Northern Colorado is rich with history that extends back over more than ten thousand years. With people coming and going — from the earliest nomadic people to those with a “Not a native… but I got here as fast as I could!” bumper sticker — the region continues to host an ever changing assortment of people. So while no one people group can lay claim to all of northern Colorado’s history, everyone who lives here is connected to some part of it. And of course, we can all learn from and enjoy the history of all of those who have lived here before us.

Recent Articles

Then & Now – Veterans Memorials

The first Larimer County Veterans Memorial was constructed in May 1944. It was located in center island at 100 block of Laporte Avenue, next to North College Avenue.

Bud Frick – Friend of Preservation 2018

Q: Why did the scarecrow win an award?
A: Because he was outstanding in his field.
Bud Frick isn’t a scarecrow, but he is certainly outstanding in his field. As an architect, he has played a significant role in the shaping of Fort Collins today.

Doug Ernest – Friend of Preservation 2018

Doug Ernest has the mind of a librarian and the heart of a historian. He is a careful researcher — methodical, consistent, and thorough. He enjoys sinking deeply into the details and stories of history, collecting the data points and putting them together into a bigger picture that fits wider themes and patterns.

Save Our Silos – Friends of Preservation 2018

Knowing who we are and where we came from is an important way to help people find commonalities that enable us to then move forward together. It gives us a common history that builds connection and understanding.

Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority – Friends of Preservation 2018

By removing the ginormous evergreen tree, the building in the middle of the square (bike library), and the tall strip of seating and planters, the DDA has opened up this public space – making it even more inviting than it was before.

Articles by Region

(Some areas have one or two skimpy articles. Others have many, many articles. By laying the various parts of northern Colorado out like this, it’ll help me to make sure I’m hitting history in all parts of this region. If you there’s something you’d to learn more about, or that you already know a lot about, let me know and perhaps it could become an article on the site.)

Red Feather, Livermore & Virginia Dale

Red Mountain and Soapstone Natural Areas

Wellington, Waverly & Buckeye

Nunn & the High Plains

Mountains, Canyons & Parks

Laporte & Bellvue

Fort Collins

Windsor & Timnath

Masonville & the Buckhorn Valley

Estes Park

Loveland

Greeley

Mining & Quarry Towns

Berthoud, Johnstown & Milliken

Denver and the Suburbs

Colorado & the U.S.A.

Then & Then & Now: 331 S. Meldrum

Fort Collins is an ever evolving city. In the middle of the twentieth century, as Fort Collins experienced a tremendous growth spurt, downtown expanded into what had previously been residential areas. The following example of just such an expansion was shared...

A New City Hall

After World War II, Fort Collins experienced a population boom. Suburban style developments started popping up on the fringes of town... along West Mulberry, around Stover and Elizabeth, and some were even as far aways as Prospect Road. Colorado A&M was growing so...

Hearsay & Happenstance: The second oldest remaining house in Fort Collins

The oldest remaining house in Fort Collins is Auntie Stone's cabin. Even by the early 1900s its significance in the history of the city was recognized. It was called the Pioneer Cabin and used as a meeting place by the Association of Pioneer Women (an organization...

Then & Now: the Northwest Corner of College & Mulberry

If you've driven through the intersection of College and Mulberry lately, you may have noticed that the parking lot in front of the old Sports Authority building has been fenced in. The new owners are getting ready to do some work on the lot in order to prepare the...

The Ever Evolving Nature of Downtown

Close to a year ago I wrote about the changing nature of College Avenue. But that covered an area several miles long, so while some projects were close to each other, the sum of them was spread out over a fairly large area. Not so with the changes in Old Town. There...

Then & Now: 430 N. Loomis

In 1915, a photographer by the name of Lewis Wickes Hine passed through Fort Collins and took several photographs during his stay. He was primarily documenting stories of child labor. (His photographs proved to be instrumental in getting child labor laws changed in...

Linden Street… Before the Square Was There

Summer is almost upon us and one of the things I look forward to most is heading downtown to enjoy the music, art, sculptures, and other entertainment on display in and around Old Town Square. And with the renovations complete and a whole new stage and seating area, I...

Snapshots of Fort Collins

Every morning I walk my dogs. Though I have often taken my camera with me and snapped photos of things that I've seen along the way, in August of 2013 I started to post these morning walk photos on Instagram. In looking back at these snapshots recently, I've realized...

Then & Now: the Oval in 1935

The Oval has been an iconic part of our community since its creation in 1909. The expansive grassy area with the long promenade of trees that point directly to the Administration Building add both a peace and a grandeur to the University. Now take a look at...

Then & Now: the land where the CSU stadium will stand

I hadn't planned on doing a Then & Now post today, but Hap Hazard just keeps sending great shots my way. So today we're going to take a look at the area where the stadium is being built. Imagine yourself flying over the west end of campus looking towards the east. The...

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