In 1860 (the same year that the first schoolhouse in Colorado was built in Boulder), Boulder residents had started lobbying to
have the University of Colorado located in Boulder, and the University was founded in Boulder on a 45-acre site in 1874. The first
building to be constructed with the money allocated for the University was Old Main, which was built on the southern end of town on "The
Hill." Old Main still stands today. The University of Colorado opened its doors in September of 1877, with that one building,
forty-four students, and one professor.
Railroad service was introduced to Boulder in 1873, and tracks to Golden and the mining camps to the west were eventually laid. By 1880,
Boulder's population had grown to 3,000, allowing it to form a city council under Colorado state law, and Boulder's first courthouse was
built in 1883. Electricity was introduced to Boulder in 1887.
In 1897, a group of Texans chose Boulder as a retreat to escape the hot Texas summers and built one of the nation's most beautiful
vacation spots. One of only three remaining in the country today, Boulder's Chautauqua was completed on Independence Day, 1898.
Chautauquas were well-respected family retreats, focusing on culture, music, nature, religion, and family activities. This Chautauqua began
Boulder's parks and open space preservation. The day after Chautauqua's grand opening, the city of Boulder purchased the eastern slope of
Flagstaff Mountain from the US Government for preservation purposes, and today over 54,000 acres
in and around Boulder are dedicated to Parks and Open Space.
