88 Years Ago
The July 8, 1937 Colorado Transcript included an editorial that was so familiar, it could have been written last week. In "IS SIZE ALONE SO GREATLY TO BE DESIRED?" The editors were questioning the necessity of growth and change. This conversation has been going on for more than 150 years. What made this iteration unusual was that the Transcript was asking the question. Usually, the Transcript was all in favor of growth and regarded growth resisters as crackpots.
America’s fetish for mere size is an amazing thing which many of us are apt to take as something to be desired. “The biggest dam in the world–; the longest bridge–; the highest building–; the greatest increase in population–.” What do these things mean in the life of the average citizen? The answer is obvious.
We hear much, right here in Golden, at meetings of various civic organizations, of the possibility of attracting more people to Golden, of making it bigger, but not necessarily better. What would be gained for the average Golden citizen if the city were twice as large as it is today? Possibly five per cent of the present population would benefit financially by the expansion. And ninety-five per cent would find that the change made no difference in their mode of living or brought actual discomfort….
…We like Golden as it is, as it has been for the past half dozen decades as as it probably will be for years to come–a grand, good place in which to really enjoy living. And if that be smugness, make the most of it.
Colorado Transcript, July 8, 1937
Golden spent much of the 19th century trying to attract industry–any industry, no matter how dirty or disruptive. Each new mine, mill, dredge, smelter, or gunpowder factory was a cause for celebration.
The 20th century was one long, plaintive howl for more housing and more residents. Even during the Depression, our leaders pleaded for more housing. After World War II they campaigned fiercely to get rid of the Industrial School so that space could be filled with new subdivisions.
The 21st Century sees a continuation of the campaign to attract more housing and accommodate more residents.
Are the citizens of Golden longing for more housing? As the Transcript editors wrote back in 1937,
Possibly five per cent of the present population...ninety-five per cent would find that the change made no difference in their mode of living or brought actual discomfort….
And so, the conversation continues.
