Leyden, Colorado facts for kids
Leyden, Colorado, is a small community in Jefferson County, Colorado. It's located west of Arvada, where West 82nd Avenue meets Quaker Street. This historic place sits about 5,656 feet (1,724 m) above sea level. Leyden started in 1902 as a "company town." This means the Leyden Coal Company built it to provide homes for the miners working in the nearby Leyden Coal Mine.
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History of Leyden, Colorado
The town of Leyden was named after three pioneer miner brothers: Michael, Martin, and John Leyden. They found the original Leyden mine in the hills to the west. The town was built with square-shaped homes that had pointed roofs. These houses were originally red with white trim.
Life in a Company Town
At its busiest, Leyden had many homes for miners. It also had a company store, a school, a boarding house, a saloon, and a church. The old store still stands today at the corner of 82nd and Quaker. The school building is now a house on the hillside to the north. The foreman's house is right next door.
People from many different countries lived and worked in Leyden. Miners came from places like Austria, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Brazil, Italy, and Mexico. This made Leyden a very diverse community.
Key Events in Leyden's Past
Leyden saw some important events during its time as a mining town. In 1910, a sad accident happened at the Leyden Mine, which resulted in the loss of 10 lives. Later, in 1914, the workers went on strike.
Leyden stopped being a company town around 1951. This was when the coal mine closed down. The land where the town stood was sold to investors. Then, the company houses were sold to individual families. Leyden has remained a small, independent community ever since. It even has its own water system.
The Leyden Coal Mine
The Leyden Coal Mine was run by the Leyden Coal Company. Between 1903 and 1950, it produced about 6 million tons of sub-bituminous coal. This type of coal is softer than some others.
How the Mine Operated
The mine had four shafts, which are like deep tunnels. These shafts allowed miners to reach two flat layers of coal. These coal layers were about 240 to 260 meters (790 to 855 feet) below the ground. The mine used a method called "room and pillar." This means they dug out large rooms and left pillars of coal to support the roof. About 35% of the coal in the ground was taken out. The coal from Leyden was used in the Denver area and beyond. It was also used by the Denver Tramway, which was owned by railroad leader David Moffat.
New Uses for the Old Mine
In 1961, the Public Service Company of Colorado, now part of Xcel Energy, started using the abandoned mine. They turned it into the Leyden Gas Storage Operation. This allowed them to store natural gas underground. However, storing gas stopped after 2000 because of worries about gas leaking.
In 2004, the City of Arvada found a new use for the old mine. They began pumping water into it. Now, the abandoned mine acts as a large underground reservoir for water.
