July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
Thank You For Your Support! Our Our ur D Donors onorrss aar are rree tthe he FFOUNDATION OU UN ND N DAT TIION ooff O Our uurr SSuccess uucccccceeesssss Hope Cancer Care Center Campaign Patient Tower Campaign Emergency Department Campaign 1 Count Employee Giving Campaign Healthcare Career Scholarships
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Allenspark Boulder Caribou Coal Creek Canyon Eldora Eldorado Springs Erie Gold Hill Gunbarrel Hygiene
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July 9 & 13, 2011
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Honest Car Care & Repair 40+ Years of Automotive motive Experience! motive Exper
E Expanded W Waiting Area w with Comfortable C Couches and TV C Childrens Play A Area C Coffee Bar
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Since 2004, Stonum Automotive has provided Longmont-area auto owners with comprehensive auto repair services, affordable prices and superior customer service to get people back in their automobile in no time. Owning his own shop was always a dream for John Stonum , who grew up around cars with the influence from family. His father was retired from General Motors and his step-father built streetrods, each providing influence in Stonum’s passion for the industry. Stonum started working in parts as a young man before moving into the service aspect of the business and working alongside many great employees throughout the years. When it came time to open his own shop, Stonum turned to those former workers and asked them to join his team. “We offer great employees and exceptional technicians who stay abreast to new technologies through continuing training and education,” Stonum says. Stonum Automotive provides service on all makes and models, including diesel engines and European autos, and also offers tires and alignment options, as well as windshield replacement. Top-of-the-line tools and equipment allow them to do a great quality repair the first time. Each technician is also equipped with a computer right at his toolbox to easily access repair information, labor times and parts, which helps in getting automobiles fixed and back in the hands of the customers. “Our goal is to try and get every service done in one day,” he says. “We truly are a full-service shop to help our customers.” Stonum Automotive has experienced a lot of growth in its short history, starting out with a 2,000 square foot shop and two bays, to now occupying four units in the building with eight service bays, five technicians, a clean and spacious waiting area, great parking and more than 7,000 square feet. Whether a customer decides to wait for his or her car in the comfortable waiting area with television and space for kids to play, or opt for a free shuttle ride to work or home, Stonum Automotive takes care of its customers through superior service.
John Stonum, Owner
Stonum
Automotive
1116-A Colorado Avenue • Longmont www.stonumautomotive.com • Monday-Friday 8am-5:30pm
303-485-9303
"The Shop You Would Recommend to a Friend"
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July 9 & 13, 2011
Allenspark
History seen through town’s lodges By Anna Taylor
For the Longmont Times-Call
Nestled in the southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, this little town is famous for hosting some of the most beautiful scenic stops in the state. Allenspark is home to Longs Peak, a 14,225-foot climb, as well as glacial basins and alpine vistas that draw millions of visitors every year. The city also sits along the Peak to Peak Highway, which hosts breathtaking views along its 55 miles of curving road. Established in 1918, this is Colorado’s oldest scenic byway. The town was originally famous for attracting ski jumping between 1922 and 1940. Today, horseback riding, hiking and climbing bring herds of visitors throughout the summer months while cross-country skiing keeps people busy during the winter. In addition to the beautiful scenery, Allenspark is known for its beautiful lodges that not only reflect the history of the town, but also offer outstanding amenities. In 1933, Dick Isles, a shop teacher and
The Wild Basin Lodge in 1945. (Courtesy The Wild Basin Lodge)
school administrator, brought a group of high school students from Longmont to construct the Allenspark Lodge Bed and Breakfast. After two summers of construction, the lodge was completed. Today, Juanita and Bill Martin run the lodge and recall a visit from one of the original workers who helped build the site. “He was on a ‘memory tour’ before he totally lost his eye sight, and wanted to see the lodge one last time,” Juanita Martin explains. “He told us he helped build the place; said he ‘worked here when I was 15, in the summer of ’33, with Prof Isles. He paid us a dollar a day and that was good money. ” Bill Martin says, “We run the lodge as a bed and breakfast, so you will awaken to the aroma of fresh breads baking for your hot, family style breakfast. Our lodge is about one-quarter mile from trails into Roosevelt National forest, 1.5 miles from a trail head into Rocky Mountain National Park and 2.5 miles from a trail into Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. And during the summer months, right across the street from us is a horseback riding livery with great trail rides!” Another lodge rich in history is the Wild Basin Lodge. Constructed in 1908 as the Copeland Lake Lodge, it was originally run as a 70-acre mountain getaway. After years of great success, in 1913 it was renamed The Wild Basin Lodge. The original owner of the Copeland Lake Lodge was a retired military veteran who was funded by the Finney’s of Wisconsin. Today, the lodge is owned and operated by Denice and Nils Kristoffersen who completed an ambitious remodeling project originally started by Kevin Moersch.
This old postcard shows the Allenspark Lodge when it was the Trading Post. Above: An old postcard and current photo show that the Allenspark Lodge still resides in the same location. (Courtesy Allenspark Lodge)
“Denice and Nils have created a family style atmosphere among the staff, and we truly enjoy utilizing the beauty of our surroundings and planning activities together,” explains Hillary Hanson, director of marketing for the Wild Basin Lodge. In addition to completing the reconstruction, the Kristoffersens also implemented a waste-reduction and environmental protection plan in 2004 to help preserve the delicate balance of nature in the area. The “Green Policy” was fully implemented in 2009 and includes passive solar building designs, compact florescent lighting, enhanced building insulation, mandatory recycling of all paper, plastic and glassware, low-flow water appliances, zero-waste wedding and event packages, and partnerships with Ecocycle and The Wild Animal Sanctuary. Visitors at The Wild Basin Lodge and the Allenspark Lodge Bed and Breakfast can enjoy hiking and camping in The Rocky
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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The Wild Basin Lodge today. (Courtesy Bella Picture)
Mountain National Park, fishing in The St. Vrain River, enjoying horse back riding in the area, site seeing along Colo. Highway 7, snowshoeing or ice climbing in the mountains, and taking the short trip to Estes Park to enjoy a variety of activities. “I enjoy Allenspark because of its proximity to Roosevelt National Forest, the easy access to camp and hike, my summertime trips to go tubing in the St. Vrain River, the friendly residents who are always willing to give advice or lend a hand, and the horseback trips that are readily available at The Wild Basin Lodge,” Hanson says. With its beautiful scenery and easy access to plenty of outdoor fun, Allenspark has become a wonderful location for visitors and locals alike.
John C. Flanders
Integrity.
Part of our Local Community since 1973 Women’s Health was founded 38 years ago as a local clinic responding to local needs. Today, with clinics in Boulder and Longmont, we Bou continue co o to meet the reproductive healthcare needs of women, h health men me and teens in Boulder County. Women’s Health ~ your local reproductive healthcare expert.
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Fourth generation attorney in the firm of
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Established 1871 His practice continues to focus on: • Estate, Trust, and Tax Planning and Administration. • Real Estate Law (contracts, leases, oil and gas, water, development.) • Banking law, and Taxation as it applies to these areas of law. • Business Law (LLCs, S Corporations, Partnerships, Taxes)
John has been a peer-review AV rated attorney for over 30 years.
(303) 776-5380 • 401 Main Street, Ste. 1 • Longmont www.flanderslaw.com
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July 9 & 13, 2011
Boulder
Boulder County’s largest city is known for its beauty, unique culture By Anna Taylor
For the Longmont Times-Call
The discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountains brought men west in search of the shiny metal. In 1859, 57 shareholders organized the Boulder Town Company with Alfred A. Brookfield as its first president. The town was set up due to its close proximity to the gold discoveries. Alfred brought his wife Emma from Nebraska who became one of the first white pioneer women in Boulder. Alfred and Emma operated a hotel in Ward and after seven years bought the Colorado House Hotel in Boulder. According to the city of Boulder’s website, the town was originally divided in 4,044 lots and priced at $1,000 each. Later, the price of these lots was reduced to try and spur the attraction of more residents. Coal was discovered in southeast Boulder during the town’s first years and The Lower Boulder Ditch, the first of many irrigation ditches, was created. The first grocery and supply store was also created in the Boulder House and the first religious service was conducted by Reverend Jacob Adriance. The first schoolhouse was built in 1860 at the corner of Walnut and 15th Street. This was also the year when residents began lobbying for the University of Colorado to be located in Boulder. By 1874, the lobbying paid off and a 44.9-acre site was donated and $15,000 was raised to open the university. The city’s government was formalized in 1871 when the town of Boulder was incorporated and Jacob Ellison became the first mayor. By 1880, the population rose to more than 3,000 and two years later the city hall building followed by the first courthouse were constructed. Boulder’s transportation was then en-
Clockwise from left: The University of Colorado. (Casey A. Cass) The Flatirons are distinct to Boulder and are located near Chautauqua Park, a popular open space area. Pearl Street in Boulder offers shopping and entertainment. (Paul Litman)
hanced with the construction of the railroad. Tracks were laid to give service to Golden, Denver and the western mining camps, and in 1890 the railroad depot was constructed. By 1905, Boulder was relying heavily on tourism to fuel its economy. This reliance called for the construction of the first highend hotel to be constructed and the Hotel Boulderado opened for business in 1909. Tourism continued to flourish the city’s funds for the next 40 years until the university became the primary reason for growth. Students who attended the university were drawn back to the city even after graduating. Boulder’s population had not grown since the 1920s, but in 1950 the census soared to 20,000. The completion of the Boulder-Denver Turnpike helped the city to continue to grow and the planning of new subdivisions and shopping centers created housing and job opportunities. By 1972, the population had grown to 72,000. Today, Boulder is known for its beautiful scenery, prominent university and its unique culture. People from around the nation move to and visit the city for its 36,000 acres of recreational open space, hiking and biking trails, and abundant rock
climbing. Because of its well-known emphasis on being a biker-friendly community, there are hundreds of bike paths and routes that interconnect areas of the city and are utilized throughout the year. Every June, Walk and Bike Month is celebrated throughout the area and Bike to Work has been a part of the annual celebration since 1977. The Boulder Creek Festival is another well-known attribute of the cities cultural draw. The three-day festival takes place over Memorial Day Weekend and features local vendors. The festival also has live music, food and children’s activities. Also during this weekend is the Bolder Boulder 10k run. First started in 1979, the run involves 50,000 participants making it one of the largest road races in the world. Boulder is also host to multiple film festivals including the Boulder International Film Festival, The International Film Series and The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival. These festivals draw filmmakers and lovers of every skill set every year. While Boulder’s creation was forged in the desire for gold, the city’s colorful history, beautiful surroundings and distinct culture have made it a travel destination and a highly ranked city in the country.
