Page 46 - AreaNewsletters "May 2022" issue

Did You Know This About...
The Street Names
by Lora Thomas
Douglas County Commissioner and former State Patrol O cer assigned to Castle Rock in the 1980’s
Lora’s April article was about the kidnapping of Adolph Coors III on February 9, 1960, and the discovery of his remains in western Douglas County on September 14 of that same year. Douglas County Sheri John Hammond played a role in the investigation that led to the issuance of an arrest warrant for Joseph Corbett, an escapee from a California prison, within seven weeks of the kidnapping. Corbett was arrested in Canada, was found guilty of 1st degree murder by a jury in Golden and served about 20 years before leaving the prison. Corbett was later diagnosed with cancer and ended his life on August 24, 2009 in his small Denver apartment. Read about it here.
in Castle Rock
But first, another “Castle Rock” Trivia Question:
Who is the American conservative author, columnist, and political commentator who is the editor-in-chief
of the online magazine “The Federalist” and has ties to Castle Rock?
(Answer at the end of this article)
Ever wonder how some of the streets in Castle Rock were named?
I compiled a list of them and visited the local librarians in the Douglas County Archives for their assistance in search of some answers.
As in most towns, streets and landmarks in Castle Rock were named to commemorate community leaders who contributed to the town’s development.
One of the rst homesteaders in the area near what is today Castle Rock was 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, Gould and his good friend, John Craig, donated 120 acres to the May 2022 • Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters”
new town, which was established as the Douglas County seat. Six streets named Elbert, Jerry, Wilcox, Perry, Castle, and Front were laid out to build the actual town of Castle Rock. This neighborhood is called Craig & Gould today. The courthouse square was de ned and about 77 lots, each 50 by 112 feet, were auctioned o for a total pro t of $3,400.
Jeremiah Gould was born in Providence, RI in 1837, orphaned at
an early age and raised by an uncle. During the Civil War Mr. Gould served
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CASTLE ROCK HISTORY