Facts You Should Know About Colorado’s First Governor

Just prior to Colorado's official admission into the United States, the Colorado Territory was first governed by a man named William Gilpin.

Read More: Wacky Colorado History: Three Different Governors in One Day |

Gilpin would serve as Colorado's first governor for exactly one year and one day, and his legacy is a complicated one, to say the least.

Colorado’s First Governor: A Quaker + West Point Dropout

William Gilpin was born on October 4, 1813, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a family of Quakers.

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He would eventually attend West Point and drop out, but this "setback" of sorts wouldn't stall his military career in the slightest.

Colorado’s First Governor Fought in Two Wars

While Gilpin would deal with issues arising from the American Civil War later in his life, he would begin his service fighting in earlier wars, including the Second Seminole War and the Mexican-American War. The latter would see the United States secure New Mexico.

Colorado’s First Governor Predicted the Gold Rush

Prior to becoming the governor of the Colorado Territory, Gilpin was most famously known as a land speculator, and an often controversial one at that.

Interestingly, years before governing Colorado, Gilpin was convinced that he'd noticed gold deposits in what would eventually become the Centennial State on a trip to the Pacific Northwest, roughly a decade before the famous gold rush.

Colorado’s First Governor + Manifest Destiny

Gilpin controversially adhered to the concept of Manifest Destiny and made his fortune as a land speculator.

Colorado’s First Governor’s Financial Issues

Upon being elected Colorado's first governor in 1861, Gilpin took it upon himself to create a local military regiment with funds he falsely claimed were approved by President Lincoln at the time.

It was this act that eventually soured Gilpin's reputation and became the catalyst for his removal from office.

Colorado’s First Governor’s Short Term

Gilpin served as Governor of the Colorado Territory from March 25, 1861, to March 26, 1862.

Following his removal from office, Gilpin made even more of a fortune as a land speculator in New Mexico with allegedly immoral and illegal financial dealings.

Colorado’s First Governor’s Bizarre Death

Little is known about the circumstances of Gilpin's death besides the allegation that he was run over by a horse and buggy and succumbed to his injuries. The incident took place in Denver, and Gilpin passed away in 1894 at the age of 80.