Stories of Our Longmont Parks

Book excerpt: Stories of Our Longmont Parks is a pictorial history of parks built in Longmont, Colorado from 1871 to 2020. The book includes all neighborhood and community parks built during this 150 year period. The chronology of their development is arranged into three eras with context given to the influences of each period. Historical and recent photographs are included as well as information on who or what the park is named for and stories of their development. Stories told by those who helped in the park's development are included. As of 2020, the City of Longmont has developed thirty-one Community and Neighborhood Parks. The original five parks were envisioned by the Chicago-Colorado Colony, who founded Longmont in 1871. Included in this early era are two other parks built before the 1930s. A lull in development occurred between the 1930s and the 1960s when the Baby Boom helped spur the next era of development. This period lasted until the 1990s. The last era describes work done in the past thirty years. Taken from historical archives and personal stories, this book creates an important record and understanding of the public parks within the community.This collection of stories provides a glimpse into Longmont's park history and the people who were part of their creation.