“Gold Dust Tom” or simply “Gold Tom” was what most people called George Henry Thomas, a moderately successful prospector who had traveled and prospected in South America as well as Colorado. In 1867, Gold Tom traveled from the Central City gold camp, crossed the Great Divide, and began prospecting along the Arkansas River, eventually working his way downstream to the site of Cotopaxi.
There, as he viewed a peak seen to the west through the narrow canyon, its conical shape reminded him of the Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador, whose name in the Quechua language means “the shining pile.”
According to historian Flora Jane Satt, Gold Tom also worked for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad as it was laying track up the river. His duties included seeking timber for ties. Exploring the area, he chose a spot in what is now called Gold Tom Park northeast of Cotopaxi, where he built a cabin and filed several mining claims, including the Cotopaxi Lode in 1873, one of the richest deposits of silver in Fremont County.
According to long-time resident Glenn Mullin, Gold Tom's nickname came from the gold dust and nuggets that he panned from the Arkansas River. Of course, every old prospector leaves behind stories of buried treasure: Gold Tom's treasure is allegedly buried somewhere in Gold Tom Park, but it has never been found. Mullin doesn't seem to think that it still exists
In 1880 there seemed to be some bad blood between Gold Tom and another settler named Myers--a dispute over a dog. Two men kept harassing Gold Tom and siccing their dog on him, and Gold Tom ultimately ended up shooting the dog. Soon afterwards, he and Myers confronted each other in front of the Banta Store. Gold Tom did not take particularly good aim, and then Myers shot back, killing him.
Although Gold Tom found a rich lode, he lacked funds to develop it, and ended up selling the mine to Emmanuel Saltiel, the businessman who imported his own labor force.