Arvada
Looking west on Grandview Ave. (Main St.)- 1908 - (www.photoswest.org)
The first documented gold discovery here occurred on June 22, 1850. A prospector headed for California, Lewis Ralston, dipped
his gold pan into a stream. His return was a $5 gold nugget. In 1858, Ralston brought a group of prospectors back to the site of
his first discovery.
Farmers soon arrived in order to sell supplies to miners. The railroad was built through the area in 1870. The settlers, needing to
establish a town so that the railroad stop could have a name, filed a town plat. The town was named Arvada after the brother-in-
law of one of the settlers.
Although now considered a suburb of Denver, in the 1800's Arvada got its start as an agricultural community. Today, a blend of
historic and modern architecture makes for a suburb mindful of its small-town roots.
The Arvada Historical Society provides a tour of old downtown, including the 1926 Arvada Flour Mill, now on the National Register
of Historic Places.
Olde Town Arvada Is a national Main Street community.
www.historicarvada.org/
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Yak & Yeti Restaurant
7803 Ralston Road - Arvada - 303-431-9000 - www.yakandyeti.net
Above photo from: www.catsbrew.com/img/exterior.jpg
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
VIDEO: Ghost Haunting Metro Area Restaurant?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u17mUKURtWQ
A restaurant in Arvada hired a paranormal investigator to find out if a ghost is really haunting the eatery
August 6, 2008
ARVADA -- We've all heard of ghosts haunting houses. But what about a restaurant? A group of paranormal investigators is
looking into claims of spirits inhabiting an Arvada eatery. Click on the video clip to check out some of the investigators intriguing
findings.
www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7154124&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.
2.1
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Did someone say ghosts?
August 10, 2008
For those who do not yet know, the Cheshire Cat Brew Pub in Arvada is gone. In its place, the Yak and Yeti moved in to give local
diners a new and different treat, and a haunted experience. Apparently, sometime between when the old occupants left and the
new ones moved in, ghosts appeared.
The outside looks the same, as does the interior, and someone is still brewing beer, but now there are guests at all hours of the
day. One employee was very sincere relating her experiences in the back room at night. She heard doors banging and pans
hitting the floor. She thought it was the work of ghosts. I right away thought of the raccoons that frequent in the neighborhood.
She went on to tell of chairs moving and other seemingly normal happenings that she was certain were supernatural visitations.
Yes, it is a creepy, old building better suited to the Addams Family than to a restaurant, but the ghost stories left me
unconvinced. So, I tried the food.
Readers will remember the visit to the Yak and Yeti in Westminster just a few short weeks ago. As is customary, I try to visit a
restaurant a few times before reaching an absolute verdict, and even that is not always on the mark. Fortunately, for Yak and
Yeti, their menu of dishes from India and Nepal is suited perfectly for just such sampling. Even vegetarians can choose from a
wide variety of options and not settle for just a few selections. On this visit, we went with the Dinner Club.
With only five in attendance, I still was able to get rulings on five separate dishes while trying a couple of new ones myself. We
sampled the Vegetable Biryani, the Chicken Tandoori, the Shrimp Curry, the Vegetable Momo, and, for me, the Vegetable
Vindaloos. I went for the Vindaloos because it is supposed to be hot and spicy and that is the way I like food. I ordered mine extra
spicy against the caution of others.
I liked the Vindaloos, especially since it did not have the cream sauce of some of the dishes I tried before, but it was not as spicy
as I was hoping. I added some of their hot sauce, and that made all the difference. Overall, it was my best experience yet with
Indian food. This cuisine is still not my favorite, but I am still learning about what I like and do not like.
I also tried another Indian beer, the Flying Horse. It was good, but the Taj Mahal beer I had before was better. What was really
impressive about this restaurant on this visit was the attentive, appreciative and cooperative wait staff. They were adorable. They
really made us all feel welcome and comfortable. All around, it was a very good experience at a very good price and all topped off
with a belly dancer. I do not know if belly dancers generally accompany Indian food, but I do know you do not usually find that
type of cuisine in a brewpub either, so what the heck?
This belly dancer was a bit thin, relatively speaking, but she danced well and did not linger long at any one table. It took
customers a while to join in the fun, but, by the time we left, she was sporting a new outfit made of tips. It was fun.
