Ward, Colorado

Ward (elevation 9,450 ft / 2880 m) is a town located in Boulder County, Colorado. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 169. The town is a former mining settlement founded in 1860 in the wake of the discovery of gold at nearby Gold Hill. Once one of the richest towns in the state during the Colorado Gold Rush, it is located on a mountainside at the top of Left Hand Canyon, near Colorado State Highway 7 northwest of Boulder.

Contents

1 Description 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 External links

Description

The town is well-known in the region for its rustic feel as a anti-establishment counterculture mountain community, with residents forming an enclosed community wary of outsiders. The town is likewise often viewed with suspicion and puzzlement even by many citizens of liberal-leaning Boulder. The town has received both admiration for its accepatance of outcasts and social misfts, as well as criticism as a being a lawless haven for drug users, criminals, and the mentally ill. Its high elevation renders it snowbound in heavy snows, with snow lingering throughout much of the springtime. Its abundance of dilapidated buildings from the 19th century heyday, including two churches that date from the 1890s, has made it an off-beat tourist attraction in recent decades, and is sometimes erroneously described as a ghost town. In addition to the many decaying buildings, the town is filled with rusted out and broken down cars, giving it the feeling of a large junkyard. Its location at the top of Left Hand Canyon also makes it a frequent destination for recreational bicyclists from nearby Boulder. A persistent popular rumor has circulated for many years that the town is located atop a rich vein of gold, and that it should be evacuated and razed to extract the ore.

The town was named for Calvin Ward, who prospected a claim on the site known as Miser's Dream. The town boomed the following year with the discovery by Byrus W. Deardorff of the Columbia vein. Over the next several decades the population fluctuated, growing from several hundred to several thousand before declining once again. The mines in the area remained profitable for many decades, with one mine eventually producing over 2 million ounces (57 t) of silver. The city was incorporated in June 1896. The railroad reached the area in 1898, arriving over the Whiplash and Switzerland Trail, which climbed over 4,000 feet (1220 m) from Boulder over the course of 26 miles (42 km). In 1901 over 50 buildings were destroyed by a devastating fire, although the profitability of the mines led to the immediate rebuilding of the town. The town was largely deserted by the 1920s, but the construction of the Peak-to-Peak Highway in the 1930s led to a revival of the town.

The town has several businesses along its main street, including a coffee shop and general stop.

Geography

Ward is located at 40°4'20" North, 105°30'36" West (40.072347, -105.510131)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²). 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 169 people, 71 households, and 40 families residing in the town. The population density is 114.5/km² (296.9/mi²). There are 82 housing units at an average density of 55.5/km² (144.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.82% White, 0.00% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 71 households out of which 35.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% are married couples living together, 14.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% are non-families. 26.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 1.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 3.02.

In the town the population is spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 0.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $33,750, and the median income for a family is $50,313. Males have a median income of $26,250 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the town is $14,900. 0.0% of the population and 0.0% of families are below the poverty line.

External links

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• Ward, Colorado: a slice of Applachia in the Rockies (http://ward-colorado.20megsfree.com/)
• ColoradoVactation.com: Ward, Colorado (http://www.coloradovacation.com/message-board/thread.cfm?threadid=143&messages=48#243)
• Ghosttowns.com: Ward, Colorado (http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/co/ward.html) (note Ward is not actually a true ghost town, despite the claim of this site.
• Chronology of Boulder History (http://www.boulderhistorymuseum.org/history.timeline.html)
• Ghost of Boulder County: Ward (http://members.aol.com/JKA80122/boulder.html)de:Ward (Colorado)