William Larimer Jr.: Difference between revisions
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| children = John <br> William <br> Edwin <br> Thomas <br> Cassius <br> Joseph <br> George <br> Annie Larimer Jones <br> Rachel Larimer Mellon<ref>{{cite book|last=Jordan|first=John Woolf|title=Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania|publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company|year=1913|page=813}}</ref> |
| children = John <br> William <br> Edwin <br> Thomas <br> Cassius <br> Joseph <br> George <br> Annie Larimer Jones <br> Rachel Larimer Mellon<ref>{{cite book|last=Jordan|first=John Woolf|title=Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania|publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company|year=1913|page=813}}</ref> |
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'''William Larimer, Jr.''' ( |
'''William Larimer, Jr.''' (1809–1875) was a [[Kansas Senate|Kansas state senator]], [[United States|American]] settler, and land developer. He is most famous as the founder of [[Denver]], [[Colorado]] in 1858. Larimer often went by "General Larimer", having acquired the title in the Pennsylvania Militia.<ref>{{cite book|last=Boucher|first=John Newton|title=A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People|year=1908|publisher=Lewis Publishing Company|page=409}}</ref> |
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Larimer was born in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]], [[Pennsylvania]], and made his first fortune in the railroad industry in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]. He became a land speculator in the 1850s in the [[Kansas Territory]], founding a homestead in [[Leavenworth, Kansas|Leavenworth]] where he lived with his wife and nine children. In 1858 Larimer helped found the Denver City Land Company with the intention of creating a new city in the western part of the territory.<ref name="Boorstin120">{{cite book|last=Boorstin|first=Daniel|title=The Americans: The National Experience|year=1965|publisher=Vintage Books|page=120|isbn=394703588}}</ref> |
Larimer was born in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]], [[Pennsylvania]], and made his first fortune in the railroad industry in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]. He became a land speculator in the 1850s in the [[Kansas Territory]], founding a homestead in [[Leavenworth, Kansas|Leavenworth]] where he lived with his wife and nine children. In 1858 Larimer helped found the Denver City Land Company with the intention of creating a new city in the western part of the territory.<ref name="Boorstin120">{{cite book|last=Boorstin|first=Daniel|title=The Americans: The National Experience|year=1965|publisher=Vintage Books|page=120|isbn=394703588}}</ref> |
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On November 22, 1858, Larimer arrived at a hill overlooking the confluence of [[Cherry Creek (Colorado)|Cherry Creek]] and the [[South Platte River]]. The site was across Cherry Creek from the existing settlement of [[Auraria, Denver|Auraria]], founded by William Greenburry Russell who is credited with starting the Pikes Peak Gold rush. Larimer staked his claim by laying [[Populus sect. Aegiros|cottonwood]] logs along a square-mile parcel of land on the hill. Larimer chose the name "Denver City" to honor the governor of the Kansas Territory, [[James W. Denver]], with the intention that the city would become the county seat of Arapaho County.<ref name="Boorstin120"/> In a letter dated February |
On November 22, 1858, Larimer arrived at a hill overlooking the confluence of [[Cherry Creek (Colorado)|Cherry Creek]] and the [[South Platte River]]. The site was across Cherry Creek from the existing settlement of [[Auraria, Denver|Auraria]], founded by William Greenburry Russell who is credited with starting the Pikes Peak Gold rush. Larimer staked his claim by laying [[Populus sect. Aegiros|cottonwood]] logs along a square-mile parcel of land on the hill. Larimer chose the name "Denver City" to honor the governor of the Kansas Territory, [[James W. Denver]], with the intention that the city would become the county seat of Arapaho County.<ref name="Boorstin120"/> In a letter dated February 1859, he had declared that "I am Denver City."<ref name="Boorstin120"/> |
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Larimer planned the site and aggressively sold tracts to miners and other migrants traveling through the [[Rocky Mountains]]. In the first years, tracts were often traded for grubstakes and in gambling. In 1860, all of the stockholders of Denver City merged with their rivals in Auraria, forming one city under the name Denver.<ref name="Boorstin121">{{cite book|last=Boorstin|first=Daniel|page=121}}</ref> Larimer was instrumental in the formation of the [[Colorado Territory]] in 1861, and in making Denver its capital. He anticipated being named the first governor of the territory, but was disappointed when [[Abraham Lincoln]] gave the appointment to [[William Gilpin (governor)|William Gilpin]] of [[Missouri]], in part as a favor to the governor of the state.{{Citation needed |
