Nederland (, ) is a
statutory town located near
Barker Meadow Reservoir in the foothills of southwest
Boulder County,
Colorado, United States. As of the
2010 United States Census it had a population of 1,445.
History
Nederland was established in 1874. The town started as a
trading post between
Ute Indians and
European settlers during the 1850s. The town's first economic boom came when minerals such as
tungsten,
silver, and
gold were discovered near
Tungsten (east of Nederland),
Caribou (northwest of Nederland, 1859), and
Eldora (west of Nederland, 1875).
Today Nederland is better known as a gateway to outdoor recreation in the nearby
Indian Peaks Wilderness,
Rocky Mountain National Park,
Roosevelt National Forest, and the recently established
James Peak Wilderness. Nederland is located west of
Boulder, south of
Estes Park, and northwest of
Denver at the Junction of
SH 119 and
SH 72 on the
Peak to Peak Highway.
Name origin
In the mid-19th century the first homesteaders gave a variety of names for the area. The town was first called Dayton, then Browns Crossing. In 1871, when the US Postal Service first set up an office, the name was changed to Middle Boulder after the creek that flows through the center of town (and continues eastward to become
Boulder Creek).
In 1873 the Caribou Mine, at an elevation of roughly and northwest of the town, was sold to the ''Mining Company Nederland'' from the
Netherlands. The high elevation meant fierce winds and deep winter snow, so the new owners of the mine decided that it was beneficial to bring ore from Caribou down to Middle Boulder for milling. In the
Dutch language, ''Nederland'' ("Netherlands" in English) means low land, and based on casual usage by the Dutch miners, Middle Boulder came to be known as Nederland. In 1874 the town was incorporated and adopted Nederland as the official name.
Geography
Nederland is located in southwest Boulder County at (39.961986, −105.510604).
The elevation in the center of town is above sea level. Due west from the town is the
Indian Peaks Wilderness within
Roosevelt National Forest. The
Continental Divide passes through the Wilderness west of Nederland.
The town of Nederland has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.29%, is water,
consisting primarily of the west end of Barker Reservoir on Middle Boulder Creek.
Climate
Nederland has an alpine
subarctic climate (Dfc) due to its high altitude. Summer days are warm but nights are cool and frost is possible even in mid-summer. Snowfall is possible most of the year.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2010, there were 1,445 people, 657 households, and 349 families residing in the town. The
population density was 954 people per square mile (368.4/km). There were 749 housing units at an average density of 499.3 per square mile (192.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 95.5%
White, 0.4%
African American, 0.7%
Native American, 0.8%
Asian, 0.9%
some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 657 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18, 41.7% were headed by
married couples living together, and 46.9% were non-families. Of all households, 32.6% were made up of individuals, and 4.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19, and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% being 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 112.7 males.
For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median income for a household in the town was $69,638, and the median income for a family was $90,329. Male full-time workers had a median income of $60,526 versus $65,052 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $31,730. About 7.0% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the
poverty line. The median house or condo value in between 2007 and 2011 was estimated at $329,600.
Arts and culture
Annual cultural events
Nederland hosts several major events every year, including the diverse
NedFest (Nederland Music & Arts Festival), the historical Miners Day celebration, and the annual
Frozen Dead Guy Days festival, all next to
Barker Meadow Reservoir.
Frozen Dead Guy Days, which occurs every year in early March, commemorates a substandard attempt by Norwegian immigrant Trygve Bauge to practice
cryonics on Bredo Morstoel, his deceased grandfather. In addition to extensive local press, ''
The New York Times'' covered the festival in 2011 and 2012.
Notable people
*
Kathy Butler,
Olympian runner for
Great Britain and
Canada
*
Timothy Duggan,
road bicycle racer
*
Ian MacGregor,
road bicycle racer
*
Rob Savoye, primary
developer of
Gnash software
*
Ann Trombley, Olympic cyclist
Legalization of marijuana
On Tuesday, April 6, 2010, Nederland became the third community in Colorado (after
Denver and
Breckenridge) to legalize the sale, purchase, possession, consumption, and transportation, cultivation, manufacturing, dispensing of medical
marijuana and its concentrates and related paraphernalia for persons 21 years of age and older.
See also
*
Outline of Colorado
**
Index of Colorado-related articles
*
State of Colorado
**
Colorado cities and towns
***
Colorado municipalities
**
Colorado counties
***
Boulder County, Colorado
**
Colorado metropolitan areas
***
Front Range Urban Corridor
***
North Central Colorado Urban Area
***
Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area
***
Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
*
Caribou Ranch
*
Caribou Ranch Open Space Park
*
Roosevelt National Forest
References
External links
Town of Nederland official website at City-Data.com
Nederland Community CenterNederland Area Chamber of CommerceNederland Community LibraryNederland Middle/Senior High SchoolNederland Area Historical SocietyNathan Lazarus SkateparkNedRink - Nederland Ice and Racquet Park''The Mountain-Ear''local newspaper
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Category:Towns in Boulder County, Colorado
Category:Towns in Colorado
Category:Populated places established in 1885
Category:1885 establishments in Colorado