 A Publication of Historic Georgetown, Inc. Volume XXXVI, No. 1 Summer 2005 |
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A Publication of Historic Georgetown, Inc. Volume XXXVI, No. 1 Summer 2005 |
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ROOTIN'
& TOOTIN', THEN & NOW
Cheering on the Georgetown Train |
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By Bill Wilson "Toot! Toot!!" trumpeted the headline in the Georgetown Courier on August 2, 1877. "Loveland's Promise Fulfilled. The Passenger Train Arrives at the City Limits August First," continued the subheadlines. It was indeed an exciting time, a time for celebration. Just as we recently celebrated "Railroad and Mining Days" to mark the resumption of the operation of the Georgetown Loop, this year with a new contractor, so did Georgetown hold a jubilee in honor of the very first arrival of the train to town. Thus it seems appropriate at this time to recount the events surrounding that momentous occasion 128 years ago. The residents of Georgetown were full of anticipation and activity during the spring and early summer of 1877. Since February 1873 - for four long years - the terminus of the Colorado Central tracks had been at the foot of Floyd Hill, five miles east of Idaho Springs. The Panic of 1873 had brought to a halt the planned extension of the railroad. But in June 1877 the tracks were marching up the valley. By June 14 they had reached Idaho Springs, and, judging from the headline, President W.A.H. Loveland had promised Georgetown that the tracks would be there by Colorado Day, August 1, the first anniversary of statehood. But there was work to be done in town and precious little time. A site
for a depot needed to be picked, the land purchased, and the building
constructed. Money needed to be raised. A Citizens' Finance Committee,
headed by General Francis Marshall (of Marshall Tunnel fame), made the
arrangements and sought the necessary funds. On May 26, the Colorado
Miner noted that at its meeting "the finance committee reported
the sum of $3,100 subscribed for the purchase of grounds. Hon. W. A.
Hamill then guaranteed the further sum of $632.50, and the meeting raised
a like amount. The committee should raise about $1,000 more, however,
to make everything O.K., and we presume it will not be a difficult task."
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Construction of the brick depot began shortly thereafter. On July 19 the Courier reported that "the depot building is well under way and will probably be ready when wanted." Also in mid-July, the Georgetown Fire Department announced that on August 14 a grand Railroad Celebration and Firemen's Tournament would be held in conjunction with the "First Annual Reunion of the Firemen's State Association." Two grand trials for the state championship would be included, one for Hook and Ladder companies and one for Hose companies. In addition, the local fire department offered to sponsor a "straight away race of 700 feet" on Alpine Street; each team of 11 firemen would pull a hose cart with 250 feet of hose. James M. Daily, Esq., proprietor of the Georgetown Iron Works and Machine Shop, offered a special prize of a "finely mounted brass cannon of his own workmanship" for the best time in the straightaway. Teams from Georgetown, Denver, Central City, Pueblo, Golden, Boulder, and Idaho Springs would compete in the races. But as August approached, the newspapers expressed concern whether all would be ready. In a refrain familiar to us today, the Courier noted that "This is another of those occasions that requires of our citizens a short pull, a hard pull, and a pull all together. It will count in dollars and cents more than will be put into it, for the more liberal the arrangements the larger will be the crowd." High water had slowed progress with the tracks as workers prepared the final stretch of railroad grade. The Courier was somewhat cautious: "If the three bridges and approaches are completed by the time the track reaches town it will be good work." |
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