| When you arrive in
the town of Parker, what you'll see amid the rolling plains is a growing community of new
shops, low buildings, new home communities and lots of open space. Parker has worked
hard to keep it's small town flavor and atmosphere even though it's currently one of the
fastest growing cities in the United States. You can find homes with an amazing view
of the Rockies, Downtown City Lights, or nestled in the Pines. Parker's very modest beginning came in 1860, when a
one-room shack was moved from Pine Grove over to Cherry Creek to serve as a stage stop
called, appropriately, the Twenty-Mile House. It was twenty miles from the
origination point of the Butterfield stage, what today is the intersection of Colorado
Boulevard and Colfax Avenue in bustling Denver. The humble little shack grew
into a ten room Inn, changed hands twice and finally became a major stopping point for the
railroad in 1882 under the ownership of James Sample Parker.
What doesn't show when you're in Parker
today are the scars that ravaged the area during the 1930's depression when the bank was
robbed, railroad tracks were washed out and low produce prices almost wiped out the small
village.
It was a struggle just to hang on for the
next thirty years, but the same impetus that first created a need for the Twenty-Mile
House, provided the resuscitation the little town needed to become the hub of one of the
fastest growing areas in the state today. That impetus was Denver.
Denver, twenty miles to the northwest, was
getting crowded. Developers and planners wisely looked to this area and found a
beautiful environment where rural living could combine with modern day necessities, where
country pleasures would join with today's desired amenities. Today, the Parker
governmental agencies and residents are striving to insure that this beautiful rural area
is not spoiled by over-building and lack of planning. Beautiful walking and biking
trails and equestrian facilities abound in the Parker vicinity.
Historic Franktown, located only seven
miles south of Parker, was the original site of the Douglas County seat and the location
of the first gold find in Colorado.
For those who desire acreage or stable
facilities, the Parker area and Douglas County abound with a variety of choices.
While driving around the Parker area, one might imagine they are in Kentucky with all the
beautiful rolling green hills. with rail fences. horses, stables, arenas and barns in the
area. Pick-up trucks and large horse trailers are a familiar sight on Douglas County
roads.
Other amenities in the area include a
recreation center, a new public library and two golf courses, the Canterberry Golf Course
and the Pinery Golf Course. Also visit the new skate park located near the Parker
Recreation Center!
Facts
| Population: 19,000 |
| City Government:
Mayor / Town Council |
| Sales Tax: 7.8% |
| Median Income:
$52,560 |
| Average Home Price:
$180,000 |
| School District:
Douglas County |
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