right|thumb|union station in lodo lodo, denver is the lower downtown area of denver, colorado, the oldest and original settlement of the city of denver. it is a mixed-use historic district, known for its nightlife, and serves as an example of success in urban reinvestment and revitalization. the current population is 21,145. ==history== prior to european exploration of the area, native americans, particularly the arapaho tribe, established encampments along the south platte river near or in what is now lodo. in 1858, after the discovery of gold in the river, general william larimer founded denver by putting down cottonwood logs in the center of a square mile plot that would eventually be the current lodo neighborhood, making lodo both the original city of denver, as well as its oldest neighborhood. then like now, lodo was a bustling and sometimes wild area known for its saloons and brothels. during the sand creek massacre, it was lodo where the heads of the slaughtered arapaho tribe were paraded in victory. as denver grew, city leaders realized a railroad was needed to keep denver a strong city, especially when the transcontinental railroad bypassed denver for cheyenne, wyoming. in 1870, after much cajoling from town leaders, residents passed bonds that brought a  rail spur from cheyenne. this and later train lines ended up in the central platte valley, adjacent to lodo. union station became the place most people traveled into the city and lodo would be the first part of the city they would see. by the mid-twentieth century, what was once a thriving business area had become a skid row. as highways and airports diminished the dominance of passenger railroad transportation, the importance of union station, lodo's most prominent building, waned. right|thumb|wazee st in lodo the lower downtown historic district, known as lodo, was created by the enactment of a zoning ordinance by denver city council in march 1988. the resolution's intent was to encourage historic preservation and to promote economic and social vitality in denver's founding neighborhood at a time when it still held significant historic and architectural value.lodo district, inc. a membership organization in lower downtown denver with historical, cultural, retail & entertainment - lodo district the status granted by this special designation provided protection to the community's archivable resources and to the 127 contributing historic structures that remained after roughly 20% of lower downtown's buildings had been demolished through dura policies in the 1960s and 1970s. lodo's historic district ordinance includes zoning that restricts building height and encourages mixed use development. it stipulates stric
Historic_districts_in_Colorado Neighborhoods_in_Denver,_Colorado Visitor_attractions_in_Denver,_Colorado Warehouse_districts_of_the_United_States