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Allenspark, Colorado

Allenspark is an unincorporated town, a post office, and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Allenspark post office has the ZIP code 80510. At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Allenspark CDP was 568.

History
Allenspark is a park in the geographical sense—it is a high meadow surrounded by mountains. While it was first visited by Native Americans and later by trappers, Allen's Park—now spelled Allenspark—got its name from a miner who built the first cabin in the area.

During the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859, Allenspark's namesake, Alonzo Nelson Allen, left his family in Columbus, Wisconsin, to seek his fortune in the Kansas/Nebraska Territories that became Colorado. He settled on the St. Vrain River, south of the current city of Longmont, Colorado.

Allen prospected and ran cattle in Allenspark and built a cabin there in 1864. The cabin burned down in 1894, the year Allen died.

The village of Allenspark is situated on part of the original George Mack homestead, site of Crystal Springs, an excellent water source. After Mack's homestead patent was granted on January 7, 1895, Mack sold some of the land to the Allens Park Land and Townsite Co. on May 9, 1896. The land company filed a plat for the village on May 23, 1896, and began selling small building lots.

In Weaving Mountain Memories, Lorna Knowlton writes, "George Pheifer, a prominent early settler who came into Allenspark over the Stone Mountain Road from Lyons in 1896, said Allen never homesteaded his land but merely squatted on it in 1864. Pheifer said, 'All Alonzo Allen ever did for Allenspark was to give it a name.'"

In the late 1890s, most residents of the Allenspark area were farmers or ranchers, but by the early 1900s there was a resurgence in gold fever. The Clara Belle Mining and Reduction Co. attracted investors from as far away as Omaha, Nebraska, for what turned out to be a folly. Meanwhile, tourism was booming, and farmers and miners alike found a better income catering to tourists during the summer months. The first post office application was filed on May 29, 1896, by C.K. Hirshfeld.

The village of Allenspark began to grow when summer people bought land and built cabins from around 1900 to 1920. Many people came up the South St. Vrain canyon from Longmont, and a number came from as far away as Kansas and Oklahoma in that initial burst. The greater Allenspark area extends beyond the village to include the small communities of Ferncliff, Longs Peak, Meeker Park, Peaceful Valley, Raymond, and Riverside, and is defined by the boundaries of the Allenspark Fire Protection District.

Allenspark remained primarily a summer destination until improved roads and modern technology made mountain living easier than it used to be. Now, many people live year-round in the Allenspark area. In 2000, 500 residences were listed in the phone book. The 2010 census counted a total of 892 housing units, 267 of which were occupied on Census Day (April 1) and 577 of which were seasonally occupied.

Many businesses are still only open during the summer. Businesses include restaurants, lodges, summer camps, coffee shop, and gift shops. There is a filling station and grocery store in Ferncliff, however cell-phone coverage is nearly non-existent.

Skiing was popular in the Allenspark area in the 1920s and 1930s, when international ski jumping competitions were held. Jumps and ski courses included the Willow Creek Slide, Thelma Slide, Butter Bowl, Haugen Slide, and Point-O-Pines. The Rock Creek Ski area was developed after World War II and operated until 1952. Cross-country skiing is still popular, especially on Rock Creek and in Wild Basin.

Geography
Allenspark is located in northwest Boulder County within Roosevelt National Forest in the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. The western edge of the community is the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park. State Highway 7 passes through the community, leading north 15 mi to Estes Park and east 19 mi to Lyons. The center of Allenspark is at an elevation of 8,428 ft.

The Allenspark CDP has an area of 30.924 km2 including 0.033 km2 of water.

Demographics
The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Aetna Estates CDP for the 2000 United States Census.

title: Allenspark, Colorado


text:
Coal Creek, Jefferson County, Colorado

Coal Creek, commonly known as Coal Creek Canyon, is a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Jefferson, Boulder, and Gilpin counties in Colorado, United States, but primarily Jefferson County. The population of the Coal Creek CDP was 2,494 at the United States Census 2020. The Golden post office (Zip code 80403) serves the area.

Geography
The Coal Creek CDP has an area of 24.355 km2, including 0.039 km2 of water.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Coal Creek has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps, but closely borders on an oceanic climate (Cfb).

Demographics
The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Coal Creek CDP for the United States Census 2000.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Coal Creek, Jefferson County, Colorado


text:
Eldora, Colorado

Eldora (pronounced el-DOH-ruh), previously known as "Eldorado" then "El-Dora", then Eldora or Camp Eldorado, and still called Happy Valley, is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Eldora CDP was 140 at the United States Census 2020. The Nederland post office (Zip Code 80466) serves the area.

Eldora is located within the Roosevelt National Forest, and is primarily an alpine, densely forested, and densely but smally populated area. Eldora is tucked into the valley carved by glaciation during the last ice age and by Middle Boulder Creek. From the village there are no views up toward the alpine ski runs of Eldora Mountain Resort. A one-time gold camp, Eldora was a shipping point for the Caribou silver mine in nearby Nederland, CO. At present, Eldora is characterized by small cabins, a sprinkling of vacation homes, and two long-shuttered mercantiles.

Points of interest near Eldora include the Eldora Mountain Resort, Eldora Historic District, and Indian Peaks Wilderness. Eldora Historic District has been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 1989. The area is home to an abundance of wilderness and wildlife, including animals such as mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, red foxes, mule deer, elk, bobcats, and much more.

The elevation of the town is 8,700 ft., and the highest point is 10,800 ft. Eldora receives a heavy annual snowfall of 300 inches each winter.

To get to Eldora from Boulder, CO, drive 18 miles west of Boulder on CO 119 to Nederland, CO. Continue through Nederland and turn right at the sign for Eldora. This road is CR 130, also known as Eldora Road. The town center of Eldora is approximately 3 miles from this turn.

Etymology
Eldora was originally named Happy Valley in the 1890s for the discovery of the Happy Valley Placer Mine by John J. Kemp and seven city associates. The town was soon renamed El Dorado, Eldorado or Eldorado Camp. But, as frequently happened at the time, the U.S. Postal Service mistakingly delivered their mail to towns by the same name in other U.S. states, particularly to El Dorado, CA, creating havoc by delaying payroll checks and important papers. Consequently, the U.S. Post Service changed the conflicting name by dropping the last syllable “do” from Colorado's Eldorado. That name change occurred in 1898, one year after the local post office was established (Feb. 13, 1897), which was in use until it closed in September 1977.

History
Eldora was first settled by the Arapaho- and Ute people who used the area for hunting during summer. Eldora was originally built as a mining town. Although prospectors had been poking around in Eldora since the early 1850s, it was not until 1875 that enough gold was discovered to open a mine in Eldora. The primary decision to officially establish a town in the 1880s was in part an effort to open up further mining area, and in part an attempt at a through route into Middle Park and Western Colorado. Eldora boomed and prospered during the 1890s, and at one point, Eldora was home to as many as 1300–1500 people in the late 1890s. In 1898, Eldora was home to a bank, a post office, a school, nine hair saloons and seven grocery stores. Although it had a mining life of its own, Eldora also served as a supply center for the camps beyond, and a rail-road shipping center for the camps in the nearby area. The first time the manager of the Bailey Chlorination Mill in Eldora, Mr. Bailey, neglected to pay his workers on time, angry employees promptly gathered at his house, smoked him out, and shot and killed Mr. Bailey. Despite its intensity of gold, silver and tungsten mining, Eldora's economic boom was brief. It peaked at the turn of the century, but experienced a devastating wildfire in 1899. With much of its timber lost, lumber that was vital to the mining construction was in short supply. The 21st century has experienced renewed interest in Eldora mining, with hopes of reopening the Mogul Tunnel Mine on Spencer Mountain.

Geography
Eldora is a small village located in the southwestern parts of Boulder County, Colorado. Eldora is located within the Roosevelt National Forest, at the base of Ute Mountains in the Middle Boulder Creek valley. It is situated immediately above the Colorado banana belt. The nearest town is Nederland, Colorado, four miles east of Eldora. From Boulder, CO, you follow Colorado 119 through Boulder Canyon to Nederland, CO, and then head south-west into Eldora.

The Eldora CDP has an area of 10.827 km2, including 0.064 km2 of water.

Demographics

The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Eldora CDP for the United States Census 2000.

Attractions

 * Eldora Mountain Resort
 * Indian Peaks Wilderness
 * Roosevelt National Forest

title: Eldora, Colorado


text:
Eldorado Springs, Colorado

Eldorado Springs is an unincorporated community, a census-designated place (CDP) and a post office located in and governed by Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Eldorado Springs post office has the ZIP code 80025 (post office boxes). At the 2020 United States census, the population of the Eldorado Springs CDP was 559.

Eldorado Canyon State Park, adjacent and upstream, is famous for its classic North-American climbing routes.

History
In 1916, future president Dwight Eisenhower and new bride Mamie Eisenhower celebrated their honeymoon in one of the cabins at the resort. Also known for its good tasting spring water, "Eldorado Springs" bottled water is sold in stores around Colorado.

Notable residents

 * Ivy Baldwin, best known locally for his Eldorado Canyon tightrope walks across South Boulder Creek
 * Pansy Stockton (1895–1972), artist
 * Mark Udall (1950- ), former U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator

Geography
The Eldorado Springs CDP has an area of 6.696 km2, including 0.004 km2 of water. To the southwest is Eldorado Mountain.

Demographics
The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Eldorado Springs CDP for the United States Census 2000.

title: Eldorado Springs, Colorado


text:
Erie, Colorado

The Town of Erie is a Home Rule Town located in Weld and Boulder counties, Colorado, United States. The town population was 30,038 at the 2020 United States Census, a +65.64% increase since the 2010 United States Census. At the 2020 census, 17,387 (58%) Erie residents lived in Weld County and 12,651 (42%) lived in Boulder County. Erie is a part of the Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.

