Evergreen, Colorado

A Brief History of Evergreen

Evergreen’s history combines mountain ranching with a long tradition of summer retreats in the foothills west of Denver. Families began settling the area in 1859, and later visitors came to camp among its forests. In the 1890s, Mary Neosho Williams and her daughter Josepha were among the Denver residents spending summers here. The Hiwan property developed from a cabin begun in 1893 into an elaborate mountain home. Nearby resort development included the Brook Forest Inn, which opened in 1919. Local preservation gained momentum after the historical society formed in 1973 and advocated county acquisition of the buildings now preserved as Hiwan Museum.