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Nederland, Colorado, which was incorporated as a town in 1874, was named after the Dutch company that owned the local Caribou silver mine five miles distant. The town itself got its start when a silver processing mill started operations on the future town site in the early 1870s, and Nederland suffered with the silver bust of the early 1890s (a bust precipitated by the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893). But Nederland revived in the early 20th century with the nearby discovery of tungsten, and was a mining town with a population of less than 500 until the 1970s, when hippies from Boulder began to arrive. The new arrivals brought drugs with them, and Nederland still retains something of a reputation as a party town, though the biggest party in town these days (besides the NedFest music festival) is the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival held every March in celebration of Nederland as a mecca for those considering flash-freezing their relatives in cryonic stasis. Also these days Nederland is known as a gateway to the great outdoors, including the nearby Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. Sources: City-data.com, Rocky Mountain News, Wikipedia.org |