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Guidebook Loveland
Location/Region:
Northern Colorado Front Range Region
Geographical Description: Loveland is nestled in a lush
valley at the entrance to the Big Thompson Canyon and is known
as the “Gateway to the Rockies.” As Highway 34 makes its way
from I-25 westward through Loveland, a treat greets travelers as
they enter the Big Thompson Canyon. The ‘Narrows,” at the mouth
of the canyon, feature a winding, steep, gorge created by the
river’s erosion. The rock formations, that over time have been
tip- tilted nearly 90 degrees by the movement
of the earth, add to the scenic drive between Loveland and Estes
Park. The Big Thompson River weaves its way through this
breathtaking canyon. The area is also home to Rocky Mountain Big
Horn Sheep.
Dotted in and around the city and surrounding areas
are an abundance of scenic lakes, parks, trails and recreational areas.
Loveland’s lakes, rivers and streams provide for swimming, water skiing,
rafting, boating, fishing and other water sports. Loveland’s mountains
provide ample opportunities for camping, hiking, hunting, and horseback
riding.
Loveland boasts of 27 public parks that cover more
than 700 acres of developed and undeveloped land. Three public golf
courses offer scenic vistas, beautifully maintained greens and plenty of
hills and interesting water hazards.
There are 13 and a half miles of paved trail beginning
at Boyd Lake State Park winding through Loveland on a picturesque trail
ending at the Big Thompson River along Wilson Avenue. The trail is used
for biking, walking, running, skating, and rollerblading. Funded by
Loveland’s share of proceeds from the Colorado State Lottery, the trail
provides protection of natural resources, education and improves quality
of life and health. When completed, the project will provide 20 miles of
off-street trails.
Loveland is fortunate to have the Larimer County Parks
& Open Space right in our backyard. Protected and cared for by staff and
more than 2,000 volunteers, Loveland’s county park space includes the
Devil’s Backbone, Carter Lake, Pinewood Reservoir, Flatiron Reservoir,
and Ramsay-Shockey Open Space. Devil’s Backbone is a geological landmark
on the western edge of Loveland just off Highway 34 offering a 3.5-mile
loop trail for hiking and running. Featuring towering rock formations,
it is an ideal location to view wildlife. An interpretive brochure that
corresponds with numbered stops along the trail educates visitors about
the native flora, abundant fauna, impressive geology, and rich and
colorful history.
Climate: An average of more than 300 days of
sunshine per year. Temperatures range from an average of 28 in January
to 71 in July with high temperature averages ranging from 43 in January
to 87 in July. Low temperature averages are 13.7 in January and 54.7 in
July. March is usually the heaviest snowfall month with an average of
11.5 inches, while June, July & August see virtually no precipitation.
Population: 56,000
Area History:
History of Loveland By Kenneth Jessen
Settlers in the Big Thompson Valley were scattered on
small farms along the banks of the river. To the west of the present-day
city of Loveland was a community started in 1858 by Spanish-speaking
Mariano Medina. Medina ran a trading post and operated a toll bridge
over the Big Thompson River. In 1862, it became a stage stop on the
Overland, and in 1868, a post office was established under the name
Namaqua.
Another settlement near Loveland was located about a
mile to the southeast. It took the brand name of the flour produced by a
mill constructed in 1867 by Andrew Douty and was called St. Louis.
When David Barnes and his wife, Sarah, lived in the
boomtown of Golden, they became friends with the incomparable William
Austin Hamilton Loveland. Loveland was a merchant, one of Golden’s
founders, a member of the Territorial Legislature and President of the
Colorado Central Railroad. Loveland invited David and Sarah Barnes for
the first trip over the Colorado Central between Golden and Denver.
In 1873, Barnes and his family moved to a 320-acre
farm north of the Big Thompson River and began raising wheat. In 1877,
Barnes was delighted to hear that Loveland had secured the money to
extend the Colorado Central from its terminus Longmont to Cheyenne. The
survey for the railroad went through their wheat field.
Barnes reacted immediately to the news by platting a
new town on an 80-acre site. Some suggested that it be called
“Barnesville,” but Barnes picked the name “Loveland.” Barnes also
donated the land for the railroad’s right-of-way.
After he harvested his wheat in November, Barnes laid
out Loveland’s streets. The Fort Collins Courier boldly announced,
“Loveland has risen from a bare field of stubble in 77.” The Boulder
County News wrote,” Loveland – Prospects of New Town – Wonderful Wheat
Land – Light Taxes.”
In October, a couple of Colorado’s pioneer merchants,
Lewis Hertizinger and S. B. Harter, took a gamble on the new town and
purchased lots 22, 23 and 24 in Block 14 from David Barnes for $350.
