12 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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McKenzie Well
· 3.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming spot sparked a gusher of black gold that changed Colorado forever. In 1901, the McKenzie Well, or McKenzie #1, struck oil. This wasn't just any oil strike; it led to the discovery of the Boulder Oil…
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Boulder, CO
· 6.2 mi · Local history
At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where Boulder Creek rushes down from the Continental Divide, a different kind of gold fever took hold in 1858. It wasn't the precious metal alone that built Boulder, though that was…
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Kullgren House
· 6.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine life as a coal miner in the late 19th century at this former boarding house. The Kullgren House, built in 1896, stands at 209 East Cleveland Street in Lafayette. It was home to Andrew Kullgren from 1896 to 1919.…
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Miller House (Lafayette, Colorado)
· 6.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming house is a testament to Mary Miller, the woman who literally put Lafayette, Colorado on the map. Miller arrived in Colorado in 1863. More than two decades later, after discovering coal on her land, she…
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Lafayette House
· 6.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder what it was like to live in a booming coal town? This unassuming house on Simpson Street holds a piece of that history. Built around 1900, the Lafayette House opened as a boarding house, offering a place for…
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Hotel Boulderado
· 6.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time at the Hotel Boulderado, a Boulder landmark since 1909. Local architects Redding & Sons designed this grand hotel, which opened its doors on New Year's Day. Imagine the excitement as guests arrived to…
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Longmont, CO
· 8.1 mi
Longmont, Colorado, owes its existence to a deliberate plan. Unlike many towns that sprung up organically around a mine or a railroad junction, Longmont was the brainchild of the Chicago-Colorado Colony, an intentional…
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Salina School
· 10.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine learning in this one-room schoolhouse in a former mining town dating back to the 1870s! You're approaching the Salina School, a testament to early Colorado life. Built around 1875 or 1876, this humble building…
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Gold Hill, Colorado
· 13.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to step back in time! Gold Hill isn't just a pretty mountain town; it was the site of the first major gold discovery in what would become Colorado. Back in 1859, prospectors found gold here, sparking a rush to…
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Switzerland Trail
· 15.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a train chugging along these very hills, connecting remote mining towns! That was the Switzerland Trail, originally a narrow-gauge railroad. Around the turn of the 1900s, the Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific…
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Westminster Castle
· 16.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Known locally as "The Pillar of Fire," this historic landmark stands out on the Colorado horizon. Construction of Westminster Castle, originally intended to house Westminster University, began in 1893. However, the…
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Bowles House (Westminster, Colorado)
· 17.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder who brought the railroad to Westminster? It might just be the guy who built this house. That's the Bowles House, built around 1871 by Edward Bruce Bowles and his wife, Mahala. Bowles came to Colorado as a…