A Brief History of Hayden
Hayden’s history is rooted in agriculture and transportation in the Yampa Valley. The Routt County municipality incorporated in 1906. Construction of a railroad depot in 1913 gave local farmers a stronger connection to distant markets for wheat, oats, barley and livestock. Coal later became an important railroad commodity as the area’s economy changed. The historic Moffat depot also gained a new purpose: the Hayden Heritage Center Museum, established in 1964, has occupied it since 1972. Its collections preserve stories of the region’s homesteaders, ranchers, farmers and coal miners.