Hertizinger and Harter immediately began work on a substantial two-story
brick building, the first such structure in Loveland. On the ground
floor, they opened a mercantile business in January 1878. They sold dry
goods including hardware, clothing, furniture, stoves and some
groceries. Built at a cost of $4,500, the two merchants grossed $29,000
during their first year of operation. The second story of the
Hertizinger and Harter building was purchased for $1,000 by the Grangers
for use as their Grange hall. This old store is still standing on the
northwest corner of Cleveland Avenue and Fourth Street.
When Loveland was founded, residents of nearby St.
Louis realized that their town could not survive without rail service.
Shipments of farm products were hardly practical over the area’s
primitive wagon roads passable only in good weather. Many St. Louis
merchants moved their businesses to Loveland.
The Colorado Central erected an 80-foot by 30-foot
brick depot, completed in December 1877. It was located on the west side
of the tracks close to Fourth Street. Unfortunately, trains stopped at
the depot blocked traffic. The depot, built at a cost of $2,000, had a
ticket office, passenger waiting and freight room. This structure was
replaced in 1902 by the present-day depot, and the bricks from the old
depot were used for the sidewalk.
Loveland’s success was in part due to the construction
of the Colorado Central linking Denver and Cheyenne. The town had an
ample supply of good water from the Big Thompson River. Lots could be
purchased for $3 to $7 payable in installments over a 5-year period. As
proven by David Barnes, the area was ideal for growing wheat. Barnes dug
an irrigation ditch further increasing the area’s agricultural
potential.
In a little over a year after its founding, Loveland
had a population of 250. A second mercantile business, owned by G. W.
Krouskop, opened its doors along Fourth Street. Krouskop was one of the
former St. Louis merchants who elected not only to move his business but
his entire store to Loveland. Dr. Taylor also moved his small frame
office to Fourth Street. On the northwest corner of Railroad Avenue and
Fourth Street, Mrs. Hopkins operated a small hotel and boarding house
with 16 rooms. Other merchants included a drugstore, shoe store,
barbershop, watchmaker, meat market and billiard hall.
Visitors were impressed by the two small churches in
early Loveland. As written by a reporter for the Fort Collins Courier,
“As one enters this lovely little village, the first thing that attracts
his attention is the beautiful Presbyterian Church.” This church once
stood on the southwest corner of Fourth and Lincoln and was of Gothic
style constructed of brick. It had stained-class windows, and suspended
from the center of the sanctuary’s ceiling was a chandelier. On the next
block at Third Street and Lincoln Avenue was Loveland’s second church
belonging to the United Brethren.
Loveland grew at a steady rate, and by 1885, its
population reached 900. By this time, it had a weekly newspaper, the
Reporter.
For a more extensive look into Loveland’s history,
visit the Loveland Museum/Gallery at Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue.
Within the museum, historic rooms and shops have been recreated
including Mariano Medina’s cabin. In addition, the museum has an
excellent display of the Great Western Sugar Company.
Cultural info:
U.S. art magazine placed Loveland among the top eight
“Great Art Destinations” in the United States. They wrote, “Loveland is
home to some of the best bronze foundries and bronze sculpture artisans
in the country. They are regularly entrusted with monumental bronze
sculptures for museums and exhibitions in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and
Seattle, yet a good portion of their work also decorates Loveland’s
public parks and thoroughfares.” The article recommends are enthusiasts
see some of Loveland’s 200+ pieces of public sculpture, and make an
appointment for a tour of a local foundry.
Loveland was ranked eight in The 100 Best Small Art
Towns in America. Author John Villani wrote, “What the arts have done in
Loveland is nothing short of astounding and, in fact, provided the spark
of inspiration that led me to write this book. >From one end of Loveland
to the other, the town is a celebration of bronze sculpture, with
massive pieces permanently installed along the town’s main
thoroughfares, in public parks, outside schools and municipal offices,
and inside (albeit in small formats) practically every commercial
venture in town.”
Cultural arts are also vast in Loveland with community
choral, theatrical and musical groups, free concerts throughout the
summer at three different locations, and in the heart of downtown, the
award-winning Loveland Museum/Gallery, home of the past and the present.
The Historic Rialto Theater, completely renovated to its original 1920
décor, is a centerpiece in downtown Loveland. From silent films to
traveling vaudeville shows in the ‘20s, today the Rialto Theater is a
community performing arts center featuring live concerts, events,
productions, and movies. It was added to the National Register of
Historic Places in 1988.
Current info about your area: The American Association
of Retired Persons’ magazine (issue May/June 2003) described Loveland as
number 1 of “The 15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life.” Their research
team found Loveland as ideal for its broad options. They wrote, “AARP
also found Loveland’s Outdoor Urban Paradise – Lake Loveland, Benson
Sculpture Park, golf courses, athletic fields and bike paths – an
attractive quality of the town.”
