Elizabeth, Colorado

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Town of Elizabeth, Colorado
Statutory Town
Old Town Elizabeth, Colorado
Old Town Elizabeth, Colorado
Location in Elbert County, Colorado
Location in Elbert County, Colorado
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[1]
Country  United States
State  State of Colorado
County Elbert County[2]
Incorporated October 9, 1890[3]
Government
 • Type Statutory Town[2]
Area
 • Total 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2)
 • Land 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation[4] 6,476 ft (1,974 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 1,434
 • Density 1,593.3/sq mi (651.8/km2)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code[5] 80107
Area code(s) 303
INCITS place code 0823740
GNIS feature ID 0185149
Website Town of Elizabeth

The Town of Elizabeth is a Statutory Town which is the most populous municipality in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,434 at the U.S. Census 2000.

History

According to records of the area the first settler was a man named Peter I. Van Wormer in 1859 on Running Creek, which today runs through Elizabeth. Following him on his journey was pioneer and trapper Justin Marlow. Aside from Marlow, others followed establishing small ranches in the area that was then forested with ponderosa pines in an open glade like growth habit suitable for both ranching and timber operations. The Elbert County History (ISBN 0-88107-128-5 edited by Margee Gabehart) is not clear on when exactly the mill that eventually caused the formation of the town of Elizabeth was set up. It was apparently on the far north end of the land belonging to Thomas Phillips (who settled in the area in 1865) and to the east of the creek to provide water to the steam engine. This first mill was wiped out in a flood and thereafter was reestablished by Alden Bassatt on the west side of the creek near what is today Main Street in Elizabeth. Thereafter it was sold to the Weber brothers of Kansas and became known as the Weber Mill. P.P. Gomer set up another mill operation in 1860 or 1861 to the north of the Weber operation on Leroy Evans' Ranch.

The workers settled near the Weber Mill and a community started to grow with the first three blocks being given by Charles Garland and Thomas Phillips in 1880. The Denver and New Orleans Railroad, which was started by Governor Evans among others, in 1881, arrived in the nascent town by May 1881. With trains eventually going through six times daily the town grew much faster than the other nearby settlements and Thomas Phillips applied for a town plot on June 19 of 1882.

The D&NO went through many changes, becoming the Denver, Texas, and Fort Worth and being purchased by the Colorado and Southern. The Memorial Day flood of 1935 sped up the process of service being discontinued and track pulled out that started in 1913 along some parts of the line. Service to Elizabeth continued until 1936 when the Castlewood Canyon Dam broke destroying the track northwest of Parker, Colorado. The remaining track between Parker and Elizabeth was removed by 1937.

The town revived due to the usual Colorado pattern of artists and freethinkers moving to small towns in the late 1960s through the 1970s. By the 1980s many new residents were arriving as the town became a bedroom community for the Denver metro area with the area around Elizabeth becoming the most populous part of the county. Though few live in the town itself more than half of county residents use an Elizabeth address.

Elizabeth is home to the weekly newspaper, the Meadowlark Herald,[6] which is also the only newspaper wholly owned and published in Elbert County, a dubious distinction since the Elbert County News, The Ranchland News, The West Elbert County Sun, and The Prairie Times, all publish Elbert County news and distribute widely in the county.

Geography

Elizabeth is located at Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (39.359954, -104.600063).[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1900 215 —
1910 194 −9.8%
1920 230 18.6%
1930 266 15.7%
1940 275 3.4%
1950 263 −4.4%
1960 326 24.0%
1970 493 51.2%
1980 789 60.0%
1990 818 3.7%
2000 1,434 75.3%
2010 1,358 −5.3%
Est. 2014 1,395 [8] 2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 1,434 people, 496 households, and 380 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,670.6 people per square mile (643.8/km²). There were 513 housing units at an average density of 597.6 per square mile (230.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.00% White, 0.07% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 3.49% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.00% of the population.

There were 496 households out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,596, and the median income for a family was $51,902. Males had a median income of $38,875 versus $25,066 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,902. About 7.8% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://www.meadowlarkherald.blogspot.com
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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