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Caribou
A town built on silver By Anna Taylor
For the Longmont Times-Call
Driving through the mountains in Boulder County it may be difficult to find the area of what is now Caribou. In fact, you may not even know when you have reached the town. Located outside of Nederland, all that remains of the old mining town are ruins. While today there is little to see around the deserted town, these ruins tell the story of what was once a prosperous mining town. Searching for Silver Excitement of the prospect of silver brought settlers into the town of Caribou in the late 1860s and early 1970s. According to the book “Silver Saga: The Story of Caribou, Colorado” by Duane A. Smith, by 1870, the town of Caribou was growing with fellow prospectors and a small population settled into buildings and houses. The Caribou mining area was surrounded by gold-producing districts, but there were no other silver mines within a large area which may have helped it become so prosperous. Sam Conger is said to have been the one to discover the surplus of shiny metal and as the mines became established, Caribou became the source for much of the state’s silver. According to “The Story of Ghost Town Caribou” by John Buchanon, the Caribou mine produced $210,703 in silver at its peak in 1875. Business Thrives As the mines were more successful, people began to flood into the little town. In August 1873, the hotels were crowded and the business was booming. According to Smith’s book, the town of Caribou had a multitude of successful businesses and some of the first to open were a grocery store, meat market, billiard parlor, saloon and boarding house. These were just some of the 60 businesses that prospered in Caribou. While the town never became a tourist
Caribou in 1911, looking west from Boulder County Hill. (E. B. Bastin, U.S. Geological Survey) Above from left: Pictures of Caribou in the 1940s well after the town had been abandoned. (Rocky Mountain National Park) One of three structures still standing in Caribou. (Kenneth Jessen) The ruins of a miners camp. Miners pulled $8 million worth of silver from the mountain before it closed in 1884. (Christopher Stark)
area, there were hotels including the Sherman House, which had 28 guest rooms, a large dining room, parlor and reading room, as well as the Planter’s House. At that time, the Caribou Mill was the largest silver-processing mill in Colorado, but in 1875, the mill was shut down after miners filed a lien on the property. The following year Jerome B. Chaffee and David H. Moffat purchased the mill and put it back into production. Caribou Comes to an End In 1879, the first of three fires struck the area destroying many buildings and much of the mine. Additionally, the price of silver declined through the 1880s and the mill became idle. The second fire destroyed another large portion of the area including the first hotel, the Planter’s House. The third fire to devastate Caribou occurred in 1905. By that time few people remained in the
area. According to John K. Alrich’s “Ghosts of Boulder County, Caribou” was also plagued with disease such as scarlet fever, small pox and diptheria. These factors, along with the decrease in silver, all contributed to the end of the little mining town. At its peak, Caribou had a population of about 3,000 in the 1870s and 1880s and while some residents remained throughout the 20th century, the town has now been deserted. Caribou lasted more than 35 years, which is much longer than many of the mining towns of the past. Today, there is little left of Caribou, just a few crumbling buildings and a graveyard – the only evidence that a generation of people lived and worked in the area. The residents overcame the harsh economic fluctuations and the fierce weather conditions and left behind the story of a town rich in silver and rich in history.
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July 9 & 13, 2011
Coal Creek Canyon An active community keeps town on the map By Anna Taylor
For the Longmont Times-Call
Located on the highest peak along the Front Range, Coal Creek Canyon is home to beautiful views and a colorful history. According to “Coal Creak Canyon Colorado: Tales from Times Past” by Vicki Moran, the discovery of gold in 1858 and 1859 at Pikes Peak and in Gilpin County brought floods of people into the region searching for riches. Before 1870, Coal Creek Canyon was home to only a handful of settlers – 57 to be exact, according to the 1870 federal census. The occupations listed at that time were farmer, teamster, laborer or sawmill worker. Then in 1872 and 1874, fires wreaked havoc on Central City, which left many people homeless and ready to seek their living elsewhere – many of them went searching in Coal Creek Canyon. The Railroad Brings Change The Coal Creek Canyon’s website states that David Moffat brought the Denver Northwest & Pacific Railroad to the canyon, known as the Moffat Road. Work began in December 1902 and the original plan was to run the line through Coal Creek Canyon and the first train steamed through the canyon on June 23, 1904. The development of the train created good access to the canyon that were not provided by the other roads. These roads were extremely narrow and were not improved for cars until 1919. Tourists and summer cabin residents came to Coal Creek Canyon by train and some were picked up by carriage and driven by Mr. A. S. Carter to his rental cabins at Carter Lake, now the Four-Square Camp on Camp Eden Road.
Moffat Tunnel East Portal.
The Crescent Store. Above: The Train Bridge in Coal Creek Canyon. (Photos Courtesy Vicki Moran)
As noted in Moran’s book, Moffat Road seemed to be the reason for a new boom in the population as it brought a new round of settlement that had not been present in the area since the first discovery of gold in the nearby counties. An Active Community Between the time of the homesteaders and the mid 1940s little changed in the town. It wasn’t until the end of World War II that people started to come to the area to start families away from the city.
Moffat Tunnel West Portal.
In 1947, residents formed the Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association with the goal of establishing a volunteer fire department. As noted on the Coal Creek Canyon website, www.coalcreek .com, in 1949, the first firehouse was built on the north side of Colo. Highway 72 and Crescent Park Road. The fire engine was a surplus Army Command car donated by the State Forestry Department. While the men were busy making plans for the fire department, the women formed the Coal Creek Women’s Auxiliary in 1949. The Women’s Club held fundraisers and raised money toward the completion of the Community Hall when Henry Zeller donated land and John and Marie Smethills loaned money to pay for materials. Their efforts paid for much of the amenities. When the hall opened, it became the center for community activities, including the popular square dances. The active CCCIA members worked with the Boulder, Jefferson and Gilpin counties to get Coal Creek Canyon Road paved which helped people coming in and out of the town. This new road, the close proximity of the Dow Chemical Plant and the work on Gross Reservoir brought more
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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people to the canyon and the population increased to about 500. Coal Creak Today In more recent years, tragedies such as train wrecks and forest fires have hurt areas of the canyon, but the community has stayed strong and many of the historic buildings, homesteads and cabins can still be seen today. Coal Creek Canyon is a quaint little town nestled in a quiet part of the Boulder County foothills. It grew, just as many other mountain towns, with the discovery of gold and the formation of the railroad. Coal Creek is a town with an active community that has a history as colorful as the area’s beautiful scenery.
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Dental Alternative to High Cost Insurance (Longmont, CO) As the healthcare debate rages nationally, one Longmont dentist has decided to do something tangible to help individuals and families afford quality dental care. “Statistically speaking, more than 60% of Americans don’t have dental insurance,� said Dr. Craig Pinkner from Pinkner Dentistry “This means that a large majority of people here locally delay dental procedures, which is not good for dental health or overall healthcare.� A recent report by CBS News cited by Dr. Pinkner indicated dental decay as a contributing factor in many seemingly unrelated problems... including employment problems, heart disease and childhood school absences.
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“Even here in Longmont we see kids in our practice who are in chronic pain because a simple cavity was not caught in time. That cavity was not caught because the parents perceived that they could not afford dental care. By the time the pain for the child is unbearable... the cost of solving the problem has escalated two or three times over what it would have been if caught a year earlier. This bothered me a great deal and I decided to be part of ďŹ nding a solution.â€? The solution that Dr. Pinkner helped develop with other dentists across the country is both simple and quite ingenious... and may prove to be a model for healthcare reform across the board. “Numbers don’t lie... and we found that we could create a system where families could get earlier preventative and less expensive dental care.â€? The program is called QDP - Quality Dental Plan (QualityDentalPlan.com), which is now rolling out nationally across the nation thanks to Dr. Pinkner and other forwarding thinking dentists.
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“I sat down with my front ofďŹ ce team and saw how much money was going to insurance companies, claim forms administration and collections costs. We also calculated how many hundreds of extra dollars families were spending by not catching potential problems that we could have found during a simple annual dental exam. When I began to run these numbers with other dentists around America... we found that we could offer our patients free initial exams, free exam x-rays, free teeth cleanings and as much as 20% off our usual fee structure simply by creating our own in-house dental savings plan.â€? The result was QDP... and Dr. Pinkner is quite proud of what he and the other dentists have created. “This one simple step has allowed us to eliminate the insurance company middle man... and those savings are going right back into the pockets of folks here locally. I’m really proud to be part of this forward looking cost-savings movement. This is a great system for dental care everywhere.â€?
1361 Francis St. Suite 201 303-776-0117
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Eldora The original “Happy Valley” remains much the same By Anna Taylor
For the Longmont Times-Call
When most people hear the name Eldora, Colo., they think of the winter ski area. But what many might not know is that the original Eldora was a mining area located in a completely separate location. Located just 22 miles west of Boulder, Eldora is a town that with beautiful scenic views, access to camping, hiking and picnic facilities, as well as lovely cabins and a rich history. While Eldora was first prospected in 1860, there was little activity in the town until the discovery of silver in nearby Caribou. According to the book “Ghosts of Boulder County, A guide to the Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Boulder County, Colorado” by John K. Aldrich, in 1891, John H. Kemp discovered Happy Valley placer and then things picked up quick. This settlement was the original name of the area, but it was changed a few times before finally settling on the name Eldora. Eldora prospered in the 1890s as a mining town and railroad shipping center. After the first strike at the Enterprise mine, the thirst and excitement in Eldora was sparked. The population grew to more than 1,000 and dancehalls and gambling dens were constructed. The sleepy mountain town literally seemed to explode overnight as large amounts of people and businesses moved into the area. Transportation in and out of Eldora was an issue until the building of the railroad from the Nederland end of the valley and a
Miners Cabin. (Mike Sinnwell, RockyMountainProfiles.com)
Main Street shops in Eldora. (Mike Sinnwell, RockyMountainProfiles.com)
horse-drawn carriage was used. According to the book “Ghost Towns of the Colorado Rockies” by Robert L. Brown, a twice weekly stage came across from Central City and four other lines came up from Boulder. Around the turn of the century, many of the town’s mines had begun to experience hard times. “Some people saw a railroad extension as the solution to their problem,” Brown’s book states. “Town officials encouraged the construction of tracks by the
Gold Miner Hotel. (Mike Sinnwell, RockyMountainProfiles.com)
Colorado and Northwestern which had already built a line elsewhere in Boulder County.” While the promise of the new railroad brought a glimmer of hope, many of the mines were too far gone to be saved. Employees at the Bailey Mill were said to have staged a riot and smoked Bailey out of his house. Some people held out in the camp, but in a 1910 census the population for the whole district had dropped to about 600 people. As the years passed activities other than mining became the basis for its economy. The nearby ski resort at Eldora Lake was opened in 1962 and receives an average of 300 inches of snow per year. According to the resort’s site, eldora.com, the ski area features 680 acres of skiing terrain and the longest run on the mountain is more than 3 miles long. The resort also features 40 kilometers of Nordic terrain for those who prefer cross-country to downhill skiing. Eldora today is a winter recreational and cabin area used throughout the winter and summer months. Some of the old buildings remain, but most have been built in recent years. While the name may have changed from Happy Valley to Eldora, the serenity and beauty still present there today make it quite obvious why the original name was chosen.
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Eldorado Springs
The Eldorado Springs pool is located where the old resort used to be. (Paul Litman)
A town built to entertain By Anna Taylor
citing entertainment.
Described by many as the “Coney Island of the West,” Eldorado Springs Resort was first opened for business on July 4, 1905. The town as we know it today was founded by Frank Fowler, who had a dream to create a resort built around the springs so he constructed swimming pools, hotels, dance halls and other entertainment to attract and amuse visitors. The spring-fed swimming pools and lush hotels were the main attraction, but periodically a local daredevil named Ivy Baldwin would walk a high wire suspended 580 feet across the top of the canyon. The town offered celebrities and Denver residents a beautiful getaway, great amenities and ex-
From Entertaining Celebs to Bottling Water The town is now home to Eldorado Springs Artesian Bottled Water, which was founded in 1983. Three partners, Doug Larson, Jeremy Martin and Kevin Sipple, purchased many of the Eldorado Springs Resort properties from the Fowler family and transformed the area into the water company that distributes around the state. “The three of us were hanging out at Jeremy’s house one night and he had just started getting water delivery service from what is now one of our competitors. He offered us a glass of water and we began to think…we can do this,” explains Doug Larson, president of Eldorado Artesian
For the Longmont Times-Call
Niwot United Methodist Church 7405 Lookout Rd. 303-530-0241 www.niwotumc.org I believe that no one who asks for help should be turned away. I believe it’s good to question.
Springs. “We set about looking for a quality spring water source and found that one of the premier springs in the world was located just 3 miles from Boulder in Eldorado Springs.” At that time, the company became the owners of 28 acres of land, the springs, 11 wells, water rights, bottling plant, warehouse and the resort pool, which is still used throughout the summer season. “Today we offer a wide variety of products, sizes and bottle types,” Larson explains. The company also produces home filtration products and supplemental beverage products including coffee, tea and hot chocolate, single serve brewing equipment and vitamin enhanced water made using spring water and natural and organic
Treat yourself ! st to the be
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Fitting Boulder County since 1946!
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Founded in 1870, our community-based church has helped Boulder County become what it is today, and we look to the future with open hearts, open minds, and open doors. Join us Sundays at 9:30 am
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July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
Strength. Integrity. Dependability.
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
YEARS 150 OF BOULDER COUNTY SCHOOLS
ingredients. Aside from the huge variety of products the company produces, they also try to do their part for the environment, as well. “Our single serve sizes are packaged in 100 percent recycled plastic PET bottles, made especially for us locally. We are one of the only bottled water companies packaging spring water in this type of package,” Larson says. “Considering the complaints about the bottled water industry being environmentally unsound, we attempt to do all we are able to reduce the impact of our operation.” A Beautiful Surrounding The nearby Eldorado State Park is known for its climbing and hiking routes. “Eldorado Canyon State Park was established in 1978 with the purchase of much of the Fowler property,” Larson says. With more than 500 routes in all, according to the Colorado.com website, and the still functioning pool at the Eldorado Springs building makes it a great place to spend long summer days. During the cold, winter months, snowshoeing and cross country skiing are a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenery. According to the Colorado State Parks website at parks.state.co.us, the elevation of Eldorado Springs doesn’t make it a place that gets pounded with snow, which allows for the Eldorado Canyon Trail to be clear year-round for those who still love a great hike no matter what time of year it is. From a resort town that attracted celebrities and locals alike, to a site of a beautiful state park and eco-conscious water company, Eldorado Springs still has all the charm and scenic views of the past but has transformed into a hidden treasure to many who enjoy the serenity of the peaceful outdoors. The quirky little town still has all the charm and scenic views of the past, but with a population of less than 500 this little town remains a special place to many who enjoy the serenity of the peaceful outdoors.
Franklin School, Longmont, 1873
Altona School, 1880
Proudly Care to Dr. Providing Whitney Expert Swander Boulder County for 26 Years! Lyons School, 1882
Whitney Swander, Au.D. CCC-A
Red Hawk Elementary Erie, Erie 2011
Niwot School, 1913
OF ST. VRAIN 50 YEARS EXCELLENCE
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Erie
From stagecoach stop to boomtown
By Doug Pike
Longmont Times-Call
The plot of land, now the site of the 20,000 person and growing town of Erie, was little more than a stagecoach stop 150 years ago. In the 1860s, freight, mail and people traveling the Overland Stage from Denver to Laramie, Wyo., passed through Erie via stagecoach or horseback, following essentially the same route as present day U.S. Highway 287. It wasn’t until the 1870s that the railroad reached the Erie area, where settlers had started establishing permanent residency along Coal Creek. Erie, which wasn’t a fully incorporated town until 1874, was the northernmost terminus of the rail line, with travelers bound for Boulder or Longmont forced to unload in Erie and board a stagecoach for the completion of their journey. Erie got its name when Rev. Richard Van Valkenburg, a traveling Methodist preacher from Pennsylvania making monthly stops in the area, bestowed the name after noting the similarities to the coal mining town of Erie, Pa. The Briggs Mine – for which Erie’s main downtown strip, Briggs Street, is named – was the the first commercial mine in Weld
The Erie Chamber of Commerce building on Wells Street was formerly Erie Town Hall. (Doug Pike)
Erie's annual Biscuit Day celebration is a throwback to a town tradition initiated in the 1800s. (Doug Pike)
County, founded in 1870. Union Pacific railroad connected its main Denver-toCheyenne line to Erie to take advantage of the vast coal resources discovered in the area. Via the rail line, Erie coal traveled as far east as Kansas City. Despite its regional connections, Erie grew slowly and maintained its small-town identity with a strong sense of community. At the turn of the century, an annual community tradition had developed where residents gathered for a feast consisting of fresh-baked biscuits served with bowls of mulligan stew. “It was going for a few years when Erie was formed,” says Erie Historical Society president Sarah Wise. “There were three or four bakers in town and they made the biscuits...the women made the stew.” Biscuit Day was likely one of the final community gatherings before the men returned to work in the coal mines, according to Wise. In Erie, the mines were closed in the summers because the particular type of coal that was mined in the area would disintegrate in hot weather, she says. The Erie Historical Society revived the community tradition, which remains on Erie’s social calendar each fall. Erie’s growth didn’t take off until the late 1990s, when the city’s downtown roads were first paved. When longtime Old Town Erie resident
Dave Sullivan was first able to walk from his Briggs Street home to his mother’s house on Pierce Street without getting his shoes muddy, the year was 2000. “I remember that day,” Sullivan says. “I walked to her house on the curbs, sidewalks and streets, and on the way home I stopped by Mayor Vic Smith’s house to thank him for the pavement.” Erie was the last east Boulder County community to complete town-wide paving. Erie’s small-town charm has had an appeal. At a time when residential growth slowed or came to a standstill in some communities, Erie saw 119 new homes built in 2010. Since 2000, the town has grown from less than 7,000 residents to more than 18,000 in population. With amenities such as a new Erie High School, Erie Community Center, Erie Community Library, Erie Parkway and Community Park all hitting town in recent years, the town is poised to continue its boomtown days for years to come. But Erie hasn’t lost touch with its roots. Town officials are actively working with the Boulder County Railway Historical Society to bring a Wild West Adventure/Dinner Train, which would bring diners and shoppers from Interstate 25 to Old Town Erie via a restored switcher engine, Pullman coach and open-air rider car.