On this visit, I will bump Yak and Yeti up to an “A”. Although I did not check the condition of the restrooms, the rest of the
restaurant was very clean. Everyone was pleased with the food and we all enjoyed the evening. After all, the most important
reason for dining out is to enjoy the evening. Ghost stories will always attract customers, and, even though I did not see a ghost, I
am happy they are on the menu. Offering ghosts, belly dancers and plenty of menu options, Yak and Yeti might just be able to
make a go of it in Arvada.
For more info: The "new" Yak and Yeti Arvada 7803 Ralston Road. 303-431-9000
Most entrees in the $8.00 to $12.00 range. Also serving a variety of appetizers and Indian breads. Fresh brewed beer available
too.
www.examiner.com/x-357-Denver-Dining-Examiner~y2008m8d10-Did-someone-say-ghosts
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
History of the Cheshire Cat Brewpub
www.catsbrew.com/history.html
In 1864, Eli Allen built a "one-story frame house (24' X 27') with a board floor and cellar under the house." This cellar appears to
still exist under the east side of the present house, today known as the Cheshire Cat Brewpub, a basement 24' X 27'. Eli Allen
was the second postmaster of Arvada, having taken over from Benjamin Wadsworth in 1882. He operated that Post Office from
his home until 1889, when the structure was described as "a lovely home" at the location of present day Ralston Road and
Yarrow Street. The Allen family also maintained race horses in a large stable on the property, and were instrumental in the
development of the Highline Canal, giving them water to irrigate their crops as early as1863.
Eli's son, C. Irwin Allen, took over the property in 1891 and, in preparation for his upcoming marriage, upgraded the existing
house, or perhaps built an entirely new two-story, brick structure on its site. Irwin passed away unexpectedly at the age of 28,
leaving the unfinished house and property to his new bride, Jennie. Photographs of the house from period show the distinctive
fish-scale shingles, windows, roof-pitch and carved barge boards still visible today.
In 1894, the independently wealthy Elias W. VanVoorhis came to Colorado for health reasons. While on a buggy ride along
Ralston Road, he and his young bride Cora spotted the house, and later bought it from the widow Allen. They completed the
construction, and hired a Denver architect to design an addition to the west side of the house, which was completed in 1895. The
two sides were joined at the tower,creating the basic look of the house today (see photo above).
Cora and Elias had twin daughters, but only Elizabeth, called Betty, survived. Betty married Milton "Nic" Nicholson, part of a well-
known family of masons and builders, who were involved in the construction of several of Arvada's churches. Cora VanVoorhis's
sister, mother and uncle Ned lived with the family in this house, and Uncle Ned used to take refuge from all the women, reading in
what is now known as the tower room, which he called the "Sanctuary." Ned, Cora's mother, sister, and husband Elias eventually
passed away, leaving Cora living in the big house with Betty and Nic, and their daughter and son.
In 1929, a fire was started by baby mice playing with wooden matches (so said the Arvada Fire Marshall), which caused extensive
damage on the east side, including the destruction of the balconies. Cora saved the sleeping children by wrapping them in wet
sheets and carrying them downstairs through the smoke.
Nic and Betty used to celebrate their birthdays together each year (Nic's was September 1, Betty's was September 2), with an all-
night party, beginning with a stuffed pork chop dinner in the upstairs dining room, then off for dancing until midnight at the
Trocadero Ballroom in Elitch Gardens, and back to the house for date cake. Bridge parties were also common in this room, and
Betty's orange embroidery is still visible on the wall.
Cora died in the 1940's, from injuries suffered in a fall down the stairs. Nic and Betty's daughter Katie (Katherine) reported visits
from Cora's ghost after the funeral, and stories tell that Uncle Ned is also still roaming the halls, but both are said to be friendly.
After the death of her mother, Betty divorced Nic, cut down the trees and modernized the house. She subdivided the 33 acre
homestead and sold the lots, then turned the big house into apartments. She expanded the quarters by dragging the old chicken
coop across the yard and attaching it to the rear of the house, where it today houses the kitchen and restrooms. Katie lived in an
apartment in the old barn when she graduated from college.
