Park County, Jefferson Territory

Park County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 1859 until 1861-02-28.

History

In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory. This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on 1859-10-24. The following month, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory: Arrappahoe County, Cheyenne County, El Paso County, Fountain County, Heele County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Montana County, North County, Park County, Saratoga County, and St. Vrains County. Park County was named for South Park, and encompassed much of what is today Park County, Colorado.

The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction, but on 1861-02-28, U.S. President James Buchanan signed an act organizing the Territory of Colorado.cite web|url=http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/territory.pdf|title=An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado|format=PDF|publisher=Thirty-sixth United States Congress|date=1861-02-28|accessdate=2007-11-26] On 1861-11-01, the Colorado General Assembly organized 17 counties, including Park County, for the new Colorado Territory.

Elections And Elected Officials

Park County's first office holding official was George W. Bowers, appointed by Governor Robert Williamson Steele in December 1859 as President Judge of Park County. He was to hold office until the county's first popular election was held on January 2, 1860.

ee also

*Historic Colorado counties
*History of Colorado
*Park County, Colorado
*Pike's Peak Gold Rush
*State of Colorado
*Territory of Colorado
*Territory of Jefferson

References

External links

* [http://www.coloradohistory.org/ Colorado State Historical Society website]