Windsor, Colorado
Encyclopedia
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 59 miles (95 km) north
of the Colorado State Capitol
in Denver
. According to Sperling Best Places there are 21,497 residents in Windsor Zip Code(s)
s was taking place at Colorado Agricultural College in Fort Collins, and the capital to advance production and manufacture of beet sugar was coming together. In 1903 a factory for producing sugar from sugar beets was built in Windsor. Sugar beet cultivation required large numbers of "stoop laborers", a need that was met by ethnic German immigrants from Russia. With large families and a strong work ethic, the German-Russians who settled in Windsor and other sugar beet areas would achieve financial success within one generation and own the highest producing beet farms. The Great Western Sugar Company fueled Windsor's economy through the mid 1960's, when the Windsor factory closed. Plentiful water and land drew Kodak to Windsor where it opened a manufacturing plant on the heels of the sugar factory's closing.
Kodak's opening spurred economic development in the town, and a population surge as the sugar beet factory closed. Later in the 1980s Metal Container Corporation (MCC) opened a can factory and Deline Box Company opened a factory, which closed in December of 2010, that primarily served the Budweiser
facility in Fort Collins
, Colorado.
In the last two decades, its central location among the population centers of northern Colorado, together with its proximity to Interstate 25, have made it the site of rapid urban growth, particularly on the western edge of town, as it grows towards the interchange on I-25. In the 1990s, the town limits were westward into Larimer County
. The incorporated town limits west of Interstate 25 are now contiguous with Loveland, and are separated from southeast Fort Collins by the Fossil Creek Open Space public lands of Larimer County acquired through a county-wide vote-approved sales tax.
In this century, there has been significant industrial development on the southeast side of town. Vestas
has a turbine factory, and several related companies, Hexcel and Ice Energy have headquarters in Windsor. Owens Illinois has a glass factory that primarily serves the Budweiser
facility in Fort Collins, Colorado.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 14.9 square miles (38.6 km²), of which, 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (2%) is water.
The Cache la Poudre River
runs through the west
and south
sides of town. It is approximately half-way between Fort Collins
and Greeley
on the BNSF Railway
, and somewhat near the midpoint of a triangle formed by those two cities and Loveland
. The town is bordered on the east
by Greeley
, on the northeast by Severance
, on the northwest by Timnath
, on the west
by Fort Collins
, the southwest by Loveland
, and on the south
by Johnstown
. The town has a scenic view of Longs Peak
and other Front Range
mountain available throughout most all the town when looking to the west.
The main business district of town is east-west, along State Highway 392, which also serves as Windsor's Main Street. The BNSF line runs north of Main Street. The historic early grid of the town extends for roughly six blocks north and south of Main, and less than 10 blocks east and west, with a vibrant square green, called Main Park southeast of downtown. The park is surrounded by residences, and by the Town Hall (formerly Park School), at the north end.
In recent years, commercial development has extended to the Water Valley development, along State Highway 257, near the intersection with
Windsor Lake, a small reservoir in the irrigation system of Weld County, is one block north of the BNSF tracks. The lake is a popular spot for fishing. In the last decade, part of the perimeter of the lake has been rimmed with a bike path. In addition to this reservoir, there are a number of other lakes and reservoirs that have been are former gravel mines along the Cache la Poudre river. These lakes have spurred housing developments and a golf course along their banks.
The Poudre Trail bicycle and pedestrian trail along the north bank of the Poudre includes a segment within the town of Windsor that connects the town with the City of Greeley.
BSk). High temperatures are generally around 85°F (29°C) in the summer and 42°F (5°C) in the winter, although there is significant variation. The hottest days generally occur in late July and the coldest in January. Nighttime lows are near 57°F (14°C) in the summer and around 15°F (-9°C) in the winter. Record high temperatures of 103°F (39°C) have been recorded, as have record low temperatures of -41°F (-40°C). The first freeze typically occurs around September 17, and the last often occurs in mid-May. The most precipitation typically occurs in May.
