2 Years and 142 Years Ago
Two years ago, the backyard of the Astor House was being excavated, preparing for the addition for Foothills Art Center. Several artifacts were discovered at that time, including a bottle from the City Drugstore. It’s an old one! The City Drugstore was located in the Harrison Block from 1883-1924.
D. E. Harrison came to Golden with the gold rush, in 1859. He spent his first summer doing placer mining in Gilpin County, but by the fall of 1859 he moved to Golden. He was 30 years old at the time and sent for his wife (who had remained in Iowa) so they could settle here permanently.
Harrison worked for several years as a builder. His obituary reported that “Some of the brick buildings standing on the Avenue today were built by him.” In 1867 (the same year the Astor House was built), Mr. Harrison built his own downtown business block.
Various businesses occupied the block in the early years. In 1883, Mr. Harrison opened the City Drugstore in the middle storefront of the building. The store continued in that location until Harrison’s death in 1924.
After his death, the store was purchased and renamed “Alpine Drugs.” The new owners doubled the size of the store by expanding into the south storefront.
Mr. Harrison died at age 95, outliving four of his five sons. He is buried in the Golden Cemetery.
