Niwot History Book Releases

On May 11th, to celebrate Niwot's Sesquicentennial (150th) Anniversary, the Niwot Historical Society released a book, Niwot: The Spirit of Colorado, published in conjunction with the anniversary.

The book was created by Kathy Koehler, president of the Niwot Historical Society, and explores the rich history of Niwot, from its roots as a small railroad town to the thriving community it is today. The book contains full-color pictures from decades past along with pages and pages of information about Niwot and the surrounding areas.

The book had a somewhat turbulent funding phase, with some complications occurring that slowed development. According to Koehler, "The initial funding request for this Sesquicentennial Anniversary book's financial production cost was submitted to the Niwot LID in October 2024." Although the LID advisory committee was supportive of the project, LID members had many questions and recommendations with respect to publication, and the request was tabled.

Despite the setback, Koehler didn't give up on her idea. Both she and a group of volunteers continued researching and discovering data in order to publish the book on their own. In Koehler's words, "Research and development of the book continued without any local financial support because the sesquicentennial anniversary was special and would never happen again. So research continued to document the history of Niwot in a timeline format, year-by-year."

The book talks about more than just the town, however. It also discusses the people and events that shaped Niwot into what it is today. It pays homage to Chief Niwot, the Arapaho tribal leader after whom the town is named, and discusses major events that affected regions across the state, such as the Pike's Peak Gold Rush and the controversial Treaty of Fort Wise. Koehler, a native of Boulder County, said the book gives a complete story of the region rather than just a quick snapshot, in order to have a much greater effect on both the reader and their knowledge of Niwot as a whole after reading.

The book uses many sources for data in order to ensure accuracy. According to the Niwot Historical Society, the book was written after "meticulous research drawn from Boulder County and Federal records, local newspapers, Niwot Historical Society Archives and Artifacts, local history books and extensive ancestry databases."

Teams of local volunteers and community members sifted through the material to ensure that the knowledge of their history could be taught and passed down to future generations. When asked about this forwarding of knowledge, Koehler said, "I hope people enjoy and care enough about learning about Niwot and the surrounding area to learn and appreciate more about the past so they can better help to preserve for our future generations."

Niwot: The Spirit Of Colorado will be available for $50 on Amazon or at the Firehouse Museum at community events starting in late May. All proceeds will go to production costs and all donations will go to the Niwot Historical Society.