History of Walden
The Ute Indians called North Park their summer residence prior to 1820. The hunting and trapping era spanned 1820–1874, with Jacques Bijeau, a fur trapper, being the first white man to arrive in 1820. North Park was a component of Summit County when the Colorado Territory was established in 1861, and there were 17 counties total. North Park was part of Grand County, which was established in 1874 by merging Summit County. Grand County and Larimer County both asserted their jurisdiction over North Park and had the ability to assess and collect property taxes. North Park was a part of Larimer County until 1909 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the county in 1886. Jackson County was established on May 5, 1909, by dividing away Larimer County. The county allegedly was named after President Andrew Jackson.
Abraham Lafever registered the initial plat on June 13, 1889, using the name Walden. Mark S. Walden, the postmaster of Sage Hen Springs, a nearby town, served as the inspiration for the town’s name. It is believed that Sage Hen Springs was situated 14 miles east of Walden on the Laramie-Teller City Road. The description appears on the original plat, “This town occupies the SE/4 of SE/4 of Section 20, T9N, R79W of the 6th P.M. All blocks are 270 feet by 600 feet. All streets are 60 feet wide except the North and South street on Section lime between Section 20 and 21 which is 80 feet wide. All lots are 25 feet by 135 feet.”