Erie is located just west of Interstate 25, with easy access to Interstate 70, Denver International Airport and Colorado's entire Front Range. Erie's Planning Area spans 48 sqmi, extending from the north side of State Highway 52 south to State Highway 7, and between US 287 on the west and Interstate 25 to the east. Erie is approximately 35 minutes from Denver International Airport, 25 minutes from Denver and 20 minutes from Boulder.

The town was named after Erie, Pennsylvania, the former home of early settler Richard Van Valkenburg.

History
Although it was settled and named in 1867, Erie was not officially incorporated until November 16, 1874. The first board of trustees consisted of five permanent and prominent members of the community; George Meller, Richard Van Valkenburg, John T. Williams, Joseph J. Wharton and John A. Rowe. Erie was unique among local coal mining towns because the local coal miners actually owned land or houses in town, instead of setting up temporary camps.

Coal was discovered in the region in the 1860s, and by 1870, railway service was established by the Denver-Pacific Spur Railroad. In 1871, the Denver & Boulder Valley Railroad was built through the area, connecting Boulder and Brighton. The railroad made it much easier to transport coal to the surrounding communities and to Denver, helping the town grow quickly. Although the locals were mining coal in the surrounding area starting in the 1860s, the first official mine in Erie opened in 1876; operated by Ira Austin.

The first school was established in 1874, with 33 students enrolling. The first school building was erected in 1881, with 100 students enrolled. In 1907, the school was replaced by the larger brick Lincoln School, which soon became inadequate due to the town's growth, and four new rooms had to be added in 1920. The over crowding was alleviated in 1929, with the construction of the new high school. Eventually, the Lincoln School was abandoned all together, and a new elementary school was constructed in 1966.

The first church was established in 1883, the Welsh Presbyterian Church, with services conducted in Welsh. By 1888, there was a United Methodist Church and in 1898, the St. Scholasticas Catholic Church was dedicated. In 1884, the first newspaper was founded by Charles D. Bell; called the Erie-Canfield Independent, it continued publishing until 1896. The Erie Herald was established in 1907 and published for far longer than other short lived newspapers, serving the community until 1948.

Erie was one of the only "wet" towns in the area and by 1895, boasted eleven saloons on Briggs Street. This resulted in the need for a jail, constructed in 1876, and a constable. The earliest known constable in Erie was B.C. "Bud" Pitchford. Erie was hit by major floods in 1890, 1921, and 1972. The floods devastated the town, and a dike was built around nearby Coal Creek after the 1972 flood. Erie was also hard-hit by the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression, the latter of which led to a decline in coal output. Demand for coal dropped after World War II, and most of the mines in the Erie area were closed by 1960, with the Eagle Mine closing in 1978.

Geography
Erie is located in the southwest corner of Weld County, at 40.04028°N, -105.05778°W and extends west into eastern Boulder County. It is bordered to the south by the city of Broomfield and to the southwest by the city of Lafayette. Interstate 25 forms part of the eastern border of the town, leading south 22 mi to downtown Denver and north 41 mi to Fort Collins. Erie is served by Exit 232 off I-25.

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 51.379 km2 including 0.261 km2 of water.

Demographics
As of the 2010 Census there were 18,186 people in the Town of Erie. According to the 2009 American Community Profile, the racial makeup of the town was 90.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.7% of the population.

According to the Town of Erie Community Development Department, there were 6,485 households. According to the US Census the average household size was 2.91.

Population: Under 5 years - 9.6%, 5 to 9 years - 10.3%, 10 to 14 years - 7.4%, 15 to 19 years - 5.4%, 20 to 24 years - 2.7%, 25 to 29 years - 4.9%, 30 to 34 years - 8.1%, 35 to 39 years - 10.4%, 40 to 44 years - 9.8%, 45 to 49 years - 8.5%, 50 to 54 years - 7.25%, 55 to 59 years - 5.5%, 60 to 64 years - 4.5%, 65 to 69 years - 2.5%, 70 to 74 years - 1.4%, 75 to 79 years - 0.9%, 80 to 84 years - 0.5%, 85 and older - 0.35%.

The median income for a household in the town was $99,804, and the median income for a family was $108,058. The per capita income for the town was $38,965.

Government
The Board of Trustees serves as the legislative and governing body of the town of Erie and is responsible for establishing town policies and goals. The board has the authority to adopt laws, ordinances and resolutions as needed to conduct the business of the town, and by ordinance may enter into contracts or intergovernmental agreements to furnish, receive services or to provide for cooperative service delivery.

Appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees, the Town Administrator is the chief operating and administrative officer of the town and is responsible for providing professional leadership in the administration and execution of policies and objectives formulated by the board.

Erie Municipal Airport (EIK) is owned and operated by the Town of Erie and is located on Colorado Highway 7, a little over three miles west of Interstate 25. The main runway is concrete paved and 4700 ft long.

Arts and culture
There is an active group of artists in Erie; the Arts Coalition of Erie (a 501(c)(3) represents about 70 artists, or approximately 60% of the artists in town. There are good venues for art at the Erie Community Center and High Plains Library, and shows change about every two months.

The Art Center of Erie (known as the A.C.E.) at 625 Pierce Street in Old Town Erie is open for visual and performing arts programs and is operated by the Arts Coalition of Erie. Classes and events are held year round at the site (an old children's library owned by the Town of Erie) leased by the Arts Coalition of Erie.

Transport
The town has an airport, the Erie Municipal Airport. Yet there are no major highway or interstate that goes through Erie, I-25, State Highway 7, and State Highway 52 are the main transportation on road for Erie.

title: Erie, Colorado


text:
Gold Hill, Colorado

Gold Hill is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Gold Hill CDP was 218 at the United States Census 2020. The Boulder post office (Zip Code 80302) serves the area.

Gold Hill is located to the northwest of Boulder, perched on a mountainside above Left Hand Canyon at an elevation of 8,300 feet. Originally a mining camp, it was the site of the first major discovery of gold during the 1859 Colorado Gold Rush and remained an important mining camp throughout the late 19th century, with a population approaching 1500 at its height, before falling into decline. It has been revived somewhat in recent years as a quiet isolated haven, with no paved streets, but easily accessed by dirt roads. The town contains numerous historic wooden structures, some restored in recent years, as well as decaying ruins from its mining heyday. It has a small museum and two-room schoolhouse, the Gold Hill School, which since 1873 has been the oldest continuously operating public school in Colorado. Other businesses include a General Store and a restored inn listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town is laid out on a small grid of dirt streets.

Gold Hill is accessible from nearby Left Hand Canyon Road via Lick Skillet Road. Easier approaches to Gold Hill include Sunshine Canyon Road from 4th and Mapleton in Boulder, Gold Run Road from Salina (on Four Mile Canyon Road), and Gold Hill Road from the Peak to Peak Highway (State Highway 72) south of Ward. All of these roads are susceptible to heavy snows during the winter, which at times render Gold Hill inaccessible to vehicles not equipped with chains or four wheel drive.

Gold Hill is sometimes labeled a ghost town, which is an inaccurate designation. Gold Hill is part of unincorporated Boulder County, and while it does not have a municipal government, it does have an active town meeting with elected officials.

History
The community is located above Gold Run, the first lode discovery of gold in Colorado (at that time the area was part of the Nebraska Territory) on January 15, 1859. The discovery occurred nearly simultaneous with prospecting in Gregory Gulch and Clear Creek, but these latter discoveries were not exploited until later that Spring. On March 7, 1859, the Gold Run discovery became the first mining district in region (named either the Mountain District No. 1, Mining District No. 1 of the Nebraska Territory, or the Nebraska Gold Hill Mining District, according to various historical sources). Word quickly spread among miners in the region, prompting a flood of new arrivals and the establishment of Gold Hill as the first permanent mining camp in present-day Colorado. By autumn, a quartz stamp mill was erected at the base of the hill, the first such piece of equipment in the region, one that had been transported by ox cart westward over the Great Plains. The first productive vein was the Scott, followed quickly the Horsfal, Alamakee, and Cold Spring. Nearby placers were also worked for the gold in stream beds.

By 1861, the year of the organization of the Colorado Territory, the surface deposits of gold in the vicinity of the town were largely played out, resulting in a temporary exodus of prospectors and a population decrease. The town was somewhat revived later that year by the construction of the Hill smelter at nearby Black Hawk, allowing the treatment of lower-grade ores.

The discovery of tellurium in the area in 1872 prompted a second boom, bringing the population to nearly 1000 once again. At its height, the town had a newspaper and number of hotels, including the Mines Hotel, built in 1872 and recently restored as summer tourist destination. The Mines was immortalized in verse by poet Eugene Field, who stayed at the hotel while working as a newspaper man in Denver. The town population dwindled in the early 20th century as the mining tapered off. The town has experienced two major fires in its history, but it nevertheless retains many of its historic wooden structures.

Despite a dwindling permanent population, Gold Hill continued to remain attractive to tourists. Around 1926 Florence Molloy and Mabel MacLeay, previously the owners of the Molloy-MacLeay taxicab company in Boulder, CO, opened the Double M Dude Ranch (or M&M ranch, then Trojan Ranch, and now the Colorado Mountain Ranch) in Gold Hill, CO. The Syracuse Herald, described the Double M as offering, “all the attractions of the open spaces of the West sufficiently tempered with luxuries to meet the requirement of Easterners.” The Double MM operated until World War II when it was sold in 1941 and subsequently became the Trojan Ranch and then later the Colorado Mountain Ranch (currently in operation).

In 1921, The Holiday House Association of Chicago, started by Jean Sherwood, purchased the hotel at Gold Hill, now the Gold Hill Inn, to create a summer camp destination for self-supporting single women from Chicago. These vacationing women were referred to as "Bluebirds." The Bluebird Lodge addition to the hotel was completed around 1926.

In September 2010, the Four Mile Canyon wildfire destroyed approximately 170 homes in and around Gold Hill.

Geography
The Gold Hill CDP has an area of 5.374 km2, all land.

