Sloan's Lake
Encyclopedia
Sloan's Lake is a body of water, park, and neighborhood in Denver
, Colorado
, US
. The neighborhood is located on the northwest side of Denver. The lake is the central feature of Sloan's Lake Park, which is managed by the Parks and Recreation division of the City and County of Denver.
, Edgewater
and Wheat Ridge
. The approximate boundaries are Sheridan Boulevard to the west, 17th Avenue to the south, Federal Boulevard to the east, and 26th Avenue to the north. There are no tributary rivers to the lake. St. Anthony Central Hospital is southeast of this area, between 17th Avenue and Colfax Avenue
in a neighborhood known as West Colfax
.
crossed through where Sloan's Lake is now. A homesteader
named Thomas F. Sloan received a patent for the land from US President Andrew Johnson
in December 1866. He used the land for agricultural purposes, farming and raising cattle. A commonly accepted legend states that Sloan dug a well on the land, inadvertently tapping into an underground aquifer
, and that when he awoke the next morning, part of his farm land was covered in water. This flooded what was known as South Golden Road, and eventually Colfax Avenue would become the major east-west thoroughfare in this part of the city. The lake once exceeded 200 acre (0.809372 km²) and extended north and west beyond its current size, but portions were filled north of 25th Avenue and west of Sheridan Boulevard.
The area surrounding the lake was once home to an amusement park
and swimming facility known as Manhattan Beach
. Opened to the public 27 June 1881, it was the first amusement park to be built west of the Mississippi River
(it burnt down in 1908 and was rebuilt as Luna Park later that year); mishaps and competition from other such attractions in the vicinity (Elitch Gardens
and Lakeside Amusement Park
) led to its closure in 1914. Cooper Lake, a separate body of water just southeast of Sloan's Lake, would fall under the jurisdiction of the federal Works Projects Administration
in the 1930s, and a plan was developed which involved building channels beneath the surface of the water on both lakes. This essentially created one body of water that has commonly become known as Sloan's Lake. The size of the present-day combined Sloan's Lake and Cooper Lake is 177 acre (0.71629422 km²).
). Typical activities at Sloan's Lake include hiking, jogging and bicycling on the trails and sidewalks that surround the lake, and fishing and boating on the lake itself. There are basketball
and tennis
courts located in the park. An annual event known as the Dragon Boat Festival attracts thousands of visitors each summer, celebrating Asian American
culture and civilization.
The population of the neighborhood is approximately 8,500 residents. According to the 2000 census, the average household income is $48,300, somewhat less than the Denver city average. The neighborhood has a wide range of incomes, with about twelve percent of the population under the poverty line and 16.5 percent of the population making more than 200 percent above the Denver average. The housing stock in Sloan's Lake is likewise diverse with a wide range of housing and styles including 1920s bungalows to new, post-modern architecture. More than 55 percent of Sloan's Lake residents own their home, an above average figure for Denver. The average home sale price in Sloan's Lake is $259,000, nearly $20,000 less than Denver's average.
The neighborhood's total crime rate of 53 per 1,000 people is below that for the city as a whole.
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...
, 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...
, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The neighborhood is located on the northwest side of Denver. The lake is the central feature of Sloan's Lake Park, which is managed by the Parks and Recreation division of the City and County of Denver.
Location
Sloan's Lake is located on the western edge of Denver's city limits, adjacent to the suburbs of LakewoodLakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010...
, Edgewater
Edgewater, Colorado
The City of Edgewater is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Edgewater is located on the northwest side of Denver, in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population is 5,170...
and Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
The City of Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
. The approximate boundaries are Sheridan Boulevard to the west, 17th Avenue to the south, Federal Boulevard to the east, and 26th Avenue to the north. There are no tributary rivers to the lake. St. Anthony Central Hospital is southeast of this area, between 17th Avenue and Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue is the main street that runs east–west through the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area in Colorado. As U.S. Highway 40, it was one of two principal highways serving Denver before the Interstate Highway System was constructed. In the local street system, it lies 15 blocks north of the zero...
in a neighborhood known as West Colfax
West Colfax, Denver
West Colfax is a neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The neighborhood is located in the West Denver area. According to the Piton Foundation, in 2007, the population of the neighborhood was 11,285, and there were 3,958 housing units.-Boundaries:...
.
History
The true history of the creation of Sloan's Lake may never be officially known, but during the settlement of the Denver area in the mid to late 19th century, the lake did not exist. A road connecting Denver and the western suburb of GoldenGolden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
crossed through where Sloan's Lake is now. A homesteader
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
named Thomas F. Sloan received a patent for the land from US President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
in December 1866. He used the land for agricultural purposes, farming and raising cattle. A commonly accepted legend states that Sloan dug a well on the land, inadvertently tapping into an underground aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
, and that when he awoke the next morning, part of his farm land was covered in water. This flooded what was known as South Golden Road, and eventually Colfax Avenue would become the major east-west thoroughfare in this part of the city. The lake once exceeded 200 acre (0.809372 km²) and extended north and west beyond its current size, but portions were filled north of 25th Avenue and west of Sheridan Boulevard.
The area surrounding the lake was once home to an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
and swimming facility known as Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach (Denver)
Manhattan Beach was a former amusement park in Denver . It was built on the shore of Sloan's Lake in Edgewater, Colorado and was the first amusement park created west of the Mississippi River...
. Opened to the public 27 June 1881, it was the first amusement park to be built west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
(it burnt down in 1908 and was rebuilt as Luna Park later that year); mishaps and competition from other such attractions in the vicinity (Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Colorado...
and Lakeside Amusement Park
Lakeside Amusement Park
Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado near Denver. Originally named White City, it was opened in 1908 as a popular amusement resort adjacent to Lake Rhoda spearheaded by prominent Denver brewer Adolph Zang...
) led to its closure in 1914. Cooper Lake, a separate body of water just southeast of Sloan's Lake, would fall under the jurisdiction of the federal Works Projects Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
in the 1930s, and a plan was developed which involved building channels beneath the surface of the water on both lakes. This essentially created one body of water that has commonly become known as Sloan's Lake. The size of the present-day combined Sloan's Lake and Cooper Lake is 177 acre (0.71629422 km²).
Character
At 177 acre (0.71629422 km²), Sloan's Lake Park is the second largest park in Denver (after City ParkCity Park, Denver
City Park is an urban park and neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. The park is and is located in east-central Denver. The park contains the Denver Zoo, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Ferril and Duck Lakes, and a boathouse. City Park is also the name of the neighborhood that contains the...
). Typical activities at Sloan's Lake include hiking, jogging and bicycling on the trails and sidewalks that surround the lake, and fishing and boating on the lake itself. There are basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts located in the park. An annual event known as the Dragon Boat Festival attracts thousands of visitors each summer, celebrating Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
culture and civilization.
The population of the neighborhood is approximately 8,500 residents. According to the 2000 census, the average household income is $48,300, somewhat less than the Denver city average. The neighborhood has a wide range of incomes, with about twelve percent of the population under the poverty line and 16.5 percent of the population making more than 200 percent above the Denver average. The housing stock in Sloan's Lake is likewise diverse with a wide range of housing and styles including 1920s bungalows to new, post-modern architecture. More than 55 percent of Sloan's Lake residents own their home, an above average figure for Denver. The average home sale price in Sloan's Lake is $259,000, nearly $20,000 less than Denver's average.
The neighborhood's total crime rate of 53 per 1,000 people is below that for the city as a whole.