On November 17, 1858, a small settlement that would become Denver was founded near the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. The town emerged amid the Pike’s Peak gold rush as a base for prospectors and merchants. Its strategic location on trails and later rail lines helped it grow beyond a mining camp into a key supply and transportation center. Denver soon competed with other frontier communities for regional dominance. Over time it became the political, economic, and cultural hub of Colorado. The founding date marks the beginning of its transformation into a major city of the American West.
