Richard Sopris (1813 – 1893) was an American politician who served as the mayor of

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

from 1878 to 1881. Prior to that, he was a prospector, Captain in the 1st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers, and a representative for what is now Colorado in the Kansas Territorial legislature.

Early and personal life

Richard Sopris was born on June 26, 1813 or July 26, 1813 in

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

. He was married near

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

to Elizabeth Allen of

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city, capital city (New Jersey), city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.

on June 3, 1836, and they moved to Indiana that year. They had eight children by 1860, and a total of ten children. His daughter, Indiana Sopris opened a school in May 1860. She was the first white woman to teach school in the city and she is credited as the first woman teacher in Colorado.

Career

He began working as a house carpenter. Sopris was also a canal builder and steamboat captain. In 1858, he traveled by stage to

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County, Nebraska, Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. List of ...

and then traveled across the plains in a one-horse wagon with George H. Bryant arriving in February or March 1859 in Arapahoe County of Kansas Territory, which would become the

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the ...

. He was one of the original shareholders of the town of Auraria and prospected for gold in the winter and spring. Sopris was one of the trustees for a Presbyterian church established at Pollock House. Services began June 15, 1859. He began mining at the Gregory and Bates lode in April 1859. He was President of the Gregory Association of Miners and a member of the Mammoth Quartz Lead Mining Company. He built the first house there considered to be worthy of a family at Mountain City, later called

Central City In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central city ...

. It was located on High Street. Mountain City Lodge A.F. & A.M was established in 1859, and Sopris was Worshipful Master. He also lived in Auraria and was Worshipful Master of the Auraria Lodge. In 1860, he traveled back to

Michigan City, Indiana Michigan City is a city in LaPorte County, Indiana, United States. It is one of the two principal cities of the Michigan City- La Porte, Indiana Metropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City Combined sta ...

and returned to Colorado with his family via train to

Atchison, Kansas Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri ...

and then by covered wagon. They lived on the 1300 block of Stout Street.Linda Bjorklund, ''Richard Sopris in Early Denver: Captain, Mayor & Colorado Fifty-Niner'' (Arcadia Publishing 2016). He helped organize the 1st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers. He fought Native Americans at

Glorieta Pass Glorieta Pass (elevation 7500 ft.) is a mountain pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. The pass is at a strategic location near at the southern end of the Sangre de Cristos in east central Santa Fe County southeas ...

in north-central New Mexico and Confederate forces in New Mexico and Arizona. He attained the rank of captain of Company C of the regiment. He represented Colorado in the Kansas territorial legislature and helped draft mining laws. He was elected mayor of Denver. Richard Sopris died on April 7, 1893, and was buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Denver. His wife died on December 18, 1911. He is the namesake of

Mount Sopris Mount Sopris is a twin-summit mountain in the northwestern Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent mountain is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest, north by northea ...

, having surveyed the area in 1860.

References

Mayors of Denver 1813 births 1893 deaths 19th-century American politicians {{Colorado-mayor-stub