Many Boulderites know Nederland best as the quirky little mountain town they drive through on their way to a day of skiing at Eldora. About sixteen miles west of Boulder on Boulder Canyon Drive, Nederland and its history are a series of contradictions that make it extremely unique.
From drastic population booms and declines to being historically defined by industries as stalwart as steel and as vibrant and eclectic as music, Nederland is a place that, for all its on-the-surface remoteness, is very interconnected to Boulder’s history. Whether you frequent Nederland on the regular or only pass through on your way to a day of skiing or Nordic at Eldora or the Indian Peaks wilderness area, the start of the winter season is a perfect time to get acquainted with this colorful mountain town.
Nestled in a valley created by glaciers thousands of years ago, Nederland was historically an attractive place to settle, with its bountiful water and wildlife. From Native Americans using the land to hunters and trappers looking for beaver pelts in the early 1800s to the first homesteaders who made their way there in the mid-1800s, Nederland was a bountiful and desirable place to be.
Nederland’s most consistent industry throughout its history has been mining. In 1871, the Caribou silver mine was brought to Nederland just as Canyon Drive, connecting the town to Boulder, was completed. The Caribou Mine was then sold to the Mining Company Nederland from Holland in 1873. In the decades that followed, Nederland would experience a shift from silver mining to the mining of tungsten (used to manufacture steel), a town population that ebbed and flowed drastically in direct response to the success of the mining business, and spikes and falls in tourism, highs, and lows that would bring it from the brink of dwindling to a ghost town to being heavily populated and back again many times.
Nederland has also been a town of many names throughout its existence. Having been called Dayton, Brownsville, and even Middle Boulder at one point, when the town was officially incorporated in 1874, residents settled on Nederland as a reference to “the Netherlands,” meaning “lowlands.” While this might seem ironic, with Nederland’s elevation reaching over 8,000 feet, this was a relative “low land” to the miners who dominated the town’s population, who were frequently at the mines in nearby Caribou, which reached 10,000 feet in elevation.
Perhaps, the most unique thing Nederland is known for today is their Frozen Dead Guy Days festival held annually, which often garners national and international attention. Marking the end of winter, the festival commemorates Bredo Morstol, a Norwegian man who was cryogenically frozen (yes, Austin Powers-style) upon his death in 1989, and still “resides” frozen in a Tuff Shed in the hills near Nederland. The festival is a wacky collection of frozen frivolity and features coffin races, frozen tee shirt contests, polar plunging activities, and bountiful live music. Next year’s festival is from March 10th – 12th so, if you’re feeling adventurous and are ready to get your weird on, head up to Nederland for some frozen fun.
In the small mountain town of Nederland, the Carousel of Happiness, one of the last carousels in the country with hand-carved wooden animals, sits in the Caribou Village Shopping Center, off Colorado Highway 119.
The ride features 56 different animals (35 of which can be ridden) and is in an indoor building that protects the ride from the weather. A blend of entertainment and art, the community is so proud of this feature that locals invested nearly $700,000 to keep the ride operating and adequately housed.
On May 6, 1859, during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, John H. Gregory found a gold-bearing vein (the Gregory Lode) in Gregory Gulch between Black Hawk and Central City. Within two months many other veins were discovered, including the Bates, Gunnell, Kansas, and Burroughs. By 1860, as many as 10,000 prospectors had flocked to the town, then known as Mountain City, and surrounding prospects, but most soon left, many returning east. The 1900 census showed 3,114 people.
The year 1863 brought the first attempt by hard rock miners to form a hard rock miners' union. Of 125 miners signing a union resolution in Central City, about fifty broke windows and doors at the Bob Tail mine, forcing other workers out. After a night of shooting and fighting, the union effort among Central City miners failed.
Many Chinese immigrants lived in Central City during the early days working the placer deposits of Gregory Gulch. They were forbidden to work in the underground mines. Most of them are believed to have returned to China after making their stake.
The frontier gambler Poker Alice lived for a time in Central City and several other Colorado mining communities.
Gold mining in the Central City district decreased rapidly between 1900 and 1920, as the veins were exhausted. Mining revived in the early 1930s in response to the increase in the price of gold from $20 to $35 per ounce, but then virtually shut down during World War II when gold mining was declared nonessential to the war effort. The district was enlivened in the 1950s by efforts to locate uranium deposits, but these proved unsuccessful.