Demographics
The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Gold Hill CDP for the United States Census 2000.

title: Gold Hill, Colorado


text:
Gunbarrel, Colorado

Gunbarrel is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Gunbarrel CDP was 9,554 at the United States Census 2020. The Boulder (Zip Code 80301) and Longmont (Zip Code 80503) post offices serve the area.

Geography
Gunbarrel is northeast of the city of Boulder proper, separated by a buffer area of private agricultural lands and publicly owned open space. The buffer areas provide over two miles (3 km) of separation over changing elevations. This reduces the impact of the Boulder Municipal Airport and the Boulder County Sheriff's Department facilities (including the county jail), which are located on the southern side of the buffer.

Two reservoirs operated by the Boulder and Left Hand Irrigation Company are located in central Gunbarrel. Irrigation ditches and canals, including the Boulder and Whiterock Ditch, pass through this primarily residential area. The Twin Lakes Open Space, a large park which includes the two reservoirs and extends west along the ditch, is operated by the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department. The park brings protected wetlands, jogging trails and green spaces directly into the urban area. The City of Boulder operates Eaton Park, adjacent to the west lake. Eaton Park includes picnic facilities, BMX jumps and additional protected wetland. Flood control facilities are integral to the reservoir and canal systems, but they do not eliminate the flood risk to adjacent development.

The Gunbarrel CDP has an area of 16.340 km2, including 0.155 km2 of water.

Natural hazards
The principal natural hazard in Gunbarrel is flooding. The county Transportation Department provides floodplain information through an online request page, free of charge for property owners in the unincorporated areas of the county, including Gunbarrel. Boulder County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program which allows some reduction in the cost of flood insurance for residents.

Demographics
The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Gunbarrel CDP for the 1980 United States Census.

Government
The Gunbarrel Public Improvement District (GPID), formerly the Gunbarrel General Improvement District, was formed by residents of Gunbarrel in 1993. At the time, county residents were concerned about the negative effects of development in the adjacent neighborhoods of the city of Boulder. They felt they needed to counterbalance the city's annexation and development powers and better manage the traffic city development was creating. The GPID is administered by the Boulder County commissioners. The GPID is a 'special district' under Colorado law, with the ability to levy taxes and incur debt. GPID uses this money to purchase open space and improve roads in the unincorporated subdivisions, consistent with their primary mission of maintaining quality of life and property values in unincorporated Gunbarrel. GPID open space lands are managed by Boulder County Parks and Open Space. A map of GPID lands can be found at the Gunbarrel Community Association website. This map also depicts the boundaries of the District's taxation area.

Transportation
The 205 bus of the RTD bus system gives service throughout Gunbarrel and into Boulder. Roads and streets in Gunbarrel are maintained by Boulder County.

The RTD regional route J also provides a peak hours connection to the University of Colorado and Longmont. It is intended that, once built to its planned full extent, the RTD B Line will have a station in Gunbarrel.

title: Gunbarrel, Colorado


text:
Jamestown, Colorado

The historic Town of Jamestown is a Statutory Town in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population was 256 at the 2020 United States Census, down from 274 in 2010. It was named for James Smith, an early discoverer of gold. Jamestown was hit hard by the September 2013 Colorado floods when the town was isolated due to road damage from the rains and the flooding of James Creek. Under a mandatory evacuation order, most residents were airlifted to safety under the direction of the Colorado National Guard to nearby Boulder.

Geography
Jamestown is in central Boulder County at 40.11556°N, -105.3875°W (40.115485, −105.387531). It lies along James Creek within the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies, with access via James Canyon Drive, which leads east 8 mi to U.S. Highway 36 in Altona and west 6.5 mi to State Highway 72 (the Peak to Peak Highway) near Peaceful Valley. Jamestown's elevation is 6920 ft above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 1.6 km2, all of it land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 205 people, 96 households, and 52 families residing in the town. The population density was 314.2 PD/sqmi. There were 102 housing units at an average density of 156.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.56% White, 0.98% Asian, 0.49% Pacific Islander, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population. There are now (2010) a couple of French people representing 0.98% of the people.

There were 96 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.0% under the age of 18, 2.0% from 18 to 24, 46.3% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $67,500, and the median income for a family was $73,250. Males had a median income of $46,042 versus $31,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,904. About 5.9% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 46.7% of those 65 or over.

title: Jamestown, Colorado


text:
Lafayette, Colorado

The City of Lafayette is a home rule municipality located in southeastern Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 30,411 at the 2020 United States Census.

Geography
Lafayette is located in southeastern Boulder County at 39.995°N, -105.10056°W (39.995, −105.100556). It is bordered by the town of Erie to the north and east, by the city of Broomfield to the east and south, and by Louisville to the southwest. U.S. Highway 287 is the main road through the city, leading north to Longmont and south to Broomfield and Denver. State Highway 7 leads east from Lafayette to Brighton and west to Boulder. There is also an exit off Interstate 25 to the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Lafayette has a total area of 9.3 sqmi, of which 9.3 sqmi is land and 0.4 km2, or 1.50%, is water.

History
Lafayette was founded in 1888 by Mary E. (Foote) Miller. She filed the original Town of Lafayette plat in January 1888 and sold the first residential lot – Lot 6, Block G, Town of Lafayette – in March 1888 to Hugh Hughes. In February 1889, the Town of Lafayette was incorporated.

Mary Miller and her husband, Lafayette Miller, had moved to the area to farm land they had purchased in March 1868 from Denver coal speculators Francis P. Heatly and Edward Chase. The farm also included land acquired by Mary's brother, James B. Foote, and father, John B. Foote, via the Homestead Act in 1871. In 1874 the Millers moved to Boulder. Lafayette Miller ran a butcher shop and was a town trustee. Lafayette Miller died in Boulder in 1878, after which Mary Miller moved back to the farm with their six small children. In 1884 coal was discovered on the Miller farm, and in 1887 John H. Simpson acquired a coal lease from James B. Foote and sank the first Simpson Mine shaft, thereby starting the coal mining era. In 1888 Mary Miller designated 37 acre of the farm for the town of Lafayette, which she named after her late husband. In July 1888 a second mine, the Cannon, went into operation and the first houses were built. Mary Miller submitted a revised 89 acre plat for the town in 1889. Also in early 1889, Mary Miller leased the rights to mine coal for 12.5 cents per ton to Charles Spencer and John H. Simpson. The two commenced sinking the Spencer coal mine 200 yards west of the Simpson coal mine. On April 2, 1889, the town of Lafayette was incorporated. As stipulated in the original property deeds for the platting, no alcohol could be sold or distributed east of what is now known as Public Road. In 1904, the Lafayette Town Board mandated that the "alcohol clause" be added to all platted additions to Lafayette.

Lafayette quickly became a part of the coal-mining boom that all of eastern Boulder and southwestern Weld counties were experiencing, with the combined Spencer/Simpson mine being the largest and most productive. The Cannon floundered and failed to produce profitable quantities of coal. It closed in 1898. By 1914 Lafayette was a booming town with two banks and four hotels. Lafayette was also the location of one of the nation's first distributed electrical grids powered by the Interurban Power Plant that served Louisville, Boulder, Longmont, and Fort Collins.

Mary Miller continued to be a leader in the community, especially in January 1900, when the town's business district burned. She founded the Farmers’ & Miners’ State Bank with S.T. Hooper, C.C. Brown and G.C. Beaman in June 1892, which closed in August 1894. Mary Miller then formed the Lafayette Bank in 1900. She was elected president of the bank, and according to a Denver Post article reprinted in the Lafayette News and dated December 13, 1902, was "the only woman in the United States known to be president of a bank." The bank closed in 1914 because of roughly $90,000 in bad loans to the striking United Mine Workers. Mary Miller remained devoted to the temperance movement and eventually ran on the 1913 Prohibition Party ticket for the U.S. Senate seat won by Gov. John F. Shafroth. She also ran for the state treasurer seat on the Prohibition Party ticket. Miller died in 1921 at her daughter-in-law's home at 501 E. Cleveland Street.

Lafayette continued to thrive as a coal-mining town. Northern Coal Field miners, members of United Mine Workers, walked off the job in the aforementioned strike starting in April 1910. The United Mine Workers expanded the strike to all of Colorado in 1913. The Long Strike is nationally noted for the Ludlow Massacre of miners' families by the National Guard in the Southern Coal Field near Trinidad, Colorado.

Until about 1915, residents of the city were largely caucasian Midwestern transplants and Western European coal miners who'd immigrated from England, Wales and Ireland. The 1900 and 1910 census show no families with Latino surnames residing in Lafayette. Coinciding with the start of the Long Strike of 1910–1914, the coal operators began recruiting strikebreaker workers who were immigrants from Eastern Europe and Mexico. United Mine Workers Lafayette Local 1388 meeting minutes show scant traces of Latino membership from 1903 until September 1913. Initially banned from membership, union locals realized during the Long Strike of 1910–1914 the necessity of forming labor alliances with native-born and immigrant Latinos. Entering their $10 annual Lafayette Local 1388 dues at the September 25, 1913, meeting were initiates Frank Gonzales, S. Gonzales, F.H. Gallegos, A. Dominguez, Guy Dominguez, Jesus Guzman, Gabriel Vigil, Teofila Tafoya, D. Romero, Ben Martinez, Juan Guerrero and Francisco Guerrero. After the strike, Rocky Mountain Fuel Company encouraged their employees in the Southern Coal Field, largely immigrants from Mexico and second- and third-generation residents of New Mexico and Colorado, to relocate to the Lafayette area. Those Latino families located in Serene initially then moved to Lafayette after the Columbine Mine closed. In the 1920s and 1930s sugar factories in surrounding counties also recruited Latino workers to harvest sugar beets. The 1920 census showed 1,800 Lafayette residents, with 25 individuals having Latino surnames.

In 1927, Lafayette's coal miners walked off the job again, a strike nationally recognized as a great Wobbly (Industrial Workers of the World, a radical labor group) strike. The mining massacre resulted in the deaths of five Lafayette resident miners just northeast of town in the Columbine Mine massacre on November 27, 1927, in what is now the ghost town of Serene near Erie.

