Littleton

The beginnings of Littleton can be traced to the "Pikes Peak" gold rush of 1859. Along with the gold-seekers came merchants and farmers to provide the necessities of life. As the fledgling metropolis of Denver City began to grow, the need arose to construct a series of ditches to carry water to farms and businesses without ready access to rivers and creeks in this arid land.

Agriculture remained the staple industry of Littleton until after World War II. Beginning with electronics and pneumatics, moving to munitions and finally to aerospace, manufacturing became the important employer and a magnet for the boom in housing development during the fifties, sixties and seventies. Littleton added Arapahoe Community College in 1965 and Chatfield Reservoir in 1972 to further enhance its appeal. When Littleton celebrated its centennial in 1990, its population had grown to 33,661.

City of Littleton