Denver’s Silver Boom built this hotel – visit room 320 if you’re brave enough

The Oxford Hotel’s Silver Boom Transformation

Denver’s Silver Boom of 1879 had brewery owner Adolph Zang build The Oxford Hotel in 1891 near Union Station.

Architect Frank Edbrooke gave the five-story brick building all the fancy touches – marble floors, stained glass, and its own power plant.

For just $1 a night, guests got luxury that matched any hotel back east.

The Oxford later gained another claim to fame when Florence Montague shot her cheating husband in room 320 before killing herself.

The Oxford Hotel stands today as a perfect snapshot of how silver money changed Denver forever.

Silver Strikes Made Denver Rich Overnight

Miners hit it big at Leadville in 1879, starting the Colorado Silver Boom that poured $82 million into the state during the 1880s and early 1890s.

The Bland-Allison Act of 1878 let miners turn silver into coins, making worthless mines suddenly valuable. Leadville grew from 600 people to 30,000 by 1880, becoming Colorado’s second-largest city after Denver.

This new money changed Denver as miners, investors, and suppliers flooded in. Railroad lines built in 1870 made Denver the main hub for all mining areas across Colorado.

Trains Brought Wealthy Visitors Who Needed Fancy Digs

Union Station opened in 1881, linking Denver to eastern markets and western mining camps.

Thousands of rich investors, European bankers, and mining bosses came to the city. Denver grew to 106,713 people by 1890, ranking as America’s 25th largest city.

But travelers faced a problem: all hotels sat a mile from Union Station, forcing tired visitors to walk after their train trips. Business owners spotted a chance to build luxury hotels closer to the station for wealthy guests.

Beer Money Built The Oxford Hotel

Adolph Zang ran Colorado’s biggest brewery before Prohibition. After selling his Zang Brewing Company to British buyers in 1889, he had over $1 million to spend.

Zang joined with Denver bankers Philip Feldhauser and William Mygatt to build something new. They planned the first big hotel meant to catch Union Station traffic.

They picked a spot just one block from the busy train station, perfect for tired travelers stepping off trains.

Frank Edbrooke Designed A Castle For Travelers

Frank Edbrooke was Colorado’s top architect who built the famous Brown Palace Hotel. Workers started building the five-story, red-brick, U-shaped Oxford Hotel in 1890.

Many think Edbrooke created Denver’s first steel-frame building. The hotel had a castle-like roof with square brick caps and fancy brickwork.

Red sandstone and terra-cotta trim gave the outside a simple look that hid the fancy interior waiting for guests.

The Oxford Hotel Packed Modern Marvels Inside

The hotel had its own power plant for steady electricity and gas lights on all floors.

A steam heating system kept guests warm during cold Colorado winters when temps often dropped below zero. Each floor had separate bathrooms with private toilets, a luxury most travelers never saw before.

One of Denver’s first elevators took guests to upper floors with mountain views. These new features matched the best eastern and European hotels.

Guests Walked Into A Palace On Opening Day

The Oxford Hotel opened on October 2, 1891, a year before the Brown Palace. Marble floors, painted walls, and silver chandeliers created a fancy, classy feel.

Stained glass windows let in colored sunlight throughout the building. First-day guests were shocked by the contrast between the plain outside and the fancy inside decor.

Rooms cost $1 per night, or $2 with a private bath, drawing wealthy travelers who wanted the best place to stay in Denver.

You Never Had To Leave The Building

The hotel worked as a complete package with dining rooms, barbershop, and library all inside. Guests used the on-site pharmacy, Western Union office, and stables for their horses.

The popular bar served Zang’s famous “Fritz Imperial” beer to thirsty folks after long trips. Several restaurants offered different food for various tastes and social classes.

Business Boomed So Much They Had To Expand

The hotel did so well that owners added a two-story section on Wazee Street in 1902. This new part matched the style of the original building perfectly.

Hotel ads bragged about their location with the slogan: “Just through the Welcome Arch. The Real Hub of Denver.”

The expansion brought the Oxford Hotel within half a block of Union Station. Both tired travelers and the marketing team knew this close spot gave them an edge.

Controversies Revolve Around Guests in Room 320

In 1898, Florence Montague caught her husband with another woman in room 320. Filled with rage and heartbreak, she shot her cheating husband dead before killing herself.

This shocking murder-suicide stuck permanently in the hotel’s history. The tragic event created one of Denver’s most famous ghost stories that people still tell today.

Room 320 became forever tied to Florence’s tale of cheating and revenge, drawing curious visitors for generations.

Silver Prices Crashed But The Oxford Stood Strong

The government killed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893, making silver prices drop overnight.

Thousands of jobless miners came to Denver looking for work, changing it from a mining supply town to a business center for the entire Rocky Mountain region.

The Oxford Hotel survived this crisis while many other businesses closed forever.

Denver Wasn’t Just A Cow Town Anymore

The Oxford Hotel proved Denver had successfully changed from a frontier outpost to a sophisticated city.

Frank Edbrooke’s design showed that western architecture could stand toe-to-toe with anything built back east.

The hotel’s luxury technology and services kept attracting investment to Colorado even after the silver boom ended.

The Oxford created the template for luxury hospitality that shaped Denver’s hotel industry for decades to come, setting new standards.

Visiting Oxford Hotel, Colorado

The Oxford Hotel at 1600 17th Street in Lower Downtown opened in 1891 during Denver’s Silver Boom, transforming the frontier town with Frank E. Edbrooke’s elegant design and Gilded Age luxury.

You can stay in one of 80 rooms with antique headboards and period furnishings, just steps from Union Station.

The Art Deco Cruise Room bar from 1933 hosts a postal worker ghost, while Room 320 remains the site of Florence Montague’s 1898 murder-suicide.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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