As of 2019, the median household income in Brookside, CO is $68,750, which is higher than the national average of $65,712. This is an increase of 13.8% from the previous year, when it was $60,417. The household income in Brookside, CO is based on the same factors that determine the national median income: age, race, and education. The median property value is also higher than the national average, at $172,900.
In 1902, a small brick store building near the intersection of Main and Second streets was used as a polling place for the town’s election. At the time, a man named Louis Fleming was elected to serve as the town’s first mayor. The town had been a coal mining center for 25 years prior to incorporation. Its first post office opened in 1888 and operated until 1905. From there, mail was delivered along a daily route from Canon City to Chandler.
The first public school in Brookside had two rooms and was later replaced by a four-room brick school. The building was later used as a City Hall and Fremont County Head Start. In 2003, the town purchased the building and demolished it in 2010 to make room for a community center and town hall. The Brookside school building now serves as a recreation center and town hall. This is a historical marker for the area.
Schoolhouses were constructed for children and women who worked in the mining camps. In 1899, a schoolhouse was built on 3 acres of land and housed a class of students. During the depression, the schoolhouse had a schoolhouse and became the New Hope School for the handicapped. In 1905, the DeWeese Dye Ditch was completed. This made a large portion of the town arable, which helped promote the rural agrarian character of the town’s eastern section.
When the mining strike of 1914 hit, the Colorado Motion Picture Company staged a live shooting scene in the town’s Saloon District. During that time, the hill between Brookside and the town became a saloon district and was referred to as “Hell’s Half Acre”. The five cent beer was a popular warm-up during the ride down Cripple Creek. In the early ’20s, it was common to see a group of armed men walking down the streets of Brookside.
The history of tornado activity in the Brookside area is below the state average and 61 percent lower than the U.S. average. There was one category F3 tornado in the Brookside area that struck 33.5 miles away from town center, injuring one person and causing between $50,000 and $500,000 worth of damages. As a result, the neighborhood smelt deliciously. Homes had to be spotless for holiday visitors. Even the decorations were homemade. The entire process of getting ready for Christmas lasted months.
The Italian Lodge was a community center that once housed the Company Store and offered everything a miner and his family needed. In addition to a store, this building housed a doctor’s office. It also hosted community meetings. Brookside & Brewster School District #14 used the lodge for school events. The Italian Lodge also served as the town hall, and St. Anthony’s Alter and Rosary held spaghetti dinners in the lodge to raise money. Today, this historic building is a private residence and art studio.
Brookside, CO is home to Legatum Cellars, located at 1704 Willow St, Cañon City, CO 81212. Southeast of Legatum Cellars is the Upper Arkansas Area Council, located at 1718 Brookside Ave, Cañon City, CO 81212. To get to the Upper Arkansas Area Council from Legatum Cellars, head west toward Willow St and then turn right onto Willow St. Turn right onto CO-115 S/Cedar Ave and then turn right onto Brookside Ave. The destination will be on your left. Southwest of the Upper Arkansas Area Coucil is Moose Plumbing & Heating LLC, located at 1734 Willow St, Cañon City, CO 81212. To get to Moose Plumbing & Heating from the Upper Arkansas Area Council, head south on Brookside Ave toward Pinion Ave and then turn right at the 1st cross street onto Pinion Ave. Turn right onto Willow St and the destination will be on your right. Northeast of Moose Plumbing & Heating LLC is Fremont County Head Start, located at 1718 Brookside Ave, Cañon City, CO 81212. To get to Fremont County Head Start from Moose Plumbing & Heating LLC, head north on Willow St toward Cedar Ave and then turn right onto CO-115 S/Cedar Ave. Turn right onto Brookside Ave and the destination will be on your left. Northeast of Fremont County Head Start is Tezak Auto Body, located at 2105 Cedar Ave, Cañon City, CO 81212. To get to Tezak Auto Body from Fremont County Head Start, head north on Brookside Ave toward Cedar Ave, turn right onto Cedar Ave, and the destination will be on your left. Southwest of Tezak Auto Body is K & S Greenhouse and Nursery, located at 1835 Pinion Ave, Cañon City, CO 81212. To get to K & S Greenhouse and Nursery from Tezak Auto Body, head west on Cedar Ave toward Brookside Ave and then turn left onto Brookside Ave. Turn right at the 1st cross street onto Pinion Ave and the destination will be on your right. Northeast of K & S Greenhouse and Nursery is Old World Roofing, located at 4750 Chromium Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. To get to Old World Roofing from K & S Greenhouse and Nursery, head east on Pinion Ave and then turn left onto Willow St. Turn right onto CO-115 S/Cedar Ave and then turn left onto MacKenzie Ave. Turn right onto US-50 E and then take the CO-115 exit toward Penrose/Colo Spgs. Turn left onto CO-115 N and then take the exit onto S Academy Blvd. Turn right onto Austin Bluffs Pkwy, turn left onto Sapphire Dr, turn left onto Chromium Dr, and the destination will be on your right.
