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Location
and History
In
The Beginning...
Located
just minutes south of Denver at the intersection of U.S. Highway 285
(Hampden Avenue) and U.S. Highway 85 (Santa Fe Drive), this community
represents an interesting blend of city and suburb. Broadway and Hampden
are key corridors through the town with convenient access to I-70 and
I-25. A perfect mix of temperatures offers enough cold to support a
wonderful collection of snow activities, in contrast to many weeks of
gorgeous moderate temperatures. Elevation is over 5,200 feet above sea
level.
Indians and trappers first inhabited the Arapahoe county area. But,
the gold seekers established roots to form the community. Ditches captured
water – a precious commodity for subsistence and the nurturing
of crops and orchards. An 1800 settler, Thomas Skerritt (father of Englewood)
carved the path from Denver to Englewood by traveling back and forth
with horses and a wagon pulling a log. That passageway became Englewood's
Broadway.
For years the area was known as Orchard Place, because of the many fruit
trees. The city had several other names and in 1903 it was incorporated
as Englewood (old English meaning wooded nook or wooded place). It took
shape through the leadership of Mayor Jacob Calvin Jones (founder of
Englewood), who won the election on a campaign to rid the area of “disreputable
establishments.”
Englewood thrived as a population of 1,200 dedicated individuals called
the area home. A newspaper, sidewalks and streetlights, fire and police
protection provided benchmarks of expansion. Tuileries Park supplied
leisure-time activities for all ages.
Weather challenges marred Englewood’s early years. In the spring
of 1913, floodwaters ruined merchandise as merchants used cellars for
storage. Water raged though the area destroying bridge passageways.
A three-foot snowstorm further stymied the area that winter.
In 1921, business leaders converted the “commercial association”
to the Chamber of Commerce. They met in various locations throughout
the city and united efforts toward strengthening community vitality.
Continual expansion occurred throughout the 1900s. Today, community
and medical services, business and commerce options, and leisure activities
form an enticing package for visitors and the more than 33,000 residents
of Englewood.
Credit: A History of Englewood, Colorado and An Overview of Fort Logan,
Colorado, compiled in cooperation with the Englewood Historical Society,
1993.
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