A sense of excitement permeates the atmosphere in Arvada this year as the town celebrates 156 years alongside America’s 250th birthday. Leading the way in preserving Arvada’s past so that it can be appreciated and built upon in the future is the Arvada Historical Society.
“This organization has been around since 1972,” says Judith Denham, Arvada Historical Society Board Member and Past President. “Part of our organization's mission is to tell people about how this community developed historically and what it means now.”
Members of the Historical Society are excited to share important and fun details about Arvada’s founding, especially this year, and have special activities and experiences planned to coincide with the celebration. “As part of Colorado 150, and America 250 commemorations, the Historical Society is inviting residents to become part of the story through events and programs throughout the year.”
Among the year’s first events was the Historical Society’s June opening of the Allen House Archives Library, located at 11200 W 64th Avenue, where preserving and sharing Arvada’s history comes to life. “The Allen House is a historic home in Arvada that houses our archives, so it will be a community space where people can come to do research,” shares Arvada Historical Society Board Member Tammy Sullivan. “This space will allow us to expand the Archives program and house our many donated artifacts, archives, and stories in a fresh and engaging community space.”
One way the Historical Society is celebrating the town’s 150th anniversary is through Stories Handed Down, a collection of interviews conducted with families who have lived in Arvada for generations. “We’re a very multi-generational community,” explains Judith. “We have people whose families have been here since the mid-1800s, and families who have been here since the 1950’s and 1960’s. We are interviewing those people and collecting stories about their experiences here in our community.”
A story that still permeates local tradition is Arvada being known as the Celery Capital of the World from 1930-1935. This unique moniker was resurrected during a recent celebration of City of Arvada volunteers when their thank you gift was a pair of socks with a stalk of celery on one side and the iconic water tower on the other.
Another interesting historical connection involves the city’s water systems. “Early Arvada-area settlers constructed elaborate systems of irrigation ditches that transformed dry land into productive farmland and allowed communities to take root,” explains Judith. “Thirty-four of those ditches still run water today in the older areas of Arvada; one runs through Olde Town.”
In addition to Stories Handed Down, the Historical Society is supporting the City’s Threads of Arvada 250/150 Celebration Community Quilting Project as well as hosting the 23rd annual Cemetery Tour at the historic Arvada Cemetery on September 26th. “Continuing this anticipated tradition, the tour’s interesting and educational content will offer a walk-through of local history and introduction to the people whose stories helped build Arvada and who are buried at the cemetery,” says Tammy.
Although the anniversary celebrations shine a spotlight on current programs, the Historical Society has led many important initiatives over the years, including acquiring the Arvada Flour Mill, placing it on the National Register of Historic places in 1975, restoring the interior, and building a canopy protection for its extensive collection of agricultural implements. “In April we celebrated Arvada Flour Mill’s 100th anniversary with historic displays, wheat grinding activity, a concert, sales of a celery root liquor distilled by a local distillery, Method & Muse, as a fundraiser for the Society, a visual timeline presentation of the Mill’s history, and other educational activities that showed off the Mill and its historic significance,” says Judith.
“We also established and continue to give tours of Olde Town for Arvada’s second grade learners, partnered with the City to dedicate Gold Strike Park as a city park and register it on the Colorado State Register of Historic Places, and consulted with the City in its creating of the Olde Town History Walk with its twenty-six panels scattered throughout Olde Town,” adds Tammy.
The Arvada Historical Society could not accomplish what it does without the support of the local community. “As a 501 (c3) organization with approximately 230 members, we depend heavily on volunteers to carry out our programs, events, governance and special projects. Our volunteers routinely contribute over 2000 hours a year,” explains Judith. “Our revenue sources include membership dues, donations, grants from the City of Arvada and event ticket sales. We believe history lives through people. After 156 years, Arvada’s greatest legacy is still its people and traditions.”
For more information on the Arvada Historical Society membership, events, and resources, visit arvadahistoricalsociety.org. Find details about special 250/150 celebrations in Arvada at visitarvada.org and arvadaco.gov.