I have more than this, but it'll take time to get it on the computer and this was already there. It's the story about the fella that is at fault for Idaho Springs being a success. BTW, a few of you may recall that for several years I have been searching for this info, and even asked a few of ya. Well, here's part of what I found.
Carl
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Below are some extractions about George Jackson from "The Colorado
Magazine", Vol XII, No 6, Novermber, 1935. There are numerous notes which I
did not include and the article prints the diary (which I did not include).
Some important facts from the notes:
1. George Jackson was a cousin of Kit Carson
2. George Jackson is buried in Bonham, Texas with his wife Belle.
Here is part of the article:
George Andrew Jackson, was born in Glasgow, Howard County, MO., July 25, 1836, and is consequently 24 years of age. He is in robust health, in stature near six feet, a genial companion, generous and free-hearted. He left his native town April 14, 1853, for California, where he arrived after a five months' trip across the plains. Here he remained engaged in mining until the spring of 1857. On the 23d of May of this year he left Sacramento for his home in Missouri, recrossing the plains, in company with seven others. About the first of August he reached his home; he remained here only about six months, when in the spring of '58, he again started on a trip across the plains. From hints thrown out by some mountaineers whose acquaintance he had made, he believed and still believes that gold exists upon Laramie Fork and the Sweetwater. This was before the discovery of gold on Cherry Creek. Jackson arrived at Fort Laramie in the fore part of August, where he remained some two weeks, when he made the acquaintance of several old mountaineers, among whom were Antoine and Nicolas, Janis, and Antoine Lebeau.
On the 27th he started in company with Lebeau, on a prospecting tour up Laramie Fork, which they followed some eighty miles, but did not even raise the 'color. When they returned to the fort a report was current that gold had been found on Cherry Creek. They immediately made preparations for the journey, and on the 7th of September, in company with the two brothers Janis, Wm. Scofield, 'Big Phill,' and twenty Sioux Indians, started for Cherry Creek. They prospected every creek and branch between Fort Laramie and Vasquez Fort on Clear Creek. The first gold they found was upon the south bank of St. Vrain's Fork, where they remained some ten days; here they were joined by a party of prospectors from Cherry Creek Mr. Oaks, Mr. Graham and several others. Jackson accompanied Mr. Oaks up the creek some ten or twelve miles, but found no better prospects than where they then were. Oaks and his party getting short of provisions returned to the Platte. It was now getting late, and Jackson and his party thought it expedient to get into winter quarters; they proceeded to the mouth of Thompson's Fork and built themselves cabins, intending to remain through the winter. "This monotonous life, however, ill-suited the stirrin nature of Jackson, on the 26th of December he left the little settlement, and started for Vasquez Fork. He discovered gold on January 7th, 1859 on "Jackson's bar" being in the vicinity of Idaho Springs in modern times. On May 7, 1859, the NEWS mentions editorially that he has brought to their office some specimens of shot gold at Vasquez Fork.
A brief outline of the subsequent career of Mr. Jackson may well be given. After mining at Jackson Diggings for some weeks he sold his claim to the Chicago Company and went to the new town of Golden. In the spring of 1860 he went to the rich region of California Gulch (near present Leadville), where he remained until the following spring, when he returned to his home in Missouri.
He enlisted in the Confederate army, fought under Generals Jackson, Shelby and Bankhead, and attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel with a prior assignment of Capt. of sharpshooters. Some years after the war he returned to Colorado and again engaged in mining. In 1888 he settled in Ouray County and built a fine residence about five miles below the town of Ouray. He became the promoter of and an owner in a number of mines. His death, which occurred March 13, 1897, resulted from the accidental discharge of a gun which he was pulling from a sled. He had married Miss Belle Hendricks, formerly of Kentucky. and to them was born a daughter, Nina, who passed away in 1931.