Lyons
The Town of Lyons is a Statutory Town in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2033 at the 2010 United States Census, up from 1585 at the 2000 United States Census. Lyons is located at the confluence of North St. Vrain Creek and South St. Vrain Creek, 20 miles (32 km) east of Rocky Mountain National Park. Due to its location at the intersection of State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 36 which lead to Rocky Mountain National Park, it is sometimes referred to as "The Double Gateway to the Rockies".
Facts about Lyons
Geography
Lyons is located in northern Boulder County at 40°13′26″N 105°16′8″W (40.223935, -105.269013).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²), of which 0.015 square miles (0.04 km²), or 1.30%, is water, consisting of St. Vrain Creek and its branches.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,585 people, 672 households, and 436 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,273.5 people per square mile (493.5/km²). There were 686 housing units at an average density of 551.2 per square mile (213.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.49% White, 0.38% African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 4.23% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.01% of the population.
There were 672 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.85.
History
The first main building to be built was the red sandstone schoolhouse in 1881. The booming population resulted in the town adding a second floor a few years later. It was also used for church and town meetings until 1894 when the Old Stone Church was built. In 1979, it was saved from demolition and converted into the town's history museum by the Lyons Historical Society.
The town has large red sandstone mountains on three sides. Its rock, from the Permian period, about 260 million years ago, is considered the hardest sandstone in the world, and has a unique red or salmon color. While E. S. Lyon established the quarrying business in the town, his business was not a big success, and he left for California. Numerous owners succeeded him and developed various successful quarries over time. Murphy, Brodie, Ohline, Loukonen and Vasquez are among the most noteworthy owners. A railroad built to the town in the late 19th century gave the quarries a significant boost.
