Elephant Corral - Denver, CO - Colorado Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The name of this building has many "true" explanations, but there is no definitive fact. One source states, "There is much speculation about the name, including the erroneous belief that it was used for livestock shows, but it was presumably named for the Elephant Corral located in Council Bluffs, Iowa." Another source states, "Some say it comes from a similar place in Council Bluffs, Nebraska. Others claim it relates to a slogan of the gold rush days. It seems to have first appeared in the 1840s about the same time as the first appearance of elephants in circuses around the country. In the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia of 1902, a definition states: 'To see or to show the elephant, to see or exhibit something strange or wonderful: especially to see for the first time.'" The plaque tells this story:

Elephant Corral
1902

An ancestor to the beginnings of the National Western Stock Show, the
Elephant Corral was home to prairie oxen and mountain mules, horses
and cows, but not a single elephant. In fact, the name is said to relate
to a metaphor for the gold rush days or America and the perilous
crossing of the continent, when "seeing the elephant" became synonymous
with seeing something strange, wonderful and perhaps a little
frightening. The first structure at this address was constructed of
hewn logs in 1858 by Charles Blake and Andrew Williams and was
commonly known as Denver Hall. Here, emigrants watered, boarded, fed
and traded livestock. With the Denver House on the same block, the
scene was the center of the civilization of early Denver and was a favorite
place for holding public meetings. A fire destroyed the building in 1863,
and a new two-story warehouse was built on the site with a high wall
and stables. The second floor was called Union Hall and housed the
offices of the Denver Daily Gazette. In 1888, rancher John Thames bought
the property and cleared the site to construct the current buildings,
the oldest of which dates back to 1902. However, as late as 1910, the
property was still used for the stabling of horses and mules, and later
for storage of trucks, the Twentieth century's new workhorses.

Further research explains this structure was a large corral and frame building made by Charles H. Blake and Andrew J. Williams of hewn cottonwood logs with a canvas roof. The hotel and saloon part of the Elephant Corral was known as Denver Hall. In the city's early days it was a favorite place for holding public meetings; in 1859, Horace Greeley was a guest. The building was destroyed in the great fire of 1863. A two-story brick warehouse was constructed in its place, with the second floor christened Union Hall, where dances were held and where the Colorado Military District had its headquarters.

In 1976 the Elephant Corral was sold to John and Natasha Querrard, who developed the present renovation, completed early in 1981. The lower courtyard was newly added, and although the original building is still here, it is less visible behind the renovation. The building was renovated into passive solar office space in 1980.

Group or Groups Responsible for Placement: Lower Downtown [Denver] District County or City: Denver Date Dedicated: Unknown Check here for Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]

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