Clouds Over South Table Mesa
Photo by Bud Rockhill
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Thursday, Oct. 16th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 7:30AM - Golden Young Professionals Monthly Membership Meeting
- 9:15-9:45AM - Baby Time - Registration Required
- 10-10:30AM - Call In: Mid-Morning Meditation
- 3-4:30PM - Vaccine, License & Microchip Clinic
- 4-11PM - Cheese Night with Cheese Ranch!
- 5-7PM - Weekly Demonstration - What do you stand for?
- 6PM - Run Club
- 6PM - Cancelled: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting @ City Hall
- 6:30-7:30PM - Active Minds Presents: Colorado Ghost Stories
- 6:30-7:30PM - Active Minds Presents: Colorado Ghost Stories
- 7-9PM - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy Night
- 7:30PM - Diva Royale
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden Halloween Events
We're getting into prime Halloween event time. If you'd like to get some spooky seasonal events on your calendar, check www.goldenhalloween.com.
The Golden Word - 10/16/25
6-8PM Preview Night @ the Whale of a Used Book Sale
The Library Foundation's semi-annual Whale of a Used Book Sale is this weekend. If you are a member of the Friends, you may attend the Preview Night tonight and get first pick of thousands of books and videos.
Jefferson County Fairgrounds
15200 West Sixth Avenue (map)
6:30PN Colorado Ghost Stories @ the Library
Join Active Minds as we tiptoe through the haunted houses and ghoulish graveyards of the area. We will tell the ghost stories associated with the Stanley Hotel, Cheesman Park, the Molly Brown House, and more as we visit the past and the past visits with us a bit.
Location:
Golden Library
1019 10th St. (map)
Live Music for Thursday, Oct. 16th
- 6-9PM A Tribe of Goats @ Goosetown Station
- More Live Music
5-9PM Josh Blackburn @ Wrigley’s
6-8PM Jack Price @ Etta Jeanne
6PM Chris Thompson & Friends @ New Terrain Brewing
8PM Karaoke @ Rock Rest Lodge
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden History: The Big Tree Saga
Scene from Things to Do in Denver (with the name of the place changed from Big Tree to Happy Trails)
Click to enlarge
Last night, I saw a snippet of the movie Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead. I've never seen the whole thing, but now I have it on hold at the library. The attraction? It included a scene shot at the Big Tree Mobile Home Park. You may not remember that--it's been gone for years. It was located on Jackson Street, between 22rd and 23rd. It included a mix of stone cottages and mobile home spaces, all overhung by huge cottonwood trees. Here's the story of the place:
W.J. Sapp was engaged in several enterprises in early Golden. He ran a stable in 1879, managed the Bone Fertilizer plant beginning in 1882, and leased the bar and billiard rooms in “the new hotel” (probably the St. Bernard Hotel at 12th and Jackson) in 1884. He and his family sold their home at Ford and 3rd (now 13th) Streets in 1885. It may be at this time that he purchased the heavily-wooded property at 22nd and Jackson. His wife died of consumption in 1886, leaving him with four young children.
In 1893, the Denver Lakewood and Golden Railroad, which ran quite close to the property, leased the Sapp residence and grounds to turn it into a tourist attraction, with a dancefloor and refreshments.
Through the enterprise of the management of the Denver, Lakewood and Golden railroad Golden has at last a place of rational amusement for visitors and citizens. Sapp’s Grove, a beautiful spot at the eastern edge of the city, has been leased by the railroad company and fitted up in fine style for dancing, picnics, etc., and it will doubtless be the means of largely increasing their passenger receipts. A fine open pavilion has been erected with an elegant dancing floor, seats have been placed about the grounds, the whole brilliantly lighted by electricity. Mr. Sam. Cunningham, our popular caterer, has tents erected for dispensing ice cream, soda water and other cooling temperance drinks, fruits, confectionery, cigars, etc., leaving nothing to be wished for by those who desire to have the new resort run in a quiet, pleasant manner. The new resort was successfully inaugurated Saturday evening last, when a large number from Denver came in on the several trains. Nearly all the young people of Golden were there, and dancing was indulged in to a late hour. The special rates on the road continued through Sunday and all trains from Denver were well filled by Denver’s fun-loving people, who spent the day at the grove and in town in a pleasant and rational manner. Sapp’s grove pleasure grounds are a pronounced success from the start.
