Lakewood, Colorado

The beginnings of what is now Lakewood started when Charles Welch and W.A.H. Loveland surveyed and platted a 13-block area on West Colfax Avenue in eastern Jefferson County. The community grew over theyears but was governed by a loose group of water and fire districts. Policing was done by the Jefferson County Sheriff' s Department and several of the developed neighborhoods didn't have street lights or sidewalks. That changed when the city of Lakewood was incorporated in 1969. At the time of incorporatin, the population was estimated at more than 90,000. Because of how the city came about, a trditional downtown area has never developed.

In 2011, Lakewood was named an All-America City for the first time. A big part of town is occupied by the Lakewood Federal Center, which is also the largest employer in Lakewood.

Near the Belmar Center in Lakewood