Severance, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Severance is a Statutory Town in Weld County
, Colorado
, United States
. The population was 597 at the 2000 census
. The town is located on the Colorado Eastern Plains
, northwest of Greeley
, a crossroads of county roads. Founded in the late 19th century as an agricultural community, the town remained primarily a small rural farming community based on the raising of cattle
, sugar beet
s, potato
es, and onion
s. In the 1990s it began to grow aggressively by the construction of new residential subdivision
s in the nearby rural areas of Weld County, especially as growth spilled over from nearby Windsor
. The construction of new residential communities near the town has left the original agricultural community surrounded by modern construction and contributed to an upsurge in population. The town limits, extended through flagpole annexations, reach in tendrils nearly to Windsor and Fort Collins
. Since the economic
base of the town is quite limited, many of the new residents commute to jobs in Greeley, Fort Collins, Windsor, and even to Denver
. Like many communities in western Weld County, the town afford a panoramic scenic view of the Front Range
to the west.
Severance is famous within the region as the location of Bruce's Bar, a local watering hole founded in the 1950s. Located on the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Weld County Road 23, Bruce's was well-known for its offering of Rocky Mountain oysters
(deep-fried bull
testicles). The bar was particularly popular as a gathering place for recreational motorcyclists
within the region. This included the Two-Wheelers Motorcycle Club Nut Run in the fall of each year. Members from Cheyenne, WY and Denver would converge with thousands of other bikers in the region in a traditional end of riding season ride to Bruce's for music, beer and bikes.
Owner Bruce Ruth died in August 2006, and the bar's survival had been in question after Ruth's death. It was thought that the bar went to his son, Steve Ruth, and two long time employees, Dennis Guffy and Linda Winter, who together had more than 65 years experience at the bar. However, the transfer of ownership stumbled because the Severance Town Council denied a liquor license due to building code and safety issues with the structure. Steve Ruth sent a fax from London on January 31, 2007 to bar manager Bary Brim telling the staff to close the bar. Apparently the younger Ruth could not justify the cost of making the necessary changes.
In February 2008, Jairo Landeros of Berthoud, Colorado purchased the building. He and building contractor Bruce Carron made substantial repairs to the building and upgraded the kitchen. Bruce's Bar reopened in October 2008. The new ownership has engaged the services of former employees Linda Winter and Dennis Guffy, who was the long-time cook and prepared the Rocky Mountain Oysters. The new management has upgraded the facility, while attempting to maintain the atmosphere and much of the menu of the former Bruce's Bar. The "Nut Run" , started by the owner of 2 Wheelers Motorcycle shop in Denver will once again have their annual festivities in September 2009.
Severance is also the home of KYEN
radio, a commercial-free classic-rock station with a far-reaching signal which can be heard as far away as Denver.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.27%) is water.
of 2000, there were 597 people, 201 households, and 162 families residing in the town. The population density
was 288.5 people per square mile (111.4/km²). There were 207 housing units at an average density of 100.0 per square mile (38.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.46% White, 0.34% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 5.19% from other races
, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.39% of the population.
There were 201 households out of which 52.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.7% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town the population was spread out with 35.0% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 41.4% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,625, and the median income for a family was $55,781. Males had a median income of $40,375 versus $26,645 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,625. About 2.8% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Weld County, Colorado
As of the census of 2000, there were 180,936 people, 63,247 households, and 45,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 66,194 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 597 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The town is located on the Colorado Eastern Plains
Colorado Eastern Plains
The Eastern Plains of Colorado refers to a region of the U.S. state of Colorado east of the Rocky Mountains and east of the population centers of the Front Range.-Geography:...
, northwest of Greeley
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
, a crossroads of county roads. Founded in the late 19th century as an agricultural community, the town remained primarily a small rural farming community based on the raising of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
s, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, and onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s. In the 1990s it began to grow aggressively by the construction of new residential subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
s in the nearby rural areas of Weld County, especially as growth spilled over from nearby Windsor
Windsor, Colorado
The Town of Windsor is a Home Rule Municipality in Larimer and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town was 18,644. Windsor is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Windsor is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in...
