The History of Boulder

The city of Boulder began as a small mining camp on the banks of what became known as Boulder Creek. The first settlers, a party of prospectors led by Thomas Aikins, reached the mouth of Boulder Canyon in the fall of 1858. They called their campsite “Red Rocks” because of the red sandstone cliffs. Friendly contact was made with Chief Niwot and the Arapahoe tribe. The Cheyennes were also indigenous to the area, while other tribes such as the Utes, Kiowas, Comanches and Sioux were occasional visitors.

In January 1859, gold was discovered at Gold Run, an area west of the present Gold Hill community and approximately 12 miles northwest of Boulder. This gave impetus to the Boulder City Town Company, which was organized in 1859 by A.A. Brookfield (the company’s first president) and 60 shareholders.

Boulder was designated as the county seat in 1867. Boulder was so named because of the many unwieldy rocks the settlers had to clear away from the land before they could construct their cabins.

Native American uprisings and the decline of the nearby gold camps resulted in several hard years for the new community. In 1871, however, the prospects of obtaining a railroad and a university brought Boulder City to life, and the town was incorporated under the Territorial Government. Two years later, both the Colorado Central Railroad and the Denver-Boulder Valley Railroad reached the city. Some of the earliest ordinances were aimed at controlling dogs. The founding fathers also began charging saloons $10 to operate, and they began a tree-planting program—evidence of the city’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship.

Photograph of Boulder by Jon Hatch/Camera

 

 

John Marcotte

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