Boulder County history

The Indians slunk away; but in 1862, a band of Cheyennes returned and made a laid on the St Vrain settlement, for thieving purposes, running off a herd of horses.

Notwithstanding their severe chastisements, the Indians immediately blockaded the Platte River wagon road again, and the urgency for re-opening it became so pressing, that, in January 1865, the Commander of this Military District, Col.

Their mineral discoveries that season created a mining excitement, which culminated the next year, 1866, when there were 600 people there.

3, 1867, at the town of Columbia, in the Ward mining district, with A. J. Van Deren as its first Master, and with fourteen charter members.

Until this time, the Methodists had held their meetings in the old schoolhouse, but in 1869 they began to occupy the Congregational Church every second Sunday; but toward the close of the year, occupied the court house, with the Rev.

The history of the institution was given by Judge Leonard as follows: “On the 29th day of January, 1870, the first meeting of the Board of Trustees was held at Boulder, and the University Board organized under the law.

In April, 1871, A. D. Breed began the construction there of the great silver-mill foundation, 140x120 feet, termed a chlorination mill.

In 1872, an immigration society was organized, with J. P. Maxwell, President, and D. H. Nichols, Secretary; but the best acquisitions were people from within the State, selecting Boulder for its climatic, educational and business advantages.

The revival occurred in 1873, when the Forest was found to contain tellurium ore, and among the first to come in were F. C. Messenger, William E. McKnight and Van R. Elliot.

Charles O. and W. A. Buckingham, brothers, began banking in this town on the 20th of April, 1874, employing a capital of about $30,000.

About the 1st of May, 1875, a newspaper, the Sunshine Courier, was established by J. B. Bruner and J. W. Cairns.

The Church of the Sacred Heart was built in this town in the fall of 1876, and services were first held the 25th of December of that year.

The Longmont Post made its appearance in May 1877, published by the Longmont Printing Company, with W. L. Condit as editor.

The town was re-incorporated, with enlarged boundaries and more efficient government, in February, 1878, with Mayor and Aldermen.

The mine was sold to Jay Gould, in October, 1879, with 160 horsepower engines and boilers, all equipped, and with about three miles of levels run in the mine, and iron T-rails laid, and thoroughly equipped in every respect.

Although there were 19 saloons in 1883, a majority of the citizenry opposed such establishments, with many forming organizations to discourage liquor use.

In 1898, one of Boulder's crowning jewels, Chautauqua, was created.

By 1905, Boulder City Council members wanted to promote growth in the area by providing the “comfort of a first-class hotel.” The result was the Hotel Boulderado, named by combining the words “Boulder” and “Colorado” — so that no guest would forget where he had stayed.