1859 Early - William A.H. Loveland arrives in Golden.

March - Edward L. Berthoud comes to Colorado and settles at Golden.
May - Berthoud, Jim Bridger and eight others go up Clear Creek Canyon.
May 12 - Berthoud discovers pass that will bear his name.
1861 Spring - Henry M. Teller arrives in Central City.
1862  
1865 First smelter set up at Black Hawk
Colorado & Clear Creek RR incorporated.
1866 January - Colorado & Clear Creek RR reorganized as Colorado Central & Pacific Railroad Company.
Fall - Union Pacific sends party of engineers to check out route over Berthoud Pass
November - Union Pacific rejects Berthoud Pass route in favor of South Pass in Wyoming.
1867 Union Pacific approves idea of using CC&P RR as a feeder, but charter keeps it from building in Colorado.
June - Berthoud ready to begin location of routes: one due north from Golden to Cheyenne, one northeast to meet transcontinental RR, bypassing Denver.
Fall - Denver interests led by John Evans and David Moffatt incorporate Denver Pacific to build RR from Denver to Cheyenne.
Fall - Territorial capital moved from Golden to Denver.
1868 January 14 - Colorado Central & Pacific RR renamed Colorado Central RR Company.
Early - Professor N.P. Hill establishes Boston & Colorado smelter at Black Hawk.
Spring - Grading contracts being let for CCRR.
December 31 - 11 miles of grade completed along Clear Creek from Golden.
1869 June 22 - Denver Pacific completes line to Cheyenne with support of Kansas Pacific.
1870 April - Grading gets underway up Clear Creek Canyon
August 15 - Kansas Pacific completed to Denver.
September 24 - Colorado Central connects to Denver Pacific and Kansas Pacific at "Jersey Junction" 2 miles north of Denver.
1871 January 1 - Corporate politics and scarcity of financing keep CCRR from building.
May - At CCRR annual meeting , "Colorado people" gain control of RR over "Eastern interests."
August - U.P. Superintendent T.E. Sickles, now Chief Engineer of CCRR, arrives in Golden with news construction will begin "at once."
September - 150 men at work in canyon blasting and grading.
December - Hard winter brings work to a halt. Crews shifted to U.P. mainline to dig out trains.
1872 Mid-February - Snow blockade of U.P. mainline finally lifted.
Denver Pacific sold to Kansas Pacific: U.P. loses out, control of CCRR becomes more inportant to U.P.
350 men put to work grading for CCRR in Clear Creek Canyon.
March (end of) - Eight miles graded toward Central City from Golden.
April - Plans announced for new offices, shops, roundhouse and depot buildings at Golden.
May - Now 500 men at work grading in canyon.
May 14 - At CCRR annual meeting, U.P. moves to consolidate its control by moving "Eastern men" into positions of power.
Early June - Golden Transcript reports grading camps established at Elk Meadows, the Big Hill, the Forks, and near Floyd's Hill.
Mid-June - Track materials from U.P. begin arriving in Golden; locomotives due in a "few days."
Mid-July - 32 carloads of track material on hand.
Late June - Track laying has begun (but using horses: no locomotive yet!)
September 1 - First train over completed line to Forks Creek.
September 2 - Regular service instituted Golden to Big Hill, 12 miles!
September 15 - Wye installed at Forks Creek and track laying a1 1/2 miles beyond.
October - Golden Transcript reports five stalls being added to Golden roundhouse.
October 1 - CCRR reportedly hauling mail 15 miles west of Golden.
October 18 - CCRR reportedly hauling mail 17 miles west.
November 20 - CCRR reaches Smith Hill.
Early December - Transcript reports trains running day and night, but freight backing up at Golden depot and need for coal at mountain towns "severe."
December 7 - Grading completed to Black Hawk.
December 11 - Trains begin running to Black Hawk; $250,000 in Gilpin County bonds becomes payable!
December 16 - Kansas Pacific refuses to accept any more freight from CCRR; railroad's credit rating is ZIP !
 Year End - Money tight, CCRR needs it, but not generating sufficient revenue, largely because of lack of equipment, therefore living on U.P. money, every cent of it grudgingly given.
1873 Mid-January - Most of line to Floyd Hill graded (toward Georgetown).