Larimer planned the site and aggressively sold tracts to miners and other migrants traveling through the [[Rocky Mountains]]. In the first years, tracts were often traded for grubstakes and in gambling. In 1860, all of the stockholders of Denver City merged with their rivals in Auraria, forming one city under the name Denver.<ref name="Boorstin121">{{cite book|last=Boorstin|first=Daniel|page=121}}</ref> Larimer was instrumental in the formation of the [[Colorado Territory]] in 1861, and in making Denver its capital. He anticipated being named the first governor of the territory, but was disappointed when [[Abraham Lincoln]] gave the appointment to [[William Gilpin (governor)|William Gilpin]] of [[Missouri]], in part as a favor to the governor of the state.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} After this unexpected turn of events, Larimer became a United States commissioner and a judge of probate for the First Judicial District of Colorado.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jordan|pages=813–814}}</ref> During the Civil War, he became a colonel for the Third Regiment of Colorado Volunteers, and after returned to Kansas.<ref name="Jordan814">{{cite book|last=Jordan|page=814}}</ref> |
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After serving as a Kansas state senator from [[1867]] until [[1870]], Larimer retired to his family farm in [[Leavenworth, Kansas]], where he died in 1875.<ref name="Jordan814"/> He is commemorated in the city he helped found by Larimer Street in downtown, as well as [[Larimer Square, Denver|Larimer Square]]. He is also commemorated by [[Larimer County, Colorado]] in the northern part of the state, and by the [[Larimer (Pittsburgh)|Larimer]] neighborhood in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Boucher|page=410}}</ref> |
After serving as a Kansas state senator from [[1867]] until [[1870]], Larimer retired to his family farm in [[Leavenworth, Kansas]], where he died in 1875.<ref name="Jordan814"/> He is commemorated in the city he helped found by Larimer Street in downtown, as well as [[Larimer Square, Denver|Larimer Square]]. He is also commemorated by [[Larimer County, Colorado]] in the northern part of the state, and by the [[Larimer (Pittsburgh)|Larimer]] neighborhood in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Boucher|page=410}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 09:52, 29 May 2010
William Larimer, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 24, 1809 |
| Died | May 16, 1875 |
| Occupation(s) | United States commissioner, Kansas state senator |
| Spouse | Rachel McMasters |
| Children | John William Edwin Thomas Cassius Joseph George Annie Larimer Jones Rachel Larimer Mellon[1] |
| Parent(s) | William Larimer, Sr., Anne |
William Larimer, Jr. (1809–1875) was a Kansas state senator, American settler, and land developer. He is most famous as the founder of Denver, Colorado in 1858. Larimer often went by "General Larimer", having acquired the title in the Pennsylvania Militia.[2]
Larimer was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and made his first fortune in the railroad industry in Pittsburgh. He became a land speculator in the 1850s in the Kansas Territory, founding a homestead in Leavenworth where he lived with his wife and nine children. In 1858 Larimer helped found the Denver City Land Company with the intention of creating a new city in the western part of the territory.[3]
On November 22, 1858, Larimer arrived at a hill overlooking the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. The site was across Cherry Creek from the existing settlement of Auraria, founded by William Greenburry Russell who is credited with starting the Pikes Peak Gold rush. Larimer staked his claim by laying cottonwood logs along a square-mile parcel of land on the hill. Larimer chose the name "Denver City" to honor the governor of the Kansas Territory, James W. Denver, with the intention that the city would become the county seat of Arapaho County.[3] In a letter dated February 1859, he had declared that "I am Denver City."[3]
Larimer planned the site and aggressively sold tracts to miners and other migrants traveling through the Rocky Mountains. In the first years, tracts were often traded for grubstakes and in gambling. In 1860, all of the stockholders of Denver City merged with their rivals in Auraria, forming one city under the name Denver.[4] Larimer was instrumental in the formation of the Colorado Territory in 1861, and in making Denver its capital. He anticipated being named the first governor of the territory, but was disappointed when Abraham Lincoln gave the appointment to William Gilpin of Missouri, in part as a favor to the governor of the state.[citation needed] After this unexpected turn of events, Larimer became a United States commissioner and a judge of probate for the First Judicial District of Colorado.[5] During the Civil War, he became a colonel for the Third Regiment of Colorado Volunteers, and after returned to Kansas.[6]
After serving as a Kansas state senator from 1867 until 1870, Larimer retired to his family farm in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he died in 1875.[6] He is commemorated in the city he helped found by Larimer Street in downtown, as well as Larimer Square. He is also commemorated by Larimer County, Colorado in the northern part of the state, and by the Larimer neighborhood in Pittsburgh.[7]
References
- ^ Jordan, John Woolf (1913). Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 813.
- ^ Boucher, John Newton (1908). A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People. Lewis Publishing Company. p. 409.
- ^ a b c Boorstin, Daniel (1965). The Americans: The National Experience. Vintage Books. p. 120. ISBN 394703588.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help) - ^ Boorstin, Daniel. p. 121.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Jordan. pp. 813–814.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b Jordan. p. 814.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Boucher. p. 410.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)