Visit Golden...on our terms

114 Years Ago
No more will the festive rubberneck automobile be heard chugging and groaning through the streets of Golden, as a deal has been made with the Tramway company whereby the sightseeing trade will be diverted to the “Seeing the Foothills” electric cars.
Colorado Transcript – August 15, 1912

*Seeing the Foothills electric car, leaving from the Brown Palace Hotel at 17th and Tremont in Denver – Denver Public Library Western History Collection –* *click to enlarge*

“Rubberneck automobiles” were large touring cars used to conduct sightseeing tours. Many of them drove through Golden.

“Seeing Denver” was a tour-guiding company based in the Brown Palace in Denver. They used chartered streetcars to provide guided tours of Denver. “Seeing the Foothills” was another service they offered, using chartered interurban streetcars to bring tourists to foothills towns, including Golden, Leyden, and sometimes Morrison.

*The Wishbone Route brought passengers to Leyden and Golden –* *click to enlarge*

One of their offerings was called the “Wishbone” Route. That would go from Denver to the coal-mining town of Leyden (map), giving passengers a view of the Ralston Creek valley. The streetcar would then backtrack to Arvada and follow the Clear Creek valley into Golden.

*Back of the Wishbone Route brochure, showing the agricultural hinterlands between Denver and Golden (and Leyden) –* *click to enlarge*

Both routes traversed many miles of farmland, culminating in beautiful views of the foothills at both Leyden and Golden. The 3-hour round trip cost $1. Golden preferred having sightseers arrive by streetcar rather than automobile: they were more likely to stop and spend time in Golden, patronizing the stores and restaurants.