In 1858, the discovery of gold at Pike’s Peak led to the creation of a mining camp called Denver City at the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. Little Raven, a Southern Arapaho leader renowned for his diplomacy between Indigenous nations and Euro-American settlers, repeatedly warned the settlers not to build so close to the riverbeds, which had flooded in the past. But his advice went unheeded.

Late one evening in May 1864, a flood raged through town, sweeping away dozens of buildings and bridges and killing around 20 residents. The New York Times estimated the damage at over a million dollars, equivalent to over $15 million today. In this photograph, people gather to watch the rushing waters slowly recede. Objects rescued from the deluge are scattered in the lower left corner, and the hotel at the center hangs precariously over a washout beneath its foundation.

—Text taken from the Carter Handbook (2023)