Cherry Creek Neighborhood

The pastoral scene above is not something out of a post-bellum Southern postcard or an illustration from a Mark Twain novel. This is what the town of Harman, now known as Cherry Creek, looked like in the late 19th century. Decades prior, there were reports from early settlers that the cottonwood and pine trees lining the banks averaged 3 to 4 feet in diameter, a bounty of lumber that would continue to be exploited into the 1930s. Centuries before the arrival of the first white settler, there was archaeological evidence of maize and amaranth being grown in the vicinity. There also appeared to be a modest amount of cross-cultural trade prior to the erection of the modern mall complex. This included plains-style moccasins alongside yucca-woven sandals and some seashells that could have only come from the Gulf of Mexico or Gulf of California. The modern trading Mecca and urban residential district of Cherry Creek is now bounded by 6th Avenue, Alameda Avenue, and University and Colorado Boulevards.