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
Gold Hill From mining camp to mountain town By Summer Stair
Longmont Times-Call
If it hadn’t been for the Pike’s Peak gold rush and the discovery of gold in Boulder County, pioneers may never have made their way along an old Native American trail up Four Mile Creek in search of their own fortune. Among these eager men, often called the 59ers, were the first pioneers of Gold Hill. Gold Hill is thought to be the first permanent mining camp in Colorado. Rich ores were found here in 1859, and before a year had passed 1,500 miners populated the area. While most of the first gold found here was of the surface kind, many pioneers profited from the metal mining. Most ores were gold, but Gold Hill did experi-
Gold HIll’s Main Street. (Mike Sinnwell, RockyMountainProfiles.com)
ence a second boom in 1872 when tellurium was found in the area. The founders of Gold Hill included Captain Thomas Aikins, who believed heading into the mountains was the way to find the precious yellow metal many in his caravan were in search of. After leaving the train that had brought them to Fort St. Vrain in Colorado, at the junction of the Platte and
St. Vrain rivers, the group followed the St. Vrain River to Boulder Creek and to the red stone cliffs at the mouth of Boulder Canyon. The date was October 27, 1858, and the group made camp for the winter at an area they called Red Rock. Several months later, a small group left the camp and headed into the mountains in search of gold. The group followed an old
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Native American trail up Four Mile Creek and made camp on January 15, 1859, near a small, narrow stream. This stream was named Gold Run Creek, and the area Gold Hill, after gold was discovered in the creek the next day. It didn’t take long for the group of men to search for the source of gold, and quartz was quickly discovered on the hill. The prospectors, awed by their prosperity, as well as the fresh air, mountains and plains, sent for their families, making the fortune of Gold Hill public. It is said that in its first year Gold Run yielded $100,000 in gold. In March 1859, “Mountain District No. 1 at Nebraska” was created. Commonly known as Gold Hill, it was the first mining district in the Nebraska territory. The small original mining camp of Gold Hill was developed on the flats of Horsfal Hill with little planning and organization. Despite this, the camp grew into a small town, however, the lack of water and unfavorable winds made it a hostile place to live. Many well-known mines in the area included The Horsfal and Cold Spring, where the first quartz was found. Many cabins were built around these areas. At it’s highest point, the mining town was made up of three general stores, a barber shop, a drug store, a meat market, surveyors office and several boarding houses. It boasted a population of between 400 and 500 people by 1900. A forest fire in May 1860 destroyed most of the town, but it was rebuilt in a more hospitable location between the gulches of Gold Run and Lick Skillet. While the majority of residents left to try their luck elsewhere, many pioneers stayed and continued mining. The town had a boost when in 1872, a rich form of tellurium was discovered and miners flocked to the hills with dreams of becoming rich. While the town continued as a successful mining town, eventually the mines died out and the depression of the 1930s and World War II hindered the population of Gold Hill. Today, Gold Hill has a population of 230 residents according to the 2010 census. The town prides itself on its strong sense of community and residents who have long-time friendship networks going back to the mining days. In September 2010, the Four Mile Canyon wildfire destroyed approximately 170 homes in and around Gold Hill. The town itself, along with several wooden structures, was once again spared and continues its efforts in rebuilding the community. While often considered a Ghost Town, Gold Hill is far from that. Gold Hill is part of unincorporated Boulder County, and although it does not have a municipal government, it does have an active town meeting with elected officials and dedicated community members who love the mountain location slightly isolated from city life.
The Gold Hill Hotel. (Mike Sinnwell, RockyMountainProfiles.com)
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July 9 & 13, 2011
Gunbarrel
The Boulder Country Club was a big part of Gunbarrel’s original plan for growth. Today, it continues to draw residents to the area. (Paul Litman)
Two brothers saw potential in town’s development By Anna Taylor
For the Longmont Times-Call
In the early 1960s Everett and George Williams traded a ranch they owned in Steamboat Springs for vacant land on Gunbarrel Hill, northeast of the city of Boulder. The brothers moved to Boulder 10 years earlier and made their living developing large pieces of land and building affordable homes. According to the Gunbarrel Community Association’s website, www.gunbarrel.net, in 1962, city of Boulder Manager Bob Turner came to the brothers with the proposal of implementing the “Spokes of the Wheel” plan. Those spokes were North Broadway, the Longmont Diagonal, Arapahoe Road, Baseline Road and Marshall Road. At that time, the golf course on Arapahoe Road was shared with the Boulder Country Club and the city wanted to build a new golf course for the club on Gunbarrel Hill. “When I first moved to Colorado 30 years ago there was nothing out here,” explains Linda Oliger, the membership director for the Boulder Country Club. While the area had not been developed, the Williams
brothers had this large parcel of empty land and knew they could develop it into something much greater. “They actually gifted the property and the golf course to the Boulder Country Club to move to this location knowing that the area along the Diagonal would be developed and grow.” The Williams brothers donated the land, the water rights and money to build the clubhouse and a 27-hole golf course. The club features extensive full-service country club amenities including an 18 hole championship golf course, a nine hole executive golf course, comprehensive golf practice facilities, three indoor tennis courts, four outdoor courts, two outdoor clay tennis courts, extensive strength training and cardiovascular athletic facilities, both indoor and outdoor pools and Jacuzzis, as well as a newly renovated main clubhouse featuring numerous food and beverage outlets. In addition to the building of the new country club, the brothers built the Williams towers, as well as much of the residential area surrounding the club. Although the town has developed throughout the years into the community that it is to-
day, the country club was, and remains, one of the main features of Gunbarrel and serves much of the Boulder community. “We have about 1,100 children and 1,400 adults that are part of the club,” Oliger says. “We really have the greatest network of members that have really enhanced the whole ambiance of Boulder – the real movers and shakers of the community.” What was once a large piece of undeveloped land has now not only a wonderful community, but also the site of a club that brings the people of Boulder together. The Williams brothers knew that they could take a piece of property and develop it into something wonderful for future generations. It seems the club has a similar perspective. As Oliger puts it, “We are always looking forward to enhancing our facilities and enhancing our amenities for our members. We have a group of presidents that are working on the plan for 2020- how will the club look in the year 2020 and how can we get there?” The Boulder Country Club and the Gunbarrel community are clearly a distinct part of the history and growth of Boulder County.
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Hygiene
Town offers residents a peaceful haven By Wendy McMillan
For the Longmont Times-Call
Visit present day Hygiene, and it won’t take a great stretch of imagination to picture the sleepily quaint, unincorporated town the way it existed in the 19th century. Enjoy majestic, unobstructed views of Mt. Meeker and Long’s Peak from the serenity of trails at Pella Crossing, a Boulder County Open Space park adjacent the rural railway crossroads. Wander into the friendly Mom and Pop shops in the modest town center, and you will find quality, warmth and dedication. These specialty shops, run for and by community members, embody the uniqueness and cohesiveness of the proud township, which flourishes, as it has from the beginning, in its own way. Hygiene was originally settled in 1859 by George Webster, a pioneer who found the area low enough along the St. Vrain River to provide safe crossing for horses and wagons. “In those days, the St. Vrain River was a wide, deep, roaring river,” says Lorine Morgan, a Longmont resident who grew up in Hygiene, her birth place. Morgan, whose parents owned and operated a grain elevator, loved the small town so much she was inspired to research, photograph and put together her own book about its history, for family and friends. “No ditches had been established, and mountain snow melt made for an impressive rush,” Morgan says. As hopeful pioneers pressed west, the settlement was further established by a group of emigrants from Pella, Iowa, who took up residence along the St. Vrain Creek in 1861. Around a wooden building south of the river they called “Fort Pella,” these settlers established farms, a post office, a school and a small store, each also named “Pella” after their former home, and meaning “City of Refuge” in Hebrew translation. In 1874, formal organization of the United Church of the Brethren began, with meetings held at the ranch home of a Mr. and Mrs. Ullery. Nicknamed “the Dunkard Church” in recognition of the congregations’ practice of triple immersion during baptism. The fledgling congregation caught the interest of a Brethren preacher living in Greeley, Jacob S. Flory. Flory relocated his family to the valley in order to become a
Lorine Morgan who lived in Hygiene while growing up has kept a historical account with stories and pictures of places and people around Hygiene. According to her, she was the fifth generation in her family to have a postal address in Hygiene and has a great, great granddaughter which makes her the ninth generation. (Paul Litman)
leader in the church, and became a significant influence in the area’s development. Flory and his son established what is considered Hygiene’s first newspaper, The Home Mirror. He further had major involvement in organizing and constructing the White Sulphur Springs Co., and Hygiene House, a sanitarium which, though torn down in 1926, memorably impacted the area’s growth and popularity, and is generally credited for the origin of its name. During the 19th century, people came to the area known as Pella (including town sites Pella and North Pella) for numerous reasons, including good, river-bottom farmland. In the 1880s, however, waves of visitors came in search of a cure for “consumption,” or tuberculosis. In January 1882, Reverend Flory and his wife, Elizabeth, registered a deed for the property adjacent to the present day elementary school, envisioning a “health home,” independent of any religious affiliation, and welcoming those inflicted with tuberculosis. At Hygiene House, the recognized prescription for invalids with consumption included no less than 10 hours of fresh air, regardless of the temperature. Patients further received special mineral water drawn from a Rabbit Mountain spring. The mineral water, coupled with blue light from sunlight shining through the regal home’s blue glass windows, was reputed to be capable of miracles. In 1885, the Burlington Railroad Co. recognized the need to link Lyons with Long-
mont. Tracks were laid to the north, avoiding swampy areas of Pella, which merged to fit the new commercial center. The Colorado Business Directory of 1887 holds the first listing for Hygiene, describing it as “a small settlement of Boulder County, five miles west of Longmont.” The directory listed 13 entries, including fruit growers, a sorghum manufacturer, millers, a blacksmith, a postmaster, builder and a photographer. As the town grew, it continued to be agriculturally based. Morgan recalls how the Hygiene Café, now Crane Hollow Café, was a busy gathering place for farmers. She remembers how the community cared for one another, no matter how tough the times. Today, the unincorporated town remains proudly protective of its independence. It has no mayor or town council, but it does maintain quietly humming industry, in the form of a post office, an excellent elementary school, local area dairy farms, ranches, a cheerful café, a welcoming general store which offers a range of fresh, natural meats, gravel and sand companies and more. Residents thrive on the shared strength of community in the scenic rural setting. Morgan is saddened by the shift from farming to residential community, but recognizes that is part of the times. Some things, however, have not changed. “People care about each other,” Morgan says. “Then and now. And that’s as true of younger generations as it is of the old. Hygiene is a special place.”