Extratropical cyclone
s which disrupt the weather for the eastern two-thirds of the US often originate in or near Colorado, which means Windsor does not experience many fully developed storm systems. Thunderstroms are frequent during summer afternoons. Windsor typically experience between 6 and 12 hail
days per year and one of the highest concentrations of tornadic activity anywhere. The area where Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming meet receives the most hail of any location in the United States.
Some days in the winter and spring can be warm and extremely dry, with Chinook wind
s often raising temperatures to near 70°F (21°C) in January and February, and sometimes to near 90°F (32°C) in April. Windsor's elevation and low year-round humidity means that nighttime low temperatures are practically never above 68°F (20°C), even in the very hottest part of the summer. The diurnal temperature range is usually rather wide, with a 50-degree (Fahrenheit) difference between daytime high and nighttime low not uncommon, especially in the spring and fall months. Rapid fluctuation in temperature is also common – a sunny 80°F (27°C) October afternoon can easily give way to a 28°F (-2°C) blizzard within 12 hours.
there were pockets of EF3 damage especially near the Missile Silo Park Campground west of Greeley and to homes and businesses in eastern Windsor. Wind estimates in the heavily damaged areas were as high as 130 to 150 mph. While the time of year and location of the tornado were not unusual, the west
to northwest path of the tornado was highly unusual, and the tornado occurred earlier in the day than is typical for the area. The storm was preceded by golf-ball to baseball sized hail and heavy rain, with hail damaging a much larger area than the actual tornado.
In addition to the damages to homes, the tornado damaged many businesses and government buildings. The winds knocked over 15 Rail Road cars, vehicles and semi trucks. The tornado hit the Windmill Daycare center where all the staff and children survived with only minor cuts and bruises. The tornado caused extensive damage to the Windsor Milling and Elevator Co. Building, a building on the National Register of Historic Places
. Two and a half years after the tornado, the damage has not yet been repaired. The tornado devastated many of the town's park and recreation facilities, including the cemetery, ball fields, swimming pool, the town's main park and a new arts and heritage center.
The Red Cross housed several hundred individuals and arranged for housing of livestock in the immediate aftermath of the tornado. Governor Bill Ritter visited the Windsor area and declared a local state of emergency. The Colorado National Guard
was dispatched to assist and protect the town. On May 26, 2008, President George W. Bush
designated the area as a Federal disaster area.
The tornado caused $193.5 million in damage from about 24,000 auto and homeowner claims. The U. S. Small Business Administration
(SBA) approved more than $3 million in disaster loans to individuals and businesses in Weld County who suffered damage from the storm.
of 2010, there were 18,644 people, and 7,198 households residing in the town. The population density
was 1276.9 people per square mile (491.9/km²). 0.003% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races
, and 2.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.99% of the population.
Historically, many of the town's inhabitants were of Germans from Russia origin. Beginning in the early 1970s, as the population grew with industrialization, the ethnic makeup diversified. The towns German-Russian heritage is still evident in the town's churches, festivals and traditions.
KUAD-FM
99.1 is a country music station owned by Townsquare Media Group. Prior to becoming a country music station, the station played Top 40 hits. The station's first broadcast location was at the corner of 5th and Main in Windsor.
, features a skate park, picnic shelters, athletic fields, trails, playground, and off-leash dog park. Diamond Valley features baseball and softball diamonds.
The Windsor Community Recreation Center, adjacent to the police station and high school, offers classes, events, athletic leagues, senior recreation, and adaptive recreation for people with disabilities of all ages.
and Greeley
, residents have easy access to productions and shows at the Union Colony Civic Center, the Lincoln Center, as well as local dinner theaters.
The Town sponsors a summer Concert in the Park series each summer, featuring local bands on Thursday evenings at the lakeside Boardwalk Park. Each Memorial Day
weekend, the town celebrates Pelicanfest with an outdoor concert, triathlon
and family fun run. Each August the Windsor Fine Arts Festival has a juried art show and features artists from across the nation. Over Labor Day
weekend, the town's largest event, the Harvest Festival, provides a weekend full of activities, including a parade, carnival, concerts, hot-air balloon festival, scholarship pageant, and home and garden fair. In October, the town has a single day Octoberfest celebration.
The Windsor-Severance school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.
