SPOTLIGHT ON WESTCLIFFE
Elevation: 7,858 feet
Population: 417; population of nearby Silver Cliff is 512
Median value single-family home: $138,800 (national median: $119,600)
Over 65 years old: 67 percent (national rate: 12.4)
County: Custer County seat
Established: 1885; incorporated 1897
Name: Known first as Clifton, the town was renamed by developer William A. Bell for his birthplace, Westcliff-on-Sea, England.
Brief history: In 1870 in the Wet Valley, about 12 miles south of what is now Westcliffe, an agricultural colony was established by the German Colonization Co. The company moved Germans who had been working in Chicago factories to Colorado so that they could start a new life by farming. The colony failed, but some of the immigrants stayed. Many descendants of the early settlers still live in the valley.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built a route through Bell’s land in 1881. The town of West- cliffe was founded in 1885 because of the train route, which had bypassed the nearby mining town of Silver Cliff.
Floods wiped out the tracks three times in the first nine years, and at that point, the railroad pulled out. The railroad moved back 10 years later, choosing a drier route for the tracks. The railroad stopped running through the valley in 1938.
Westcliffe has at least seven buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One of them is Hope Lutheran Church, which was organized in 1872 by the German colonists. The building, erected in 1917, now houses one of the oldest Lutheran congregations in the state.
Dutch Row on Second Street, which now houses businesses and shops, received its name for the many German-owned businesses. In the early days, the street housed several saloons.
In 1928, Westcliffe became the seat for Custer County. Today, some residents refer to their town as the Hub of Southern Colorado because it is located about 55 miles from Canon City, Walsenberg, Pueblo and Salida.
Sources: Custer County Chamber of Commerce; Valley Park Recreation and Youth Center; National Register of Historic Places; Colorado State Archives; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000; USGS; “Colorado Place Names” by William Bright; Robert Senderhauf, Custer County Realty Inc.
REGIONAL NOTES
CASTLE ROCK
Cops, firefighters face off on field
Police officers will hit the gridiron Sunday against the town’s firefighters for a good cause.
Proceeds from the ninth annual Turkey Bowl flag football contest will go the Mile High chapter of the American Red Cross to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees starting over in Colorado. The game starts at 11 a.m. at Douglas County High School. Those attending are asked for a minimum $2 donation. The game also will include a silent auction with items donated by local businesses.
WHEAT RIDGE
Italian dinner to benefit seniors
The annual Italian dinner benefitting the city’s senior fund will be 4-7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Wheat Ridge Senior/Community Center, 6262 W. 35th Ave. Tickets for adults are $7 until Friday. At-the-door prices are $8 for adults, $4 for children. For information, call 303-205-7500.
DENVER POST STAFF REPORTS
