The town was founded in 1859 during the
Pike's Peak Gold Rush by George and David Griffith, two prospectors from
Kentucky. It was named "Georgetown" in honor of the older of the two
brothers. Although founded during the gold rush, the town grew rapidly
following the discovery of silver on September 14, 1864 by James Huff at a site
approximately 8 miles (13 km) up the canyon in the Argentine Pass area. In
the following years, thousands of mines were dug in the mountains surrounding
the town and the town quickly grew into a center for prospectors and mine
workers in the surrounding mountains