Another female financier came to the miners' aid. Josephine Roche, the daughter of John J. Roche, the anti-labor president of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company (RMFC) which owned many of the mines in the Lafayette area, used some shares of the company she had inherited from her father after his death in 1927, bought a controlling interest in the company, and immediately began the most labor-friendly mine operation in the United States. She became a top assistant to Franklin D. Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins. Back in Lafayette, life became much better for the coal miners with the more labor-friendly management of the RMFC.

Coal mining declined as an industry from the 1930s through 1950s as natural gas replaced coal. The Black Diamond mine closed in 1956, and Lafayette became once more an agriculture-based community. As Denver and Boulder grew, residential growth in Lafayette increased. With the increase in residential growth, the farm-based economy changed and commercial, small industrial and manufacturing factors became more important. Lafayette's ethnic diversity continued to expand with population growth. In 1940, 76 Hispanic or Latino adults were recorded as residing in Lafayette, with a total population of 2,062. By 2016, 4,400 (18 percent) of Lafayette's 25,000 residents were Hispanic or Latino.

Industry
Not only did coal mined in Lafayette, Louisville, Marshall and Erie heat Denver's growing number of households starting in the late 1880s, it also fueled Denver's smelters, cotton mills, breweries, paper mills, shoe factories and power plants.

In 1899, the Colorado Inspector of Coal mines estimated that the 405-square-mile Northern Coal Field contained 2.56 billion tons of coal.

Up to the turn of the 20th century, Denver customers consumed most of the coal mined in the area as fast it could be hauled up from the tunnels. Lafayette coal mines were wired for telephones starting in 1891, almost 15 years before the rest of town, because the Denver coal dealers needed a quicker way to place orders.

The first recorded evidence of coal near Lafayette was made in the summer of 1864 by General Land Office surveyor Hiram Witter, who noted in his field survey notebook for Township 1 South, Range 69 West that "In the NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Sec. 1 is an outcrop of coal 1 chain long (66 feet) and 4 ft. thick, extent unknown." This is where Baseline Road crosses over Coal Creek east of Lafayette. Witter drew a line through a notation in his notebook that the "coal bank had been opened" and replaced it with "coal outcrop." The notation "had been opened" may indicate that the coal was being "worked" by settlers.

Area pioneers gathered coal from surface outcrops to use for home heating. One outcropping of coal, mentioned by Mary Miller as being discovered in 1872, was located at about the center of the Foote-Miller Farm and mined by the Cambro / Pluto slope mine from 1917 to 1928.

Mary Miller and her brother, James B. Foote, leased some of their farm land north of the Cambro / Pluto coal outcrop first to John H. Simpson, who would sink two separate Lafayette coal mines – the Simpson in late 1887 and the Spencer in 1889 – then to James Cannon Jr. in 1888. The Standard mine, about a mile east of the Spencer-Simpson mines, was also sunk in 1887.

By the early 1880s, railroads were the largest consumer of Colorado coal, and Lafayette joined the coal mining bandwagon when Colorado & Southern Railway completed a 3-mile spur from Louisville in 1889, paid for by the newly formed Spencer-Simpson Coal Company. That spur eventually connected to Erie. The railroad links to Erie, Louisville, Lafayette and Marshall coal mines nurtured the industrialization of coal mining.

The coal under Lafayette and most of the area northwest of Denver known as the Northern Coal Field or Northern Field is sub-bituminous coal, a soft, friable coal that was highly suited for household heating stoves and for firing steam boilers. Sub-bituminous coal, also called lignite, could sometimes spontaneously combust when it came in contact with air.

A significant factor in Lafayette's coal mining history were the three successive Denver-based coal conglomerates – United Coal Company, Northern Coal Co. and Rocky Mountain Fuel Company – that controlled coal production and employed thousands of local coal miners. From 1891, when United Coal was formed, to 1944, when Rocky Mountain Fuel Co. reorganized and closed most of its mines, the coal operators influenced not only how mass-scale coal was mined, marketed and sold, but how communities adjacent to the coal mines – Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Canfield and Marshall developed.

In 1898, only 5 percent of coal mined in Lafayette was used for home heating, the rest went to Denver power plants, manufacturers and steam locomotives. From June 1, 1897, to May 31, 1898, over 680,000 tons of coal were shipped to Denver from Northern Field coal mines. In the 1920s and 1930s, Great Western Sugar in Longmont and the Valmont Generating Station in Boulder were primary coal consumers. By the mid-1940s, most of the coal mines had closed.

Most of the mines associated with the bankrupt Rocky Mountain Fuel Co., including the Columbine, were closed in 1946, after which area mines were owned and run by independent owners. Lafayette's last mine, the Black Diamond, located at today's U.S. 287 and Baseline Road, closed in 1956. The independently owned Hi-Way mine in Louisville and the Gorham in Superior closed in 1955. Erie's Eagle mine was the last coal mine to operate in the Northern Coal Field. It closed in 1975.

Very little evidence of Lafayette's coal mining past remains today. A few structures moved from the mine camps dot Old Town and the Lafayette Miner's Museum retains some of the tools of the coal mining trade.

Labor
The extended and sometimes violent coal miner's strike of 1910–1914, called "The Long Strike," put Lafayette at the forefront of unionized labor's struggle for fair wages. Union miners belonging to United Mine Workers of America were determined to get fair wages and safety improvements in a dangerous workplace, while coal mine operators wanted the mined coal to continue flowing.

In the Northern Field, the Long Strike started April 1, 1910. United Mine Workers of America miners wanted an increase of 3 cents per ton for machine mining, 4 cents for pick mining, a 5.55 percent increase for day wages and dead work, an 8-hour work day, selection of checkweighmen, union recognition and enforcement of state labor and mine safety laws.

At a convention in Trinidad in September 1913, United Mine Workers delegates from across the state endorsed a statewide strike, which became the greatest labor upheaval in Colorado history. Coal miners statewide accused operators of favoring profits over the safety of workers, and their demands included coal operators’ recognition of the union, an increase in wages of 10 percent, an eight-hour workday for all classes of labor in or around the coal mines, payment for deadwork, the right to have union-paid weigh bosses, the right of the miners to trade wherever they pleased (instead of company stores), the right to choose their own boarding place and their own doctor, the enforcement of the Colorado mining laws and "total abolition of the notorious and criminal guard system."

During the strike, Rocky Mountain Fuel Co., owners of the Simpson and Vulcan mines in Lafayette, the Acme mine in Louisville and the Industrial mine in Superior, recruited and paid the railroad fare for nonunion coal miners from W. Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Joplin, Missouri. Strikebreakers were labeled either "scabs" or "blacklegs."

Those on strike, members of United Mine Workers, were called "rednecks" because they wore red handkerchiefs around their necks. After asking Boulder County Sheriff M.P. Capp to deputize up to 75 company men to help guard the mines, which he refused, Northern Coal and Coke Co. hired West Virginia-based Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency guards to protect the company's assets. The Baldwin-Felts guards, known in southern coal states for protecting coal trains and payroll shipments, were hired to prevent trespassing on company property.

In September 1910 coal operators, including RM Fuel's E.E. Shumway, asked Denver District Court Judge Greeley W. Whitford to issue an injunction to restrain striking miners from gathering in groups, posting notices or interfering with nonunion operation of the mines. Whitford agreed to the injunction and appointed Baldwin-Felts detectives as enforcers.

Elected in November 1912, Colorado Governor Elias M. Ammons sent the Colorado militia to Boulder County to quell the strike violence after a September 17, 1913, gun battle raged on the east side of Lafayette. Union sympathizers said that nonunion employees at the Simpson mine, "the Bulgarians," fired indiscriminately at union members returning from work at an adjacent union mine. The nonunion workers claim that union sympathizers started the fight by throwing rocks through one of the company buildings in the Simpson compound.

All sides agreed that numerous volleys of gunshots, estimated at over 1,000 rounds, originated in both the stockade – shooting toward downtown Lafayette – and in downtown Lafayette shooting toward the stockade. One person inside the stockade was injured by a gunshot, and one horse was killed.

After U.S. troops brought in to referee the strike encamped near the Lafayette cemetery on October 28, 1913, they proceeded to confiscate all guns in Lafayette, even searching homes room-by-room. The following week, children of union men refused to go to school with two boys whose fathers had scabbed the previous summer.

The Long Strike was called off by the UMWA in late 1914. The large Colorado coal operators who'd refused all of the miners’ demands, Rocky Mountain Fuel Co. and Colorado Fuel and Iron, agreed only to rehire the miners that went on strike. The general consensus was that the UMWA's 1913–1914 statewide strike didn't accomplish much, and it was decades before the union regained its influence in Colorado.

Edward Lawrence Doyle (1886–1954), Lafayette resident from 1908 to 1912 and UMWA Dist. 15 secretary-treasurer based in Denver from 1912 to 1917, is better known for his involvement in the fateful 1914 Ludlow Massacre, where he played a key role in communicating to national media the union's perspective of the killings. As part of that job, he corresponded regularly with labor activist Mother Jones and with author Upton Sinclair, who wrote "King Coal," an exposé on the dangerous conditions Colorado coal miners faced. Doyle was entrusted by Sinclair to proofread "King Coal" for accuracy prior to its release in 1917.

In 1909, Doyle worked as a checkweighman at the Capitol mine east of Lafayette where he advocated for miners’ safety, including dogging the mine's owner to remove snow and ice that regularly blocked the mine's escape shaft after snow storms. Doyle worked his way into leadership of Lafayette Local 1388 during the first few years of the Long Strike, where he organized the group's civil disobedience efforts. Doyle aggressively rooted out turncoat union members hired by coal operators to spy on the organization. He also planted two of his own union men, hired from out-of-state, who posed as scabs in each local coal mine.

