Golden in Jefferson County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Billy Drew Bridge

Photographed By Jamie Abel, November 22, 2013

1. Billy Drew Bridge Marker

Inscription.

Billy Drew Bridge. . (left side), Bridging Our History. This bridge is the second Billy Drew Bridge erected on this site. The original Billy Drew Bridge was built in 1976 as part of Golden’s celebration of the Centennial-Bicentennial, the nation’s 200th anniversary and Colorado’s 100th anniversary as a State. A few Golden citizens, led by Billy Drew, called for the building of a bridge to provide an essential pedestrian and bikeway link between Golden and the city offices, parks, and residential neighborhoods located north of Clear Creek and west of Washington Avenue., A small group of Golden residents, including Billy Drew, and students from the Colorado School of Mines helped to design the original bridge and to prepare the site., The original structure was replaced by this present, wider bridge in 2003 to provide better accessibility and to enable two-directional traffice to safely cross at the same time., Funding for this new bridge was provided by the City of Golden and a matching grant from Great Outdoors Colorado., (right side), The Billy Drew Bridge Built on a Foundation of Involved Citizenry. Billy Drew was a gentleman who cared deeply about Golden. Our community is proud to continue to honor him through the naming of this bridge., Billy Drew moved his family from Washington, D.C. to Golden in 1968 when he was 73 years old. He immediately became an active and devoted volunteer and worked diligently to improve the community well into his 90s. He was proud that he never missed a City Council meeting in nearly 25 years., In addition to this bridge project, he campaigned to build Golden's first senior housing complex, Canyon Gate Apartments, advocating strongly for a high quality and affordable development., Along with other citizens, Drew fought to save the Astor House Hotel from demolition, and it is now a Golden city museum on the National Register of Historic Places. He was trained as a stonemason as a young man and advised in the repointing of the stonework and the laying of the brick sidewalk in the garden at the Astor House Museum. He was 80 years old at the time, so he sat in a lawn chair to direct the workers.

(left side)

Bridging Our History
This bridge is the second Billy Drew Bridge erected on this site. The original Billy Drew Bridge was built in 1976 as part of Golden’s celebration of the Centennial-Bicentennial, the nation’s 200th anniversary and Colorado’s 100th anniversary as a State. A few Golden citizens, led by Billy Drew, called for the building of a bridge to provide an essential pedestrian and bikeway link between Golden and the city offices, parks, and residential neighborhoods located north of Clear Creek and west of Washington Avenue.

A small group of Golden residents, including Billy Drew, and students from the Colorado School of Mines helped to design the original bridge and to prepare the site.

The original structure was replaced by this present, wider bridge in 2003 to provide better accessibility and to enable two-directional traffice to safely cross at the same time.

Funding for this new bridge was provided by the City of Golden and a matching grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.

(right side)

The Billy Drew Bridge
Built on a Foundation of Involved Citizenry
Billy Drew was a gentleman who cared deeply about Golden. Our community is proud to continue to honor him through the naming of this

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bridge.

Billy Drew moved his family from Washington, D.C. to Golden in 1968 when he was 73 years old. He immediately became an active and devoted volunteer and worked diligently to improve the community well into his 90s. He was proud that he never missed a City Council meeting in nearly 25 years.

In addition to this bridge project, he campaigned to build Golden's first senior housing complex—Canyon Gate Apartments—advocating strongly for a high quality and affordable development.

Along with other citizens, Drew fought to save the Astor House Hotel from demolition, and it is now a Golden city museum on the National Register of Historic Places. He was trained as a stonemason as a young man and advised in the repointing of the stonework and the laying of the brick sidewalk in the garden at the Astor House Museum. He was 80 years old at the time, so he sat in a lawn chair to direct the workers.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1976.

Location. 39° 45.304′ N, 105° 13.552′ W. Marker is in Golden, Colorado, in Jefferson County. Marker can be reached from 10th Street, 0 miles south of Illinois Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located along the Clear Creek multi-purpose trail near the Golden Library.

Billy Drew Bridge, 1985. Courtesy Golden Pioneer Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jamie Abel, November 22, 2013

2. Billy Drew Bridge, 1985. Courtesy Golden Pioneer Museum

Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Golden CO 80401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rock Flour Millstone (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Down by the Old Mill Stream (about 600 feet away); Colorado National Guard Armory (about 700 feet away); Castle Rock (about 700 feet away); First Resident/Agriculturalist (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Astor House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Golden Alarm Bell (approx. 0.2 miles away); Early History of Clear Creek (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Golden.

Billy Drew, c. 1992. Courtesy Emily Drew image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jamie Abel, November 22, 2013

3. Billy Drew, c. 1992. Courtesy Emily Drew

Photographed By Jamie Abel, November 22, 2013

4. Billy Drew Bridge Marker

Photographed By Jamie Abel, November 22, 2013

5. Billy Drew Bridge Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on August 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2013, by Jamie Abel of Westerville, Ohio. This page has been viewed 947 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 25, 2013, by Jamie Abel of Westerville, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.