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Colorado Counties

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Colorado Counties

Colorado currently has sixty-four counties. The Counties of Colorado are important components of government since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions such as townships. Two counties, the City and County of Denver and the City and County of Broomfield, have consolidated city and county governments.. No organized Counties of the District of Louisiana, the Territory of Missouri, or the Territory of Nebraska existed within the present boundaries of the State of Colorado.

Gilpin County, Colorado

Gilpin County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Central City
Year Organized: 1861
Square Miles: 150

Court House:

P.O. Box 366 / 203 Eureka Street
County Courthouse
Central City, CO 80427-0366

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Gilpin County is named in honor of William Gilpin, the first Governor of the Territory of Colorado.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Gilpin County was created 1 November 1861 as an original county from Arapahoe (old) County, Kansas Territory. County seat: Central City

From 1859 through 1866, Central City was the most important town in Colorado Territory. Central City became the county seat when Gilpin County was organized in 1861. The Territorial legislature granted a City Charter to the City of Central in March 1864. This was 12 years before Colorado achieved statehood in 1876.

There are two popular stories about how Central City was named. One story involves William N. Byers, founder of the Rocky Mountain News. In June 1859, he camped where the Golden Rose Inn is now located. He suggested that a town be laid out in that vicinity. Since it was about half way between Nevada City (Nevadaville) and Mountain City he said it should be called "Central City."

Another story is that a miner's supply store was in the same area and the sign over the entrance was "Central City Store." The surrounding area then became known as Central City. One way or another, Central City, the cradle of Colorado, was born. It's official name: The City of Central.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 150 square miles (389 km²), of which, 150 square miles (388 km²) of it is land and 0 square miles (1 km²) of it (0.26%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Northeast: Boulder County
Southeast: Jefferson County
Southwest: Clear Creek County
Northwest: Grand County

Cities and Towns:

- Black Hawk	city	Incorporated Area
- Central City (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."