Park County (Jefferson Territory)
The Park County was a county of the out of the US law Jefferson Territory , which consisted of 28 November 1859 to 28 February. 1861
history
In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in the Arapahoe County , Kansas Territory . This discovery sparked the Pikes Peak gold rush . Many residents of the mining area felt separate from the distant territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska , so they voted on October 24, 1859 to form their own Jefferson Territory. In the following months, the Jefferson Territory General Assembly voted to organize 12 counties: Arrappahoe County , Cheyenne County , El Paso County , Fountain County , Heele County , Jackson County , Jefferson County , Mountain County , North County , Park County, Saratoga County and St. Vrain County . Park County was named after South Park and encompassed much of what is now Park County , Colorado.
The then existing settlements in the county were new miners' camps : Tarryall , Jefferson , Hamilton , Montgomery, and Buckskin Joe (Laurette).
The Jefferson Territory never received state support. On February 28, 1861, United States President James Buchanan signed a bill that organized the Colorado Territory . On November 1, 1861, the Colorado General Assembly organized 17 counties, including Park County, for the new Colorado Territory.
Elections and elected officials
The first official to serve in Park County was George W. Bowers, who was appointed Park County presiding judge in December 1859 by Governor Robert W. Steele . He held the post until the first election on January 2, 1860.
Individual evidence
- ↑ An Act Defining the Boundaries of Counties and for other purposes . In: Provisional Laws and Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of Jefferson Territory . General Assembly of the Territory of Jefferson. November 28, 1859. Retrieved August 27, 2009.
- ^ An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado ( PDF ; 18 kB) 36th US Congress. February 28, 1861. Retrieved November 26, 2007.