About Castle Rock
Castle Rock was founded in 1874 when the eastern Douglas County border was redrawn to its present location. Castle Rock was chosen as the county seat because of its central location.
The region in and around Castle Rock was originally home to Native Americans of the Arapahoe and Cheyenne tribes. They occupied the land between the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers. White settlers were drawn by rumors of gold and by land opened through the Homestead Act of 1862.
One of the first settlers in the area near today’s Castle Rock was the original homesteader, Jeremiah Gould. He owned about 160 acres to the south of “The (Castle) Rock.” At that time, the settlement consisted of just a few buildings for prospectors, workers, and cowboys. In 1874 Jeremiah Gould donated 120 acres to the new town that was also now home to the Douglas County government. For the beginning the six streets named Elbert, Jerry, Wilcox, Perry, Castle and Front were laid out to build the actual town of Castle Rock. The Courthouse Square was defined and about 77 lots, each 50 by 112 feet, were auctioned off for a total profit of US$3,400.00 - a lot of money at that time!
It was not gold that put Castle Rock onto the map. The discovery of Rhyolite stone made the reason to build a settlement that would become Castle Rock.
A new train depot brought the Denver and Rio Grande Railway to the area. The depot building now houses the Castle Rock Historical Museum on Elbert Street, where visitors can see history of how Castle Rock changed over the years. Castle Rock currently encompasses about 35 square miles, with a population of more than 42,000 in town and 70,000 in the surrounding area.
Until canceled in 2007, The International, a PGA Tour tournament, was held every August in Castle Rock at the Castle Pines Golf Club.
Castle Rock as seen from Interstate 25.
Geography
Castle Rock is located at (39.380822, -104.851310). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.6 square miles (81.9 km²), all of it land.
Castle Rock is traversed by Interstate 25, and three different exits (181, 182, and 184) provide access to the town. The Front Range Express (FREX) bus serves a park and ride at The Outlets at Castle Rock near exit 184, the northernmost exit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Rock,_Colorado).