Loveland is growing by leaps and bounds as new
businesses and families relocate to the area. Some examples of the
growth occurring in the area include Poudre Valley Health System’s is
constructing a Trauma 2 level hospital; a new airline company is now
making regular flights from the local airport to Las Vegas; a new
fairgrounds and events center has brought renown entertainers and
regional sports to the area. Even with today’s and tomorrow’s growth,
Loveland maintains its small town feeling and sense of community, where
families raise their children and seniors come to retire with an active
lifestyle – where community means giving back, sharing and coming
together.
What to see and do (may include annual festivals but
no dated material please): The Loveland Chamber of Commerce sponsors the
annual Corn Roast Festival in Historic Downtown Loveland in late August.
The event features bands, food and commercial vendors, a large parade,
corn shucking contest, corn eating contest, and, of course, more than
10,000 ears of fresh, hot Colorado-grown corn. Started in 1894 to
celebrate the harvest and advertise local agricultural resources, the
event is still a local highlight and attended by more than 30,000
attendees.
Majestically staged against the backdrop of the Rocky
Mountains, sculptors from around the world gather at Loveland's Benson
Sculpture Garden to showcase their work. The second weekend of August,
Benson Sculpture Garden is transformed by the Loveland High Plains Arts
Council and their volunteers from a park into a setting for the largest
outdoor juried exhibition of sculpture in the United States, this year
celebrating its twentieth anniversary. Entrance fee is $5, children 14
and under are free. Visit their website at:
www.sculptureinthepark.org
Just across the street at the same time (2nd weekend
in August) the Sculpture Invitational Show is hosted by the Loveland
Sculpture Group. It is a non-juried show. Held Friday through Sunday for
an entrance fee of $5, the show has close to 300 entries:
www.lovelandsculpturegroup.org
Art in the Park runs simultaneously with the two
sculpture shows and features quality arts and crafts. This show and sale
has grown throughout its 40+ years to include works by artisans
throughout the Central and Western United States. For more information
visit: www.lincolngallery.com
Tips on visiting:
Be sure to stop at the Loveland Visitors Center when
coming in to Loveland for maps, visitors guides, events listings,
itineraries, free coffee or tea, and a warm welcome.
Area Trivia and Interesting or Little Known Facts:
What began in 1946 as a stamp club project has grown
to be the largest re-mailing program in the United States, and put
Loveland on the map as the “Sweetheart City.” With a name like Loveland,
what better fit than to re-mail valentine cards to people around the
globe, bearing a cachet with a four-line special message of love and
unique cancellation postmark.
From 40 cards in 1947, to an average of 300,000
valentines today, cards come from all 50 states and 120 countries. From
February 1st through the 14th more than 50 senior volunteers lovingly
hand-stamp a special cachet with message of love from Loveland on each
valentine card received. The seniors and local post office staff process
the cards at the Chamber.
Loveland's Official Valentine Card Not only do we tenderly handle others’
valentine cards, but we also produce our own Official Loveland Valentine
Card each year. We invite our talented residents to submit a design for
the cover of the card, and a verse that is printed inside the card. A
panel of judges, which includes business and civic leaders in the
community, gather to judge the designs and the verses, thus a new card
each year is selected.
Known around the world This 58-year-old program receives global media
coverage each year. To list a few, it has been featured on PBS, the
London Broadcasting Company, radio casts in Australia, and the list goes
on. In the U.S. it hits newspapers throughout the country, national
magazines such as Reader’s Digest, national news channels, and several
talk shows. Oprah not only mails her valentine cards here, but she has
promoted the program on her show.
We are very proud of our program and the message of
love it allows us to share with the world.
To have your valentines re-mailed, enclose your
pre-stamped, pre-addressed Valentines with return address in a large 1st
class envelope to:
Postmaster
Attn: Valentines
Loveland, CO 80538-9998
Miss Loveland Valentine 2004
In addition to the re-mailing program and the card, a young woman is
selected each year – a high school senior – to represent her community
and the Valentine Program.
This is a scholarship-based opportunity that began in
1962. During her year, Miss Loveland Valentine makes many presentations
throughout the community to service organizations, clubs, the City
Council, and businesses. She also makes a trip to the state capitol in
Denver each year to visit the Governor and present him with the
valentine card and a unique Loveland gift. She also makes a formal
presentation to the state house and senate and gives Loveland’s
representatives gifts and Loveland’s Official card. Miss Loveland
Valentine is the only person allowed to stand before these legislators
and make a presentation.
Sweetheart Messages line Loveland's Streets
During the Valentine season the local Rotary club designs and posts
large red wooden hearts on light posts throughout Loveland delivering
messages of love. There is one that reads, “Miss Loveland Valentine
loves Loveland.”
The community is very generous in supporting the
program through donations of food, drinks, even entertainment during the
two weeks the volunteers work at the Chamber to process the cards.
To make a donation to the program or for more
information: 970-667-6311
Information and photos submitted
by:
Loveland Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center
5400 Stone Creek Circle
Loveland, CO 80538
970-663-6711 /or toll free to the Visitors Center 800-258-1278 www.loveland.org
|
info@loveland.org
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