Colorado Transcript - June 21, 1893
The following January, the Sapp residence and barn burned. The family were away from home and only the horse and harness were saved. That spring, the railroad elected to move its pleasure pavilion closer to downtown (approximately 12th and East Street, now inside the Coors property).
The Sapp property remained available for rent as a picnic grounds. A 1902 article described a Labor Day picnic where “the grove was beautifully illuminated by electric lamps.”
Mr. Sapp died in 1909. In 1921, the Chamber of Commerce began urging the city to provide a camping ground for the growing number of auto-tourists. They suggested that the city lease “the old Sapp’s grove property.” The City bought the property in 1924. Stone guest cabins were added, in addition to the spots set up for tents. The Transcript ran many articles through the years, describing Golden’s tourist camp as one of the best, cleanest, and friendliest in the country.
In 1939 (during the Great Depression), the City decided to sell the Tourist Park. Council cited the $100/year needed to operate the place and their desire to get the property off city books and onto the tax rolls. Voters approved the sale by a vote of 400 to 46. The park was sold into private hands.
A family named Loveland bought the park in 1956. Mobile homes became quite popular in the years after World War II as a form of affordable housing, and the Lovelands added thirteen additional trailer spaces. A 1958 birth announcement mentioned that the father was a teacher at Golden High School and lived in the “tourist park.” The Lovelands sold the park to the Brouillet family in 1959.
By the 1990s, the compound was called the Big Tree Trailer Court, which offered both trailer spots and cabins. In the early 2000s, the property owners decided to build condominiums on the site. The big cottonwoods were cut down in preparation for construction. The owners then became insolvent and the property stood–churned up and covered with felled cottonwoods–for several years.
Finally, the Jefferson County Housing Authority bought the land and built Lewis Court, which opened in 2012. They demolished all but one of the stone cottages. It can be seen today at 22nd and Jackson.
Weather
Overnight: A slight chance of rain showers. Partly cloudy. Low around 51, with temperatures rising to around 55 overnight. Southwest wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: A slight chance of rain showers. Mostly sunny. High near 64, with temperatures falling to around 60 in the afternoon. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. West wind 6 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 17 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly Clear, 41°F
Friday: Sunny, 64°F
Friday Night: Mostly Clear, 44°F
Saturday: Slight Chance Rain Showers then Sunny, 63°F
Saturday Night: Mostly Clear, 42°F
Sunday: Sunny, 74°F
Sunday Night: Mostly Clear, 50°F
Monday: Mostly Sunny, 71°F
Monday Night: Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers, 40°F
Tuesday: Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny, 62°F
Tuesday Night: Partly Cloudy, 41°F
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny, 62°F
News About Golden - October 16, 2025
Colorado Railroad Museum Ignites Curiosity As Traqueros Exhibition Draws Tourists To Colorado’s Hidden Histories: Here’s What You Need To Know
By Travel and Tour World
The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado has unveiled a compelling new exhibition titled Traqueros: Mexican Trackworkers and the American Railroad, opening its doors to visitors from October 14, 2025 through August 2026. This significant addition not only amplifies the museum’s reputation as a leading destination for railway heritage, but also offers travellers an immersive experience at the crossroads of history, culture, and exploration in Colorado’s Clear Creek Valley... Read more...
City of Golden Weekly Digest
In this issue... Download PDF below...
NATIONAL COMMUNITY SURVEY COMING TO A MAILBOX NEAR YOU!
City of Golden
Golden has partnered with Polco, a leader in the field of civic engagement and surveying, to issue the 2025 National Community Survey. We’d like all residents and community members to participate!
Randomly selected households will receive mailed survey invitations over the next few weeks. If you receive an invitation, please follow the instructions and share your input. If you aren't selected for this initial survey effort, a community-wide survey will be available shortly. Watch our social media for announcements, or sign up to be notified when that survey is ready... Read more...
Colorado envisioned a renewable energy park near Golden. Neighbors don’t like what might get built instead.
