Aaron D'Albey
Current Gallery: leyden ( piece)
In this 2008 series I walked the length of Leyden Road (aka West 80th Avenue) near Arvada, Colorado, recording what I saw in an attempt to document an area that is being encroached upon by suburban development. I grew up near the area and my family and friends would often enjoy the open space which ran most of the length of the southern side of the valley. The valley has a rich history and its coal mine played an important role in the development of the Denver area.
The Leyden Mine was started in the valley in 1864 by the Leyden brothers, Michael, Martin, and John and was once the largest coal mine in Colorado (it was later sold to railroad tycoon David Moffat in 1902), and was responsible for providing much of the energy which allowed the Denver area to grow into prominence. By 1910 it had 250 employees who lived in the town of Leyden located at 82nd and Quaker.
According to historian Richard Gardner in a Denver Post article dated December 23rd, 2010, a fire the night of December 14, 1910 trapped 25 miners 750 feet below the surface. Rescue workers from as far as Telluride came to attempt to save the men. Ultimately 10 miners and 29 mules, including Old Bob, Leyden's first mule who was loved by all, perished. The tragedy shook the region and in a lawsuit which followed, the Leyden Coal Co. agreed to settle individual cases with families for $1,200 a piece, which was a historic victory at that time in Colorado history.
By the time the mine was shut down in 1959 it had produced 6 million tons of coal. The Leyden Lignite Co. sold the town into private hands and the mine became a natural gas reservoir, which now stores water. Most of the town remains preserved and is eligible to be recognized as a historic district. Unfortunately like all things in Arvada, the space is constantly under threat from developers and energy companies as the city continues to look for new ways to generate tax revenue.
For more information or to become involved in the Preserve Leyden Project, email Matthew Prythero at mprythero@chca.onmicrosoft.com or call the Arvada Historical Society at 303-431-1261 ----
This was one of my first series as a photographer, and I wanted to present an air of mystery, danger, discovery, and history as it relates to one of the few remaining pockets of solitude along the Front Range. It really is a cool place and is worth saving.
In this 2008 series I walked the length of Leyden Road (aka West 80th Avenue) near Arvada, Colorado, recording what I saw in an attempt to document an area that is being encroached upon by suburban development. I grew up near the area and my family and friends would often enjoy the open space which ran most of the length of the southern side of the valley. The valley has a rich history and its coal mine played an important role in the development of the Denver area.
The Leyden Mine was started in the valley in 1864 by the Leyden brothers, Michael, Martin, and John and was once the largest coal mine in Colorado (it was later sold to railroad tycoon David Moffat in 1902), and was responsible for providing much of the energy which allowed the Denver area to grow into prominence. By 1910 it had 250 employees who lived in the town of Leyden located at 82nd and Quaker.
According to historian Richard Gardner in a Denver Post article dated December 23rd, 2010, a fire the night of December 14, 1910 trapped 25 miners 750 feet below the surface. Rescue workers from as far as Telluride came to attempt to save the men. Ultimately 10 miners and 29 mules, including Old Bob, Leyden's first mule who was loved by all, perished. The tragedy shook the region and in a lawsuit which followed, the Leyden Coal Co. agreed to settle individual cases with families for $1,200 a piece, which was a historic victory at that time in Colorado history.
By the time the mine was shut down in 1959 it had produced 6 million tons of coal. The Leyden Lignite Co. sold the town into private hands and the mine became a natural gas reservoir, which now stores water. Most of the town remains preserved and is eligible to be recognized as a historic district. Unfortunately like all things in Arvada, the space is constantly under threat from developers and energy companies as the city continues to look for new ways to generate tax revenue.
For more information or to become involved in the Preserve Leyden Project, email Matthew Prythero at mprythero@chca.onmicrosoft.com or call the Arvada Historical Society at 303-431-1261 ----
This was one of my first series as a photographer, and I wanted to present an air of mystery, danger, discovery, and history as it relates to one of the few remaining pockets of solitude along the Front Range. It really is a cool place and is worth saving.
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