Continued from October 5 (reply #10) .
Nicole Etcheson, Bleeding Kansas: Contested Liberty in the Civil War Era
James W. Denver enters our story for the first time. He will later be appointed Secretary and Governor of Kansas Territory.
At the time, the boundaries extended west all the way to the Rocky Mountains, including the present site of the great city of Denver. In 1858, during the Pikes Peak gold rush, Denver was founded and named for the Governor to curry favor with him. In 1861, a chunk of Western Kansas was hived off and incorporated into the new Colorado Territory. So, my fair city was named for an office seeking politician.