Interstate 70 was constructed in the 1950s and 60s through one of the most historic regions in the Rocky Mountains. As Colorado’s population and tourism have grown, the highway is no longer able to handle the demands of peak traffic. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is now faced with the difficult challenge of improving the interstate while carefully considering impacts to historic resources.
CDOT commissioned a context to understand the many historic resources that might be impacted by interstate improvement. Because of our expertise in history and policy contexts, Mountain States Historical was selected to create the guidance document. The context is designed primarily to help CDOT comply with Section 106 regulations, but also to serve other important functions. Local communities will use the context for historic preservation, heritage tourism development, and to nominate properties to the National Register of Historic Places. Regional government agencies need the context for open space projects, and Federal agencies such as the Forest Service can use it for work on their lands.
To respond to all these needs, the context features chapters detailing the region’s diverse history, the wide array of historic resources in the I-70 corridor, and guidelines for assessing their historic significance. The project was extensive, covering historic resources along a corridor 144 miles long and spanning three river drainages. The document deals with a broad range of themes, including:
- Mining
- Timber Industry
- Electric Power Generation
- Agriculture
- Outdoor Recreation
- Railroads
- Road Transportation
- Architectural Resources
Archival research was extensive, as the context covers the history of the I-70 corridor from the first gold strike in 1859 through construction of the interstate. Mountain States Historical set precedent with some historic themes such as Mining, Timber Industry, and Electric Power specific to the central Rockies. The document is the first publication with substantive histories on these subjects. The I-70 context was completed in 2012, and is available through CDOT.
Mountain States Historical has produced mining contexts covering Boulder County, Custer County, San Juan County, uranium mining in western Colorado, statewide Colorado, and Black Hills, South Dakota.
(Photo: Georgetown School (I-70 corridor). Believed to be the oldest extant brick school in Colorado, the Georgetown School was among the early permanent buildings in Georgetown, constructed in 1874.)