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
Jamestown
Mountains, mines and pioneer spirit By Wendy McMillan
For the Longmont Times-Call
Bike up James Canyon just about any day in summer, and you’re sure to have plenty of company along the popular route. The quiet, quirky mountain community of Jamestown, located roughly 12 miles from downtown Boulder, slightly more than 7,000 feet in elevation, and home to more than 200 people, provides a gracious and cheerful resting place for cyclists and others passing through. A water cooler filled with fresh spring water rests snugly outside The Jamestown Mercantile Co. Café, affectionately known as “The Merc,” is a hotspot for showcasing the talent of local artists and independent thinkers, as well as the only local spot for food and drink. You wouldn’t guess this wooded hamlet to be one of Colorado’s oldest mining communities. In fact, at one point Jamestown was home to more than 400 miners, with one claim in Jamestown’s rolling history producing more than $5 million in gold and silver ore. This tiny town almost seems more suitably called “Little Jim” than James; and, turns out, that’s how its founders felt, too. Included in Jamestown’s history are several periods of dramatic transformation. Once a wild, pastoral campsite of nomadic Native Americans, Jamestown experienced several booms establishing it as a wealthy mining district before it was briefly abandoned as a near ghost town, before becoming the charming town it is today. Early records reveal the first residents of Jamestown to be Southern Arapahoe tribes. In 1860, George Zweck settled in the area once he drove his cattle there from his ranch in Longmont, finding “generous pasture, water, a niche for a rough shelter and abundant prospect.” Abundant prospect inspired many others to follow Zweck. In 1864, hunters Joe Hutchinson and Johnny Knopp decided to prospect James Creek Gulch during a trip. Their efforts yielded minerals, traces of lead and silver. Marking the area, the pair returned to Black Hawk, where they secured a wagon and supplies. The ore and lead that resulted created a stir, with hundreds rushing to Jim Creek in spite of the frigid winter. That spring, Joseph Hutchinson and James Smith discovered rich galenous veins at the Jim Creek location, resulting in another mass movement to the area, though the numbers subsided again with the first snowfall.
Top: Tom Maloney who lives in the cabin he calls "Elkhorn Palace" believes it is the original cabin that Jamestown founder George Zweck occupied around 1864. Bottom Clockwise from left: This hand drilling stone sits in Maloney’s front yard. According to Maloney, World Champion handrock driller Fred Dopp drilled some of these holes. Old mining tools and equipment, some restored, in Maloney's yard. This piece of equipment is called a "windlass", used to move heavy rock and material from the mine. The original ceiling still is intact at Elkhorn Palace. A “rocker,” used to sift rock in material in search of gold. (Paul Litman)
In 1865, Hutchinson and Smith returned with friends, all of whom made significant contributions to the developing community. One of these, John Virden, built a steampowered sawmill and busily began converting plentiful ponderosa pines into lumber, cabins and stores. Such developments must have made for hospitable enough environs – when, in May of 1866, 3 feet of snow isolated some 600 miners and prospectors for six days with less than adequate provisions. Indeed, that summer the townspeople petitioned the U.S. government for the establishment of a post office, called Camp Jimtown. The government granted the post of-
fice, but rejected the name Jamestown. “There was already a town claiming that name near Creed, another mining town,” says Tom Maloney, who has made Jamestown his home for the past 40 years. Devoted to the town and passionate about its history from the stories of mines, miners and the early Native Americans, Maloney has made his home, where research suggests could well be the original cabin site settled by founder Zweck, an unofficial museum to the town. “The government bestowed the name Jamestown instead, after James Creek,” Maloney says, adding that James Creek was itself named for botanist
July 9 & 13, 2011
An old photo of Jamestown. (Courtesy Tom Maloney)
school, a volunteer fire department, access to popular trailheads and nearby Brainard Lake, known for its spectacular hiking, as well as fishing and picnicking. The Merc hosts regular gatherings, parties and jam sessions featuring a range of local musicians. You can see the odd remnant of the town from its former heyday, including a series of restored cabins converted to yearround residences. One thing that has not changed in all this time, however, is the independent pioneering spirit that has always characterized the town. “You either are a hillbilly or you aren’t, and you don’t last long in Jamestown if you aren’t,” newly
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elected Mayor Florence Walker, the town’s first female mayor, said in 1970. She meant it as a compliment, referring to herself, top scientists and engineers, and other intellectuals under the umbrella term she related to as meaning down-to-earth, solid and dependable. “There’s something very comforting about living in this small town,” Maloney says. “I go up to the Merc every day, and have at least one meal there. I know every person who walks through the door, their stories, their tragedies and their successes, and they know me. That’s a tranquil feeling.”
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Edwin James, who passed through the Rocky Mountains as part of a major expedition in the early 1800s. Jamestown’s relatively short-lived mining era consisted of three brief boom periods throughout the late 1800s. By June 1880, the second U.S. Census was conducted in Jamestown, documenting the two hotels, a church, a school and some 30 saloons, along with gambling parlors and dance halls. The mines were clearly exhausting the ore when, in June 1894, a cloudburst on top of heavy run-off lead to a roaring flood, which is said to have washed away main street and all its houses. The loyal townspeople optimistically rebuilt, and in the early 1900s, pastimes included listening to local storyteller Jonas Hall and taking part in hard-rock drilling contests. In 1913, another flood nearly washed Jamestown away, yet the pioneer spirit plugged on. With each of the two great wars came increased bustle. In 1917, the Wano Mill was remodeled and equipped to produce fluorspar, used in steel production. Several young Jamestowners fought bravely in WWII. The renewed need for fluorspar during this time led to the reopening of Jamestown mines. Today, Jamestown residents tend to commute to Boulder, Denver and Longmont. They enjoy their flourishing elementary
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
Lafayette
City follows the lead of its leading lady By Doug Pike
Longmont Times-Call
In 1888, Mary Miller plotted 150 acres of land for what was to be known as the city of Lafayette – named for her late husband, Lafayette Miller. The Millers arrived in the Lafayette area in 1871 and began farming land acquired through the Homestead Act. Despite her husband’s death in 1878, Mary Miller was determined to put down roots after discovering coal on her property in 1884. The first shaft was sunk by John Simpson in 1887, sparking the beginning of the local coal mining industry. Within months of plotting the land, a pair of general stores, boarding houses and a livery stable had emerged. In 1900, Mary Miller founded the Lafayette Bank, making her the only female bank president in the world. The first Lafayette High School graduating class tossed its caps skyward in 1908. The school grounds – now home to Pioneer Bilingual Elementary School – once featured a football stadium and the first Lafayette Elementary School, which burned to the ground in the ’60s and relocated to Bermont Avenue. By 1914, four hotels, three restaurants, a local newspaper, movie house, pickle factory and power station all called Lafayette home. Much of the former high school remains intact despite several additions throughout the years, including a 2011 remodel. “We were at least successful keeping the old facade of the original high school when they remodeled this spring,” says 1969 Lafayette High School graduate Rick Parks,
The Lafayette Oatmeal Festival is an annual event for the community. (Times-Call files)
Despite several additions and remodels, Pioneer Bilingual Elementary School, which was Lafayette High School until 1972, retains the original facade of the 1908 structure, located northeast of the intersection of Baseline and Public roads. (Doug Pike)
who now along with his wife, Roberta, helps coordinate the Lafayette High School and area all-school reunions. “The facade at old Louisville High School (now Louisville Middle School) got torn down; we were at least fortunate enough to keep the main part of the school intact.” Coal mining dominated Lafayette’s landscape in the first half of the century. With so many livelihoods tied to the industry, incidents were inevitable. In 1927, confrontation between miners and the guards at the Columbine Mine turned violent, resulting in the death of six miners. The modern day Black Diamond Shopping Center, northwest of the intersection of Baseline Road and U.S. Highway 287, sits at the former site of the Black Diamond Mine – the last Lafayette mine to close in 1956 – immortalized in a mural inside the McDonald’s restaurant now on the property. The city’s original “main” street, Simpson Street, was the community hub – home to government offices, courthouse and police station until the 1970s. The last graduating class at Lafayette High celebrated its commencement in 1972. Its replacement, Centaurus High School, opened on South Boulder Road in 1973.
When Sgt. Terry Maschka, a 35-year veteran of the Lafayette Police Department, first started on the force, Centaurus was one of the few buildings south of South Boulder Road. “At that time, 287 still ran down Public Road,” Maschka says. “Almost everything south of (Karz Drive-in) was dirt road and farmers’ fields. Only a few of the same businesses were here; Sportsman’s Bar was here, Lafayette Florist was here, the Flea Market building was here but it was a bowling alley. A lot has changed.” Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, named for a former mayor, opened in 1990 at Public and Baseline roads – the site of the former City Park. “The citizens were just anxious for something like that to happen,” says Burger, who still volunteers at the recreation center. “Back then, we didn’t have any recreational programming to speak of.” Other notable Lafayette residents have city landmarks named in their honor. Waneka Lake Park is named after the Waneka family – longtime residents and major landowners in the city who contributed several large parcels of land to the makeup of the city. And Mary Miller Theater continues to acknowledge the woman who started it all.
