History

OF NIWOT
  • 1851
  • 1870
  • 1873
  • 1875
  • 1876
  • 1902
  • 1907
  • 1907
  • 1907
  • 1910
  • 1911
  • 1914
  • 1916
  • 1921
  • 1945
  • 1946
  • 1968
  • 2003
  • Niwot Area Tribes

    The United States acknowledged the Arapaho and Cheyenne peoples in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 as their traditional territory in the Boulder and St. Vrain valley. Haystack area was the campground for the Arapaho tribe. In addition, Haystack Mountain was a lookout for herds of bison, deer, any travelers or fur traders. It was […]
  • Left Hand United Brethren Church is chartered

    Left Hand United Brethren Church was chartered in 1870. As it stood west of Niwot across the tracks.
  • Colorado Central Railroad

    Colorado Central Railroad laid tracks from Boulder City to Longmont to Cheyenne, WY to connect with the Intercontinental Railroad. Will T. Wilson served as station agent and telegrapher when the Depot opened. Mr. Wilson was usually found seated at the window for buying tickets on the train or sending a telegraph.
  • Niwot was Platted

    Niwot was Platted by Porter T. Hinman and Ambrose S. Murray. Niwot was mapped on a diagonal grid as it straddled both side of the railroad tracks.
  • Colorado became a state

    Colorado joined the union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. It is America’s eighth-largest state in terms of landmass. Located in the Rocky Mountain region of the western United States the state’s abundant and varied natural resources attracted the Indiginous Peoples. First explored by Europeans in the late 1500s. The Spanish explorers referred […]
  • Willowdale School

    The second school building for Niwot students was called Willowdale. It was of brick construction and located at Niwot Road and Franklin Street. This school taught students in grades 1-8 and was overcrowded shortly after it was occupied. The third school in Niwot was dedicated in 1910. It was a brick two-story school.
  • Nelson Hall / Mercantile

    John Nelson was Swedish-born and had been a wagon maker in Niwot before 1900. As automobiles were invented, there was not the same demand for wagons so John entered the construction trade and built many of the early 1900s buildings in Niwot. The tallest building was Nelson Hall which was a mercantile, offices, and the […]
  • Niwot Mercantile

    Niwot Mercantile, 190B Second Avenue, is a unique structure because it is Niwot’s first cement block building. It was a pool hall, ice cream parlor, and in the back room, you could soak in a hot bath for 25 cents. Many guests at the Livingston Hotel would come for a bath because the Hotel did […]
  • Livingston Hotel

    Livingston Hotel, 136 Second Avenue. George Livingston hired Jim Hood to construct the hotel. Guests could conveniently walk from the Niwot Depot to the hotel. Most guests were families or single male laborers.
  • Fire Cart arrives

    Fire Cart arrives from Buffalo, New York to aid in fighting fires. It needed a covered enclosure so the 10ftx14ft shed was built. The Fire Cart is on display at the Firehouse Museum and it was honored as one of “The Top Ten Artifacts In Colorado” in 2017.
  • Post Office

    150 Murray Street, was a two-story wood building constructed on Murray Street. The first floor served as the Post Office and the second floor was housing for the postmaster and family. Julia Stockley was first woman postmaster, serving in this role from 1911-1914.
  • Niwot Baseball

    Local fans contacted the Northern Colorado Baseball League with the intention of the “Niwot Farmers” baseball team playing in league games. Throughout the years, parents and fans have volunteered in various capacities to hand groom a place for teams to play. Often times a local farmer would designate a few acres on which the teams […]
  • Sugar Beet Dump Ramp

    Sugar Beet Dump Ramp along Murray Street. Sugar beets were introduced as a farm product in 1903. After harvesting the beets would be hauled to the railroad tracks, unloaded onto the ground and then when a railroad car was available the beets had to be manually loaded onto the train car. The Sugar Beet Dump […]
  • Blacksmith Shop

    124 Second Avenue. George Atkinson built this blacksmith shop on the site of the former blacksmith business. George was a skilled welder and often had equipment lined up in the street waiting their turn to be repaired. He also created branding irons for customers. The doors from the blacksmith shop, with brands burned into the […]
  • Left Hand Grange No.9

