The story of Boulder, Colorado begins roughly 300 million years ago when our iconic Flatirons formed the seabed of the ocean that covered the better part of the North American continent. This sea, the Western Interior Seaway, ate away at the sandstone beneath it until it began to resemble the shape of the Flatirons we all know and love. It was not until about 40 million years ago that the Flatirons shifted into their present position when the Rocky Mountains were created, becoming part of the “Fountain Formation.” This formation includes other spectacular Colorado landmarks including the Red... Read More

While she never lived in Boulder, Margaret “Molly” Brown benefited from the same incredible good fortune as Boulder itself due to the mining industry in Colorado. Molly grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, the daughter of poor Irish immigrants. From ages thirteen to eighteen, she worked in a tobacco factory to help support her family. The harsh working conditions there inspired her interest in reform and labor movements later in life. Molly and her brother Daniel moved in Leadville, Colorado in 1886, where Molly went to work in a department store. There, she met and soon married mining engineer... Read More

The story goes that “Boulder” was discovered by Anglo-Americans when gold was first discovered in Gold Hill in the fall of 1858. Chief Niwot, of the Southern Arapahoe tribe, came down to the camp on Boulder Creek, and asked the men to leave his land (oddly enough Chief Niwot spoke English! His sister had married an English speaking fur trader, and he learned it from them). They said they were just staying for the winter, and then going deep into the mountains. Of course, you can deduce what really happened. By 1859, one hundred thousand people came to the Rocky Mountains looking for gold.... Read More

Coffee; the sweet, dark ambrosia that keeps us going throughout the day. In recent years, coffee has become a phenomenon that has seen the proliferation of Starbucks on seemingly every busy street corner, and Boulder has been no exception. However, luckily enough, Boulder possesses it’s more eclectic, independent coffee shops that have proven to be more popular hotspots for locals.           First, a brief history of coffee: Coffee drinking is thought to date back to the 15th Century in Ethiopia. Legend goes that a healer was exiled from his city and sent to live in... Read More

Maybe you already know that the comfortable (and allegedly edible) innovation; the Crocs shoe, was created in Boulder County. Today we’re checking out some less explosive, but equally clever, Boulder-based inventions. This is one smart city, and the products created here prove it! Nimbus Cloud Dome The Nimbus Cloud Dome is a deceptively simple invention created by Boulder resident Cindy Litchfield. As a jewelry maker, she struggled to create close-up, glare-free photos of her products. No one had addressed the problem before, so she took on the challenge. The result was the Nimbus Cloud... Read More

Students and professors at the University of Colorado, Boulder have been studying the effects of black carbon on ice and snow in ecosystems around the world. Black carbon is the byproduct of fossil fuels and wildfires and can be carried long distances via atmospheric transport. Researchers use molecular analysis and have so far proved that Greenland’s ice sheet has been effected by wildfires burning all the way in the Canadian Arctic. Wildfires are predicted to increase in the future, threatening to negatively impact other ice sheets across the globe. According to Scientific America, climate... Read More

Meet “Buddy Boulder,” the mascot proving that even the gleaming citizens of Boulder sometimes make bad decisions. Or eerie ones at the very least. How was this grinning stone created? Well, in 1984 the Boulder Hotel and Motel Association had a “Mascot Mania” event whereby people were allowed to submit mascot ideas for the city of Boulder. The winners received cash prizes. You would think money would be incentive to create something inviting and recognizable. Sure, Buddy has the Flatirons on his head, but we just can’t stop looking at his cold, shifty, doll eyes. The... Read More

Most people know the name “Mary Rippon” from the spectacular outdoor theater where the Colorado Shakespeare Festival performs the works of William Shakespeare every summer. But did you know that Mary Rippon was actually the first female professor at CU Boulder? She taught German there between 1878 and 1909, making her not only the first female professor at CU, but one of the first educators to work there as well there as well. Although born in Illinois, Rippon was offered a teaching position in Boulder after she graduated from university herself. Eager to explore the West and its fascinating... Read More

Up until 1858, few people from the East Coast had any interest in the area that would one day be the state of Colorado. It was not until the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush that settlers came to the region and laid the roots of the town that would become Boulder. Even though small amounts of gold were discovered in Colorado as early as 1850, they went largely ignored; the country was too caught up in the potential wealth to be had in the California Gold Rush. But when the gold of California was exhausted, heads began to turn towards Colorado–or what was then known as the Kansas Territory. The gold... Read More

Inspiration can connect the most far-fetched or opposite ideas and come from the most unlikely of places. To give it further jolt, necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Put the two together and see what curious results give light. So, let’s play a little trivia. What do Boulder High School and beer brewing have in common? No, I’m not talking about teenage alcoholism so cross that snarky answer off the list. What they do both have in common are some interesting ties through both historical and modern day Boulder in a unique way: Crystal Springs Brewing Company. Some people search their... Read More