The high school mascot is the Wizards. In 1924 the then-Bulldogs playing with just 8 members won the United States Interscholastic Basketball Championship with a 25-6 victory over Yankton, S.D. After the first round of play, a newspaper story from Chicago described the team as the "western boys," the "Rocky Mountain team," and "wizards" with the ball - 'the Windsor Wizards.'" The school's official mascot name was the Bulldogs, but would soon change to the Wizards.
(boys only), basketball
(boys and girls), cross-country running (boys and girls), football
(boys), golf
(boys and girls), lacrosse
(boys), soccer (boys and girls), softball
(girls), swimming
(boys and girls), track and field
(boys and girls), volleyball
(girls), and wrestling
(boys).
In addition to the 1924 Interscholastic Basketball Championship, the Wizards have won the following state championships:
As of March 11, 2011, the Wizards Boys Basketball team has made the quarterfinals of the state playoffs, for the first time since 2003.
In 1995 The Windsor Boys Cross Country Team won State under Coach Forrest Boggs. In 1996 Nic Cumings won State in Cross Country also with Forrest Boggs as Coach
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming...
and Weld
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...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town was 18,644. Windsor is located in the region known as Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado is a region in the northern portion of Colorado. It borders Northwestern Colorado, Northeastern Colorado, the north portion of Central Colorado, and the northwest state of Wyoming. Northern Colorado receives over 300 days of sunshine per year, and has a Semi-arid climate...
. Windsor is situated 59 miles (95 km) north
North
North is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.North is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the top side of a map is north....
of the Colorado State Capitol
Colorado State Capitol
The Colorado State Capitol Building, located at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado, is the home of the Colorado General Assembly and the offices of the Governor of Colorado and Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. The building is intentionally reminiscent of the United States Capitol. Designed...
in 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...
. According to Sperling Best Places there are 21,497 residents in Windsor Zip Code(s)
History
A rich wheat farming district, the area around Windsor first drew permanent residents in the early 1870s. Two factors were to play a critical role in stimulating Windsor's early development: irrigation and the railroad. Irrigation increased crop variety and production and the railroad shipped this bounty to market. The town was platted in 1882, the same year the Windsor Railroad Depot was built, and incorporated in 1890. It was named for the Rev. Samuel Asa Windsor. By 1900, tariffs on foreign sugar had created a market for new sources of sugar. Research in the improved cultivation of sugar beetSugar 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 was taking place at Colorado Agricultural College in Fort Collins, and the capital to advance production and manufacture of beet sugar was coming together. In 1903 a factory for producing sugar from sugar beets was built in Windsor. Sugar beet cultivation required large numbers of "stoop laborers", a need that was met by ethnic German immigrants from Russia. With large families and a strong work ethic, the German-Russians who settled in Windsor and other sugar beet areas would achieve financial success within one generation and own the highest producing beet farms. The Great Western Sugar Company fueled Windsor's economy through the mid 1960's, when the Windsor factory closed. Plentiful water and land drew Kodak to Windsor where it opened a manufacturing plant on the heels of the sugar factory's closing.
Kodak's opening spurred economic development in the town, and a population surge as the sugar beet factory closed. Later in the 1980s Metal Container Corporation (MCC) opened a can factory and Deline Box Company opened a factory, which closed in December of 2010, that primarily served the Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
facility in 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...
, Colorado.
In the last two decades, its central location among the population centers of northern Colorado, together with its proximity to Interstate 25, have made it the site of rapid urban growth, particularly on the western edge of town, as it grows towards the interchange on I-25. In the 1990s, the town limits were westward into Larimer County
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming...
. The incorporated town limits west of Interstate 25 are now contiguous with Loveland, and are separated from southeast Fort Collins by the Fossil Creek Open Space public lands of Larimer County acquired through a county-wide vote-approved sales tax.
In this century, there has been significant industrial development on the southeast side of town. Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
has a turbine factory, and several related companies, Hexcel and Ice Energy have headquarters in Windsor. Owens Illinois has a glass factory that primarily serves the Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
facility in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Geography
Windsor is located at 40°28′38"N 104°54′43"W (40.477222, -104.911944). Elevation above sea level is 4,799 feet.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 city has a total area of 14.9 square miles (38.6 km²), of which, 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (2%) is water.
