Colorado Central Railroad

The object of this road is railway communication between Denver and the mountain towns and cities of Colorado. It was completed to Golden City in September, 1870, which event was duly celebrated by the citizens of Denver, Golden City, and Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. Its completion thus far has already largely benefitted not only the rich agricultural and coal mining region it traverses, but the gold and silver mining districts in the mountains. This is the first railway to reach the foot-hills in Colorado, and may be the first to penetrate these and climb the mountain ranges beyond. 'Careful surveys have already defined the line of this road through the foothills and along spurs of the range to Georgetown, and have established, beyond question, the fact that our mountain cities and mining districts can and will have railroad facilities. It is, perhaps, needless to add that the mining interests of the Territory have already received a fresh impetus from the success of this enterprise, and that their future prosperity will be largely enhanced by the means of cheap and rapid transportation for freight and passengers, which this road will afford, when completed, to the mining districts.

The initial steps toward the formation of a company to construct and stock the Colorado Central were taken by W. A. H. Loveland, of Golden City, who is one of the present directors, and has always been an active and able friend of the enterprise. In his untiring efforts in pushing forward the work he has been ably aided by T. J. Carter, Esq., also of Golden City, the president of the road. These gentlemen have been promptly assisted by other capitalists, and have displayed commendable energy and business capacity in the management of the company's affairs ; and have not only made rapid progress in constructing the road, but have made it first-class in every way.

The work of completing the road to the mining districts is being pushed forward with much energy, and in a short time miners of Gilpin and Clear Creek counties will have railroad transportation for their ores to the base of the mountains.

The officers who have immediate charge of the business of the Colorado Central railroad are:

T. J. Carter, President;
J. B. Shepherd, General Freight and Ticket Agent.

The Denver and Rio Grande Railway Company has been organized, with General W J Palmer, of Denver, as president, and has issued stock to the amount of one million dollars, for the construction of the first 80 miles of road, and work is progressing rapidly. One hundred thousand dollars of the stock was taken in Colorado; two hundred thousand in other parts of the United States, and seven hundred thousand in Europe. The first 80 miles of this road will be completed during the summer of 1871, and the balance as soon thereafter as possible.

The company expects the countries, through which their road will pass, to aid them in securing the necessary funds required to complete it, by voting bonds for that purpose. This should be done liberally, as the road will develop the country and enhance the value of all kinds of property along its line. The route of this road, in Colorado, is through the richest agricultural and grazing districts, and sufficiently near the mountains and foot-hills to benefit the gold, silver and coal mining regions.

The well-known energy and business ability of the president of the company make the success of this enterprise a certainty, and ensure Colorado a continuous line of railroad from the northern to the southern borders.

Rocky Mountain Directory & Colorado Gazetteer

Source: Rocky Mountain Directory and Colorado Gazetteer, 1871, S. S. Wallihan & Company, Compilers and Publishers, Denver, 1870.