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The devastating flood of 1965 caused millions
of dollars of property damage to Douglas County and the Denver Area. Water
tore down Plum Creek, wiping out bridges and overpasses, and making the
creek impassable for weeks afterward. Photo by Charles Waldo Love, Douglas County History Research Center #93006.009.
Colorado Western Development Company began the development
of Perry Park in 1968, one year after it purchased the Perry Park Ranch.
Colorado Western Development Collection.
A number of UFO sightings were reported in Douglas County throughout the
late 1960's. These headlines appeared in the Douglas County News and the
Rocky Mountain News between 1966 and 1968.
The Parker Library joined the Douglas County Library System in 1971. This
article appeared in the Douglas County News in September of that year.
Douglas County History Research Center #95054.002
The fire that destroyed the rhyolite Douglas County Courthouse apparently
started as a nuisance fire of a set of newspapers in the hallway. The
courthouse's wooden interior was engulfed within a few minutes. Douglas County History Research Center #93018.006
Mission Viejo filed an application to build a new community in northern
Douglas County in 1979. Photo by James
Cook Photography, Courtesy Shea
Homes.
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1961
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| * Current Douglas County High School built. (Our
Heritage p.368) |
| * Castlewood Canyon State Park established (Appleby,
56) |
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1962
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| * Franktown Fire Department and Fire District established
(Appleby p.52) |
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1964
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| * Parker celebrates its centennial. |
| * Proposal is made to build the "World Science Tower"
1.5 miles north of Larkspur. The tower was to be the tallest building
in the world, with an amusement park below. |
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1965
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* June 16 - Flood causes major destruction in Douglas
County and Denver. The flood started as a cloudburst near Larkspur,
and spread northward along Plum and Cherry Creeks. (Roudebush p.
23) Plum Creek was impassable for weeks after the storm and newly
completed sections of I-25 near Castle Rock were destroyed. Residents
were airlifted across the creek for several days after the flood.
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| * Westcreek School closes (last of one room schools
to close in the county, children sent to Woodland Park.) (News
Press 2 September 1965) |
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1966
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| * Franktown school closes. (Bull) |
| * Douglas County Library Board established, Douglas
County Commissioners contribute money to the library for the first
time, establishing the first "Public" library. (Maguire) |
| * UFO reports flood the Denver Area after 7 people
claim to see UFOs in Daniel's Park. (Denver
Post 14 April 1966) |
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1967
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| * Budget for all Douglas County operations reaches
$306,089. |
| * Perry Park is sold to Colorado Western Development
Company. (Webb p. 52) |
| * Castle Rock Junior High School built. (Everest
p.3) |
| * Castle Rock Library opens in a storefront. (Maguire) |
| * Louviers Library comes under the jurisdiction
of Douglas County. The original library was run by DuPont and opened
in 1924 (Maguire) |
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1968
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| * January: Prank by two Castle Rock boys causes 30
Douglas County residents to report a UFO over the courthouse in Castle
Rock. (RMN 11 Jan 1968) |
| * December - Castle Rock Library opens in building
on Gilbert St. (Appleby p.14) |
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1969
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| * Groundbreaking held for a "heritage park" to open
in Castle Rock. (News-Press, 19 June
1969) |
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1970
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| * Parker Library opens as book depository. (Maguire) |
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1971
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| * DuPont ceases dynamite operations at Louviers.
(DC News 1/21/1971) |
| * The total assessed valuation of Douglas County
is $27,569,450. (Weir p.394) |
| * Parker Library joins Douglas County Library System.
(Maguire) |
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1972
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1973
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1974
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| * Two Forks Dam proposed on the South Platte River.
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1975
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| * Colorado Division of Parks purchases 500 acres
which will be the nucleus of Roxborough State Park. |
| * Douglas County Master Planning begins. |
| * Bear Canon Agricultural District named to National
Register of Historic Places (Appleby
p. 59) |
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1976
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| * Lawrence C. Phipps, Jr., dies at the Highlands
Ranch Mansion. (Appleby p.63) |
| * Douglas County Courthouse listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. (Appleby
p. 24) |
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1977
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| * Highlands Ranch sold to a group of Denver businessmen.
(Appleby p.63) |
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1978
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| * January - Mission Viejo Company entered into a
two-year option agreement leading to the acquisition of Highlands
Ranch. Mission Viejo Company initiated a three phase planning program
to formulate a development plan for Highlands Ranch. (Appleby
p.63) |
| * March 11 Douglas County courthouse burns after
a nuisance fire rages out of control. (Appleby
p.24) |
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1979
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| * April - Mission Viejo Company files its application
with Douglas County for a New Communities Permit and zoning for a
planned community development. (Highlands Ranch) |
| * December - Highlands Ranch is officially purchased
by Mission Viejo. |
| * Library opens in Acres Green Subdivision. (Maguire)
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