Aerial View of Golden, 1966

View of Golden from an airplane,taken in 1966 by Bill Robie

58 Years Ago
Here’s an interesting photo from Bill Robie’s treasure trove. He took it during a brief airplane ride in March of 1966. The plane would have been over Highway 6, looking east. The road in the middle of the photo is 18th Street and the larger one to the right is 19th Street.

*The Hall of Justice – Golden History Museum collection –* *enlarge*

1 The big white building was the Hall of Justice. It was quite new at the time, having opened in 1965. This was replaced when our “new” courthouse and jail were built in the early 1990s.

*The Jefferson County Courthouse, featuring the Sheriff, his Deputies, and their fleet of 1959 Edsels – Golden History Museum collection*

2 The building to the left was the Jefferson County courthouse, which was built in 1958 and was replaced in 1991.

*1878 Willets Map of Golden Colorado – redrawn by Dan Abbott – “Public Square” became “City Park” (and at times, “Pioneer Park”)*

3 This open space, edged by trees, is the remnant of City Park. This was a large plot of land that was reserved in our earliest plats to serve as a public park. After World War II, citizens voted to sell the property to the County and the School of Mines.

Baptist Church at 19th & Washington – top photo from Google Street Images and lower photo from the Colorado Transcript – August 8, 1963

4 The Baptist church, which had been built in 1961, was smaller at the time.

*US Bank building from Google Satellite Images*

5 The red brick building at 19th & Jackson was under construction. It would open as a Food King store, later become a King Soopers, and is now US Bank.

*Safeway building from Google Satellite Images*

6 The current Safeway store wasn’t built until 1980, so this area was homes and yards.

Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!