This eastern Boulder County city that sprouted out of coal mining roots is now reaping the rewards of the region's high-tech boom. While its major employers are Storage Technology Corp., Centrobe Inc. and Quantum, the city has managed to balance its economy with large-scale commercial and retail development. And while commercial and retail business continue to grow, the city's population has leveled off after more tripling since 1970. City officials say the city will be not much larger than 20,000 people. Louisville, southeast of Boulder, has a picturesque downtown neatly lined with Italian eateries and other restaurants.
Neighborhoods are neat, parks are cherished and the city's character and history are ample.
The new Monarch High School opened a year later, giving Louisville its own high school. The first coal mine opened in 1877, and in 1878 the town was founded, when Louis Nawatny platted his farmland into city blocks and named the community after himself. Thirty mines eventually opened. Twelve were in operation during the peak years in the early 1900s. But after World War II, coal demand declined, and by the 1950s the last mine closed.