Skip navigation.

City of Arvada
8101 Ralston Road
P.O. Box 8101
Arvada, CO 80001-8101
Phone: 720-898-7000


Find Us Online

City of Arvada
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Twitter
  • Flickr
  • Youtube
  • Friendfeed
  • LinkedIn
  • Indeed
  • RSS
Arvada Center
  • Facebook
  • MySpace
  • Twitter
  • Flickr
  • Friendfeed
  • Blog
Police Department
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Friendfeed
Economic Development
  • Flickr

Pages with the Tag "History"

The following pages have been tagged with the keyword "History". Tags help categorize pages with related topics.

Arvada History

The story of our community begins with the discovery of gold on June 22, 1850. A wagon train of prospectors, bound for California, crossed the Platte River just north of the confluence with Clear Creek, and followed Clear Creek west for six miles. The members of the wagon train rested for a day, and Lewis Ralston dipped his gold pan in an unnamed mountain stream. He found almost $5 worth of gold in his first pan. The stream was later named Ralston Creek in his honor. Read More ...

Sister Cities Program

Sister Cities International grew out of a program initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the late 1950's for the pur Read More ...

Demographics

Arvada's mild climate, low humidity, and 300 days of sunshine are ideal for a healthy lifestyle... Read More ...

Comprehensive Plan

The Comprehensive Plan is a guide to help the City make decisions and establish its future direction. The plan contains land Read More ...

About Arvada

What & where is Arvada, Colorado? Read More ...

Fallen Officers Memorial Page

During the course of the Arvada Police Department's history, two officers have been killed in the line of duty. Read More ...

Fallen Officers Memorial Page

During the course of the Arvada Police Department's history, two officers have been killed in the line of duty. Read More ...

Fallen Officers Memorial Page

During the course of the Arvada Police Department's history, two officers have been killed in the line of duty. Read More ...

History of the Metropolitan Beltway

History of the Metropolitan Beltway Read More ...

Mechelen, Belgium: Arvada's First Sister City

In November of 1992, Arvada formally established its first sister city relationship with Mechelen, Belgium. Located midway (about 14 miles from each) between the capital city of Brussels and Belgium's largest seaport, Antwerp, Mechelen promises to provide Arvada... Read More ...

Water Conservation

In semi-arid Colorado, water is a precious resource. The historic drought of 2002 reminds everyone to conserve water. Read More ...

Visit Historic Olde Town Arvada

Plan a trip to historic Olde Town Arvada. Enjoy the flavor of an old town experience, including unique shops Read More ...

Know How My School Got Its Name

Sometimes schools were named for the developer of the area or for a person who was influential in education. To read ab Read More ...

Welcome to the New Website

Welcome to the City of Arvada's website. If you're visiting us from a location far away, you've come to the right place to Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Schools

Schooling in the area actually began in 1863, in a log cabin on the John B. Wolff homestead. In 1869, Benjamin F. Wadsworth d Read More ...

Update from Mike Coen in Kazakhstan

The following is a recent letter from Mike and Dottie Coen, who are part of Arvada Sister Cities International and are in Kyz Read More ...

Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan; Arvada's Second Sister City

Arvada's Second Sister City Read More ...

An Overview of Arvada Sister Cities International

  Sister Cities International (SCI) describes sister city relationships as a broad-based, officially approved, long-t Read More ...

History of Naming Arvada Public Schools

Elementary Schools   Allendale, 5900 Oak Street, built in 1986. Developer of the area named it for Willia Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Water

A primary responsibility of any municipality is the provision of water. In Arvada as in most front range communities, water i Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Public Safety

In 1907, the Arvada Town Board approved the purchase of Arvada's first fire engine. The hand-drawn chemical fire engine arri Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Incorporation and the Provision of Municipal Services

On April 22, 1903, leaders of the town met to discuss incorporation. Dr. Richard Russell, who had moved to Arvada in 1902, asked his friend Dr. Henry Buchtel, Chancellor of the University of Denver, to make a speech. The meeting was chaired by the Reverend John F. White, former Methodist minister. After heated discussion, those present voted to support incorporation and an election was held May 27, 1903. Incorporation was defeated. Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Gold

On June 22, 1850, a wagon train bound for California crossed the Platte River just north of the confluence with Clear Creek, following Clear Creek west for six miles. The members of the wagon train rested for a day, and Lewis Ralston dipped his gold pan in an unnamed mountain stream. He found almost $5 in gold in his first pan. Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Development of a Community

In 1859, John Reno helped George Calvin Swadley, William Barranger, and others dig the Ralston Point Mining Ditch (later called the Wadsworth irrigation ditch). By 1860 more than thirty land claims had been filed in the Ralston/Clear Creek valley by men who came for gold but stayed to develop farms and establish a home. Crops that thrived were wheat, corn, oats, plums, celery, cherries, berries, melons, strawberries, and various vegetables. At one time, Arvada was known as the "celery capitol of the world." Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Community and Culture

The town of Arvada was the business and social center of the valley. Everyone came to town on Saturdays. Most stores had a hitching rack to tie up horses while customers shopped, and trees in the middle of Grand View provided welcome shade. There were no paved streets or sidewalks. Planks were laid across the largest puddles in wet weather. Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Infrastructure

In 1926, Marguerite Rodda--a single mother with two young daughters--bought her first car, a Model T. Marguerite's daughters, Billie and Rae Juchem, posed on the vehicle, which Margueite drove to Greeley each day to obtain her teacher's certificate. Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Infrastructure

In 1926, Marguerite Rodda--a single mother with two young daughters--bought her first car, a Model T. Marguerite's daughters, Billie and Rae Juchem, posed on the vehicle, which Margueite drove to Greeley each day to obtain her teacher's certificate. Read More ...

Arvada's Century: Infrastructure

In 1926, Marguerite Rodda--a single mother with two young daughters--bought her first car, a Model T. Marguerite's daughters, Billie and Rae Juchem, posed on the vehicle, which Margueite drove to Greeley each day to obtain her teacher's certificate. Read More ...