Black-and-white historic photo of miners during the Colorado Gold Rush with map of Golden, Colorado

A fresh start. Seemingly limitless possibilities. A desire to fill empty pockets with newfound riches. Moving west seemed like an ideal situation for many during the depression-ridden 1800s, and it didn’t take much more than a whispered rumor of the promise of gold to lure those looking to change their fate to try their luck in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.