Ken Caryl, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ken Caryl, Colorado
Census Designated Place
Ken Caryl in 2014.
Location of the Ken Caryl CDP in Jefferson County, Colorado.
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Jefferson County
Government
• Type	unincorporated community
Area
• Total	9.863 sq mi (25.546 km2)
• Land	9.833 sq mi (25.467 km2)
• Water	0.031 sq mi (0.079 km2)
Elevation	5,787 ft (1,764 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	33,811
• Density	3,427.94/sq mi (1,323.53/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code	Littleton 80127
Area codes	303 & 720
GNIS feature	Ken Caryl CDP

Ken Caryl, often called Ken Caryl Ranch, is a special kind of community in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. It's known as an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's not a city with its own local government, but it's a recognized area for counting people.

Ken Caryl is part of the larger Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2020, about 33,811 people lived there. Services like water and other community needs are handled by special local groups called the Ken Caryl Ranch Metropolitan District and the Ken Caryl Ranch Water District. The area uses the Littleton post office with the Zip code 80127.

History of Ken Caryl

The story of Ken Caryl started in 1859. Robert B. Bradford, who was once the mayor of Denver, bought the land. He quickly built a place called the Bradford/Perley House, which was an inn. He also built a toll road in 1859. This road cost $1.50 per wagon and helped travelers heading west from Denver.

The inn and the toll road made good money for Bradford. However, in 1867, a new road was built up Turkey Creek Canyon. This new road, now known as Highway 285, was easier to use. It replaced Bradford's more difficult route, which caused his business to fail. After Bradford died in 1876, his wife eventually gave up the property in 1881. The land changed owners several times over the next 20 years.

Famous Visitors and Local Legends

During its early days, many well-known people from Colorado visited Ken Caryl. One regular visitor was Ute chief Colorow. He was a leader of the Ute people. Even though Colorow and other Utes were moved from the area after a conflict in 1879, he left a lasting mark.

Today, Colorow Elementary School is named after him. There's also a rock formation in the area called "Colorow's Cave". It was said to be one of his favorite hiding spots.

The Ranch's Transformation

In 1895, James Adam Perley bought the house and turned Ken Caryl into a successful working farm. He was a dairy farmer and lived there with his family until 1914. That's when John Shaffer bought the property.

Shaffer renamed the ranch "Ken Caryl" after his sons, Kent and Carroll. He then built the grand Manor House and started raising beef cattle. Shaffer also owned the Rocky Mountain News newspaper. In 1926, he bought the Bradford/Perley House to add to his land. Even though his ranch was profitable for many years, he faced hard times during the Great Depression. He eventually lost the property to the banks.

The next owner was a businessman named William Allen, who bought the ranch in 1937. He was a leader in the growing steel industry. He also continued to raise cattle on the ranch, and it remained profitable. After he passed away, his family sold the ranch to the Johns-Manville Corporation in 1971.

This company changed the valley into what it looks like today. They built a large corporate campus, which was meant to be their main office. They also planned a housing community, originally for their employees. This main office building later became the modern Lockheed Martin building in 1987. The housing plans grew into the neighborhoods of Ken Caryl Valley, with most homes finished by 1997.

The community also made sure to protect the natural beauty of the valley. About 6,000 acres of land in the valley and its neighborhoods have been set aside as open space. This is part of the Jefferson County Open Space program.

Historic Buildings Today

The Manor House has been beautifully restored. For the past ten years or so, it has hosted events like weddings and served food. You can still easily visit and see it in the valley today.

Sadly, the Bradford/Perley House was badly damaged by a fire in 1967, leaving only its stone frame. In 2002, it was added to the "Most Endangered Sites in Colorado" list. Luckily, thanks to many efforts, it was saved as a ruin in 2006. It is now on the "saved" list. Today, it remains a stone frame protected by a fence. You can find it in the northern part of the valley, near the Bradford Pool.

Geological Features

Ken Caryl Ranch/Valley also has amazing geological features. The oldest rocks, found at the bottom of the hillside west of the Manor House, are about 600 million years old. If you go further west, you can see Tincup Mountain, the biggest mountain in the nearby foothills. Beacon Hill is also visible, which is a shoulder on the south side of Tincup.

The hogback is another interesting geological feature. It's a ridge or rift that runs along the east side of the valley, opposite the Foothills. It helps form the valley's shape. This hogback was created about 70 million years ago when layers of sedimentary rock were pushed upwards.

Geography

The Ken Caryl CDP covers an area of about 25.546 square kilometers (9.863 sq mi). A small part of this, about 0.079 square kilometers (0.031 sq mi), is water.

Demographics

The United States Census Bureau first officially recognized Ken Caryl as a CDP for the 1980 United States Census. Demographics refers to the study of populations.

Business

Lockheed Martin and its earlier company, Martin Marietta, have a large facility in the southern part of Ken Caryl Valley.

Education

Schools in Ken Caryl are part of the Jefferson County Public Schools system. Here are some of the schools that serve the area:

• Elementary schools: Bradford K8, Colorow, Coronado, Mortenson, Shaffer, Stony Creek, and Ute Meadows
• Middle schools: Deer Creek, Falcon Bluffs, and Summit Ridge
• High schools: Chatfield High School and Dakota Ridge High School

In popular culture

Ken Caryl was mentioned in the TV show South Park. In the episode "Trapped in the Closet", they talk about FunPlex, an amusement center in Ken Caryl. This center changed its name several times, from Fat City to Mr. Biggs, and finally to Fun City. Fun City closed in the summer of 2015 and the building was later torn down.

See also

In Spanish: Ken Caryl (Colorado) para niños