varieties of coal are found in the State, along railway lines centering in the city. The total output for the year 1886 was 1,436,211 tons. nsive discoveries are being made yearly in the iron mines of the State ; the mountains are full of iron ore, and the western counties are especially prolific of iron deposits. The second great source of revenue to Denver is the cattle and sheep of the State. The worthless looking buffalo gra&S, growing in little tufts, so scattered that the dust shows itself everywhere Let ween, has proved olorado's most prolific avenues of wealth. The herds now reported in the state are estimated at 1,600,000 head. The wool clip of the state for 1886 was estimated at a little less than 8,000,000 pounds. The third large Item incident to its prosperity is agriculture. Its success In Colorado la due to the fact that the farmers on the plains put water on their crops at pleasure, by means of canals, into which the wa- ter is turned from its natural bed at high points near the mountains. Farming is, therefore, routined to the valleys of the streams and the uplands contiguous to them, while the intermediate country lying between the rivers is good only for grazing, owing to the lack of water. The progress of irrigation in Colorado within the last five years has been very rapid, large corporations have constructed irrigating canals, looking for their remuneration in the sale of water. The soil of Color- ado, when thus watered, Is exceedingly fertile, and the product per acre in certain crops is very large. Wheat sometimes yields as high as forty bushels per sere, and is of exceptionally line quality. Pota- toes aro very -m-i -essfuiiy grown, Vegetables grow to an enormous si/c, and are of a superior quality. Small fruits are very BUCCeSSfully grown, hut as yet fruit raising is in its infancy. One of the most profitable crops thai can he grown in Colorado is alfalfa. It Is almost eqaal to corn la fattening qualities, and cattle can be ready for market in the spring by feeding them on alfalfa during the winter. From three to four crops can hecui • me ground, the aggregate yield being from four to six. tons per The manufacturing interests oi Denver arc still in their infamy. As In all Qi ire the 3 last to be developed. Therefore nearly fifteen years passed after the first settlement in Denver before man- ufacturing, other than jobbing and general repairing, received much attention. The pioneer manufacturer was the miller, with his small plant to grind Colorado wheat into flour; then a harness shop, a wagon shop, a planing mill, a foundry and machine shop. In 1874 was built a tannery, a year later a collar and whip factory, a broom factory, a cracker bakery, a brewery, &c. It has been estimated that the combined output of Denver factories for the year 1875 would not exceed $500,000. Statistics for the year 1886 show the value of manufactured product to be upwards of $24,000,000. a phenominal increase in the short period of eleven years. The largest manufacturers here are, of course, the smelters, among which the Boston & Colorado Smelt ing Company's works at Argo are the largest, and merit a short description here : This company was organized in 1867 by Prof. N. P. Hill, who still continues to be the general manager, The first furnace was erected in Black Hawk, Gilpin county, in 1867, at B time when the mining industry in Colorado was almost abandoned for the want of suitable facilities for treating the refractory ores. All the methods for working these ores, which had been tried hitherto, had proved to bo failures. The erection and successful operation of these works gave a great impetus to the business of mining, which has steadily in- . creased to the present time, and also led to the building of other metallurgical establishments in different parts of the State. The works at Black Hawk were abandoned in 1878, and a new establishment was erected at Argo, two miles from Denver. There are now employed in these works forty-one smelting and calcining furnaces, and the buildings, which cover four acres of ground, present a substantial appearance, being constructed mainly of iron and stone. An important feature of these works is the refining department. The process by which the gold, silver and copper are separated and purified, is the most interesting one that can be witnessed anywhere. The silver is sent from the works in a state of absolute purity. The gold is reduced to the fineness of gold coin, and the copper is put in a condition to make alloys, such as brass, yellow metal, etc. Another institution that takes first rank among its kind may be mentioned The Tabor Investment Com- _ pany, with the offices in the Tabor Grand Opera House building. It was organized in January, 1885. by Hon. H. A. W. Tabor, Capt. T. L. Wiswall, Peter McCourt, and Prof. L. Seaman. It has branch offices and agents in all the principal money centers of the world. They purchase and sell mines, cattle ranches, land grants, and all extensive property interests, seeking capital on a large scale. No property is too large to handle, and many of their deals amount to millions of dollars. They handle nothing but what is first-class ami will hoar the closest Inspection. They can, owing to their high standing and known Integrity, procure mines from owners on bond and otherwise, where other parties would meet with refusal. They hare the confidence of leading capitalists, so that they can And* market where others cannot. The company guarantees its offerings, and never makes a sale where dividends on good management does doI result, its President, ex-Governor ami Senator Tabor, made an immense fortune in Leadvift i made i>y any man. He is correctly known as the greatesl mining judge and Operator in Colorado, and his opinion is sought on all occasions in mining atl'airs. Mine owners seeking capital, and capitalists Lng property, can not do better than entrust their business in the hands of this reliable and mighty company. No city in the I'nion offers greater Inducement bO manufacturers to locate, than Denver. Many impor- tant branches are represented. To-day may be found good openings for paper mills, stove foundries, tan- neries, glue factories, shoe factories, wagon, carriage, implement and tool works. Almost within the limits of the city are found sand, soda and other necessary materials in ureal abundance and of the besl quality for the manufacture of glass. In the mountains hard by, are found the best oi iron or.' with abundance of coal and wood awaiting the much-needed blast furnace, which would at once have a large patron Denver is built, not only with the capital of her own citizens, but constructed of materials close at band. Very substantia] hrick, kilned in the suburbs, an; the favorite materials. A pinkish trachite, ring- ing under a blow with a metallic sound, is largely used in trimmings. Sandstone, marble and limestone are abundant enough for all needs. Citizens of Denver point with pride to the Presbyterian Church, King Block, Union Depot and Windsor Hotel as examples of what has been done and what can he done with the building stone of Colorado. Coarse lumber is supplied by the high ] . hut all the hard wood and tine lumber la brought from the Bast, The fuel was formerly wholly lignite coal, but the extension oi the railway to Canon City, El lioro and the (iunnison, has made the harder variety accessible and cheap. Denver Is justly proud oi her school buildings, constructed and managed upon the most improved plans; and the superiority Of he;- school system over that of any other city in the West, ll largely due to tl that the administration of educational affairs has been carefully held out of politics, and the boards of direo- kors are Invariably Chosen from a class known to he thoroughly devoted to the cau>e, and Willing to faith- fully discharge the duties entrusted to them. The Public Schools number about twenty-one, with a total valuation of over in addiUon to the Public - \er has a 01 which rank well with their classes in other cities ; among the latter may he mentioned ttv iver- nd Wolfe Hall. In proportion to population, Denver is perhaps as well supplied with churches as any city in the Union. Some of the church edifices are large and costly and imposing in architectural appearance. During 1883 seventeen churches were erected and there are now (1887) about sixty-two, approximately valued at about 81,000,000. By the rapid multiplication of iron thoroughfares, Denver has become the center of thirteen distinct lines of railway. The first road, 160 miles northward to Cheyenne, was completed in June, 1870. Since then railway building has been almost continuous, until now Denver is connected by four standard-gauge lines with the East, and three (two standard and one narrow-gauge) with the Pacific Coast as well as with all the prominent towns on the plains and in the mountains of her own state. Denver is the headquarters of all the roads in the state and many of the Eastern trunk lines have their representatives here. In every respect the situation in Real Estate is an improvement upon what it was a year ago ; sales are more numerous, the demand is larger, and business is more extensive. During the year 1885 real estate sales amounted to over §11,000,000. Rents are now on a par with other live and growing cities. It is now possible for manufacturing operatives to live here, which fact is giving great impetus to small manufactur- ing, and in turn is creating a new demand for low-cost dwellings. The fashion n ( ow is for every man to own his own home, however humble, and Denver is fast rivaling Philadelphia as a city of homes. Each succeeding year makes a stride forward in the character and value of Denver buildings, and the city has now fronts aDd residences which will compare favorably with those of any city in the Union. Among the most prominent may be mentioned the Union Depot, built of large stone, is 503 feet in length and 65 feet in width, and the center surmounted by a tower 108 feet high. The cost was about $450 ,000. The Tabor Grand Opera House, a five-story structure of stone and pressed brick, 200 feet long and 125 feet wide, and cost about §700,000, is said to be the most elegant and beautiful theatre in the United States. The County Court House was completed at a cost of $300,000. The City Hall, an imposing edifice of stone, situated on the right bank of Cherry Creek, cost $200,000. The Windsor Hotel, corner 18th and Larimer, $250,000. The foundations have been laid for the United States Custom House and Post-Office building, which will be a handsome structure, and cost in the neigh- borhood of 1,000,600. The Colorado State Capitol will be 295 feet long, 192 feet deep at the centre of the building, and 326 feet high, surmounted by a statue of Colorado. ^ Tastes and needs so widely differ that almost any spot in the numerous parks, valleys and canons of the State may be truly termed somebody's favorite resort. At the head of fashionable haunts stands Manitou Springs, a beautifully located village at the fool of Pike's Peak, six milee wesl of Colorado Sprinj oonnected sritb Denver by means ol the i>. A R. <;. U'y. Idaho Springs, on the Colorado Central narrow- gauge division, La reached by a ride through the famous Clear Creek Canon, it Is thirty-eight mil Denver. Estes Park, eighty-live miles northwest of Denver, via Union Pacific to Longmont, thence by ^ht hours ride, is pronounosd t he most beautiful of Rocky Mountain Parks, it lies at the very base of Long's Peak, is about ten miles square, and 8,000 feet above sea level. Middle Park lies In Q heart of the Rockies, one hundred miles west of Denver, al an altitude of it Is ninety by one hundred miles in extent. Denver society Is cosmopolitan. Five hundred people a day, it Is said, enter Colorado, and nine-tenths of this multitude pass through Denver. Nmv-a-days, " the tour" of the United states is Incomplete If this mountain city Is omitted. Tims the of her hotels hear many foreign autographs Of world-wide reputation. Surprise is often expressed by the critical among these visitors at the totally unexpected degree of Intelligence and appreciation of the lined methods of thought and handiwork that greet them here. And, withal, there is a most charming freedom of acquaintance and Intercourse, free from all chill and exelusiveness, or regard for * Who was your grandfather?" Set this good fellowship by no means d« - algarity, or permits itself to bo abused. After all, it is only New York, New England and Ohio transplanted and considerably enlivened and truly deserves its title to being " The Queen City of the W( * *5fc T *>~ T ** ; ** T #& T ** ' £& t #fc T * #$? • *