By John Aguilar
Denver Post
It’s been four years since Gov. Jared Polis trumpeted the promise of the Global Energy Park near Golden as a future state-of-the-art laboratory — one that would position Colorado and Jefferson County as “leaders in the future of energy.”
But the hopes contained in those lofty words from his October 2021 announcement have dimmed as the 9.3-acre, state-owned parcel has continued to sit vacant. In recent months, the state instead has begun eyeing the site, which lies in the shadow of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab, for an apartment complex... Read more...
Highway 6 partially reopens west of Denver metro area for 2-vehicle crash
By Austen Erblat
CBS Colorado
U.S. Highway 6 has partially reopened in Colorado's Clear Creek County after a two-vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon... Read more...
Golden Gallop Sponsored by Cultural Exchange and Childcare
By Elsa Scott
Cultural Care Au Pair
At the 19th annual Golden Gallop on 9/21, seven au pairs from three different countries volunteered to help pass out water on the course and run the Cultural Care expo booth. Cultural Care is a company that places au pairs with host families in the US, and the Golden local representative of the program, Michelle Faust, arranged for the company to be a sponsor of the race... Read more... Download PDF below...
Supporters
Many thanks to the people and organizations who support What’s Happening in Golden? If you would like to support local news, please CLICK HERE!
Sponsors:
($100/month and up)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Miners Saloon, Golden Hayride Outpost, Unite Fitness, Tom Reiley, Michael Mason, Colorado Railroad Museum, and Goosetown Station
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $550/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and Joy Brandt
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Forrest Jones, Barry & Liz Bettis, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, Marjorie Sloan, Chris and Joyce Davell, Rick Flint, Forrest Jones, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz, The Golden Hotel, Kurt & Janet Siegfried, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, Robert Thresher, Tonie Mattox, and Centennial State Wealth Advisors
Members:
($10-24.99/month or $110/yr)
Brad Miller & Julie Bartos, Holly Thomas, Jim and LouAnne Dale, Ann Pattison, Thomas Hoffman, Carol Abel, Brian Quarnstrom, Sandra Curran, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Kathy Smith, Karen Smith, Carlos & Nancy Bernal, Robert Storrs, Michele Sannes, Elaine Marolla, Dixie Termin & Ron Miller, E Tom Hughes, Crystal M Culbert, Patrick A. Madison, Alice Madison & Jim Kalivas, Deb Goeldner, Christopher Ball, 6th Chair Home Services, Dot & Eric Brownson, Rosemary Coffman, Emeline Paulson, Sandy Schneider, Mark and Cathy Pattridge, Cheryl G Leidich, Jen Rutter, Frani R Bickart, Jennings and Litz, Bill Sedgeley, Nancy Hughes, Justin L Wade, Kathi Eggers, Traci Case, Donna Owen, Leslie D Lutz, Karen Oxman, Catherine Skokan, Ross Fraser & KC Gilliland, Lynne Haigh, Elizabeth Hilliard, Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young, Kathy Hirons & Jack Markin, Jess & Anthony Monasterio, Heather Duncan, Lee Ann & Pete Horneck, Carol Cameron, Cheryl Williamson, San Daugherty, Jim Garner, John and Carol McEncroe, the Golden Welcome Center, the Golden Transcript, Koshare Eagle, Ken and Colleen Krantz, Traci Neuman Lacey, Jo Barber, Jamie Cookinham, Kermit Shields, Meridee Cecil, Vicki Olson, Colleen & Michael Ramey, Nancy & Pete Torpey, Jax Baker, Simon Maybury, Rose McLaughlin, Cameron Chambers, Joyce Gravina, Patrick Klein, Barb Robie, and Mary Rains, Richard Caldwell, Janice Waring, Sam & Marilyn Baron, Carmen Johnson, Mary Eiberger, Kevin Nichols, Ed & Carol Freza, Laura and Curtis Moore, Ruth Hund, Shelley & Jerry Devitt, Eileen Masterson, Kate Olivier, Amy Korengut, Pam Logan, and Clare Shier
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, Mel Perkins, Bob Hamilton, Steve Stevens, Vicki Olson, Emily Kurzinski, Nanette Johnson, Peyton Gibson, Sally Berger, Kristen Morgan, and Joyce Sutton
