The History of Castle Rock

The History of Castle Rock

The region in and around Castle Rock was originally used by by Indians of the Arapahoe and Cheyenne tribes. They occupied the land between the Arkansas and the South Platte Rivers. White settlers were drawn by rumors of gold and by land opened through the Homestead Act of 1864. One of the first settlers in the area near today's Castle Rock was the original homesteader, Jeremiah Gould. He owned about 160 acres to the south of "The (Castle) Rock." At that time, the settlement consisted of just a few buildings for prospectors, workers, and cowboys. In 1874 Jeremiah Gould donated 120 acres to the new town that was also now home to the Douglas County government. For the beginning the six streets named Elbert, Jerry, Wilcox, Perry, Castle and Front were laid out to build the actual town of Castle Rock. The Courthouse Square was defined and about 77 lots, each 50 by 112 feet, were auctioned off for a total profit of $3,400.00 - a lot of money at that time!

It was not gold that put Castle Rock onto the map. The discovery of Rhyolite stone made the reason to build a settlement that would become Castle Rock.

A new train depot brought the Denver & Rio Grande Railway to the area. The depot building now houses the Castle Rock Historical Museum on Elbert Street, where visitors can see history of how Castle Rock changed over the years. Castle Rock currently encompasses about 35 square miles, with a population of more than 30,000 in town and 70,000 in the surrounding area. Western culture.