Category: Reprints

THOMAS J. MILLER, who was the first mayor of the now thriving little city of Lafayette, Boulder County, is a native of this county, and from his earliest recollections has been earnestly interested in its upbuilding and development. He occupied the office of mayor for two successive terms, giving general satisfaction to the citizens, and later he served in the capacity of justice of the peace for four years.

He is identified with Lignite Lodge No. 64, Knights of Pythias, and is past chancellor of the lodge. In his political proclivities he is a Democrat, strongly in favor of free silver.

Continue reading “Reprints: 1898 – Biographical sketch of Thomas Miller, Lafayette’s first mayor”

LAFAYETTE MILLER, in whose honor the village of Lafayette, Boulder County, was named, and who, from 1863 until his death, was a resident of this section, was born in Toulon, Stark County, Ill., March 18, 1840, the son of John and Mary A. (Able) Miller. He was one of eleven children, six of whom are still living. His father, who was a native of Rockaway County, N. J., born October 8, 1800, acquired in youth an accurate knowledge of both law and medicine, and engaged in professional practice in Cincinnati, Ohio, for some years. In 1836 he removed to Stark County, Ill., and from there, in 1852, went to Iowa, settling near Independence, Buchanan County. His death occurred in Johnson County, that state, May 13, 1884.

On the organization of Stark County, Ill., John Miller donated fifty acres of his farm as a site for a town, and upon that land the village of Toulon was built. For eight successive years he held office as judge of the county or the probate court. He also served as magistrate for the organization of the county until his removal to Iowa. The latter part of his life was devoted to farming and stock-raising.

Continue reading “Reprints: 1898 – Biographical sketch of Lafayette Miller”

That the Northern Colorado Power Company is a certainty, there can be no question of, as they have paid $750,000 in acquiring of plants, franchises and other property. The central station, from the present attitude of the Company, is to be located east of Lafayette in the vicinity of the Blue Ribbon Mine. The only thing that will prevent the location is the failure to find coal on the Elder property, which however, there can be no doubt about, if the opinion of the coal experts is correct.

Should the Elder property and the Blue Ribbon properties not be used for this undertaking, in all probability the location will be on what is known as the Hultz farm. The plant or central station alone was originally figured to cost $486,150, but owing to the fact that the power will be used in addition to its original calculations for power purposes in operating railroads, both passenger and freight, will probably increase the cost another $150,000.

Continue reading “Reprints: $1,150,000 Contract Let for Installing Plant in Lafayette”

On April 13, 1957, the Boy Scouts of Lafayette presented a pantomime “Lafayette in Retrospect” at the Boy Scout Circus at the Colorado University Fieldhouse in Boulder.

Because of the significant historical importance to those who are familiar with the background of Lafayette, and to those of us who are interested to know about it, space is being given to record in full, the text of “Lafayette in Retrospect” as it was produced in Pantomime by the Boy Scouts in keeping with the Scout-orama “History of Colorado” theme for this year.

Continue reading “Reprints: 1957 – Lafayette in Retrospect”

Dr. Maynard Peck, in his thesis, “Some Economic Aspects of the Coal Industry in Boulder County,” writes:

Boulder County embraces within its boundary lines an area of 786 square miles in the form of a parallelogram about 32 by 24 miles extent. The western two-thirds consists chiefly of mountains, which run chain-like ridges westerly direction towards the Continental Divide, and tower up to an altitude of 13,000 feet and more. In these mountains are found a number of metals which have added much to the wealth and fame of Boulder County.

Continue reading “Reprints: 1947 – Coal was mined in Boulder County as early as 1860”