Transportation
Between 1849 and 1870, California goldseekers – followed by the grand Concord Coaches of the Overland Express and Mail Co. — traveled the Cherokee Trail, an ancient north–south trading route overlapped today by U.S. Highway 287 in Lafayette. From 1864 to 1868, the Cherokee Trail/Laramie Road was a principal travel corridor to the west and a key part of the Overland Mail and Express Co.’s 1,000-mile route, which originated in Atchison, Kansas. The Front Range portion of the Southern Route went north from Denver to LaPorte and Virginia Dale where the trail rejoined the Central Overland Route in Laramie, Wyoming.

The Overland Mail and Express Co.'s 600-mile Denver to Salt Lake City Division was composed of 46 stage stations spaced every 10 to 15 miles. The stagecoach crossing at Boulder Creek north of Lafayette was at today's N. 109th Street near Brownsville, about 1/2-mile east of U.S. Highway 287. Starting in 1864, three Overland Stage Line stations in Boulder and Broomfield counties operated under the purview of Ben Holladay's Overland Mail and Express Co.: Little Thompson stage station about 2 miles north of today's Longmont, Boon's Ranch (Boulder Station) stage station at Boulder Creek, and Church's Ranch stage station (then called Child's stage station) located near today's Old Wadsworth and 105th Street in Westminster. The Burlington House in what is now Longmont became an Overland Stage Line home station a few years later.

From 1866 to 1871, Lafayette and Mary Miller operated the Miller Tavern Ranch, a saloon and stage stop for the Mason & Ganow stagecoach at the former Stearns Dairy north of Dillon Road on U.S. 287, today known as the Rock Creek Farm.

The Mason & Ganow stagecoach company launched on October 17, 1868, to compete with Wells Fargo and promoted daily overnight service from Denver to Cheyenne, about 100 miles. Heading north, the stagecoach left Denver at 8 a.m. and arrived in Cheyenne at 7 a.m. the next morning. Traveling south, the stagecoach left Cheyenne at 6 p.m.

Lafayette pioneers Adolf and Anna Waneka ran the two-story stage stop on Coal Creek located where today's U.S. 287 crosses Coal Creek in Lafayette but it, too, was a meal stop and not a swing station.

The Rocky Mountain News for November 19, 1867, listed six stage companies operating from Denver: Wells, Fargo & Company with stages leaving daily for points east via the Platte and points west via Salt Lake City; Denver, Valmont and Boulder stage company leaving Thursdays and Saturdays; United States Express Company leaving daily for points east via Smoky Hill route; Hariman & Harmon's stage leaving for South Park each Thursday; Denver, Idaho and Georgetown Express leaving Denver Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; the Denver and Santa Fe Stage Line, leaving Denver for points south every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Ben Holladay's Overland Mail and Express Co. was sold to Wells, Fargo & Company in 1866 for $1.8 million in cash and stocks. After the Transcontinental Railroad was completed to Cheyenne in 1867, stagecoach travel declined, and the majority of stagecoaches heading from Denver to Cheyenne carried passengers looking to catch an eastbound train.

By early 1869, Wells Fargo had sold all of its stagecoach operations, including the Denver to Cheyenne run, which was acquired by John Hughes. Robert Spotswood and William McClelland bought the stage line from Hughes and continued running the Denver to Cheyenne stage until November 27, 1869.

Recreation
Lafayette's most popular recreation destination is the city-owned Waneka Lake, a man-made reservoir situated in Waneka Lake Park at West Emma Street and Caria Drive.

Waneka Lake Park is a recreational and wildlife refuge in a suburban setting. Waneka Lake Park features playground structures, shelter facilities, picnic tables, benches, fishing areas, and a 1.2 mile fitness trail for walking, biking or running within its 147 acres.

The southeast corner of Waneka Lake Park features Lafayette's oldest structure, the Waneka Granary, built in the 1870s. The late Charles "Clancy" Waneka believed that Lafayette pioneer Adolf Waneka built it, while Clancy's cousin, Charles "Chuck" Waneka has always argued that the pioneer Harmon Family built it. The structure provides an excellent window into early construction methods including hand hewn logs and square iron nails.

Colorado Div. of Water Resources records (Dam ID = 060225) indicate that the lake was built by Adolf Waneka in 1865 to hold water coming out of a nearby spring. This was corroborated by Clancy Waneka, who in 1989 told the Lafayette News that "Sometime in the 1860s (Adolf Waneka) scooped out a small reservoir that held about 13-acre-feet and this was recorded and is a matter of record in the State Engineer's office." Adolf gave his interest in the lake to his son, Henry "Boye" Waneka, who then sold to William, Frank and Guy Harmon in 1897. Northern Colorado Power Company documents from 1906 and reservoir records at the Colorado Div. of Water Resources both show that the original name of Waneka Lake was "Henry Waneka No. 1 Reservoir." Northern Power expanded the lake, which was later called Plant Lake, in 1906 to store 28 million cu. ft. (790,000 m3) of water for its steam generators. Mary Miller and the power company split 50/50 the rights to the additional water stored. When town founder Mary Miller owned the lake, it was known as the Millar and Harmon Reservoir.

Northern Colorado Power Company constructed a 6,000 kilowatt Northern Colorado and Interurban Power Plant on the south edge of Plant lake in 1905–06. It supplied alternating current to the electric-powered Interurban passenger trolley service that connected Boulder to Denver. Joseph J. Henry of Denver developed the power plant business plan and directors included W.F. Crossley, Tyson Dines, W.H. Allison, Sen. F.E. Warren (from Wyoming), William J. Barker, Thomas Kelly, Robert S. Ellison, William Mayer and C.C. Bromley.

Blue Ribbon Hill east of Lafayette was initially thought to be the best place for the new Northern Colorado electric plant, due to the presence of Coal Creek water. The power plant was instead located at what is now Waneka Lake. Boulder County Clerk records show that Mary Miller bought the reservoir in 1904 from William, Frank and Guy Harmon, but the Harmons retained rights to some of the water flowing into Miller and Harmon Reservoir. The power plant was last used in the 1920s and was torn down in 1963.

Boulder County Clerk and Recorder records show that the City of Lafayette bought "Henry Waneka Reservoir" from J.B. Telleen in October 1972. Several years later, the State of Colorado deemed the reservoir unsafe, but the City of Lafayette made repairs and brought the reservoir up to muster.

Government
The Lafayette City Council serves as the community's legislative body, enacting ordinances, appropriating funds to conduct city business, and providing policy direction for city governance through the city administrator. The council consists of seven members who are elected on a non-partisan basis in odd-numbered years. Terms are staggered as four seats must be filled each election year. The three councilors with the most votes serve four-year terms and the fourth receives a two-year term. The mayor and mayor pro-tem are selected by the City Council for two-year terms. As of December 2021, the current mayor of Lafayette is JD Mangat and the mayor pro-tem is Brian Wong.

Notable political vacancies in Lafayette's history:
 * Died in office: Lafayette Miller, 1878, town of Boulder trustee; died while in office.
 * Removals: Richard W. Morgan, 1907, Colorado state senator; removed from office for accepting $700 bribe.
 * City council resignations: Walter Moon, 1891 (an alderman); Joe Mathias, 1935; Roy "Ham" Roberts, 1959; Tom Lopez, 1975; Carl Williams, 1980; John Drennen, 1986; Candy Fox, 1996; Bryan Olson, 1996; Mike Romero, 1999; Dennis Buck, 2000; Mark Hoskins, 2001; Tom Anderson, 2001; Andy Proctor, 2002; Dave Schneller, 2003; Tom Hogue, 2003; Alex Schatz, 2005; Kerry Bensman, 2010; Chris Cameron, 2010; Tom Dowling, 2016; Gustavo Reyna, 2018; Christine Berg, 2019; Merrily Mazza, 2019.

Events
Lafayette has a variety of events each year, including a peach festival, wine festival, and Lafayette Days. Every January an oatmeal festival in cooperation with the Quaker Oats Company is held with a fitness run around Waneka Lake. Festival Plaza is a gathering place in Old Town Lafayette on Public Road and Chester Street. The Plaza is composed of a series of four smaller interconnected plazas, each designed with features to promote various events.

Education
Lafayette public schools are part of the Boulder Valley School District. The main public high school in Lafayette is Centaurus High School, which has approximately 1,600 students. Peak to Peak Charter School offers kindergarten through high school. The public middle school is Angevine Middle School, which feeds into Centaurus. The elementary schools are Lafayette, Alicia Sanchez, Bernard D. 'Pat' Ryan STEAM school, and Pioneer Elementary, a bilingual school where English and Spanish are both spoken. Alexander Dawson School is a private K-12 college prep school in the north part of town.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 24,453 people, 9,632 households, and 6,354 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,584 PD/sqmi. There were 9,997 housing units at an average density of 1,052.3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 85.6% White, 1.1% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.4% some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 18.2% of the population.

There were 9,632 households, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them; 49.9% were headed by married couples living together; 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present; and 34.0% were non-families. Of all households, 25.5% were made up of individuals, and 5.9% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Average household size was 2.54, and average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

For the period 2009–2011, the estimated median income for a household in the city in 2010 was $66,202, and the median income for a family was $79,212. Male full-time workers had a median income of $54,313 versus $50,166 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,711. About 9.3% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line.

Religion
Lafayette's first established church was the Congregational Church, which was established in 1890 by John and Annie Jones, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Van Deren and Laura Kimbark. Lafayette town founder Mary E. Miller paid for the construction of the church circa 1892 and funded the salary of the church's first pastor. In 1907, the Catholic Church of St. Ida was established. This was replaced in 1954 by the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Flatirons Community Church was founded in Lafayette in 1997.

