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From: "Rita" <>
Subject: [CODENVER] Masterson, Jacob T., Green Russell party 1858
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2002 07:32:48 -0600

Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Colo., 12/31/1911 Sect I page 15

LAST OF BAND TELLS OF THE DAYS BEFORE CITY WAS HERE

Russell Party in 1858 Among Indians and Bear of Cherry Creek.

ONLY TWO OF THEM LIVING

Little Band Found Gold and Started Mad Rush to Pike's Peak Country.

Jacob T. Masterson, one of the two survivors of the Green Russell party,
who pitched their tents where Denver is now situated in the spring of 1858,
is living in Alamogordo, N. M., and has written a story of his life of those
days. Masterson and T. C. Dickson of Pueblo, Colo., are the only two
survivors of the party.

Dickson was in Denver a year ago, as a guest of The News, when all the
pioneers of Colorado came to Denver. At that time Hugh Steele, secretary of
the Colorado Pioneers' society, did not know that Masterson was living, and
for that reason he was not in Denver with the other pioneers.
Masterson tells the story of his life as follows:

MASTERSON'S OWN STORY.

"I was born February 8, 1836, Clermont County, Williamsburg Township,
Ohio. Went to Kansas in 1854. In the spring of 1858 met Green Russell
and party in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, on their way to the Pike's
Peak country. Myself and four other Kansas boys joined them and fixed
up an ox team and pulled out to find gold. We followed up the Arkansas
River to the mouth of the Fountain canon, then crossed the Cherry Creek
divide, then down Cherry Creek to the mouth of the creek where Denver
now is. On the third day of July we crossed Cherry Creek just above
where it empties into the Platte River. At that time it was about 400 yards
wide and about a half boottop deep with water. We camped under big
cottonwood trees. Grass was fine and oxen did well. At this time we had
96 well armed men. The Fourth of July we crossed the Platte and camped
on Ralston Creek. Here some of the Cherokees (who where with us) found
fresh Indian signs and got scared, and on the 5th they hitched up and pulled
out for home. And next day the Missourians all left us. They were "showed"
fresh Indian signs, and that was enough. After this Green Russell looked
about to see how many men were left, and after the count found only thirteen
who were willing to stay with him and try and see where all the float gold
came from. So we moved up the Platte about seven miles.

RUSSELL FOUND GOLD

"Our party was then made up as follows:

"From Georgia; Green Russell, Oliver Russell and Dr. L. J. Russell, brothers;
James Pierce and Robert Pierce, cousins; Sam Bates and Solomon Roe.
"The others were myself, William McKimens, Luke D. Tierney, Theodore
Herring, William McFadden and Vilarious Young.

"Green Russell had his mining pan and found a fine prospect of float gold. It
was raining, but we were all willing to stand in the rain and look at the rich
find. Here we camped and got out our pans and rockers and went to work,
and kept Green Russell and McFadden prospecting. We soon worked out
this place and then moved on up on Big Dry Creek and worked a few days.
This was not finding where the float gold came from, so we moved on across
over the hills and up Plum Creek and back to the mouth of Cherry Creek.
Here we rested a few days then took the old military trail along the foot
of the mountains and went north as far as Medicine Bow mountain.

BEAR AND FIVE CUBS

"Here we camped. Green Russell took his rifle and went up on the side of
the mountain and found an old female grizzly bear and five cubs. The cubs
were as large as New Foundland dogs. He shot five shots and then ran.
Dock and myself grabbed our guns and started to his assistance. He saw
us and yelled, "Go back!" We stopped till he came to us and said he had
wounded a grizzly bear and it was liable to come down to the camp. But
it never came. The next morning we all wanted to go after the bear, but
some had to guard camp so I remained while the rest of the men went. They
found the old one about 400 yards from where Green first shot; it was dead,
shot through the lungs. They killed four of the cubs and the fifth one got
away. The old bear dressed 1,000 pounds of meat, and I do not know how
much oil and fat, but we had all our pots and kettles full. Here we were in a
snow storm on the 6th day of August. The snow was five inches deep.
Thinking we were getting to far north we moved back to the mouth of
Cherry Creek and again camped under the big cottonwood trees. Here we
remained till late in the fall, when gold hunters commenced pouring in
because of letters we had sent back to friends.

WAS STARTING OF DENVER.

"A U. S. officer came to our camp to find out what we were up to. He
learned of our finding gold and I gave him a sample that he took back
to Kansas City. When they saw that sample in Kansas City people
began to flock towards Pike's Peak, thus was the starting of the great
mass of humanity into Colorado, soon settling up that rich section, and
soon the city of Denver was started on the spot where we had camped.

"Thus I claim that the Green Russell party of which I am now the only
and last one alive, were the original pioneer gold hunters in Colorado,
and were the first to camp on the site where Denver now stands.

"The sample of gold dust given the U. S. officer, who had it assayed in
Kansas City when he arrived there, helped to make Colorado what it is
today.

"I will be 76 years old February 8, 1912. I was the youngest member of
the Green Russell party--the old original thirteen. Yours truly.
"Jacob T. Masterson"

Regards,
Rita

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