The Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad first laid down rails in the vicinity of modern Broomfield in 1881. In 1885, Adolf Zang bought
land in the vicinity of 120th and Olde Wadsworth, and the train stop there became known as Zang's Spur.
Railroad cars would be loaded at Zang's Spur with local grain, then moved down the spur to the main railroad line and on into Denver for
delivery to the Zang Brewing Company.
By the turn of the century, Zang's Spur had grown into the little town of Broomfield (the town was named for the broomcorn grown in the
area). Broomfield was complete with grain elevators, a grocery, hotel,
bank, and other thriving businesses which drew local farmers. By 1909, 19 passengers were passing through Broomfield on a daily basis (hey,
it wasn't a metropolis quite yet), prompting the construction of a new depot at 120th and Old Wadsworth. By the 1920's, Broomfield included
a dozen residences, two garages, more than one restaurant, a "filling station," hotel, general store, flour mill, cheese factory, bank,
creamery, grain elevator, barbershop, lumber yard, sugar beet dump, and pickle factory (talk about a diversified economy).
Broomfield's real growth came in the 1950's, when the Boulder Turnpike (a.k.a. US Highway 36) was built and the Turnpike Land Company
purchased land in the area to build a planned community (and no doubt boost tolls). The first development (along with schools and a
shopping center) was built north of 120th between US 287 and Main Street.
