Get ready for the fourth installment of how the cities of Northern Colorado got their names. Yesterday, we discovered the drama-filled history behind Greeley if you need to catch up. 

Today, I'm diving into the history behind the home base of Townsquare Media: Windsor

Some different versions are floating around about the history of Windsor, so let's explore both of them and you can believe whichever one you like better.

The first account, according to the Windsor Downtown Development Authority (DDA), tells the story of a man named Edward Hollister (no relation to the clothing store). Hollister and his family came to the area now known as Windsor in 1872 after purchasing 80 acres of land in the Cache La Poudre Valley.

The family became prominent landowners and farmers in the area. The Windsor DDA considers Hollister to be the founder of Windsor.

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However, Keegan Williams of the Coloradoan reports that Windsor was in fact started by a settler named J.L. Hilton. According to Keegan, Hilton built a ranch there in 1873 and turned it into an inn for passing travelers.

Due to its median location between Fort Collins and Greeley, settlers began referring to the area as the "Half-Way House."

Thankfully, the people of the 1800s realized that was a horrible name for a town and decided it needed an actual title. They officially named it Windsor in 1890 after Reverend Samual Asa Windsor, a pastor who would occasionally conduct services in the town.

So, it is up to you whether you consider Hollister or Hilton to be the founder of this NoCo town...but it doesn't really matter because no one bothered to name it after them anyway.

Sorry, guys.

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