Notable people

 * Bob Beauprez, Republican politician
 * Devon Beitzel, former professional basketball point guard
 * John C. Buechner, educator, politician and City Councillor
 * Lars Grimsrud, aerospace engineer and performance automobile enthusiast
 * Maria Handley, member-at-large of the Democratic National Committee
 * Steven Lindsey, retired U.S. Air Force officer and NASA astronaut
 * John Massaro, also known as John Vincent Hazlett, guitarist and wrote songs for Steve Miller Band
 * Lenny Metz (1899–1953), shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies 1923–25, lived in Lafayette
 * Mary E. Miller (1843–1921) founded the town of Lafayette, Colorado
 * Joe Neguse, US Representative for Colorado's 2nd District and first Black man from Colorado to serve in Congress
 * Alicia Sanchez (1926–1985), Latina activist who founded the Clinica Campesina (which became Clinica Family Health), a nationally recognized model for community-based health care
 * Marilyn Sitzman, receptionist and witness to the assassination of JFK
 * Jessica Watkins, geologist, former international rugby player and 2017 NASA astronaut candidate

title: Lafayette, Colorado


text:
Longmont, Colorado

Longmont is a home rule municipality located in Boulder and Weld counties, Colorado, United States. Its population was 98,885. Longmont is located northeast of the county seat of Boulder. It is named after Longs Peak, a prominent mountain that is clearly visible from the city (mont means "mountain" in French).

History
Longmont was founded in 1871 by a group of people from Chicago, Illinois. Originally called the Chicago-Colorado Colony, led by president Robert Collyer, the men sold memberships in the town, purchasing the land necessary for the town hall with the proceeds. As the first planned community in Boulder County, the city streets were laid out in a grid plan within a square mile. The city began to flourish as an agricultural community after the Colorado Central Railroad line arrived northward from Boulder in 1877. During the 1940s, Longmont began to grow beyond these original limits.

In 1925, the Ku Klux Klan gained control of Longmont's City Council in an election. They began construction of a large pork-barrel project, Chimney Rock Dam, above Lyons and marched up and down Main Street in their costumes. In the 1927 election they were voted out of office, and their influence soon declined. Work on Chimney Rock Dam was abandoned as unfeasible, and its foundations are still visible in the St. Vrain River.

In 1955, United Airlines Flight 629 exploded over Weld County, Colorado 8 miles east of Longmont, killing 44 passengers and crew.

During the 1960s, the federal government built the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in Longmont, and IBM built a manufacturing and development campus near Longmont. Longmont Foods was a turkey processor that once supplied turkey products throughout the United States. For example, turkey hot dogs with the Longmont Foods label were sold throughout the US. In 1950 they constructed a large plant on southern Main St. that received trucks full of live turkeys. The company was eventually purchased by Butterball and then closed 2011. As agriculture waned, more high technology has come to the city, including companies like Seagate and Amgen; Amgen closed its Longmont campus in 2015. In April 2009, the GE Energy Company relocated its control solutions business to the area.

The downtown along Main Street, once nearly dead during the 1980s, has seen a vibrant revival in the 1990s and into the 21st century. During the mid-1990s, the southern edge of Longmont became the location of the first New Urbanist project in Colorado, called Prospect New Town, designed by the architects Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk.

Longmont was the site of Colorado's first library, founded in 1871 by Elizabeth Rowell Thompson, though it lasted up to a year before its collection of 300 books was lost. Following this, Longmont also was the site of one of Carnegie's libraries with the single-story structure being opened in 1913. It remained open until August 7, 1972, when, due to overcrowding with approximately 22,000 books within the space, it was closed just a week before the new library that had been constructed next door was opened.

In May 2013, the Longmont City Council voted to finance and build out its own municipal gigabit data fiber-optic network, known as NextLight, to every house and business over a three-year period starting in late 2013.

Geography
Longmont is located in northeastern Boulder County at 40.17158°N, -105.10908°W. The city extends eastward into western Weld County. U.S. Highway 287 (Main Street) runs through the center of the city, leading north 16 mi to Loveland and south 34 mi to downtown Denver. State Highway 119 passes through the city south of downtown and leads southwest 15 mi to Boulder and east 5 mi to Interstate 25.

The elevation at City Hall is 4978 ft above sea level. St. Vrain Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River, flows through the city just south of the city center.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Longmont has a total area of 71.6 km2, of which 67.8 km2 is land and 3.8 sqkm, or 5.30%, is water.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Longmont has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated Bsk on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Longmont was 106 °F on July 7, 1973, and June 27, 1994, while the coldest temperature recorded was -38 °F on January 16, 1930.

2020 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 86,270 people living in the city (2019 estimate: 97,261). The population density was 3,294 pd/sqmi. There were 35,008 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was:
 * 83.3% White
 * 0.9% African American
 * 1.0% Native American
 * 3.2% Asian
 * 0.1% Pacific Islander
 * 8.6% from other races
 * 2.9% from two or more races.
 * Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.6% of the population.

There were 33,551 households, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 20, 6.3% from 20 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $58,698, and the median income for a family was $70,864. Males had a median income of $51,993 versus $41,025 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,209. About 11.1% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

In 2011 Longmont was rated the second safest city in Colorado.

Education
Longmont is home to the Boulder County Campus of Front Range Community College, the St. Vrain Valley School District, and to a number of private schools. Longmont is also home to the Master Instructor Continuing Education Program (MICEP) a voluntary accreditation program for aviation educators.

There is also a municipal public library. there was deliberation over whether to establish a library district and to have the library publish news. That year the library's director stated, in the words of Corey Hutchins of the Columbia Journalism Review, "lacks resources and hasn’t kept up with the city’s growth".

Transportation
Longmont has bus service to Denver and Boulder as part of the RTD transit district. Longmont is connected to Fort Collins, Loveland, and Berthoud via a FLEX regional bus service.

, the FasTracks project plans to extend RTD's commuter rail B Line to Longmont, which could be completed in the early 2040s.

In 2012, Longmont was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a silver-level bicycle-friendly community. Longmont is one of 38 communities in the United States to be recognized with this distinction. It is the only city in Colorado placed at the silver level that is not a major tourist center or a university city.

Vance Brand Airport is a public-use airport owned by the city. It currently has no scheduled passenger flights, but it is popular for general aviation.

Media
The Longmont Leader (formerly the Longmont Observer) is the local daily newspaper.

The Longmont Times-Call, while bearing the city's name, is published from Boulder and is operated by Alden Global Capital of New York City.

Longmont's radio stations include KRCN, KGUD, and KKFN. Sports radio is broadcast on KKSE-FM from a tower about 10 mi southeast of Longmont. Also located nearby is KDFD, a Fox News Radio affiliate with a conservative talk format. The KDFD (760 AM) transmitter site is about 15 mi east of Boulder.

NPR programming can be heard on Colorado Public Radio stations KCFR from Denver, and KCFC (AM) in Boulder. The NPR affiliate KUNC from the Fort Collins-Greeley market can also be heard in Longmont.

Longmont is also served by Pacifica Radio affiliate KGNU, a non-commercial community radio station from Boulder.

Economy

According to the city's 2020 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

In addition, Longmont supports a thriving craft brewing industry as well as many recreational and travel-related businesses. Local breweries include two of the nation's largest craft brewers, Left Hand and Oskar Blues, as well as many others. To service the transportation needs of brewery patrons, the local Brew Hop Trolley offers a hop-on-hop-off brewery tour for a fixed price. Longmont is known for its 'maker' community. Longmont also features a Saturday Farmers Market.

Due to its proximity to the Rocky Mountain National Park, Longmont is home to many hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that cater in part to the tourists visiting the park each year. One recreational business that calls Longmont home is Mile Hi Skydiving, which is one of the largest skydiving facilities in the state of Colorado. Longmont is also home to Saul, the World's Largest Sticker Ball at StickerGiant, a custom sticker and label printing company on the city's east side. Other businesses support skiing and other snowsports, bicycling, and rock climbing.

Government
This is a list of mayors of Longmont.

Fire department
The Longmont Fire Department was established in its current form in 1908. The history of the department can be traced back to the creation of the W. A. Buckingham Hook & Ladder Company in 1879.

the department operates from six stations throughout the city. Longmont Fire Department Station 1 was built in 1907, used by the department until 1971, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Notable people

 * Valarie Allman (b. 1995), discus gold medalist in the 2020 Olympics, graduate of Silver Creek High School
 * Greg Biekert (b. 1969), American football player and coach, played football for Longmont High School
 * David Bote (b. 1993), MLB baseball player, Longmont native
 * Vance D. Brand (b. 1931), NASA astronaut, graduate of Longmont High School
 * Elizabeth A. Fenn (b. 1959), Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Longmont resident
 * John R. Kelso (b. 1831), congressman and author, Longmont resident
 * Kody Lostroh (b. 1985), Professional Bull Riders World Champion 2009, Longmont native
 * David Pauley (b.1983), MLB baseball pitcher, graduate of Longmont High School
 * Jack Reynor (b. 1992), Irish actor, born in Longmont
 * Kristen Schaal (b. 1978), comedian and actress, raised in Longmont
 * Dan Simmons (b. 1948), Hugo Award winning author, Longmont resident
 * Kimiko Soldati (b. 1974), diver at the 2004 Olympics, raised in Longmont
 * Fred Stone (b. 1873), stage and film actor, lived in Longmont
 * William Oxley Thompson (b. 1855), fifth President of The Ohio State University, founder of the short-lived Longmont Presbyterian College
 * Ed Werder (b. 1960), Dick McCann Award winning sports reporter, attended Longmont High School

Sister cities
Longmont has established a sister city relationship with:
 * 🇯🇵 Chino, Nagano, Japan
 * 🇲🇽 Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, Mexico
 * Northern Arapaho Tribe, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming

title: Longmont, Colorado


text:
Louisville, Colorado

The City of Louisville is a home rule municipality located in southeastern Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 21,226 at the 2020 United States Census. Louisville began as a mining community in 1877, experienced a period of labor violence early in the 20th century, and transitioned to a suburban residential community when the mines closed in the 1950s.

History
The town of Louisville dates back to the start of the Welch Mine in 1877, the first coal mine in an area of Boulder and Weld counties known as the Northern Coalfield. The town was named for Louis Nawatny, a local landowner who platted his land and named it for himself. Incorporation came several years later in 1882.