February 24 - Track reaches Floyd Hill, 3.3 miles above Golden. Hauck says, "Money was tight, and the UP begrudged every dime spent on the CC." (Hauck-37, emphasis his)
Early March - CCRR reportedly overdrawn at both Denver and Golden banks.
March - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #4.
End of April - CCRR #4 delivered to CCRR; cost $8500 (equivalent to more than $138,000 today).
April - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #5.
April - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #6, but it is delivered to the AFRR.
April - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #7, but it is delivered to BC&CF RR.
August 26 - Sheriff of Jefferson County seizes CCRR loco #5 for nonpayment of county taxes.
September 8 - Financial Panic of 1873 begins; money becomes more than merely tight. For railroad construction it becomes non-existent!
Year End - Economy incredibly bad for nation, but not so bad for Colorado. But it was beginning to catch up.
1874 March - Porter-Bell builds an unnumbered loco for CCRR, but it is delivered to BC&CF RR
April - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #1 [2nd], but it is delivered to PH&Co.
Spring 1874 - Finances "looking up:" Directors approve purchase of another new locomotive. Hauck-55 says this is Dawson & Baily #1 [2nd], 18 ton mogul shipped from Connelsville, PA on May 11.
1875 Early - Ordered two more locos from Porter-Bell at $7,250 each (equivalent to more than $125,000 today): #2 [2nd] and #3 [2nd].
March - Porter-Bell builds CCRR ##2.
Late March - CCRR #2 [2nd] shipped from Porter-Bell.
Apr -- Colorado Central RR and Kansas Pacific RR agree to consolidation with CC leased to KP.
May - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #3.
May - CCRR #3 [2nd] shipped from Porter-Bell.
May -- Colorado Central RR Board of Directors repudiates agreement by voiding Union Pacific proxies on a technicality and elects Loveland President.
May - Agreement between UP and DP-KP for UP to carry transcontinmental traffic and DP-KP "absorb" Colorado Central by forced consolidation using UP's voting power. CCRR leased to KP.
Jun -- Wye at Forks Creek put into operation.
1876 Colorado becomes 38th state
May 18 - Annual meeting of CCRR: Loveland declares UP proxy invalid; KP lease invalidated.
May 21 - Loveland forces seize control of CCRR
June - Golden Georgetown & Central RR incorporated to buy CCRR if sold at Sheriff's sale.
August - David Moffatt appointed Receiver for CCRR at UP's request, but Loveland has physical possession.
1877 Early - Construction of line west of Floyd Hill resumed.
March - UP gives up attempt to force CCRR into Receivership.
April - Grading begins on Georgetown extension.
May  1 - Tracklaying begins despite bad weather.
June 11 - Track completed to Idaho Springs
June 12 - Service begins to Idaho Springs.
Late June - Trains running one mile west of Idaho Springs; Remaining 11.33 miles to Georgetown through Fall River, Dumont, Lawson and Empire graded and ready for rails.
July 1 - Work resumed on grade between Black Hawk and Central City.
August - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #6.
August 14 - Line from Floyd Hill to Georgetown opened to traffic.160v - Golden shops turn out coach-baggage car #5.
Nov 7 -- CC standard gauge line extended from Longmont north to junction with U.P. four or five miles west of Cheyenne. 72.52 mi.
December - Porter-Bell builds CCRR #7.
1878 Early - Boston & Colorado smelter at Black Hawk moves to Argo, just north of Denver.
Feb - Golden shops build coach-baggage #6.
May 20 - First official train into Central City from Black Hawk.
 Jul - Golden shops turn out coach #7.
 Fall - Gould forced to sell large block Union Pacific stock
 
1879 Mar 1 - Bankrupt Colorado Central leased to Union Pacific for 50 years. (One source says November.)
 
1880 Beginning of year - Total "varnish" consists of nine cars: five coaches (#1, #2, #3, #4, and #7), two baggage cars (#1 and #2) and two combination coach-baggage cars (#5 and #6).
1885 Beginning of year - Total "varnish" consisted of 24 cars: nine coaches (#1, #2, #4, #7, #8, #9, #10, #19 and #20, #3 having been destroyed by fire), two chair cars (#11 and #12), two combination coach-baggage cars (#1 and #2), six excursion cars (#13-#18), two baggage cars (#1 and #2) and three baggage-mail-express cars (#3, #4 and #5).