The Cache la Poudre River
Cache La Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River is in the state of Colorado in the United States.Its headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon...
runs through the west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
and south
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
sides of town. It is approximately half-way between 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...
and 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...
on the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
, and somewhat near the midpoint of a triangle formed by those two cities and Loveland
Loveland, Colorado
Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
. The town is bordered on the east
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
by 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...
, on the northeast by Severance
Severance, Colorado
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...
, on the northwest by Timnath
Timnath, Colorado
The Town of Timnath is a Statutory Town located in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1882, Timnath is a small agricultural/farming community located southeast of Fort Collins, Colorado, approximately one-half mile east of the Harmony Road/Interstate 25 interchange, on a small...
, on the west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
by 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...
, the southwest by Loveland
Loveland, Colorado
Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
, and on the south
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
by Johnstown
Johnstown, Colorado
Johnstown is a Home Rule Municipality in Larimer and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The population was 3,827 at the 2000 census. As of 2010 the US Census Bureau estimates the population of Johnstown at 9,887.-Geography:...
. The town has a scenic view of Longs Peak
Longs Peak
Longs Peak is one of the 53 mountains with summits over 14,000 feet in Colorado. It can be prominently seen from Longmont, Colorado, as well as from the rest of the Colorado Front Range. It is named after Major Stephen Long, who explored the area in the 1820s...
and other 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...
mountain available throughout most all the town when looking to the west.
The main business district of town is east-west, along State Highway 392, which also serves as Windsor's Main Street. The BNSF line runs north of Main Street. The historic early grid of the town extends for roughly six blocks north and south of Main, and less than 10 blocks east and west, with a vibrant square green, called Main Park southeast of downtown. The park is surrounded by residences, and by the Town Hall (formerly Park School), at the north end.
Windsor Lake, a small reservoir in the irrigation system of Weld County, is one block north of the BNSF tracks. The lake is a popular spot for fishing. In the last decade, part of the perimeter of the lake has been rimmed with a bike path. In addition to this reservoir, there are a number of other lakes and reservoirs that have been are former gravel mines along the Cache la Poudre river. These lakes have spurred housing developments and a golf course along their banks.
The Poudre Trail bicycle and pedestrian trail along the north bank of the Poudre includes a segment within the town of Windsor that connects the town with the City of Greeley.
Climate
Windsor experiences a semi-arid climate (KöppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk). High temperatures are generally around 85°F (29°C) in the summer and 42°F (5°C) in the winter, although there is significant variation. The hottest days generally occur in late July and the coldest in January. Nighttime lows are near 57°F (14°C) in the summer and around 15°F (-9°C) in the winter. Record high temperatures of 103°F (39°C) have been recorded, as have record low temperatures of -41°F (-40°C). The first freeze typically occurs around September 17, and the last often occurs in mid-May. The most precipitation typically occurs in May.
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
s which disrupt the weather for the eastern two-thirds of the US often originate in or near Colorado, which means Windsor does not experience many fully developed storm systems. Thunderstroms are frequent during summer afternoons. Windsor typically experience between 6 and 12 hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
days per year and one of the highest concentrations of tornadic activity anywhere. The area where Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming meet receives the most hail of any location in the United States.
Some days in the winter and spring can be warm and extremely dry, with Chinook wind
Chinook wind
Chinook winds , often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is claimed...
s often raising temperatures to near 70°F (21°C) in January and February, and sometimes to near 90°F (32°C) in April. Windsor's elevation and low year-round humidity means that nighttime low temperatures are practically never above 68°F (20°C), even in the very hottest part of the summer. The diurnal temperature range is usually rather wide, with a 50-degree (Fahrenheit) difference between daytime high and nighttime low not uncommon, especially in the spring and fall months. Rapid fluctuation in temperature is also common – a sunny 80°F (27°C) October afternoon can easily give way to a 28°F (-2°C) blizzard within 12 hours.
