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

William Slaughter – Miner, Judge, Statesman, Fruit Farmer

William M. Slaughter Miner, Judge, Statesman, Fruit FarmerWilliam Slaughter – Miner, Judge, Statesman, Fruit Farmer by Meg Dunn | Feb 8, 2021 | Frontier Faces, Loveland, NoCo Notables | 0 commentsWilliam M. Slaughter was born on July 25, 1830 in Pike County, Ohio -- a...

The First Murder in Fort Collins

The First Murder in Fort Collins Al Sherwood's DemiseThe First Murder in Fort Collins by Meg Dunn | Dec 24, 2020 | Fort Collins, Frontier Faces | 0 comments Albert Sherwood had just gotten off work at the Tedmon Hotel where he was a dishwasher. It was Christmas Eve,...

Friday, the Arapaho

Friday an Arapaho leaderby Meg Dunn | Nov. 16, 2020 | Fort Collins, Frontier Faces, Laporte / Bellvue, Native Residents, Weld County, Windsor & Timnath | 0 commentsAn Arapaho boy, given the name Warshinun (meaning Black Spot or Black Coal Ashes), was born sometime...

The Frank Millers of Northern Colorado

You might think you’ve heard about Frank Miller from the 1800s and early 1900s. But… which one? The number of Frank Millers running around Northern Colorado during that time period is… well, quite frankly, it’s rather stunning!

Lilac City, Fort Collins

Fort Collins was once known as Lilac City. Lilacs used to be a prominent feature throughout town and the smell of lilacs permeated the air every spring.

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 & Now: Block 93

Then & Now: Block 93 in Downtown Fort Collins by Meg Dunn | Nov 25, 2019 | Architecture & Neighborhoods, Fort Collins, Then and Now | 0 commentsThe Urban Renewal Movement of the 1950s and 60s led to vast tracts of developed land in cities throughout the...

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...

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