Mead, CO: See why this small town has a Unique Footprint

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Mead – A Brief History

The town of Mead began at the intersection of a Great Western Railroad train station and the Beet farm owned by Paul Mead. Paul donatated a corner of his property for a “beet dump”, which is a designated location where farmers stash their beet crop until it can be taken by train to the processing factory.

On the advice of some business associates, Paul and his wife Ariet laid out several blocks and streets, including space for a park and a school. They named the future town Mead after his father, Dr. Martin Luther Mead, MD who was the first resident doctor in the Highlandlake District. In December of 1905, he started offering building lots for sale and sold 35 in the first week alone. By the time he filed the plat with Weld County in February 1906, he had sold over 75 lots. The town of Mead was incorporated in March of 1908.

Although Main street started on the east side of 3rd Street to avoid a “dry” clause in the original property deed, it moved to its currently location on 4th Street in 1910. Many of the new buildings were made of brick produced at the Mead brick yard, some of which are standing today!

The Great Depression of the 1930s dealt a crushing blow to the town which stifled growth for many decades.

1990s: Mead town boundary begins to expand and population grows!

The town began growing again in the 1990s, largely through a land annexation strategy that relies on its convenient location close to I-25, a major transportation corridor. Today, Mead continues growing steadily and calls itself the “Hidden gem of happy living”.

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#1. Mead’s historic park is home to a new Mead Town Hall complex

I arrived in the town of Mead in the early afternoon, and easily located a parking spot on Main Street (3rd Street). I was first drawn to the beautiful Mead Town Park, which i later learned is as old as the town’s origins in 1908. On the corner of the park is the Mead Town Hall and Police Station.

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#2. A quiet but lovely Historic Downtown Main Street that blends the old and the new

After visiting the town Park, I circled back to walk down the historic Main Street, which was quiet except for a renovation project. I learned that the construction noise was related to the finishing touches to a historic building that was being renovated as a community event space. The owner was kind enough to let me walk into the interior to see the beautifully restored bar in the front room and the open rafter space of the event room in back. The Mead Event Center business opened shortly after my visit – Cool!

• Mead Event Center – Google Maps – beautiful interior renovation! Learn more at the Mead Event Center website
• Maggi’s Kitchen – Google Maps – Only restaurant in the historic part of town, open for breakfast and lunch
• Anytime Fitness – Google Maps – located in a lovely old renovated brick building
• Ziggi’s Coffee – Google Maps – located a block from Main Street

A short way down the street was a 3 story brick mixed-use building with retail below and i suspect apartments or offices above – not yet open.

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#3. Signs of Big Construction Projects Everywhere!

Signs of construction were everywhere! As i approached the historic part of Mead, i saw that 3rd Street was being widened. On the edge of historic Main i saw a construction site for a new Community Center. Toward the end of my visit, i saw many school kids walking home from a Grade School and Middle School complex also on the edge of historic Main Street.

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#4. Annexation – The Strategy behind the Unique Town Boundary Footprint of Mead

When i first saw the map outline of Mead, i was reminded of the Rorschach Test (psychological test involving interpretations of inkblots). A closer look at the satelite view shows the small town footprint at its core (Main Street in Yellow in the photos below), surrounded by many areas of farmland all within the town boundary. A little more research indicated that starting in the 1990s, the town leaders have increased the town’s footprint by several orders of magnitude through a process called Municipal Annexation.

The Annexation process involves a municipality acquiring new territory, most commonly by expanding its boundaries into an adjacent unincorporated area.  Mead has annexed land on both sides of I25, including a business area near the Hwy 66 exit.

• Knuckle Puck Brewing – Google Maps – good looking beer menu!
• Sugar Mill Antiques and Vintage Depot – Google Maps
• Mead Pizza Plus – Google Maps
• Doug’s Diner – Google Maps
• Rancheros Restaurant Longmont – Google Maps

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Events

• Events | Mead, CO – see a full list of local community events in Mead
• September – Mead Community Day, largest annual event in town
• December – Parade of lights and Merry Mead Christmas

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Organizations that Support Community

• Home Page | Mead, CO – town website
  • Programs | Mead, CO
  • Youth Athletics | Mead, CO
  • Active Adults | Mead, CO
  • Mead Urban Renewal Authority | Mead, CO – governed by a volunteer board of commissioners; funded by property tax increment financing.
• Mead Area Historical Society – “we are a group of Mead area residents who are pationate about saving the rich history of Mead and the surrounding historic communities.”
• Mead Colorado Economic Development – “Build for Mead” informational website supporting economic development in Mead.
  • Success Stories — Mead Colorado
  • Business Resources — Mead Colorado
• Mead Chamber of Commerce Home

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Map of Mead