. The construction of new residential communities near the town has left the original agricultural community surrounded by modern construction and contributed to an upsurge in population. The town limits, extended through flagpole annexations, reach in tendrils nearly to Windsor and Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
. Since the economic
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
base of the town is quite limited, many of the new residents commute to jobs in Greeley, Fort Collins, Windsor, and even to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Like many communities in western Weld County, the town afford a panoramic scenic view of the Front Range
Front Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
to the west.
Severance is famous within the region as the location of Bruce's Bar, a local watering hole founded in the 1950s. Located on the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Weld County Road 23, Bruce's was well-known for its offering of Rocky Mountain oysters
Rocky Mountain oysters
Rocky Mountain oysters are bull calf testicles used as food.They are often deep-fried after being peeled, coated in flour, pepper and salt, and sometimes pounded flat...
(deep-fried bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
testicles). The bar was particularly popular as a gathering place for recreational motorcyclists
Biker culture
Biker culture can refer to:* Motorcycle clubs, groups of individuals whose primary interest and activities involve motorcycles.* Outlaw motorcycle clubs, also called a one percenter clubs or motorcycle gangs....
within the region. This included the Two-Wheelers Motorcycle Club Nut Run in the fall of each year. Members from Cheyenne, WY and Denver would converge with thousands of other bikers in the region in a traditional end of riding season ride to Bruce's for music, beer and bikes.
Owner Bruce Ruth died in August 2006, and the bar's survival had been in question after Ruth's death. It was thought that the bar went to his son, Steve Ruth, and two long time employees, Dennis Guffy and Linda Winter, who together had more than 65 years experience at the bar. However, the transfer of ownership stumbled because the Severance Town Council denied a liquor license due to building code and safety issues with the structure. Steve Ruth sent a fax from London on January 31, 2007 to bar manager Bary Brim telling the staff to close the bar. Apparently the younger Ruth could not justify the cost of making the necessary changes.
In February 2008, Jairo Landeros of Berthoud, Colorado purchased the building. He and building contractor Bruce Carron made substantial repairs to the building and upgraded the kitchen. Bruce's Bar reopened in October 2008. The new ownership has engaged the services of former employees Linda Winter and Dennis Guffy, who was the long-time cook and prepared the Rocky Mountain Oysters. The new management has upgraded the facility, while attempting to maintain the atmosphere and much of the menu of the former Bruce's Bar. The "Nut Run" , started by the owner of 2 Wheelers Motorcycle shop in Denver will once again have their annual festivities in September 2009.
Severance is also the home of KYEN
KYEN
KYEN is a radio station licensed to Severance, Colorado, USA. The station serves the Ft. Collins - Greeley area. The station is currently owned by Cochise Media Licenses, LLC....
radio, a commercial-free classic-rock station with a far-reaching signal which can be heard as far away as Denver.
Geography
Severance is located at 40.535208°N 104.850761°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.27%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 597 people, 201 households, and 162 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 288.5 people per square mile (111.4/km²). There were 207 housing units at an average density of 100.0 per square mile (38.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.46% White, 0.34% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 5.19% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.39% of the population.
There were 201 households out of which 52.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town the population was spread out with 35.0% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 41.4% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,625, and the median income for a family was $55,781. Males had a median income of $40,375 versus $26,645 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $17,625. About 2.8% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
See also
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaDenver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Areathumb|300px|Map of the 12-county Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaThe Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Combined Statistical Area located in the Denver region of the state of Colorado...
- Front Range Urban CorridorFront Range Urban CorridorThe Front Range Urban Corridor is an oblong region of urban population located along the eastern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. The corridor derives its name from the Front Range, the mountain range that defines the west central boundary of the...
- Greeley Metropolitan Statistical Area
- State of Colorado
- Weld County, ColoradoWeld County, ColoradoAs of the census of 2000, there were 180,936 people, 63,247 households, and 45,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 66,194 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
External links
- Town of Severance website
- CDOT map of the Town of Severance
- Windsor Beacon oldest newspaper in Severance