    Left Hand Grange No.9 acquired Nelson Hall . Organized in 1873, when Nelson Hall was available, the Grangers purchased the building. Originally it was a meeting place for farmers in the Niwot area and today it is a meeting place for community meetings, events and it is available for rent by individuals or organizations.
  • Niwot Home & Garden Club

    By 1946 Niwot had two hundred residents and a community garden was designed and created at the corner of Second Avenue and Murray Street near the Niwot Depot. The flower garden surrounded the original 1912 band stand which was a community gathering place and served as a welcoming environment which greeted passengers arriving in Niwot […]
  • Fire Engine #10

    Left Hand Men’s Club forms the Niwot Volunteer Fire Department. Only Mike Holubec and Pete Plantiga, volunteers in the Men’s Club were the only two with fire fighting experience so they provided training for the group. Fundraising to build a fire house for the Engine began and a 99-year lease with the Left Hand Grange […]
  • CB&Q Caboose

    CB&Q Caboose was donated to Niwot by the Boulder County Railroad Historical Society. Volunteers work to restore it for display in Whistle Stop Park. Caboose #14649 was built in 1907. It rolled on the rails for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad. The caboose was retired in the 1950s. A standard caboose was furnished […]

Stories

OF NIWOT
Niwot State Bank

Niwot State Bank

The Niwot State Bank 102 Second Avenue - Built in 1909   The architecture of the Niwot State Bank was typical of early 1900-era banks with the front door set on a diagonal to greet customers from two streets. The bank was constructed at the intersection of Murray...

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The Hotel Livingston

The Hotel Livingston

The Hotel Livingston 136 Second Avenue - Built in 1907 The Hotel Livingston was built by George Livingston and hotel guests could conveniently walk from the Niwot Depot to the hotel. George Livingston hired Jim Hood to constructs the hotel in 1907. Receipts from...

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Niwot Home & Garden Club

Niwot Home & Garden Club

By 1946, Niwot had around two hundred residents and a community garden was designed and created at the corner of Second Avenue and Murray Street by a group of ladies who started the Niwot Home & Garden Club.  The flower garden was around the original Niwot...

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1912 – Community Bands and Bandstands

1912 – Community Bands and Bandstands

The photo above is of the first members of the Niwot Military Band. Small town bands were often called “military” bands because musical equipment consisted of drums and brass instruments. Members were all volunteers who had an instrument and could play music. Band...

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The Fire Cart and Fire House

The Fire Cart and Fire House

The Fire Cart arrived in Niwot in 1910 from Buffalo, New York.  The instructions of care for the Fire Cart stated that it could not be stored outside in the weather.   Town volunteers constructed the building that would shelter the Fire Cart. The Fire Cart was honored...

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The Niwot Depot

The Niwot Depot

The Niwot Depot Built in 1873 The Colorado Central Railroad laid tracks from Boulder City to Niwot to Longmont and north to Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1873. This set of tracks connected with the Intercontinental Railroad which meant there would be more timely delivery of...

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Doctor & Pharmacy/ Newspaper – 198 2nd Ave

Doctor & Pharmacy/ Newspaper – 198 2nd Ave

Niwot's Doctor and Pharmacy Built in 1909, Niwot's first resident doctor set up his practice at the northwest corner of Second Avenue at Franklin Street.  Before Dr. Dasef was a resident doctor and again after he moved from Niwot, patients needed to travel to...

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Post Office Landmark – 165 Second Avenue

Post Office Landmark – 165 Second Avenue

This building was built in 1909 and served as a post office.  It was reported that the one-story building was built by Nimrod Henry for the next post office. Cordia Henry Clifford became postmaster.  A few years later it became a grocery store and remained to serve as...

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Fire House Museum: A Short History

Fire House Museum: A Short History

When Boulder County created the Niwot Historic District in 1993, nine buildings were declared historically significant because of their age, importance in the town’s development, and relatively unaltered appearance. When researching such districts, it is rare to...

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