The first documented discovery of gold in theRocky Mountain region occurred on June 22, 1850, whenLewis Ralston, aGeorgia prospector traveling with a party headed for theCalifornia gold fields, dipped his sluice pan into a small stream near its confluence withClear Creek.[4] He found about ¼troy ounce (8 g) of gold, then worth about five dollars (about $1000USD today.[a])[10][11] While Ralston was elated, the rest of the party was unimpressed and continued on to California the next morning. Ralston continued panning for gold, but after a few days gave up and caught up with his party. The site of Lewis Ralston's gold discovery now lies alongRalston Creek in the City of Arvada'sGold Strike Park.
In 1858, Ralston brought another group of prospectors back to the site of his first discovery. Ralston and most of the miners gave up after a few days, but several miners found gold upstream along theSouth Platte River. The placer gold in the area soon played out, but hard rock deposits of gold were found in the mountains to the west. In 1860, Benjamin F. Wadsworth claimed ahomestead of 160 acres (65 ha) along Clear Creek, and the following year began digging an irrigation ditch, that would later take his name, to water his crops. Some of the miners abandoned their search for gold and returned to farm the rich bottom land along Ralston Creek and Clear Creek. They found an eager market for their crops among other gold seekers. TheTerritory of Colorado was formed on February 28, 1861, and the farms in the valley expanded to feed the growing population of the region.
In the summer of 1870, theColorado Central Railroad laid tracks through the area from the junction ofKansas Pacific Railroad and theDenver Pacific Railroad atJersey Junction, 3 miles (5 km) north ofDenver City, to connect toGolden at the mouth ofClear Creek Canyon. On December 1, 1870, Benjamin Wadsworth and Louis A. Renoplatted the Ralston Point townsite along the railroad. To avoid confusion with other communities alongRalston Creek, Ralston Point was soon renamed Arvada in honor of Hiram Arvada Haskin, brother-in-law of settler Mary Wadsworth.[12] The Arvada, Colorado, post office opened on February 16, 1871,[13] with Benjamin Wadsworth as the firstpostmaster. Colorado was grantedstatehood on August 1, 1876, and the Town of Arvada wasincorporated on August 14, 1904.[5] Eventually 42 irrigation ditches would serve the vibrant agricultural community.
As the region's population grew, Arvada became a major supplier of produce and dairy products. In the first half of thetwentieth century, Arvada gained renown for itsPascal celery, with special shipments made to theWhite House. Arvada staked a claim as the "Celery Capital of the World."[14] With the labor shortages ofWorld War II, celery production declined.
Following the war, Arvada grew rapidly as asuburb of nearby Denver, thestate capital. In 1947,Lloyd J. King opened Colorado's first supermarket at the corner of West 57th Avenue and Webster Street in downtown Arvada.[15] Arvada became aStatutory City on October 31, 1951, and aHome Rule Municipality on July 23, 1963. By the end of the millennium, the population of Arvada exceeded 100,000.
On December 9, 2007, Matthew J. Murray walked into the Youth With a Mission Center in Arvada and, after he was refused his request to stay overnight in the dormitories, opened fire and killed two people, injuring two more.
A memorial was held the following Wednesday, December 12, in which Youth With a Mission leaders forgave Murray's family for what happened.[16]
Arvada, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of thecensus[23] of 2010, there were 106,433 people, 42,701 households, and 28,927 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,028.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,169.2/km2). There were 44,427 housing units at an average density of 1,216.7 units per square mile (469.8 units/km2) with a median value of $240,000. The racial makeup of the city was 89.08%White, 0.9%African American, 0.8%Native American, 2.2%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 3.5% fromother races, and 2.7% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 13.7% of the population.
There were 44,427 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% weremarried couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population's ages were spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 20 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. There were 51,984 males and 54,539 Females.
The median income for a household in the city was $66,125 and the median income for a family was $78,591. Males had a median income of $42,126 versus $30,802 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $24,679. About 4.6% of families and 6.4% of the population were below thepoverty line.
The City of Arvada is aHome Rule Municipality with acouncil–manager form of government. The Arvada City Council has seven members: an elected mayor, two councilmembers elected at large, and four councilmembers elected from council districts.
Arvada is predominately a residential community with light industry and professional offices. Olde Town Arvada is the historic heart of the city with shops, restaurants, and the Olde Town Arvada Transit Hub. The primary restaurant and retail corridors are alongWadsworth Boulevard, Ralston Road, andKipling Street.
^Cohen, Jenn (April 13, 2013)."April 13 Feature - Joe King".Colorado Music Buzz. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. RetrievedApril 18, 2016.
