Greeley, Colorado
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Greeley is a city located in Weld County, Colorado. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 76,930. It is the county seat of Weld CountyTemplate:GR.
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Geography
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Location of Greeley, Colorado
Greeley is located at 40°24'54" North, 104°43'26" West (40.415119, -104.723988)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 77.7 km² (30.0 mi²). 77.4 km² (29.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.30% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 76,930 people, 27,647 households, and 17,694 families residing in the city. The population density is 993.4/km² (2,572.5/mi²). There are 28,972 housing units at an average density of 374.1/km² (968.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 80.40% White, 0.87% African American, 0.83% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 13.77% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. 29.49% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 27,647 households out of which 33.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% are married couples living together, 10.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% are non-families. 25.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.63 and the average family size is 3.19.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 19.0% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,414, and the median income for a family is $45,904. Males have a median income of $32,800 versus $24,691 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,775. 16.9% of the population and 10.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.4% of those under the age of 18 and 9.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
Latham
Greeley is located in (or just west of) the area previously occupied by the Overland Trail station of Latham (originally called the Cherokee City Station). The Latham station (also known as Fort Latham) was built in 1862 and named in honor of Milton S. Latham, one of California's early senators. The stagecoach station was at the confluence of the South Platte River and the Cache la Poudre River. The web site www.Over-Land.com describes it as "probably the most important and busiest facility on the Overland Trail" (since it was a river crossing and a junction point for the spur of the Trail south to Denver). It is believed that here occurred the birth of the first white child born in Colorado, a girl. Fort Latham was the headquarters of the government troops during the Indian troubles of 1860-64 and the county seat (the post office being called Latham).
Union Colony
The official town of Greeley was originally orgainized as the Union Colony in 1869 as a experimental utopian community of "high moral standards" by Nathan C. Meeker, a newspaper reporter from New York City. Meeker purchased a site at the confluence of the Cache la Poudre and South Platte Rivers (that included the area of Latham, an Overland Trail station), half-way between Cheyenne and Denver along the tracks of the Denver Pacific Railroad formerly known as the "Island Grove Ranch." The name Union Colony was later changed to Greeley in honor of Horace Greeley (who was Meeker's editor at the New York Tribune).
Schools
The Greeley public school system has 3 major high schools (West, Central, and Northridge), with the fiercest competition being between West and Central. There are also several minor private, charter, or magnet schools such as UCPS, University, and Frontier Academy.
Greeley is also home to the University of Northern Colorado.
External links
- City of Greeley (http://www.ci.greeley.co.us)
- The Overland Trail (http://www.over-land.com)
- University of Northern Colorado (http://www.unco.edu)
