David Moffat

David Moffat

David Halliday Moffat (July 22, 1839 – March 18, 1911) was an American financier and industrialist.

Moffat was one of Denver's most important financiers and industrialists in late 19th and early 20th century Colorado, and he was responsible for the development of the Middle Park area. He served as president, treasurer and as a board member of railroads, banks and city government posts. Over the years he had claims to over one hundred Colorado mines and nine railroads. Moffat died on March 18, 1911 in New York City at the age of seventy three. Some had said that he had vainly spent fourteen million dollars on the dream of a railroad directly west from Denver. The Denver and Salt Lake Railway had cost him $75,000 a mile, and Rollins Pass had cost him the rest of his fortune. He was in New York city trying to raise more money, and was stopped by what would later be learned was the doing of E. H. Harriman and George Jay Gould I. He was one of the greatest threats they had faced in years. Although Moffat was looked at the time as a vain dreamer, he would later be viewed by many as ahead of his time. His legacy would leave Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and later Union Pacific Railroad with a railroad that would outlast most other rail lines in Colorado. He would have Moffat Tunnel and Moffat County, Colorado named after him.