WELCOME!

to the Arvada Historical Society. We are located in Arvada, Colorado, on the northwest border of Denver, in Jefferson county Our history began when Lewis Ralston discovered gold here in 1850, at the confluence of an unnamed tributary of Clear Creek (now known as Ralston Creek) - the first documented gold strike in Colorado. By the early 1860s, the land was being farmed, watered by ditches essential to agriculture in our semi-arid region. Benjamin Wadsworth and Louis Reno platted the town, and Wadsworth established the first post office in 1870. Agriculture was the mainstay of the town, which at one time was renowned as the "Celery Capital of the World."

In May 2005, the Arvada Historical Society, founded in 1972, moved into the historic McIlvoy House. We are excited that our collections of historic photographs, documents, books, and newspapers, among others, are now available to the public. Come visit us at 7307 Grandview Avenue - we'll put on the coffee pot and chat about Arvada, or perhaps look through the photos. Maybe you'll recognize a face or place. There's nothing better than a visit from a neighbor to make our day!

Our dedicated volunteers are organizing and cataloging the collections, and we plan to begin posting information from the archives here at our website.

We invite you to browse our website and learn more about the history of this community, Arvada, that we call home. Visit often, and remember to bookmark this site!

AHS Annual Picnic and Reunion Day

Old Timers of Arvada, and all graduates and non-graduates of Arvada area high schools are invited to Reunion Day, in conjunction with the Arvada Historical Society's Annual Picnic, Sunday, August 20 at 12:30 pm. The picnic and reunions will be held at the Pioneer Pavilion, North Jeffco Park, 9101 Ralston Road. Cold drinks will be provided, bring your basket lunch and join all the old timers and youngsters for a fun day of reminiscing.

There are a number of high school classes planning specific reunions on this date. If yours is not on the list and it should be, or for more information, please call Arvada Historical Society at 303-431-1261.

• Arvada High School, classes of 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960.
• Arvada, Arvada West High School, classes of 1965 and 1970.
• Arvada, Arvada West, and Pomona High School, classes of 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000.

Annual Breakfast and Meeting

The 2010 Annual Breakfast and meeting of the Arvada Historical Society was held Saturday morning, 28 August at the Shrine of St. Anne's Catholic Church in central Arvada. The meeeting was well attended, and the breakfast was appreciated, as the volunteers of St. Anne's once again did a fantastic job of providing a bountiful meal for the members.

President Julie Graham reviewed the past year and previewed the coming programs, while honoring many who had given so much to the Society during the past year, especially Bill Henning, who is retiring from the Arvada Center, where he supervised the Historical Society's museum exhibits, and Mickey Maker, who has served in so many capacities, most notably as the editor of the "Historian" for many years.

Annual Farmer's Market and Community Flea Market

The Arvada Historical Society’s annual Farmer’s Market has returned,Saturdays from 9am-2pm at the Arvada Flour Mill Pavilion, 5590 Wadsworth Boulevard (produce will be sold the first week of July, but come see us in June for other goodies to be sold). We will be adding a Community Flea Market to this event. Instead of having a Yard Sale at home, come up to the Flour Mill parking lot and, for $10, you can bring your own table (or sell out of your vehicle), and sell your items. Flea market vendors, for only $100, you can sell your wares from June-September. The cost of your spot goes to our Mill Restoration fund. You are helping us restore an historic landmark. Please call Scott Staley at 303-431-1261 if you need any additional information.

Click here for some photos from Ralston Cemetery.

Click here for information on how your donations can help the Arvada Historical Society.

Any additional details? E-mail webmaster@arvadahistory.org.