The Northern Coalfield proved to be highly productive, and eventually, some 30 different mines operated within the current boundaries of Louisville, though not all at the same time. During the years of peak production (1907–09), 12 mines were in operation in Louisville, including the Acme Mine whose two million tons of coal came from directly beneath the center of town. The presence of many independent mining companies in Louisville saved the town from becoming a "company town", wholly owned and dominated by a single mining company.

Coal from the Northern Coalfield was sub-bituminous (low grade) and could not be transported long distances because of problems with self-combustion. Mining generally took place in the winter months since that was the period that demanded fuel for heating. During the summers, the miners played in local baseball leagues, with the home field named "Miners Field".

A great deal of mythology has arisen around the stories of tunnels that connected saloons throughout the city, but these have proven to be unfounded and undocumented. Instead, during labor conflicts, many citizens found refuge in dirt basements to avoid errant bullets being fired from mine compounds into the city. From 1910 to 1914, the Northern Colorado Coalfields were in the midst of a strike by the United Mine Workers and the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company based on working conditions, pay, and working hours. When miners walked out on the Hecla Mine northeast of Louisville, the company hired the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency to guard the mine compound. A machine gun and spotlight were placed in a tower on the Hecla property, and when miners took out their frustration by shooting their guns at the compound, the detectives responded by returning their fire by randomly firing at the town. The northernmost engagement of the Colorado Coalfield War occurred in Louisville between a small contingent of Colorado National Guard and Baldwin-Felts, led by Captain Hildreth Frost against strikers following the Ludlow Massacre in April 1914.

Eventually, the coal remaining in the Northern Coalfield became increasingly uneconomical to mine, and the last coal mines operating in Louisville closed in the 1950s.

In 2001, the city changed from a statutory city and became a home rule city. The home rule debate came about when Xcel Energy announced plans to replace old power line poles with much larger steel towers. While the city wanted the power lines to be buried, it discovered it lacked the authority to force Xcel to do this or even to create a taxing district to fund such.

Marshall Fire
In late December 2021, the Marshall Fire raged through the parched lands near Boulder, Colorado. Marshall Fire is the most destructive in Colorado's history. The fire impacted City of Louisville, City of Superior and unincorporated Boulder County areas. Within Louisville, 553 homes were destroyed with an additional 45 damaged. Over 21,000 people in Louisville and 13,000 in Superior were ultimately evacuated while the fire was spreading due to unusual 100-mile-per-hour winds. Additionally, one person died and another is missing and presumed dead. The cause of the fire has not been officially announced, pending an investigation. However, an incident report filed by a ranger with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks identified two ignition points for the fire. The first ignition point was a shed that began to burn at approximately 11:30AM MST, December 30, 2021. The second ignition point was upwind from the first, and started around noon of the same day on "western side of the Marshall Mesa trailhead."

Geography
Louisville is located in southeastern Boulder County. U.S. Highway 36 (the Denver-Boulder Turnpike) forms the southwest border of the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.7 km2, of which 20.4 km2 is land and 0.3 km2, or 1.35%, is water.

Economy
Rogue Wave Software, a software development company, and the Space Systems component of Sierra Space, a prime systems integrator for commercial spacecraft, are located in Louisville. Uber has an office in Louisville.

Arts and culture
Louisville's historical downtown includes Steinbaugh Pavilion, which is used for a concert venue during the summer Louisville Street Faire, which runs on Friday nights and features local bands and street vendors and an ice rink in the winter months. 740 Front Street, previously the Old Louisville Inn, claims to be "one of Colorado’s two oldest bars, the oldest ongoing tavern license in the state". There is also a farmers' market that runs on Saturdays from May to October along the 800 block of Front Street, centered around the Steinbaugh Pavilion. The TBS sitcom, The Bill Engvall Show, was set in Louisville. The city has about 32 miles of recreational trails.

Education
There are six public schools, six private schools, and one public library in Louisville. The public secondary schools are Monarch High School, Monarch K-8, and Louisville Middle School. Nearby higher education institutions include University of Colorado at Boulder, Naropa University, and Front Range Community College (in Longmont and Westminster).

title: Louisville, Colorado


text:
Lyons, Colorado

Lyons is a Statutory Town in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,209 at the 2020 United States Census, up from 2,033 at the 2010 United States Census. Lyons is located at the confluence of North St. Vrain Creek and South St. Vrain Creek, 20 mi east of Rocky Mountain National Park. Due to its location at the intersection of State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 36 which lead to Rocky Mountain National Park, it is sometimes referred to as "The Double Gateway to the Rockies".

Geography
Lyons is located in northern Boulder County at 40.22389°N, -105.26889°W (40.223935, -105.269013).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 km2, of which 0.04 sqkm, or 1.30%, is water, consisting of St. Vrain Creek and its branches.

History
In the 17th century, the Ute Nation came to Colorado. The largest tribes that followed were the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Comanche, along with the Pawnee occasionally. The Utes were the last tribe to be forced into Indian reservations after the Colorado Gold Rush. The Utes were the only tribe that extensively explored the mountains and Lyons area. The Plains Indians were attracted to the vast grasslands where it was ideal for hunting bison.

In the 1860s, families came from the eastern United States and settled the foothills with their ranches and farms. The town of Lyons was founded in 1880 by Edward S. Lyon. He purchased 160 acre from H.F. and Isabelle Sawyer, noticing the potential to quarry out the red sandstone outcroppings which offered easy quarrying access in the region. Lyon platted the town in 1881; it was incorporated in 1891. No record survives to account for the added "s" at the end of the town's name.

The first main building to be built was the red sandstone schoolhouse in 1881. The booming population resulted in the town adding a second floor a few years later. It was also used for church and town meetings until 1894 when the Old Stone Church was built. In 1979, it was saved from demolition and converted into the town's history museum by the Lyons Historical Society.

The town has large red sandstone mountains on three sides. Its rock, from the Permian period, about 260 million years ago, is considered the hardest sandstone in the world, and has a unique red or salmon color. While E. S. Lyon established the quarrying business in the town, his business was not a big success, and he left for California. Numerous owners succeeded him and developed various successful quarries over time. Murphy, Brodie, Ohline, Loukonen and Vasquez are among the most noteworthy owners. The Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad laid narrow gauge tracks into Lyons in 1884 to serve the quarries.

In 1910-12 the cement industry killed the sandstone industry, and rock production stopped. The only sandstone construction that went on during this period was the University of Colorado's new unified campus. The sandstone business was revived in the 1930s when the red sandstone started to be used more as a decorative rock than for commercial purposes. Today it is a booming industry, with sandstone shipped worldwide.

On September 12, 2013, the town of Lyons was severely affected by flooding. All access routes to the town were blocked, and sewer and fresh water service was disrupted. The National Guard began evacuating the entire town of Lyons on September 12 at daybreak. While many mountain residents had to be evacuated by Chinook helicopter, the town's residents were able to drive out in their own vehicles, as the main road through town, Highway 36, was not completely washed out.

Historic buildings
The town is active in history preservation. The Lyons Historical Society, formed in 1976, helped preserve the 1881 schoolhouse (now the Lyons Redstone Museum) and the train depot (now municipal offices). It has recorded video interviews of its pioneer families and published four books on the town's history and five books on pioneer family histories. Lyons has a Designated Historic District, with fifteen sandstone structures which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These were all constructed of native stone by master craftsmen between the early 1870s and 1917. They include commercial, residential and public buildings:

 * Griff Evans Homestead (1870) - Now the site of Rocky Grass and Folks Festivals
 * 480 Seward St. (1890) - Chisholm/Truebood Home
 * 413 Seward St. (1890) - Cunningham/Weese Home
 * 409 Seward St. (1890) - Montgomery Home
 * 426 High St. (1884) - Lyons General Store, now Ralston Bros. Antiques
 * NW Corner 4th and High Streets (1894) - Old Stone Congregational Church
 * NE Corner 4th & High Streets (1881) - Lyons School. Now Redstone Museum
 * 427 High St. (1890s) - Dynamite storage building
 * 450 Main St. (1881) - McAllister Saloon/Frank Market, now Main Stage Brewing
 * 415 Main St. (1890) - General Store/Kandy Kitchen, now South Creek Ltd.
 * 401 Main St.(1917) - Turner Stevens Building, now Solhawk
 * 5th & Broadway (1881) - Train Depot, Horse Water Tank (1897)
 * S. St. Vrain (1870) - Bradford Homestead, 330 Bradford Street, privately owned
 * 1/2 Mi. E. on Hwy. 66 (1885) - Sites Milkhouse, now C. Shepard Gallery
 * 3 Mi. E on Hwy. 66 (1917) - Montgomery School, now M. Weston home

Lyons Redstone Museum
The Lyons Redstone Museum started out as the town's school house, built in 1881. Grades one through eight were taught, and graduation certificates were handed out. It was the first major building constructed in town. It stands on a small hill, overlooking the town. It is used as a guidepost for people studying old photographs of Lyons. The original 30 by building was made by expert stonemasons out of the local red sandstone. For the first few years, it was used for church services and town meetings. The population boomed, and in 1895 there was a need to add a second floor. It was more for practical purposes and was not as beautifully designed. When the town built an elementary and high school, the school district decided to raze the building. The Lyons Historical Society fought for three years, and it was rewarded with use of a building to establish their history museum in.

The museum is open June 1 to October 1, seven days a week. It was dedicated in 1979. It is free and open to the public on a donation basis. The first floor has historic displays (including an old bank teller cage, re-created living room and kitchen area, quarry and small farm equipment, musical instruments, dairy equipment, and more). It has arrowhead and electric insulator collections. The first-floor work area contains the town's history archives (mainly newspaper clippings), video interviews and documentaries of its pioneer families, and a small gift and book shop. Books for sale include multiple history books of the area, and hundreds of used books from 1900 to today.