2008 Tornado
On May 22, 2008 at approximately 11:50 a.m., a tornado devastated the town and many areas of Weld County and Larimer County, killing one camper in his RV, and injuring 14 other people in its wake. The National Weather Service tornado damage assessments conducted on Friday May 23 and Saturday May 24 documented large areas of damage. On the enhanced Fujita scaleFujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
there were pockets of EF3 damage especially near the Missile Silo Park Campground west of Greeley and to homes and businesses in eastern Windsor. Wind estimates in the heavily damaged areas were as high as 130 to 150 mph. While the time of year and location of the tornado were not unusual, the west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
to northwest path of the tornado was highly unusual, and the tornado occurred earlier in the day than is typical for the area. The storm was preceded by golf-ball to baseball sized hail and heavy rain, with hail damaging a much larger area than the actual tornado.
In addition to the damages to homes, the tornado damaged many businesses and government buildings. The winds knocked over 15 Rail Road cars, vehicles and semi trucks. The tornado hit the Windmill Daycare center where all the staff and children survived with only minor cuts and bruises. The tornado caused extensive damage to the Windsor Milling and Elevator Co. Building, a building on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Two and a half years after the tornado, the damage has not yet been repaired. The tornado devastated many of the town's park and recreation facilities, including the cemetery, ball fields, swimming pool, the town's main park and a new arts and heritage center.
The Red Cross housed several hundred individuals and arranged for housing of livestock in the immediate aftermath of the tornado. Governor Bill Ritter visited the Windsor area and declared a local state of emergency. The Colorado National Guard
Colorado National Guard
The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is a state agency of the Government of Colorado. It supervises both the Colorado National Guard , and non-military state safety agencies.The Department consists of the Department of Military Affairs, and the Division of Veterans' Affairs, and...
was dispatched to assist and protect the town. On May 26, 2008, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
designated the area as a Federal disaster area.
The tornado caused $193.5 million in damage from about 24,000 auto and homeowner claims. The U. S. Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
(SBA) approved more than $3 million in disaster loans to individuals and businesses in Weld County who suffered damage from the storm.
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 2010, there were 18,644 people, and 7,198 households 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 1276.9 people per square mile (491.9/km²). 0.003% Pacific Islander, 2.0% 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 2.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.99% of the population.
Historically, many of the town's inhabitants were of Germans from Russia origin. Beginning in the early 1970s, as the population grew with industrialization, the ethnic makeup diversified. The towns German-Russian heritage is still evident in the town's churches, festivals and traditions.
Mass Media
The town is served by two newspapers. The Windsor Beacon, a Gannett Co. paper, publishes Thursdays and Saturdays, and the Windsor Now, a Northern Colorado Communications Group paper, publishes Sundays. The Windsor Beacon first began publication as the Windsor Leger in 1898. In 1902 the name changed to the Poudre Valley, and in 1946 to the Windsor Beacon.KUAD-FM
KUAD-FM
KUAD-FM is a radio station licensed to Windsor, Colorado, USA. The station serves the Ft. Collins-Greeley and Cheyenne area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media.-External links:...
99.1 is a country music station owned by Townsquare Media Group. Prior to becoming a country music station, the station played Top 40 hits. The station's first broadcast location was at the corner of 5th and Main in Windsor.
Museums
The town has several museums. The Windsor Museum at Boardwalk Park is a multi-building living history display. The buildings include the Town's original 1882 Train Depot, a Pioneer School and Teacherage, Beet Shanty, and Pioneer Church. The Town's Art and Heritage Center maintains a number of exhibits that change periodicall, and houses the museum collections. The Windsor Recreation Center has a historical photography exhibit.Parks and Recreation
The town has 25 developed and undeveloped parks, totaling over 200 acres. Main Park sits south of the town hall and features roller-hockey rinks, basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, a playground and several picnic shelters. Boardwalk park is adjacent to Windsor Lake, and features a barrier-free wheelchair accessible playground, picnic shelters, swim beach, boating, fishing and a lake trail. Chimney Park, which features athletic fields, baseball diamonds and an outdoor swimming pool, sits on the eastern edge of town and includes property that was part of the Great Western Sugar factory. Eastman Park, adjacent to the Cache la Poudre RiverCache La Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River is in the state of Colorado in the United States.Its headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon...