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Longmont
A place that makes you want to stay By Summer Stair
Longmont Times-Call
The beginning of Longmont can be traced to an introductory meeting in Chicago’s Farwell Hall in November 1870. Several people from Illinois and other Midwestern states gathered to learn about escaping their homes to start fresh in the western frontier lands. Railroad land agents and other influential men of Chicago had been hailing Colorado for its abundant natural resources, fertile soil and climate. Several of Chicago’s most influential men mesmerized the crowd as they spoke of their trek to the West. These men made up the Chicago-Colorado Colony and became the founders of the city of Longmont. They planned the town’s streets, wrote a constitution and organized memberships into the colony, selling voting rights for $150, which included land for residences, businesses and agriculture. In pursuit of creating a constitution that would promote a community-oriented town, the Chicago-Colorado Colony chose three words to represent the community: industry, temperance and morality. Industry was meant to attract hard workers of every background. They also hoped the new colonists would be in support of temperance, so Longmont would be free of saloons and liquor stores. Membership slips warned that anyone caught drinking would lose their land and voting rights. The third trait, morality, looked to attract a community of righteous and religious people of the highest moral fiber. Erik Mason, curator of research and information at the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, says from the beginning the founders wanted to make sure they had
Main Street Longmont in 1872. (Longmont Museum) Top: Longs Peak and Mount Meeker. (Paul Litman)
citizens that were focused on the town. “They wanted to found a town that would work together and create a place to live,” he says. “You see this throughout the community. Residents see Longmont as a place to live; they’re not just passing through, it’s a place they want to stay.” Once the constitution was set and land was purchased, the town was officially named Longmont. The town’s name paid homage to the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park, Longs Peak, which could easily be spotted beyond the town’s western skyline. From the beginning, Longmont was a farming community and known for its “melting pot” of residents. Diversity was strong among its population, much as it is today. “Longmont is diversified locally and shows diversity on the Front Range. This is why people find it a great place to be,” Mason says. Despite starting out as a farming community, Longmont has moved its economy toward technology. According to the Software and Information Industry Association,
the Boulder/Longmont area has the highest concentration of software-related jobs in the industry. It also has the highest number of people who both live and work in the city, compared to other cities within Boulder County. There are many reasons that bring residents to Longmont, including its strong, community oriented residents, tech-related businesses, its more than 1500 acres of parks and open space for outdoor enthusiasts and the fact that it was awarded “AllAmerica City” in 2006, and was named one of the “Best Places to Live” in 2006 and 2008 by Money Magazine. The magazine bases its 100 Best Places to Live on small livable cities that have the best possible blend of good jobs, low crime, quality schools, plenty of open space, rational home prices and plenty to do. Today, Longmont boasts a population of 87,461, and continues much along the lines of its founders in promoting a town that people don’t just want to pass through, but one that makes them want to stay.
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July 9 & 13, 2011
Louisville
City’s roots are in the mines
The Jacoe Store is one of four buildings that make up the Louisville Historic Museum. Owned by Eliseo Jacoe, the store was built in 1903 on Main Street in Louisville and operated as a grocery store from 1923 to 1958. (Courtesy Louisville Historical Museum)
By Kimberli Turner
Longmont Times-Call
The Miner’s Memorial Statue that has sat in front of Louisville City Hall since 1977 is a quiet reminder of the city’s roots. The city lies in the Northern Coal Field and 30 mines were located in and around Louisville in the late 1800s to early 1900s with 163 mines located in Boulder County, according to a United States Geological Survey map provided by the Louisville Historical Museum. Louisville was founded in 1878, and incorporated in 1882, after local landowner Louis Nawatny platted the land and named the area after himself. For years it was believed that Nawatny was solely responsible for founding the city, but in recent years, it has been uncovered that Charles Welch had much to do with the city’s creation, says Bridget Bacon, Louisville Historical Museum coordinator. The Welch Mine was the first coal mine to open in Louisville in 1877, and began drawing people to the area for work. “This area was very attractive to investors because of the coal mining,” she says. “We think Louis Nawatny worked for Charles Welch.” An 1880 census showed that Welch, who was vice president of the railroad company and helped found the School of Mines in Golden, had already moved to Denver just a couple years after he opened the Welch Mine and never returned to Louisville, Bacon says. Bacon says that while Boulder County’s last coal mine closed in Erie in 1978, called the Eagle Mine, Louisville’s Crown Mine was the city’s final mine which closed in 1955. According to Louisville Historic Preservation Commission officials, one of the only significant mining structures from the Northern Colorado Coal Fields region is the Hecla Casino, which is now a house located on the Balfour Senior Living Property on Plaza Drive off of South Boulder Road in Louisville. The 101-year-old building played a major role in the history of the Hecla Mine Strike of 1910. Strikebreakers went to the casino for entertainment and it was rumored the building housed a brothel, according to LHPC officials. Louisville is home to several historical sites, with 12 on the National Register of
Historic Places. The old Jacoe Store is one of them. It is one of four buildings that make up the Louisville Historic Museum. Owned by Eliseo Jacoe, the store was built in 1903 on Main Street in Louisville and operated as a grocery store from 1923 to 1958. “There are a lot of people who remember shopping at the store and working at the store, making deliveries,” Bacon says. And Virginia Caranci, 79, is one of those people. Caranci, who is a former LHPC member of 30 years and served as the board’s chairperson for 12 years until 2009, recalled working in her uncle’s store as a young girl. “I worked in the store when I was 10. They sold potatoes, 5 pounds for a quarter,” she says. “They would sack them ahead of time so they would be ready when people called for their order and that was my job.” The Jacoe Store also is on the Louisville Register of Historic Places, along with another museum structure, the Tomeo House. Though the Jacoe Store now serves as the museum’s main building with archives for the city, mining tools and maps, historical photographs and artifacts, the Tomeo House was the museum’s original building and is set up as an old miner’s house. Bacon says Grace Rossi lived there from 1924 to 1941 and raised six children in the three-room house after her husband, Mike Rossi, died of black lung disease. She paid $7 a month for rent. “It’s never had a bathroom put in and it’s never had indoor plumbing, so it’s very authentic, Bacon says. The Jordinelli House and the Summer Kitchen are also part of the museum and all
four structures were built between 1903 and 1908. The Louisville Historical Museum will celebrate its 25th anniversary this September over the Labor Day weekend. Louisville had 500 residents in 1880, and while the city’s roots are rich with Italian history with people immigrating to the city and creating Italian colonies in the 1890s, Louisville’s first settlers were from coal mining areas in England. As the city grew, Bacon says the city’s population was at a stable 2,000 for decades. In 1962, Louisville reached 2,500 and was considered a city of the second class. Louisville, which is now home to 18,376 residents, has changed much throughout the years. The streets weren’t paved until the 1950s. Red ash, which was created from the burning remnants of the mines, was spread on the street to keep the dust down. Since the city was founded, Louisville City Hall has held several locations. It was first located in a building in between 700 and 717 Main St. from 1902 until the early 1940s and then moved to an old bakery building, called Ostrander’s, at 749 Main St., where City Hall sits today. At that time it was built up to the street on the corner. In 1957, the former bakery building was torn down and a one-story building was rebuilt in its place. In 1980, the second story was added. The police station operated in cramped quarters out of City Hall until 2004 when it moved into the new station off of Via Appia. In the department’s early days, three officers would work a one-person shift, Bacon says. Because they knew most everyone in the city, it was easy to send kids home if they were out after curfew or in trouble.
July 9 & 13, 2011
“A lot of men tell me you really couldn’t get away with anything,” Bacon says. “Word would get (to their parents) before they got home.” The Louisville Public Library also has an interesting history. In 1924, the Louisville Campfire Girls began collecting books for the city. This project shifted to women in the Saturday Study Club, a women’s literary organization, until a library was created in 1962. The library changed locations several times, from the Louisville Center for the Arts, inside City Hall and inside an office building off of Spruce Street in the 1980s. The Louisville Public Library was then built at 951 Front St. in 2006. A traditional tale that sweeps Louisville is of the underground tunnels that connect businesses in the city. According to information provided by Old Louisville Inn owner Garrett McCarthy, coal miners helped dig tunnels to connect most of the city’s 22 saloons during the prohibition era, though several business owners say the tunnels are boarded up or caved in. Bacon says Louisville was the only “wet town” in Boulder County and was known for its drinking and gambling. OLI is the last remaining saloon of the original 13 that lined Front Street. A .22 caliber bullet hole can still be found in the bar inside the restaurant from a scuffle, McCarthy says, and he believes the miner’s tunnels run inside his basement walls. Bacon says some residents say there are tunnels and others don’t believe it. “I would love to know if there are tunnels but right now it’s kind of a mystery. We don’t have the evidence we need,” she says. “If there were tunnels, it’s a really interesting part of our history. I’ve heard some basements have doors that lead to somewhere, but in other towns, those (doors) lead to entrances to coal rooms.” Even though the miner’s didn’t leave evidence of possible tunnels, these founding community members’ contribution to the city is apparent all over Louisville.
