Nucla, Colorado

Town of Nucla, Colorado
Town
Location in Montrose County and the state of Colorado
Coordinates: 38°16′0″N 108°32′50″W / 38.26667°N 108.54722°WCoordinates: 38°16′0″N 108°32′50″W / 38.26667°N 108.54722°W
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County[1]	Montrose
Incorporated (town)	March 14, 1915[2]
Government
• Type	Statutory Town[1]
Area
• Total	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km^2)
• Land	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km^2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km^2)
Elevation[3]	5,787 ft (1,764 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	734
• Density	1,048.6/sq mi (407.8/km^2)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code[4]	81424
Area code(s)	970
FIPS code	08-54935
GNIS feature ID	0185887

Nucla is a Statutory Town in Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The population was 734 at the 2000 census. Its name comes from the town's founders intent that it serve as a "nucleus" for the surrounding farms and mines, although it has since come to be associated with the growth of uranium mining in the region.

Geography

Nucla is located at 38°16′0″N 108°32′50″W / 38.26667°N 108.54722°W (38.266775, -108.547146).^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land. Nucla is located in an area of desert land, surrounding the Uncompahgre National Forest.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	217		—
1930	221		1.8%
1940	361		63.3%
1950	457		26.6%
1960	906		98.2%
1970	949		4.7%
1980	1,027		8.2%
1990	656		−36.1%
2000	734		11.9%
2010	711		−3.1%
Est. 2014	704	[6]	−1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

As of the census^[8] of 2000, there were 734 people, 311 households, and 208 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,036.0 people per square mile (399.2/km²). There were 369 housing units at an average density of 520.8 per square mile (200.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.69% White, 1.09% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 3.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.68% of the population.

There were 311 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,466, and the median income for a family was $33,636. Males had a median income of $32,417 versus $21,726 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,982. About 14.4% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

History

A 1972 photograph of a coal-burning power plant in Nucla.

There are several prehistoric sites near Nucla on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties:^[9]

• Cottonwood Cave is a large rock shelter inhabited by 270 BC and the earliest date at which corn was found in the state of Colorado.
• Tabeguache Cave is another prehistoric rock shelter.
• Tabeguache Pueblo is an example of an early, dispersed Ancient Pueblo settlement, inhabited about AD 1100 and later abandoned.

The town was established by socialists, who emphasized the sharing of things. The name of the town comes from the word nucleus. ^[10]

In May 2013, the Nucla Town Board passed an ordinance that required every non-exempted head of household in the town to own a firearm.^[11]

Notable residents

• W. A. Draves (1912–1994), founder and an apostle of the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message, now headquartered in Independence, Missouri. Draves is believed by his church to have received ninety messages from John the Baptist, some of them while he lived in Nucla.
• Bill Symons, Canadian Football Hall of Famer.
• Buzz Zatterstrom, Leonard Sage Zatterstrom, During his long life, he was an athlete, coach, teacher, rancher, craftsman, and artist.

See also

• Montrose, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area

References

1. "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
2. "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 2004-12-01. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
9. National & State Registers. Colorado Historical Society, Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 10-8-2011.
10. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/08/28/less-than-700-residents-no-stoplights-and-a-law-requiring-a-gun-in-every-household/?wpisrc=nl_mwk&wpmm=1
11. Loftus, Lauren (August 21, 2014). "Colorado Town That Requires a Gun in Every Home Fights for its Life". NBC. Retrieved August 23, 2014.

External links

• Nucla Naturita Area Chamber of Commerce
• Union Congregational Church of Nucla
• Nucla First Baptist Church
• Colorado Department of Transportation
• Nucla Public Library
• Welcome, Town of Nucla
• Letter From Nucla, Colorado New Yorker Magazine