Castle Rock was founded in 1874 when the eastern Douglas County border was redrawn to its present location.
Castle Rock was chosen as the county seat because of its central location. The region in and around Castle Rock
was originally home to Native Americans of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes. The Indians occupied the land
between the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers. White settlers were drawn by rumors of gold and by land
opened through the Homestead Act of 1862.
One of the first settlers in the area near today's Castle Rock was the original homesteader, Jeremiah Gould.
He owned about 160 acres to the south of "The (Castle) Rock." At that time, the settlement consisted of just
a few buildings for prospectors, workers, and cowboys. In 1874 Jeremiah Gould donated 120 acres to the new
town that was also now home to the Douglas County government. For the beginning the six streets named
Elbert, Jerry, Wilcox, Perry, Castle and Front were laid out to build the actual town of Castle Rock. The
Courthouse Square was defined and about 77 lots, each 50 by 112 feet, were auctioned off for a total profit of
$3,400.00.
It was not gold that put Castle Rock onto the map. The discovery of Rhyolite stone made the reason to build a
settlement that would become Castle Rock.
A new train depot brought the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad to the area. The depot building now houses the
Castle Rock Historical Museum on Elbert Street, where visitors can see history of how Castle Rock changed
over the years.
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