[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HAPPY 125TH BIRTHDAY TO LAFAYETTE, COLORADO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JARED POLIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 9, 2014

  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 125th 
birthday of the city of Lafayette Colorado, one of the historical gems 
of the Rocky Mountain Front Range. Lafayette is set in a dramatic 
location at the area that the plains meet the Rocky Mountains. Before 
the land was settled, the Cheyenne and Arapahoe nations roamed the 
plains. After migrating from the east coast, frontier woman Mary Miller 
raised her six children on the land and cultivated one of the most 
successful farms in Colorado. In 1888 Mary platted a 150 acre two site 
and named it Lafayette, after her late husband. The town had 
agricultural and ranching success which continues to shape its 
landscape and culture. In 1889 the town was officially incorporated 
into Colorado.
  After the first mine shaft was dug in 1887, Lafayette grew to a 
thriving mining town. The community survived on the coal mining 
industry for the century to come. The last mine in Lafayette closed in 
1956 and the town became a successful commercial and small industrial 
community nestled between Denver and Boulder.
  Lafayette is known for their commitment to local art, respect of the 
environment, and historical preservation in their city. I congratulate 
the people of Lafayette for 125 years of community and prosperity and 
look eagerly forward to the future of this beautiful city.

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