How did Denver get its name?

Samantha Jarpe
·2 min read
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DENVER (KDVR) — The streets of the Mile High City are full of references to the people who founded it, so you may think that the name of the city itself — Denver — is also a nod to an early settler.

This is not the case, however. The city’s namesake never lived in Denver, even though he was alive when it was founded and named.

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The origins of Denver

Denver has gone through several changes throughout the years.

The area that would eventually be known as Denver and the Denver metro area was originally home to several indigenous tribes. However, the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in 1858 caused a wave of settlers from the east.

A few settlement claims existed in what eventually became Denver, including Auraria and “St. Charles,” which eventually became Denver City when William Larimer, Jr., jumped the claim to it, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

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According to the most widely accepted version of the story, the name Denver was chosen to curry favor with James W. Denver, who served as the governor of the Kansas Territory until 1858.

The founders wanted to curry favor to establish the city as the Arapahoe County seat. However, by the time the group arrived in the Kansas Territory, Denver had already resigned as governor.

Denver’s namesake never lived in Denver

James Denver was born in Virginia and lived in several places throughout his lifetime, including California, Ohio and what is now Kansas.

He never once lived in the town he was named after. However, he did visit it twice, according to historical records.

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The people of Denver were not particularly nice to James Denver when he visited in 1875 and 1883.

In a letter written to his friend and historian Frank Hall, Denver said that he had been ignored for the most part when he visited the city, and that he “felt mortified and humiliated” at this.

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