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
Lyons
The mountain town below the cliffs By Melanie Sidwell
For the Longmont Times-Call
As early as 1861, the first white settlers – disenchanted miners and hopeful health seekers craving mountain air and sunshine – came to stay in Lyons. In an area populated by several Native American tribes, including the Arapaho and Ute, people enjoyed the plentiful streams, wildlife and mild climate, according to the Lyons Historical Society. The mountain town of Boulder County is named for E.S. Lyon, who after arriving with his family in 1880, switched from farming to the more profitable industry of stonecutting. No records explain why the letter “S” was added to the town name though. Surrounded by red rock formations, Lyons is the residual of ancient sand dune deposits, which make it easy for quarrymen to extract slabs perfect for use as building materials. The invention of cement nearly killed stone production in the early 1900s, but Lyons remains famous for its salmon-pink sandstone, a legacy it continues to carry on today. The town site was laid out in 1881 and was incorporated in 1891. The Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad shipped the sandstone to big cities east of Colorado, such as Chicago, New York and Boston, to be used in construction of major city buildings and grand homes. Sandstone was also used in many Colorado landmarks, including many of the buildings on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. The railroad was replaced by trucks, which haul the stone throughout the United States. The train depot, built in 1894, was purchased by the town in 1973 and now operates as the Lyons Depot-Library.
(Courtesy Lyons Area Chamber of Commerce and Brian Donnell, Ducks in a Row Studio)
Lyons has been referred to as a “Quiet Harbor by the Way” for the many tourists who come through the St. Vrain Valley. It is also affectionately known as the “Double Gateway to the Rockies.” With population nearly 2,000 residents, Lyons largest industry in the area is the Martin Marietta Cement Western Division (now CEMEX) just east of Lyons, with a pollution control device run by the Forsberg family. Cattle raising and farming are still prevalent in the area, as well. The Lyons Redstone Museum, housed in the town’s 1881 schoolhouse, is open daily June through September. The museum exhibits the history of the Lyons area through displays, photographs and genealogy. The Lyons Historic District includes a drive-by tour of 15 sandstone buildings in the town built between 1880 and 1932. The town has an affinity for live music and dancing in several restaurants and venues throughout the year. The Red Rock
Ramblers club, now in its 53rd year, hosts modern Western Square Dances every Saturday throughout the summer. Lyons is also home to the popular Blue Grass and Rocky Grass festivals. Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, known for its live music and for starting the craft beer in a can revolution, is a destination watering hole in Lyons. Its beers are considered the darlings of many national beer festivals. LaVern Johnson, a descendant of early settlers to Lyons, is president of the Lyons Historical Society, runs the Lyons Redstone Museum and is involved in the history programs and summer square dances. “My great grandparents, John and Catherine Reese, homesteaded here in 1862 (on which the high school and Lyons Valley Park is located), 18 years before Mr. Lyon came and started the town,” she says, listing off family history which is so intertwined with local landmarks and events. For example, she says Reese Street is named after her great-grandfather and McConnell Drive is named after her grandparents. “I have been here all my life, and I like Lyons. It is small, friendly, scenic, historic, has lots of activities and my roots are here,” she says. “Here, in Lyons, you can make a difference. If you want it, you can do it, take who will help you, and keep your eye on the goal and go from there ... That is my motto.” Today, Lyons is noted for its variety of restaurants, art and gift shops, a quilt shop, the old soda fountain, a famed fishing store, as well as prime fishing, kayaking, tubing and beautiful parks and trails, a draw for tourists year-round.
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Nederland Old mining town known for its tourist attractions By Melanie Sidwell
For the Longmont Times-Call
Mining created the mountain town of Nederland; a frozen dead Norwegian put it back on the map. The community had several names in those early years: Brownville (named after a local innkeeper who sheltered visiting hunters and prospectors), Dayton, and, in 1871 when a successful mill was built, Middle Boulder. That was the same year the Boulder Canyon Road was completed, now a popular route for rock climbers and ice climbers. A few years later, the Mining Company Nederland of Holland bought the mill, and some of the Dutch mining men who stayed in those Middle Boulder hotels below the high-altitude mill referred to the area as “the Nederlands,” meaning “lower lands.” In 1875, the town incorporated and officially chose Nederland as its official moniker. Fires, disease, harsh climate and a series of misfortunes made mountain living difficult and would often chase away settlers and companies. While at times the mills went dry at the mines or went bankrupt at the bank (or both), the town of Nederland pressed on. At the turn of the 20th century, approximately 200 residents remained. Discovery of gold in nearby Eldora led to a short-lived boom of business in Nederland. However, tungsten, a rare semi-precious metal that was viewed useless by prospectors seeking silver and gold, was finally recognized for its worth, thanks to a prospector named Sam Conger, who had founded the now ghost town of Caribou. Million-dollar mills sprang up in Nederland to process the tungsten and to ship it off to steel mills on the East Coast and abroad. Through the 20th century, World War I, World War II and the Korean War
(Mike Sinnwell, RockyMountainProfiles.com)
(Mike Sinnwell, RockyMountainProfiles.com)
affected international shipments of tungsten needed for war materials. By the 1950s, however, most of the mines closed for good due to lack of competent mining labor, a true sign of the times. However, those with a hankering to get a glimpse into Nederland’s mining heritage can visit the local mining museum. Tourism became the main economic mainstay for Nederland. In previous decades, “tally-hos” of open wagons carrying a dozen tourists competed with ore haulers on the steep, rocky terrain up Boulder Canyon. With the construction of the Barker Dam in 1909, visitors came to Nederland to fish, boat and enjoy life on the lake. While other mountain towns went bust in the 1900s, Nederland promoted itself as a summer resort in “cloudland” and now claims a population of approximately 1,300. In the 1960s, the “back to nature” movement drew hippies, loners and recluses, creating an offbeat and colorful community, which was publicized even more so by the stuff of urban legends. In the mid 1990s, Bredo Morstoel’s cryogenically frozen corpse was transported from Norway to California and eventually to Colorado by his grandson Trygve Bauge, where he and his mother, Bredo’s daughter Aud, hoped to one day build a cryogenics facility in Nederland. Until their dream to “re-animate” Bredo’s frozen body back to life could be completed, Grandpa’s body was quietly kept on dry ice for years in a shed behind the house.
However, the grandson was eventually deported for an expired visa and the daughter was evicted from the house for not having running utilities. Aud reached out to the media for help, revealing that her father’s frozen body was in the backyard shed. As you can imagine, Nederland now has a “keeping of bodies” ordinance, but luckily for Grandpa Bredo, he was grandfathered in and permitted to remain, becoming an international sensation. The town began Frozen Dead Guy Days in 2002 as an annual event to celebrate its most unusual resident, whose caretaker Bo Shaffer otherwise known as “Ice Man” and a team of volunteers hauls 1,600 pounds of dry ice every month to the International Cryonics Institute’s cryonics chamber to keep Grandpa Bredo at a cool negative 90 degrees. Shaffer has been maintaining the facility for more than 18 years now. Nederland’s other world class attractions include the restored 1910 “Carousel of Happiness” in the historic downtown, the world’s largest steam shovel, and the famed Caribou Ranch music studio where musicians such as Elton John and Amy Grant recorded hits. But none quite draw the masses like the Frozen Dead Guy. The festival is held every March, which includes a parade, an ice water plunge, coffin races, frozen turkey bowling, and even dead guy look alike contests, and is attended by thousands of revelers. Not bad for a former mining town once known for the ore in the ground and now famous for a dead guy who isn’t.
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
Niwot
A town built around the railroad By Melanie Sidwell
For the Longmont Times-Call
While never officially incorporated, Niwot is the Boulder County hamlet whose history has been shaped twice by transportation – first by locomotive and, nearly a century later, by automobile. “It is the only town in Boulder County that began as a railroad town,” rather than mining or commerce, explains Anne Dyni, a local historian who has written two books about the town of Niwot, which was founded in 1875. Pronounced “NIGH-watt,” the name was originally written as “NiWot” or “Ni Wot” and another nearby community also called itself NiWot. The word comes from the Arapaho language, meaning “left hand” and both towns were named after the southpaw Arapaho leader Chief Niwot, who welcomed gold miners to the area in 1858. However, the unincorporated community known today as Niwot secured the name officially in 1879 with the application of a post office; that “other” town at the mouth of Left Hand Canyon took the name Altona and has since faded into history. The railroad gave life to Niwot as a settlement, as tracks were laid the 12 miles between Boulder and Longmont, advancing north eventually to Cheyenne, Wyo. Niwot was a diagonally platted community along these tracks. The local, close-knit farming community welcomed the railroad as it provided a transport of their farm goods to market. The Central Colorado Railroad carried mail along this route to Longmont and Boulder. The railroad also provided passenger service during its heyday. Niwot’s first business district was west of the railroad tracks and included a post office, a grange hall, a general store and blacksmith shop, among other businesses. Niwot’s school district was the seventh established in Boulder County. Its first
schoolhouse was built in 1880 at 81st and Oxford roads; one teacher juggled the education of approximately 40 children in ages from 6 to 21. Terms were only four months long, as children were needed home for spring planting and fall harvests, though if families wanted additional schooling they had to pay. By the early 1900s, Niwot was expanding and moving eastward with residences and businesses, including a meeting hall, barbershop, grocery store, drugstore, hotel, a bank, church, mill, new school building, sugar beet ramp and creamery. Second Avenue became a main thoroughfare of the growing community. During the next decades, the community saw prosperity. Gypsies and hobos came through as passing visitors, thanks to the railroad, and the townsfolk saw their own traditions take root through a baseball club, military band and a few fledging newspapers through the years. Automobiles soon became popular and gas pumps replaced hitching posts. However, during the Great Depression many busi-
The Whistle Stop Park in Niwot. (Paul Litman) Top: Niwot’s Second Avenue in 1910. (Niwot Historical Society Photo Collection) Downtown Niwot today. (Paul Litman)
nesses succumbed to economic hardships and local families survived thanks to agriculture. Man’s insatiable desire for better modes of transportation would shape Niwot again when in 1959, the Colorado Department of Highways submitted plans for a divided highway connecting Longmont and Boulder, effectively slicing through Old Niwot’s business district. Most of the buildings, including the schoolyard, were razed, a few homes were moved, and today a few aging cottonwoods are all what remain of Old Niwot on the median of the Diagonal Highway. The town received another economic boost in 1993, when the first block of Second Avenue was made a historic district. Dyni says the charming unincorporated town needed a little help back then with the construction of drainage, sidewalks and street repairs because it has no city government. The Niwot Business Association and the Niwot Historical Society were formed, which has since helped to preserve the economic base and historical roots of this town. “Since the agricultural industry is basically gone now, the whole town has shifted its business to cater to the people, and it has shifted out of necessity,” she says. The grange hall, which began as a meeting place for farmers, now serves as a community center where the community can partake in concerts, dance lessons, bridge clubs and more. The historic district is now home to a popular high-end restaurant Colterra, which is locally owned and features locally sourced ingredients, bringing an air of sophistication to what was once a sleepy swath of farmland. “We have a very active business association that is working hard on the reasons to come to Niwot, to enjoy it, to appreciate it, to shop and eat there. And their efforts are being rewarded,” Dyni says.
