Books and beyond

Ever want to know more about the history of the town or neighborhood you live in? Your local Jefferson County Library is a great place to start.

The Jefferson County Historic Collection at Standley Lake is home to countless historical maps from the last 100 years from around the county as well as priceless historical documents and one-off publications, such as a 1983 volume titled Grandview Streetcape Project and Notorious Jefferson County: Frontier Murder & Mayhem. Other interesting documents to look at are the old Sanborn fire insurance maps of the area. The Golden library, for example, has a map of the area from 1886 that details not only what structures were in place at the time, but their uses and sometimes ownership.

And here at the Arvada Library, we have a sizeable collection of materials about our town, neighborhoods and Jefferson County as a whole. Wonder what Arva-Pride is and why it’s plastered on the side of that old building downtown? Want to follow the trail of Lewis Ralston that led him to pan for gold in what is now Ralston Creek? We’ve got you covered.

Want to get started? Visit our Local History page.

Data like this can lead to new understandings of our past. For example, check out how the Whistler Museum in Whistler, British Columbia has combined their historic archives and vintage maps with modern – and free – technology to create some pretty amazing point-of-view experiences into a nearly 90-year-old mountaineering excursion: