Gold and Growth
In 1858, the first permanent white settlers were drawn to Park County, not because of the beauty of the landscape or the plentiful herds of bison, but to search for gold.[1] This “Gold Rush” was brought on by rumors of gold in the Denver area and many hopeful fortune-seekers made their way Westward to discover the gold that was thought to be so plentiful.
Approximately ten thousand white prospectors came to the Park County area to lay claim to their fortunes.[2] These settlers encountered a host of problems, the most pressing of which including, “how were the miners going to procure enough food to feed themselves when they were neither intending to farm nor ranch?”
Enter the ranchers.
Not only did the presence of miners and their demand for meat (and lots of it) lead to the rise of ranching, but in these early days, the railways had not yet spanned far enough west to transport edible commodities within residents' reach.[3][4] Understanding the need for their trade, early ranchers positioned their products as a viable food source in an area where farming seemed impossible.