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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• Visit our booth at the Boulder County Fair, August 2 – 6
• Pick up a passport, collect stamps from area museums, and be entered for prizes
• Use the self-guided tour brochure to discover Boulder County’s history
• Enter an art contest for kids in grades K– 5 • Submit an essay for youth in grades 6 –12 • Celebrate Sesquicentennial Day on November 1
at the Historic Downtown Courthouse in Boulder
( Join us as we unveil the sculpture contest’s winning entry! )
For more information, visit: www.BoulderCounty150.org
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
Superior
Town was likely named after its ‘superior’ coal By Kimberli Turner Longmont Times-Call
The town of Superior has a history rich in coal mining, which could have played a part in the town’s naming. The town was founded in 1896 and incorporated in 1904. William Charles Hake and his wife, Emmaline, moved to the Coal Creek Valley around 1860, and began establishing a farming operation along the creek. According to the Superior Historical Commission’s 2003 Superior Historian, written by Superior Historical Commission chair Larry Dorsey, Hake lived in the area for four years when a flood uncovered an area of coal. Hake continued to farm for another 30 years before having the coal seam tapped, and he became the owner of the Industrial Mine. Tales about Superior’s name are tied to Hake. One tale tells of the time Hake was stranded in Superior, Neb., after his car broke down and, because he was overwhelmed by the residents’ willingness to help, Hake vowed to name any town he might found in their honor. Superior likely was named because of the Industrial Mine’s coal. “The most valid story is about the superior coal,” Dorsey says. Dorsey says Hake advertised that there was no coal in the state superior to the quality of coal from his mine. Mining was a force in the town until the Industrial Mine closed in 1945. During the mine’s operation, nearly four million tons of coal was extracted from the mine and its closure caused the town to become a ranching and farming community. Dorsey says about 135 people lived in Superior in 1900 and the town had a general store, candy and fruit shop, several saloons, a post office, St. Benedicts Catholic Church and the Miner’s Trading Company, a boarding house for unmarried miners. “They didn’t have much of a commercial district,” Dorsey says. The boarding house sat in the mine camp and was part of a set of company houses next to the coal mine so miners could rent housing and walk over to work. The camp was just outside of Superior’s boundaries but the miners were counted in the town’s population, Dorsey says. “It’s a little technicality.” The town’s population generally hovered around 250 residents. Dorsey says the population fluctuated with the mining industry and the population was between 250 and
This photo shows the mine camp and off in the distance, the Town of Superior. The Superior Historical Museum is one of the small houses that make up the camp. The large, white building toward the left is the miners' boarding house. (Courtesy Superior Historical Museum)
500 people into the 1940s. After the Industrial mine closed, the town’s population went back down to about 250 residents. Superior’s Original Town, which is located west of McCaslin Boulevard and south of Marshall Road, has historic houses dating back to 1904, Dorsey says. When development of the Rock Creek community began in 1987, the number of residents grew quickly and more than 12,000 people now live in Superior. “Superior has actually became one of the fastest growing towns in the nation,” Dorsey says. In February 2010, Superior’s Historical Commission opened the town’s museum after rehabilitating the structure for four years. The museum was once a home that stood on the hillside just south of Original Town in the 1920s and 1930s. When the mine closed, the house was moved to 144th Avenue and Zuni Street in Broomfield and was later donated to Superior to showcase the town’s coal mining history. The home includes a kitchen with a coalburning stove, a living room with a potbellied coal-burning stove, and a bedroom with an old sewing machine and a replica of a bed from that era. Superior acquired the home in 2006 and
the museum – a house built in 1908 – has no indoor plumbing or central heating. Superior Parks, Recreation and Open Space Director Martin Toth says all of the houses in the camp were 25 feet wide by 25 feet long and were repurposed in the 1940s. “Once the mine closed, they were disbursed through the town…and through the county,” he says. Toth says the home that is now the museum is the only mining camp structure the Town of Superior received, but residents tell him many of the houses sit on farms throughout the county and another stands as a garage in Adams County. Ted Asti Park, a nature park named after one of Superior’s longtime mayors, and arboretum were also erected near the museum. The park incorporates heirloom plants – trees, shrubs and other flora found in the 1930s that are not as common today. Asti served as Superior’s mayor from 1958 to 1978 and 1986 to 1998. The museum sits near Ted Asti Park west of Town Hall, Toth worked to get the Historical Museum rehabilitated and says it’s an asset to the community, educating new residents about the town’s roots and memorializing the artifacts that some Original Town residents might remember. “It was a great project … trying to
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Superior likely was named because of the Industrial Mine’s coal. “The most valid story is about the superior coal.” William Charles Hake advertised that there was no coal in the state superior to the quality of coal from his mine. Larry Dorsey, Superior Historical Commission chair Dine In - Take Out - By The Slice
The Superior Historical Museum (Kimberli Turner)
recreate what life was like in the 1930s,” he says. The Superior School was located in the area that is now home to Superior’s museum. Dorsey says the Superior School District, which was created in the 1870s, was one of the oldest school districts in the state until the Boulder Valley School District was created and Hake helped open the school. Superior School, which housed first through eighth grades, closed because its students began going to school in Lousiville when BVSD was implemented. The former school is now a garage located at Coal Creek Drive and Fourth Avenue. “Superior School probably didn’t have more than 100 students, it was always a small district,” Dorsey says. “It was a bunch of farmers’ families going to school for the most part.”
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July 9 & 13, 2011
Ward
Mountain town remains small by choice By Melanie Sidwell
For the Longmont Times-Call
As a mining town in the Indian Peaks range of the Rocky Mountains, Ward is named after a prospector who discovered precious metals in the hills in 1860 that brought commerce and settlers. The early miners formed the Ward Mining District in 1860, and expressed their political philosophy in the minutes of their meeting on Dec. 20, 1861: “Resolved that we the citizens of the Ward District claim the right to manage and control our own affairs pertaining to the interest of the District without any interference by people from other districts as we consider ourselves fully capable to manage our own affairs in our own way without the assistance of others.” At one time this was the richest community in the state. Now the municipality’s scenic byways, (it’s located near tourist destinations such as Eldora Ski Resort, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Peak to Peak Highway) it attracts pedal pushers for its impressive cycling circuits, as well as hikers and campers at Brainard Lake and the Indian Peaks Wilderness area. The community has all the calling cards of a Colorado mountain town – elk bugling, wildflowers, harsh winters and, of course, gorgeous peaks worth exploring for more than 100 years, be it for precious metals or for breathtaking views. In the beginning, a daily train from Boulder traveled to and fro at the turn of the 20th century, bringing hundreds of wild-
flower excursionists and tourists in the summer, and hauling fuel and ore for the high producing mines in Ward, the most prominent being the Columbia Mine, which produced $5 million in ore during its prime. Purportedly, Ward is built on a vein of gold and it’s cheekily suggested that the town ought to be razed to mine it, as several original buildings remain (despite being twice mowed down by Colorado wildfires during its early years). These days Ward happily hosts an annual Fourth of July, which consists of a costumed parade for kids of all ages, followed by the Ward Town Photo, where townsfolk and visitors gather along the hillside by Town Hall for a group snapshot, just as early settlers did a century before to celebrate their community’s staying power, before viewing fireworks from the town’s ball field. The town was revitalized by the counter-
Ward remains a small town.
Ward during the winter.
Ward during the summer. (Photos Courtesy Patty Cypher)
culture of the 1960s and 1970s, writes Ward historian and longtime resident Patty Cypher, who manages an in-depth and descriptive website dedicated to the history and culture of this mountain town. The town, after all, is sometimes affectionately called Weird, Colo., and even has its own UFO story to tell. Famous artist Georgia O’Keeffe painted the Ward Church and peaks near the town in landscape paintings during a visit in 1917. The Ward website states that the town of Ward has remained small, in part, because of its intense and inhospitable winters and its reputation for a standoffish alternative culture of “radical poets, bohemian Ph.D.s and troubled woodsmen.” Those “well-educated hippies,” as the Ward website describes it, elected a new mayor and town council. “The town charter was rewritten as a home-rule, direct democracy (and signed according to astrological significance). Street lights were removed (so you could see the stars at night). Abandoned cabins were inhabited, the library and firehouse were built, children were born and families were raised.” Today, Ward has a diverse community of creative artists and writers, families, commuters, and hands-on salt-of-the-earth folks who prefer the solitude of a mountain town that is a cherished relic of Colorado’s mining heritage. According to Cypher, “just like the miners of the early days, they want to manage their own affairs and be left alone.”
Where our doctors prefer to go by Amy & Heather
July 9 & 13, 2011
Longmont Times-Call Publication
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Longmont Times-Call Publication
July 9 & 13, 2011
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