Before Niwot's first 150 years

First in a series of articles highlighting Niwot's 150-year history.

The unincorporated community of Niwot was first platted in the Boulder County real estate records on March 30, 1875, almost 150 years ago. Now home to 4,306 individuals in the contiguous subdivisions, according to 2020 U.S. Census reports, the community was founded when Ambrose Murray and Porter M. Hinman filed a plat, laying out the lots, blocks, streets and alleys of what is now known as "Old Town" Niwot.

But Niwot's history started long before that, with the history of the indigenous people who inhabited the land before white settlers began arriving in the 1800s. Early settlers encountered the Northern Arapaho, Southern Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes, who lived in the area along the Front Range of what was first known by settlers as Nebraska Territory, extending south to what is now Baseline Road in Boulder.

One of the prominent chiefs of the Southern Arapaho who met the early white settlers was known as Chief Left Hand, or "Nowoo3" in the Arapaho language. Though there are no known images of Chief Niwot, he is believed to have been born in the early 1820s. He was known as a "peace chief" who interacted with early settlers in the Boulder County area.

Niwot had a brother, Neva, and a sister, Mahom, who married a white settler from Bent's Fort, John Poisal, in 1833. Poisal taught Niwot to speak English, and Niwot was one of the few Native Americans who was fluent in Arapaho, Cheyenne and English.

Through a series of treaties with the tribes, all of which were eventually broken by the U.S. government and the white settlers in the region, the white settlers essentially stole the land along the Front Range from the Native American tribes.

In spite of the broken treaties, Chief Niwot continued to advocate for peace. Margaret Coel's book, "Chief Left Hand," provides a detailed description of the treaties, the promises made and broken, and the conditions under which the tribes were forced to live.

Eventually Niwot and other Native Americans went to Fort Lyon in Southern Colorado, but when promises made in the treaty of Fort Wise were not honored by the U.S. government, they left for an encampment along Sand Creek to join Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle.

In spite of several meetings with Major Edward Wynkoop and Governor John Evans, in which Chief Niwot reiterated that his intentions and those of his tribe were peaceful, Evans sent Colonel John Chivington to raid Native American encampments, culminating in what is known as the Sand Creek Massacre on Nov. 29, 1864, where troops attacked the Native American encampment, killing mostly women, children and elderly Native Americans.

Chief Niwot is believed to have been mortally wounded at Sand Creek, dying a few days later. The U.S. government declared Chivington's raid a "massacre," and Governor John Evans was removed from office.

As white settlers continued to come to Boulder County, many seeking gold, the population grew and many homesteaded the land. Two of those early settlers, Porter M. Hinman and Ambrose Murray, acquired land, including the land where Niwot is now located. Originally only a railroad stop with a section house known as Modoc, the plat filed by Hinman and Murray eventually resulted in a name change to the area from "Modoc" to "Niwot."

But there is a darker side to the platting of Niwot. Porter M. Hinman, one of the men who platted Niwot, was also a member of the militia who rode with Chivington at the Sand Creek Massacre along with his brother, Platte Hinman. California resident Steve Hinman posted a comment on the Sand Creek Massacre Commemorative Commission website several years ago indicating that their father, Porter T. Hinman was a friend of Left Hand and could not forgive his sons "for being a part of the slaughter."

The Niwot community has recently made efforts to connect current Niwot residents with the Arapaho and Cheyenne communities, which were eventually relocated to a reservation in Oklahoma. The Niwot Historical Society, thanks to the efforts of Kathy Koehler, hosted Fred Mosqueda, the Arapaho Language and Culture Program Outreach Specialist Coordinator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, a year ago at a standing room only event at Niwot Hall.

This year, the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), thanks to the efforts of Niwot resident Phillip Yates, is bringing Mosqueda and Chester Whiteman of the Cheyenne Tribe to Niwot for a presentation on Monday, March 17, at 6 p.m. at Niwot Hall to continue the conversation, focusing on building relationships with the tribes for the next 150 years.

And on Sunday, March 16, the NCAA will sponsor a Native American Art Show at Niwot Hall, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring emerging Native American artists, coordinated by Yates and Gunbarrel resident and Native American Tom Myers.

Both events are free, but donations are appreciated to offset the costs of putting on the events. Eventbrite tickets will be available online soon, as seating is limited.

Before that, Dustin Wolf and Jeff Wolcott are hosting an open house at the Wolcott residence, 9700 Niwot Road, to allow the public an opportunity to see the progress on restoration of the iconic tree carvings by the late Eddie Running Wolf, which were formerly located on Niwot Road near its intersection with Second Avenue. Dustin Wolf, son of Native American artist Eddie Running Wolf, has been working on restoring the tree carvings for the past two years, with assistance from Wolcott. The open house is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 15, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited.