Before Longmont was established at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the area was the haunt of gold seekers, fur traders and adventurers. However, in the mid-19th century, Longmont—in the fertile St. Vrain River Valley—attracted a more stable type of pioneer. The farming community established in 1871 as the Chicago-Colorado Colony was named for Colorado explorer Maj. Steven H. Long, who explored the valley in 1820. Learn More...