The second floor has some displays (like ice cream parlor booths), but mainly it has dozens of archival black-and-white photographs of early Lyons, from the 1880s to 1940s. Along the walls are all of the Lyons High School graduation photos, beginning in the 1930s. Since the 1881 building did not open as a museum until the 1970s, some of the records are incomplete regarding early town history, but it is extensively covered by the locally produced books and DVD documentaries. It is located at 412 High Street in Lyons.

Art
The free Lyons Studio Tour (formerly Lyons Artique) is held each year, since 2004, for one weekend in May or June, with up to 50 artists showing their work in their home studios or in Lyons shops and galleries. For two years, there was a Sculpture Trail with several dozens pieces made specifically for the Trail. It featured a trail of outdoor sculptures along a pre-determined path. An annual booklet had quotes from the artists, and contained a story that people could follow as they took the Trail.

The Lyons Arts and Humanities Council is a group that is instrumental in helping to promote art in downtown Lyons and its artists' works. There are several pieces of permanent public art, including sculptures made of local sandstone, such as giant eggs, flower containers, a fountain, a small performance stage, and more.

In 2008 and 2009, the town renovated its two main streets to include sandstone sidewalks and features, floral decorations, seating areas and sculptures. It won a Governor's Award for Downtown Excellence in 2010.

As a public community art project, a mural depicting life in Lyons, called "Lyons Past, Present and Future", was placed on the outdoor wall of the Visitor Center in June 2003. A second project, called The Clarifier Project, involves the community painting tiles to decorate the former wastewater treatment building next to St. Vrain Creek.

Music
Major concerts in Lyons are the two annual music festivals held at Planet Bluegrass: the Rockygrass Bluegrass festival, and the Folks Festival folk music festival. It draws people from across the nation because of its nationally known lineup and its general seating in open grassy, treed grounds, at the base of a red sandstone mountain along St. Vrain Creek. In addition to a new stage for the festivals in recent years, they have built the Wildflower covered pavilion which allows for smaller year-round concerts.

The Sounds of Lyons concert series began in 2009, bringing in highly acclaimed classically trained musicians to perform over one weekend in spring. High Street Concerts began in 2001, and concerts take place during the winter months bringing national and local acoustic and Americana acts. In addition, there are sporadic community concerts and dances throughout the year, including weekly summer concerts in Sandstone Park and occasionally at Lyons High School. The Red Rock Ramblers began square dancing in Lyons in 1958 and offer dances every Saturday during the summer.

Recreation
Area recreation includes mountain biking, hiking, camping, fly fishing, climbing and excellent class II-V whitewater kayaking. Lyons is bordered by Hall Ranch Open Space and Heil Valley Ranch Open Space. Hall Ranch provides over 12 mi of multi-use trails and consists of 3206 acre of back country. Heil Valley Ranch consists of 4923 acre of back country. Trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. Picture Rock Trail was opened on September 22, 2008, connecting Heil Valley Ranch trails to Lyons and to Hall Ranch trails. Picture Rock is 5.5 mi and well designed and built by volunteers. The north end of Picture Rock is at Red Gulch Road, then Old St Vrain Road and Highway 7 lead to the Hall Ranch Trailhead or Lyons. The south end of Picture Rock is 4.5 mi from the Heil Ranch Trailhead off Lefthand Canyon.

Services:

The Town of Lyons is served by the Lyons Fire Protection District and the Boulder Sheriff's Department. Lyons is part of the St Vrain Valley School District and is home to Lyons High School and an elementary school.

The town has no hospitals and is serviced by Longmont United Hospital or Boulder Community Hospital which are within a short drive. The Fire Department provides emergency services including EMT duties.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,585 people, 672 households, and 436 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,273.5 PD/sqmi. There were 686 housing units at an average density of 551.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.49% White, 0.38% African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 4.23% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.01% of the population.

There were 672 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,764, and the median income for a family was $58,750. Males had a median income of $45,417 versus $29,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,276. About 6.6% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Lyons, Colorado


text:
Nederland, Colorado

Nederland is a statutory town located near Barker Meadow Reservoir in the foothills of southwest Boulder County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census it had a population of 1,471.

History
Nederland was established in 1874. The town started as a trading post between Ute Indians and European settlers during the 1850s. The town's first economic boom came when minerals such as tungsten, silver, and gold were discovered near Tungsten (east of Nederland), Caribou (northwest of Nederland, 1859), and Eldora (west of Nederland, 1875).

Today Nederland is better known as a gateway to outdoor recreation in the nearby Indian Peaks Wilderness, Rocky Mountain National Park, Roosevelt National Forest, and the recently established James Peak Wilderness. Nederland is located 17 mi west of Boulder, 41 mi south of Estes Park, and 47 mi northwest of Denver at the Junction of SH 119 and SH 72 on the Peak to Peak Highway.

Name origin
In the mid-19th century the first homesteaders gave a variety of names for the area. The town was first called Dayton, then Browns Crossing. In 1871, when the US Postal Service first set up an office, the name was changed to Middle Boulder after the creek that flows through the center of town (and continues eastward to become Boulder Creek).

In 1873 the Caribou Mine, at an elevation of roughly 10000 ft and 6 mi northwest of the town, was sold to the Mining Company Nederland from the Netherlands. The high elevation meant fierce winds and deep winter snow, so the new owners of the mine decided that it was beneficial to bring ore from Caribou down to Middle Boulder for milling. In the Dutch language, Nederland ("Netherlands" in English) means low land, and based on casual usage by the Dutch miners, Middle Boulder came to be known as Nederland. In 1874 the town was incorporated and adopted Nederland as the official name.

Geography
Nederland is located in southwest Boulder County at 39.96194°N, -105.51056°W (39.961986, −105.510604).

The elevation in the center of town is 8234 ft above sea level. Due west from the town is the Indian Peaks Wilderness within Roosevelt National Forest. The Continental Divide passes through the Wilderness 8 mi west of Nederland.

The town of Nederland has a total area of 4.1 km2, of which 3.9 km2 is land and 0.2 km2, or 4.29%, is water, consisting primarily of the west end of Barker Reservoir on Middle Boulder Creek.

Climate
Nederland has an alpine subarctic climate (Dfc) due to its high altitude. Summer days are warm but nights are cool and frost is possible even in mid-summer. Snowfall is possible most of the year.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,445 people, 657 households, and 349 families residing in the town. The population density was 954 PD/sqmi. There were 749 housing units at an average density of 499.3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the town was 95.5% White, 0.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.9% some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 657 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18, 41.7% were headed by married couples living together, and 46.9% were non-families. Of all households, 32.6% were made up of individuals, and 4.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19, and the average family size was 2.77.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% being 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 112.7 males.

For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median income for a household in the town was $69,638, and the median income for a family was $90,329. Male full-time workers had a median income of $60,526 versus $65,052 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,730. About 7.0% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line. The median house or condo value in between 2007 and 2011 was estimated at $329,600.

Annual cultural events
Nederland hosts several major events every year, including the diverse NedFest (Nederland Music & Arts Festival), the historical Miners Day celebration, and the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days festival, all next to Barker Meadow Reservoir.

Frozen Dead Guy Days, which occurs every year in early March, commemorates a substandard attempt by Norwegian immigrant Trygve Bauge to practice cryonics on Bredo Morstoel, his deceased grandfather. In addition to extensive local press, The New York Times covered the festival in 2011 and 2012.

Notable people

 * Kathy Butler, Olympian runner for Great Britain and Canada
 * Timothy Duggan, road bicycle racer
 * Ian MacGregor, road bicycle racer
 * Rob Savoye, primary developer of Gnash software
 * Ann Trombley, Olympic cyclist
 * Carl Wilson, vocalist, founding member of The Beach Boys

Legalization of marijuana
On Tuesday, April 6, 2010, Nederland became the third community in Colorado (after Denver and Breckenridge ) to legalize the sale, purchase, possession, consumption, and transportation, cultivation, manufacturing, dispensing of medical marijuana and its concentrates and related paraphernalia for persons 21 years of age and older.

title: Nederland, Colorado


text:
Niwot, Colorado

Niwot is an unincorporated town, a post office, and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Boulder, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Niwot post office has the ZIP Codes 80503 and 80544 (for post office boxes). At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Niwot CDP was 4,306.

History
Niwot is named for Arapaho Chief Niwot, a tribal leader in the Boulder area during the nineteenth century. The name means "left-handed".

The town of Niwot was first platted in 1875 along either side of the Colorado Central Railroad. Initially, the town's commercial district was to the west of the railroad, while the residential was to the east. By the early 1900s, the bulk of the town shifted to the east side of the track, while the buildings to the west were either relocated or burned down.

This locality is recognized for being the headquarters of footwear company Crocs, Inc. for more than a decade prior to June 2020.

Geography
Niwot is located along State Highway 119, halfway between Boulder and Longmont.

The Niwot CDP has an area of 10.374 km2, including 0.024 km2 of water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census, there were 4,306 people and 1,541 households residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,076.5 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.2% White, 0.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data estimates for 2019, there were 1,541 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples living together, and 28.5% were non-families. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $118,914, and the median income for a family was $179,038. Males had a median income of $81,813 versus $39,279 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $74,961. About 2.9% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Niwot CDP for the 1990 United States Census.

Education
Niwot is served by the St. Vrain Valley School District.

Notable people

 * Brian Dietzen, American actor who has played the supporting role of Jimmy Palmer on NCIS, since 2004. Dietzen attended Niwot High School and was the star of the drama department.
 * Neil Gorsuch, U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
 * Alan Stern, planetary scientist
 * Pete Wernick, five-string banjo player who has been involved in the bluegrass music scene since the 1970s.
 * Elise Cranny, distance runner and American indoor record holder in the 5000m.

Notable facts

 * In 2013, downtown Niwot was used as the set for the Leonardo DiCaprio-produced film Dear Eleanor, which featured actors such as Jessica Alba and Luke Wilson.

title: Niwot, Colorado