Town of Defiance

In 1883, the new Town of Defiance was not much more than a a dugout and tent settlement. Much of the activity, including the first building, tent-hotel and post office, was along the southern bank of the river; right where you are standing if you are at the entrance to The Hotel Denver. It was a street called Riverfront (today’s 7th Street). The street began as a crude assembly of tents and dugouts, which were replaced by various small buildings by the beginning of the 1900's. Most of the businesses on the block were saloons and brothels that served miners in the area.
The Train Station

In 1904 the red sandstone and brick building replaced an original train station located three blocks west which was now seventeen years old. The new building’s architecture was intended to match the 16th century Italian architecture of the Hot Springs and the Hotel Colorado. The train station was built in what had become Riverfront's rough neighborhood. President Taft refused to enter Glenwood from the train station due to its proximity to the saloon and red light district.
7th Street

For better or worse, 7th Street, formerly Riverfront, has always attracted a crowd. As more families moved to town, an effort to clean up Red Light District was launched in earnest. Prohibition went a long way toward the clean up. Grocery stores and legitimate hotels such as the Star and the Denver Rooms replaced bars and brothels.
In recent years, 7th Street has become a fashionable place to hang out and enjoy fresh beer and bakery. It serves as the stopping point for the Amtrak train, the threshold to the pedestrian bridge, and the gateway to downtown.