Carnation Gold Rush
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"The Carnation Gold Rush" is a term used by
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
locals, historians and preservationists to represent the period between the 1880s and 1930s when the
floriculture Floriculture, or flower farming, is a branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development of new varieties by plant breeding is ...
industry developed and thrived in Colorado.


Early years

In 1863, as the silver and gold mining days of
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
were winding down, those who didn’t strike it rich were searching for ways to bring goods and services to the growing population of
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. In 1872, Denver constructed an irrigation ditch that carried water from the Platte River Canyon into Denver. With this new source of consistent water, growers soon discovered the bright sunny days and virgin soils of Denver were ideal for growing vegetables and cut flowers. Few varieties of
carnations ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of '' Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.M ...
were available during those early days and competition was fierce. Many independent growers marketed their
carnations ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of '' Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.M ...
through sales outlets in their greenhouses or by selling the mature flowers to retail florists. Growers had to contend with weather extremes that required either charcoal heaters in delivery wagons during winter so the flowers wouldn’t freeze or battling the often-intense summer heat when the crops could easily wilt. Nonetheless, business flourished. Floral arrangements featuring carnations were a common gift to the women of Denver's tenderloin district as well as high society. The first greenhouse in Denver was constructed in 1891. By 1900, the floral industry had approximately 400,000 square feet of greenhouse glass covering its nurseries.Kingman, Dick (1986) ''A History – Colorado Flower Growers and its People''
page 12 Colorado Greenhouse Growers Association, Inc.
The Riverside Cemetery at 52nd and Brighton Blvd, Mauff Floral Company in the 1200 block of Logan St., established in 1880
Colfax Floral
at East Colfax and Josephine
Park Floral
at 17th and York, and Curtis Park Floral at 34th and Downing were some of the first establishments dedicated to the public’s desire for carnations. Colorado's Carnation Gold Rush had begun. A marketing and grading system for carnations was established in the early 1900s. Swedish immigrant and founder of th
Denver Wholesale Florist
s, N.A. Benson, recognized that Colorado carnations were a valuable commodity that could be marketed nationally. He was instrumental in standardizing prices and insisting on quality from all growers. Around that time, J. Edward Johnson, of the Pikes Peak Floral Company in
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
began shipping the prized Colorado carnations to neighboring states.Kingman, ''History – Colorado Flower Growers and its People''
page 14


Later Years

In the fall of 1917, George Brenkert of Washington Park Floral entered his newly developed shell pink carnation called “Denver” in the Denver Society of Ornamental Horticulturists. While he didn’t win in that show, the “Denver” carnation attracted attention and later won a Bronze Medal in the 1921 National Flower Show in Washington, DC. Colorado was becoming known for its thriving carnation and cut flower business.Kingman, ''A History – Colorado Flower Growers and its People''
, page 22
President Elect Harding wore a Colorado carnation in his lapel on his inauguration day. He was carrying on a tradition established by his predecessor, President William McKinley. McKinley always wore a red carnation in his lapel, and ordered fresh carnations to his office daily. McKinley’s birthday, January 29 is still recognized as the official Carnation Day.Kingman, ''A History – Colorado Flower Growers and its People''
, page 25
By 1919, the 15th Census of the United States reported that the value of sales for floral crops in Colorado was $1,145,000. From 1925 to 1927 greenhouse space used for plants and flowers more than doubled in the state of Colorado. By 1926, Colorado produced an estimated 8,000,000 blooms of carnations. By 1927, the floriculture industry in Colorado was shipping to 20 states. By that time, there were approximately 5,000,000 square feet of greenhouse glass on operating nurseries in Colorado.The demand for Colorado carnations was growing. Colorado was "rapidly becoming recognized as the carnation state", because of the excellent quality of the blooms and the fact that they could be produced year round. 1927 was the first year the floriculture industry of Colorado was recognized in the Colorado Year Book published by the Colorado State Planning Division In 1928, Colorado's production of Carnations reached 12,000,000 blooms. 10 states depended entirely on Colorado for their supplies of flowers. By 1929, there were 101 establishments, cultivating 1,582,463 square feet of carnation beds with the annual gross income of the Colorado's Floral industry of approximately $5,000,000 topping the value of metallic gold mined that year in the state. Colorado became famous throughout the country for carnations of "brilliant color, unusual size and lasting quality. " Colorado carnations made their way to New York, London and Cuba. By 1931, Colorado was considered one of the most important states in the union for the productions of flowers including Carnation,
Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
s, and Gypsophilia (Baby Breath). Local greenhouses continued to prosper and be built, particularly in the northwest corner of Denver and its suburbs.
Wheat Ridge, Colorado The City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ...
still celebrates an annua
Carnation Festival
New varieties continued to be developed including the White Ward and Hilda Varieties. The early Denver growers began an industry that would shape Colorado’s economy and landscape. They helped to establish an orderly system to provide quality cut flowers to the nation and beyond. Some of the Colorado family names associated with the Carnation Gold Rush are Amato, Elitch, Lambourn
Lehrer
Maler, and Spano.


References

{{Reflist


External links


''Municipal Facts: Volume 12 Numbers 11 and 12, 1929 November-December''
page 10


''Florists' Review, Volume 37, Issues 937-949''


Categories

Eras of United States history History of agriculture in the United States 1880s in Colorado 1890s in Colorado 1900s in Colorado 1910s in Colorado 1920s in Colorado 1930s in Colorado Economic bubbles Dianthus Commodity booms