Auraria was a small mining settlement in the
Kansas Territory in the
United States. Today it survives in its original location as a neighborhood of
Denver, Colorado, south of the confluence of
Cherry Creek and the
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West. It ...
.
Geography
Auraria is located in central Denver. It is just west of
downtown Denver and is shaped roughly like a triangle. It borders
Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue is the main street that runs east–west through the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado. As U.S. Highway 40, it was one of two principal highways serving Denver before the Interstate Highway System was constructed. In the local ...
on the south,
Cherry Creek to the northeast, and
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West. It ...
to the northwest.
History
On October 3, 1858, a group of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
prospectors
Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis (followed by exploration) of a territory. It is the search for minerals, fossils, precious metals, or mineral specimens. It is also known as fossicking.
Traditionally prospecting reli ...
led by
Green Russell establish the townsite of Auraria south of
Cherry Creek near the Cherry Creek Diggings, over a month before a group of
Kansas Territory speculators
In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable shortly. (It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline in value.)
Many s ...
led by
William Larimer
William Larimer Jr. (October 24, 1809 – May 16, 1875) was a Kansas state senator, American settler, and land developer who is best known as the founder of Denver, Colorado, in 1858. Larimer often went by "General Larimer", having acquired the ...
established the rival
Denver City on the other side of Cherry Creek.
Henry Allen, a surveyor, laid the town platte and was Auraria town company's first president.
The town was named for the
gold mining settlement of
Auraria, Georgia
Auraria is a ghost town in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, southwest of Dahlonega. Its name derives from ''aurum'', the Latin word for ''gold''. In its early days, it was also known variously as Dean, Deans, Nuckollsville, and Scuffle Tow ...
. On October 29, Charles H. Blake and A.J. Williams opened a mercantile business out of wagons in Auraria.
Henry Allen was the first postmaster of Auraria.
On January 18, 1859, the first
post office in the future State of Colorado opened in Auraria. On, April 15, 1859, ten delegates from six communities in the
Pike's Peak Country
Pike's Peak Country was the name given to the gold mining region of the western United States near Pikes Peak during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858–1861. The Pike's Peak Country included the region of western Kansas Territory roughly west of ...
met in convention at
Dick Wooton’s store in Auraria to pass resolutions to organize a
Provisional State of Jefferson. On April 23,
published the first edition of the
Rocky Mountain News, the Rocky Mountain region's first newspaper, at Auraria. At an election on September 24, voters rejected the proposed state, but on October 24, voters approved the establishment of the
Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson
The Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized United States territory that existed from October 24, 1859 until the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861. The Jefferson Territory, named for Founding Father and U ...
.
Auraria ceased to exist as a separate town on December 3, 1859, when the
Jefferson Territory
The Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized United States territory that existed from October 24, 1859 until the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861. The Jefferson Territory, named for Founding Father and U ...
granted a charter to the consolidated
City of Denver, Auraria, and Highland
The History of Denver details the history of the City and County of Denver, Colorado, the United States from its founding in 1858 to modern-day. Located on the banks of the South Platte River close to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Denver ...
, which would come to be known as just
Denver City, the territorial capital and seat of
Arrappahoe County. The Jefferson Territory was itself superseded on February 28, 1861, when
U.S. President James Buchanan signed
An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado.
Auraria suffered a devastating flood on May 19, 1864. In response, many businesses left the neighborhood for Denver proper. Some speculate that Auraria never truly recovered from this event.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Auraria became the focal point for urban renewal in Denver. It was decided that the neighborhood would be converted to a campus to house the
University of Colorado Denver,
Metropolitan State University
Metropolitan State University (Metro State) is a public university in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. , and the
Community College of Denver
Community College of Denver (CCD) is a public community college in Denver, Colorado. The main campus is at Auraria Campus and it has two other locations in the Denver metropolitan area. CCD focuses on underserved, first-generation, and minority ...
. Demolition of old Auraria began on March 10, 1973. A few buildings from old Auraria are still standing today.
The name "Auraria" survives in Denver as the neighborhood along the west bank of Cherry Creek to the east bank of the
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West. It ...
, bordered on the south by
Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue is the main street that runs east–west through the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado. As U.S. Highway 40, it was one of two principal highways serving Denver before the Interstate Highway System was constructed. In the local ...
. Auraria is easily confused with, but is entirely distinct from the City of
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
, Denver's neighbor some six miles to the east.
Arts and culture
Attractions
*
Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood in northwest Denver, Colorado, United States, at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the m ...
*
Auraria Campus
Auraria Campus is an educational facility located near downtown Denver, Colorado in the United States. The campus houses facilities of three separate universities and colleges: the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), Community College o ...
*
Ninth Street Historic Park
*
Emmanuel Shearith Israel Chapel - Denver's oldest church building
*
Tivoli Student Union
*
St. Cajetan’s Church - Historic Hispanic church
*
St. Elizabeth's Church - Only active church on the Auraria campus
*
Auraria Library
*
Ball Arena
Ball Arena (formerly known as Pepsi Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. It is situated at Speer Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown Denver, and is served by two nearby exits off Interstate 25. A light r ...
Sports
Auraria contains the
Ball Arena
Ball Arena (formerly known as Pepsi Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. It is situated at Speer Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown Denver, and is served by two nearby exits off Interstate 25. A light r ...
arena, home of the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play the ...
,
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, and
Colorado Mammoth
The Colorado Mammoth are a box lacrosse team playing in the National Lacrosse League. The Mammoth have played at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is also the owner of the Colorado Avalan ...
, as well as the venue of concerts and other events.
Education
The neighborhood of Auraria is dominated by the
Auraria Campus
Auraria Campus is an educational facility located near downtown Denver, Colorado in the United States. The campus houses facilities of three separate universities and colleges: the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), Community College o ...
, which is home to three institutions of higher learning:
University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver),
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver or Metro State) is a public university in Denver, Colorado. MSU Denver is located on the Auraria Campus, along with the University of Colorado Denver and the Community College of Denver, in ...
(MSU Denver), and
Community College of Denver
Community College of Denver (CCD) is a public community college in Denver, Colorado. The main campus is at Auraria Campus and it has two other locations in the Denver metropolitan area. CCD focuses on underserved, first-generation, and minority ...
(CCD). Vestiges of the old neighborhood remain, however, in the
Ninth Street Historic Park on the campus. The three institutions occupy the bulk of the Auraria Neighborhood, so there is very little permanent residence. The schools mainly serve commuter students, though housing has recently been developed at Campus Village Apartments (UCD), Auraria Student Lofts, and
Regency Student Housing.
Media
There are two student newspapers that are published in Auraria. The University of Colorado Denver's newspaper is called the "CU Denver Sentry" and Metropolitan State University's newspaper is "Met Media".
Transportation
Auraria is serviced by the
Regional Transportation District
The Regional Transportation District, more commonly referred to as RTD, is the regional agency operating public transit services in eight out of the twelve counties in the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area in the U.S. state of Col ...
. It has two light rail stations within its boundaries: the
Colfax at Auraria station and the
Auraria West station.
References
{{Neighborhoods of Denver
Colorado Mining Boom
Neighborhoods in Denver
Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States
History of Denver
Populated places established in 1858
1858 establishments in Kansas Territory