Early History of Boulder (1871-1979)
After becoming established as a supply town to serve the mining industry, the city newly named Boulder continued to focus on education. Although the petition for a state university was approved in 1861, it wasn't until 1872 that there were lands and funds in place. 44.9 acres were donated by a handful of Boulder citizens, and $30,000 toward construction costs were gathered- half from the state legislature and half the community. Five years later, in 1877, The University of Colorado opened in an area known as "The Hill" with an enrollment total of 44 students (11).
While the community was focusing on completing the university, they also began to evolve as a city. In 1871, a tree-planting program was initiated since Boulder was virtually treeless when first discovered. This was the first effort addressing the environment in the city. In 1873, Boulder received the beginnings of railroad service, and in 1874 the first bank opened for business. Then in 1876, Colorado become the 38th state in the Union, becoming known as the Centennial State.
By 1880, Boulder's "population has passed the 3,000 mark, which was the minimum required by state statues for the incorporation of a city of second class. This step was taken on April 3, 1882, and that month a new town hall was completed in time for the first meeting of the council of the newly formed government" (11). The city continued to expand by implementing electricity in 1887, a new and sophisticated railroad depot in 1890, and allowing women to vote in 1893 (only second to the state of Wyoming).
In 1898, what is believed as one of Boulder's treasures was created, called Chautauqua. This happened when, "a group of Texans chose Boulder in 1897 as a retreat to escape excessively hot Texas summers. They decided on Boulder, and built one of the nations most beautiful vacation spots" (11). At the time, Chautauqua's were highly "respected family retreats, focusing on culture, music, nature, family activities and often religion" (11). Not only was this important for the city of Boulder because it brought tourism, but it sparked parks and open space reservation initiative in the region. For example, only one day after this retreat opened, the city purchased the eastern slope of the Flagstaff Mountain from the federal government for the purpose of preservation.
In the beginning of the 1900s, the University reached an enrollment of 6,000 students and the campus areas called “The Hill” began to enlarge. However, the city overall was not experiencing heavy growth and, “By 1905, the economy was faltering and Boulder counted heavily on tourism to boost its fortunes” (11) but did not have a first-class hotel. The City Council advocated for the building of Hotel Boulderado to attract more tourists, which opened in 1909. It is presently on the National Register of Historic Places. Choosing to focus on the tourism industry proved wise considering that in 1910 there were 3,000 coal miners that went on a strike that lasted five years.
After World War II, the University saw an influx of veterans entering as students of the GI Bill. Up until the 1920s, the city of Boulder had not seen major population gains. In 1920, the census documented about 11,000 residents, and in 1940, counted about 13,000 residents. And “after the first influx of new residents in the late 1940s, the count soared to 20,000 in 1950” and then “from 1950 to 1972, the population grew from 20,000 to 72,000” (11).
Construction of Highway 36 was completed in 1954, which is the major connection between Boulder and Denver. The opening of Highway 36 was a main draw for large companies the begin locating in Boulder, and brought an ample amount of employment. This major roadway led to activism surrounding land conservation and combating residential sprawl.
With this growth and the new highway, business in Boulder in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s really began to thrive. Large companies began to locate in the city, providing jobs to fuel the population gains. In addition to a growing population, Boulder also gained preservation lands, which led to the adoption of the 1970 Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. Soon thereafter, Boulder continued to mange its’ development with “the residential growth management ordinance in 1977, Boulder began a period of infill and re-use of its past architectural development which continues to present” (11).