, features a skate park, picnic shelters, athletic fields, trails, playground, and off-leash dog park. Diamond Valley features baseball and softball diamonds.
The Windsor Community Recreation Center, adjacent to the police station and high school, offers classes, events, athletic leagues, senior recreation, and adaptive recreation for people with disabilities of all ages.
Arts and Culture
The Windsor Community Playhouse, founded in 1981, produces several theatrical productions each year. The Playhouse, located on the east side of town, is primarily a volunteer organization that produces shows ranging from Broadway blockbusters to childen's shows. Due to its close proximity to Fort CollinsFort 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...
and 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...
, residents have easy access to productions and shows at the Union Colony Civic Center, the Lincoln Center, as well as local dinner theaters.
The Town sponsors a summer Concert in the Park series each summer, featuring local bands on Thursday evenings at the lakeside Boardwalk Park. Each Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend, the town celebrates Pelicanfest with an outdoor concert, triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
and family fun run. Each August the Windsor Fine Arts Festival has a juried art show and features artists from across the nation. Over Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend, the town's largest event, the Harvest Festival, provides a weekend full of activities, including a parade, carnival, concerts, hot-air balloon festival, scholarship pageant, and home and garden fair. In October, the town has a single day Octoberfest celebration.
Education
The town is served by three school districts, Windsor-Severance School District, Thompson Valley School District, and Poudre School District. Thompson Valley and Poudre serve students in the Larimer County portions of the town.The Windsor-Severance school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.
| School | Year Opened | Grades Served | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tozer Primary School | 1951 | pre-K-2 | Cougar |
| Mountain View Elementary | 1979 | 3-5 | Cougar |
| Skyview Elementary | 1982 | pre-K-5 | Falcon |
| Grandview Elementary | 2003 | pre-K-5 | Eagles |
| Rangeview Elementary | 2010 | pre-K-5 | Hawk |
| Windsor Middle School | 1976 (as WMS only) | 6-8 | Wizards |
| Severance Middle School | 2009 | 6-8 | Hawks |
| Windsor High School | 1976 | 9-12 | Wizards |
| W.E.S.T. Program | 2008 | ages 18–21 | Wizards |
The high school mascot is the Wizards. In 1924 the then-Bulldogs playing with just 8 members won the United States Interscholastic Basketball Championship with a 25-6 victory over Yankton, S.D. After the first round of play, a newspaper story from Chicago described the team as the "western boys," the "Rocky Mountain team," and "wizards" with the ball - 'the Windsor Wizards.'" The school's official mascot name was the Bulldogs, but would soon change to the Wizards.
Athletics
Windsor High School currently fields teams in the following sports: baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
(boys only), 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...
(boys and girls), cross-country running (boys and girls), football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
(boys), golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
(boys and girls), lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
(boys), soccer (boys and girls), softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
(girls), swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
(boys and girls), track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
(boys and girls), volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
(girls), and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
(boys).
In addition to the 1924 Interscholastic Basketball Championship, the Wizards have won the following state championships:
| Year | Sport | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Basketball | boys |
| 1924 | Basketball | boys |
| 1981 | Football | boys |
| 1993 | Football | boys |
| 1998 | Volleyball | girls |
| 2006 | Softball | girls |
| 2010 | Track & Field | girls |
| 2011 | Wrestling | boys |
As of March 11, 2011, the Wizards Boys Basketball team has made the quarterfinals of the state playoffs, for the first time since 2003.
Marching Band
The Windsor marching band has won a number of accolades over the years. The band won the State Championship in 1991, 1992, and 2008. The Windsor marching band had the honor of marching in the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Parade for President Barack Obama.In 1995 The Windsor Boys Cross Country Team won State under Coach Forrest Boggs. In 1996 Nic Cumings won State in Cross Country also with Forrest Boggs as Coach
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...
- Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical AreaFort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area located in the Fort Collins and Loveland region of the U.S. state of Colorado. The Fort Collins-Loveland MSA is defined as Larimer County, Colorado. The Census Bureau...
- 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