William Jackson Palmer Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
General William Jackson Palmer (September 17, 1836 - March 13, 1908) was a veteran of the American Civil War. He also was founder and president of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Palmer founded the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1871, as well as several other communities.Born in Kent County, Delaware, he was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An expert scout and effective military recruiter for the Union cause - helping the formation of the 15th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry - he was captured by the Confederates while scouting before the Battle of Antietam and sent to Richmond, Virginia for detention. He later was set free in a prisoner exchange and afterwards was very vigorous in pursuing Confederate General Hood after the Battle of Nashville, earning him his General's rank.
After the war, Palmer resumed his railroad pursuits he had started previous to the conflict. He was in charge of the Kansas Pacific Railroad's line into Denver. Upon completion of that line, Palmer founded his Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, whose first section was a Denver to Pikes Peak area line.
He was delighted with the new area where he founded Colorado Springs, and made his home, called Glen Eyrie, there in the northwest foothills north of the Garden of the Gods rock formations (now a park). His wife, nicknamed "Queen", visited the Glen just once. She didn't like the westernness of the area despite the impressive facilities at the Glen Eyrie mansion (which included a freshly-built school for their children). After waiting for the area to become more populated and civilized for some years, and having had her first two children born in Colorado Springs, she left - never to return. Queen Palmer died unexpectedly after bearing their third child in England. Afterwards, the three children returned to the Glen and their father.
Palmer set upon making his railroad extend from Denver to the country of Mexico, but failed in his bid. His north-south narrow gauge railroad was subjected to conflicting right of way issues from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and the U. S. Supreme Court ruled against his interests in 1880.
In his later years he enjoyed being the benefactor to the Colorado Springs community, and was well liked by the people. Towards the end of his life, Palmer, one to prefer the horse to the newly invented automoble, suffered a fall from his horse and was paralyzed. His last hurrah before his death was the invitation and hosting of his beloved 15th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment troopers for their annual reunion at his cherished home in Glen Eyrie. It was held at the Glen because Palmer was unable to travel as usual after his accident. Most of the surviving troopers attended that memorable reunion.
Legacy
Palmer was the land grantor of several institutions in Colorado Springs, including Colorado College, the (International Typographical Union's) Union Printer's Home, the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, and Cragmor Sanitarium, a tuberculosis sanitarium which later was refounded in 1965 as the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). He also gave funds for the founding of Colorado College and was one of its founding trustees. Palmer also gave land for several churches in central Colorado Springs. Palmer Divide (a geographic feature north of Colorado Springs) and the community of Palmer Lake are named after him, as is Palmer Park in Colorado Springs. His beloved Glen Eyrie is now owned by The Navigators, an evangelical Christian nonprofit group (tours of the main house are available).
His statue (upon his horse) is found at the intersection of Platte and Nevada Avenues in downtown Colorado Springs.
External links
Palmer Biography
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