History

October 3, 1859

The first school bells in Denver rang out on October 3, 1859 when professor Owen J. Goldrick opened his "Union School". The school, a log cabin, was located on the west side of 12th Street between Larimer and Market Streets. It was a private school with an enrollment of thirteen children and lasted until late in the winter of 1859-60.

It was the time of the gold rush in Denver when Goldrick arrived and started his private school. He continued in education for many years but later dealt in journalism in other parts of the country. However, Goldrick is credited with being the first school teacher in Denver.

Union School resumed classes on May 7, 1860 with Goldrick and an assistant, Miss Miller. On the same day, another private school was established by Miss Indian Sopris on 11th Street near Curtis. Both Miss Miller and Miss Sopris were the first women school teachers in Denver. Later, that same month, a Miss Lydia Maria Ring opened her private school in a log cabin on the southeast corner of 14th and Market Streets. Shortly thereafter, she moved the school into better quarters at 16th and Market in a building owned by T.J. Bayaud. Miss Ring taught in Denver for the next four years.

Many other private schools followed the establishment of these early private schools, but Denver was still without a public school. This was to change when the new territorial government brought into existence the office of superintendent of schools November 7, 1861. The following month, on December 2nd, Owen J. Goldrick was appointed Superintendent of Schools for Arapahoe County. Getting the school districts established was no easy task for it took nearly a year to set up the first two districts in the county. They were the East Denver District and the West Denver District with Cherry Creek being the dividing line.

East Denver District became District No. 1 and was formally organized October 23, 1882. The West Denver District became District No. 2 on October 25 of the same year.

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