Pastimes: Longmont, a century past

Anne Dyni Pastimes

A s Longmont enters the second decade of the 21st century, let’s look back to see how far we’ve come in one hundred years.

At the dawn of the 20th century, Longmont was a small agricultural town with a population of only 2,201. Its mayor, realtor Frank Miller, was just completing his final term in office. Construction of the latest addition to Central School on Bross Street had just been completed, and the high school football players were about to become World Champions with a 13-0 win over Chicago in 1908.

The maternity ward of the new Longmont Hospital at Fourth and Coffman streets was welcoming newborns to town, while Mountain View and Burlington cemeteries were providing final resting places for citizens just leaving.

In the first decade of the 1900s, Longmont was considered the most important grain market in Colorado. Wheat harvested from surrounding fields kept three large flour mills operating to capacity. In good years, they could process up to 600,000 bushels per day.

Another agribusiness giant was the new sugar beet factory southeast of town. Built in 1903, it was the second beet mill constructed along the Front Range. Within the first year, many area farmers signed contracts with the Great Western Sugar Company to raise this new crop.

John Empson’s Packing Company had grown considerably since its founding in 1887. It processed a variety of locally grown vegetables at its facilities on Third Avenue, and by 1905 it was considered the largest pea cannery in the world.

In 1900, Longmont was served by two railroads with a third about to be added. There were six churches in town and only a few saloons. This was likely the result of a $700 annual licensing fee levied on all drinking establishments.

Early photos from this period depict more horse-drawn vehicles than cars, but that was about to change.

Anne Dyni has lived in Colorado since 1979. She is the author of four books and creator of three videos on Boulder County history. She served as a cultural history volunteer with the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department for 20 years.