Historical Survey Report 1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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INTRODUCTION The origin and development of Louisville, Colorado, provides a classic illustration of a town whose fortune has been closely linked with an abundant natural resource, an efficient means of transporting it, and the necessary demand of nearby markets. Unlike other speculative town ventures in the west which often lacked one or more of these attributes and quickly faded, Louis- ville was shrewdly established upon the promise held out by Colo- rado's growing prosperity in the latter 1870's. It developed as a logical result of the new statue entry into an era of rail- roading and industry, with the corresponding drive to populate and exploit the once distant areas that the rails now bridged. From 1877 to 1955, Louisville was a community whose existence was based on the operation of its surrounding coal mines. Its gains and losses were gauged by the seasonal output of those mines, and the determination of its inhabitants to continually improve their conditions, often with the risk of violent confronta- tion. The heritage of those years can be chronicled through the architectural record which has survived, and the memories of the miners and their descendants who contributed to the distinctive spirit of the town. Other economic forces have combined with Louisville's favor- able location to help it weather the mid-century closing of the last mines. A reputation for fine Italian restaurants has been a local trademark since the 1920's. In addition, post World War II growth and industrial development in the Denver -Boulder area placed Louisville in the center of commuter traffic and provided an influx of new residents. A variety of factors have therefore contributed to give Lou- isville the unique character it has today. Like many towns, it offers visible evidence of its evolution, with an interesting blend of old and new architectural styles. Most importantly, an awareness has developed among many of its residents that Lou- isville's present and future are intricately tied to its past, and that much of that past is worthy of preservation. -1-