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Longmont
began in an unusual way. In 1870, a group of prominent men in Chicago decided
to start a new town in Colorado. To do this, they sold membership in the new
town, called "The Chicago-Colorado Colony," and used the money to
buy 60,000 acres of land in a carefully chosen site in northern Colorado.
They brought people, lumber, and building materials to the barren site, and
by 1871, a new town was built. They named it "Longmont," after nearby
Long's Peak.
In 1881, Longmont elected it's first Mayor, L.H. Dickson. View a list of all of the Mayors Longmont has had dating back to 1881.
Since then, Longmont has had a long and fruitful history. For the full story, read the history page from the Longmont Museum.
Today, the City of Longmont takes an active interest in preserving historic structures. The Landmark Designation Commission works closely with residents and others who are interested in designating and protecting structures of historical, architectural, or geographical significance.
Did you know that Longmont's oldest church (pictured here) was once scheduled for demolition to create space for a new commercial building? The proposed action ignited the preservation spirit of Longmont residents, and after 5 years of negotiations and fundraising, the building was saved. If you are interested in more information on protecting cultural assets like this one, or if you would like to browse through a list of the designated structures within Longmont, visit our historic preservation site.