The population of Central City and its sister city Black Hawk fell to a few hundred by the 1950s. Casino gambling was introduced in both towns in the early 1990s but had more success in Black Hawk (which has 18 casinos) than in Central City (which has 6 casinos), partly because the main road to Central City passed through Black Hawk, tempting gamblers to stop in Black Hawk instead. In an effort to compete, Central City completed a four-lane, 8.4-mile (13.5 km) parkway from Interstate 70 to Central City, without going through Black Hawk. The highway was completed in 2004, but Black Hawk, which prior to the introduction of gambling was much smaller than Central City, continues to generate more than seven times the gambling revenue that Central City does. To compete, Central City has recently eliminated height restrictions for building on undeveloped land. Buildings were previously limited to heights of 53 feet (16 m), so as not to overshadow the town's historic buildings.
Arriving Red Rocks!
Gateway to the West!
Golden, Colorado is today rich with culture, outdoor activities, scenic beauty, thriving businesses, and friendly people, but the city’s origins are largely thanks to another valuable resource – gold. A small amount of gold discovered in Clear Creek attracted the area’s earliest settlers in the mid-19th century and Golden City quickly become an important supply stop for gold miners seeking their fortunes in the adjacent mountains. Farmers soon discovered the rich soil in the valley that is now home to the Coors complex, and Golden City further swelled as coal mining and clay extraction industries settled in the area, utilizing the region’s ample natural resources.
Golden City became the capital of the federally recognized Colorado Territory in 1862, and the territorial legislature met from 1862 to 1867 in the building that is now home to the Old Capital Grill restaurant. By the end of the 1860s, Golden City had been elected the seat of Jefferson County and the capital of the provisional Jefferson Territory. Locals were outraged when neighboring Denver snagged the honor of becoming capital of the newly formed state in 1876, but the loss of name distinction did nothing to dampen Golden’s vital growth – business was booming.
A Center of Industry and Science
Golden came to be known as the “Lowell of the West” for its vigorous industrial growth. In the 1870s, Golden boasted five smelters running at once, four flour mills, and the Colorado Central Railroad was built, becoming the first railway to access the mountains to the west. Golden Paper Mill opened in 1867 producing paper from discarded rags and straw and held the distinction of being the only paper mill west of Missouri. Coal mining continued to be an important industry in the region through the 1930s, and clay quarries fueled the production of pottery, porcelain, bricks, and tile in the region. Golden’s brick-making industry thrived for a century, exporting products as far as China. In 1873, Adolph Coors opened a brewery in an old tannery building, taking advantage of the mountain spring waters of Clear Creek. Today the Coors plant in Golden is the largest single brewery facility in the world and remains a vital part of Golden’s business landscape. From beer to confections, Golden also holds the distinction of being home to Jolly Rancher candies, which were first created in 1949 by Bill and Dorothy Harmsen who owned a chocolate and ice cream shop at 1113 Washington Avenue in downtown Golden.
While industry was booming in Golden, the city was also becoming an important center of intellectual development. Golden became home to three institutions of higher learning in the 1870s. Of the three original schools, Jarvis Hall, Matthews Hall, and Colorado School of Mines, only the latter survived, and today operates as an important public teaching and research institution in Golden. Specializing in engineering and applied science, Colorado School of Mines (CSM) was ranked 29th in the nation among national public universities and top in terms of salary potential for graduates. CSM serves as the home base of the National Earthquake Information Center, which is part of the United State Geological Survey, and tracks seismic data around the globe. While not directly affiliated with CSM, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is also located in Golden and contributes to the city’s renown in the applied sciences. Founded in 1974 by the Carter administration under a different name, the NREL now serves as the country’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.
Golden in the 20th Century
The 1920s brought downtown revitalization projects to Golden with streetscaping, an ornamental lighting project, urban renewal to the north and east, and new senior high and grade school buildings. The years following World War II saw a major boom in Golden, which almost tripled in geographic size in 1959 with the annexation of large properties to the south. New subdivisions went up, public infrastructure was modernized, including new public buildings, and the downtown corridor proliferated with grocery stores, department stores, and churches.
Golden continued to thrive until the 1980s, when it fell on hard times due to a decline in the price of petroleum and the almost simultaneous failure of several downtown anchors. The Golden Urban Renewal Authority was created at that time and tasked with stimulating business and undertaking new downtown revitalization initiatives. The 1990s saw the benefits of those new initiatives, and Golden again began to thrive.
Golden Today and Tomorrow!
Golden continues to grow and prosper into the 21st century. In 2009, the City of Golden was awarded a $100,000 Heart & Soul Community Planning grant through the Orton Family Foundation. The Golden Vision 2030 project and document was developed with extensive community input in response to the grant as a roadmap forward in guiding Golden’s growth. Through the Golden Vision 2030 project, key community values were identified, including all the things that make the city such a special place to live and visit. Golden is a unique community featuring easy access to Denver to the east, and the mountains to the west, while maintaining its own identity as a close-knit community with historic roots.
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