Over the years, the house became run-down, and increasingly in need of major repairs, but since the money wasn't available, it
was eventually gutted and made ready for demolition. However, in 1997, a group of investor/contractors bought the property and
spent three years of their own labor restoring it and converting it into a restaurant/brewpub. They kept the original room layout as
much as possible. Katie's old bedroom is now the office, and her brother's room is known as the "Owner's Room" today. The
original 1895 hardwood floors are preserved in many areas, and what is now the smoking room was once Cora's washroom and
summer kitchen, where she put up her famous canned peaches.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Yak and Yeti offers Indian, Nepalese with a pub fare flair
Restaurant reaches out to former Cheshire Cat regulars with cuisine
By Megan Quinn, Arvada Press
The scents of coriander curry and ginger waft from the yellow Victorian house on Ralston Road. That's because Yak and Yeti, an
Indian and Nepalese restaurant, has taken up residence in the old Cheshire Cat building. The restaurant, which opened in early
July, used to serve pub food and tall pints of beer. Now, in the same yellow house, diners can expect steamy spiced samosas and
large plates of creamy saag. The most popular aspects of the Cheshire Cat — micro brewed beer and some of the English pub
treats such as shepherd's pie and fish and chips — will stick around on the new Yak and Yeti menu. It's a good marriage. In
England, pubs have English food and a few Indian items. Here's it's just a flipside,
Business is picking up as new customers wander in for a lunch hour or stop in after seeing the red, angular Nepalese flag flying
from the side of the building. ..
Yak and Yeti Restaurant serves Indian and Nepalese cuisine including masala, saag and tandoori dishes served with baskets of
fresh naan bread. Look for shepherd's pie, fish and chips and bangers and mash along with beer brewed in-house. Yak and Yeti
is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 7803 Ralston Road. For more information, call 303-431-9000.
www.theyakandyeti.com/arvada/index.html
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The Festival Playhouse in Olde Town Arvada presents:
2009- Curse of the Werewolf!
www.festivalplayhouse.com
info@festivalplayhouse.com
303-422-4090
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm - $15
Sundays @ 2pm - $13
www.festivalplayhouse.com/Oct.html
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Arvada Historical Society to Host 6th Annual Cemetery Tour!
2009
Tombstone tales will be told on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at the Arvada Cemetery, 5581 Independence. Recognized
this year will be long time Arvada residents "Bernie" Haug, Roger Cridlebaugh, Larry and Vince Lotito, Elaine Kanatzar and Edna
McCormack. This guided walking tour will last about an hour with tours leaving at noon, 12:30 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:
00 p.m. Tickets are $6, include refreshments, and are available at the Arvada Cemetery the day of the event. Children six and
under are free. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Proceeds will benefit the Arvada Historical
Society and the Arvada Cemetery Association. For additional information call 303-431-1261.
Historic Olde Town Arvada ~ (H.O.T.A.)
www.historicarvada.org
info@historicarvada.org
303-420-6100
Arvada Historical Society
www.arvadahistory.org
info@arvadahistory.org
7307 Grandview Avenue
Arvada, CO 80002
303-431-1261
Back to home page
Looking west on Grandview Ave. (Main St.)- 1908 - (www.photoswest.org)
The first documented gold discovery here occurred on June 22, 1850. A prospector headed for California, Lewis Ralston, dipped
his gold pan into a stream. His return was a $5 gold nugget. In 1858, Ralston brought a group of prospectors back to the site of
his first discovery.
Farmers soon arrived in order to sell supplies to miners. The railroad was built through the area in 1870. The settlers, needing to
establish a town so that the railroad stop could have a name, filed a town plat. The town was named Arvada after the brother-in-
law of one of the settlers.
Although now considered a suburb of Denver, in the 1800's Arvada got its start as an agricultural community. Today, a blend of
historic and modern architecture makes for a suburb mindful of its small-town roots.
The Arvada Historical Society provides a tour of old downtown, including the 1926 Arvada Flour Mill, now on the National Register
of Historic Places.
Olde Town Arvada Is a national Main Street community.
www.historicarvada.org/
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Yak & Yeti Restaurant
7803 Ralston Road - Arvada - 303-431-9000 - www.yakandyeti.net
Above photo from: www.catsbrew.com/img/exterior.jpg
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
VIDEO: Ghost Haunting Metro Area Restaurant?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u17mUKURtWQ
A restaurant in Arvada hired a paranormal investigator to find out if a ghost is really haunting the eatery
August 6, 2008
ARVADA -- We've all heard of ghosts haunting houses. But what about a restaurant? A group of paranormal investigators is
looking into claims of spirits inhabiting an Arvada eatery. Click on the video clip to check out some of the investigators intriguing
findings.
www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7154124&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.
2.1
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Did someone say ghosts?
August 10, 2008
For those who do not yet know, the Cheshire Cat Brew Pub in Arvada is gone. In its place, the Yak and Yeti moved in to give local
diners a new and different treat, and a haunted experience. Apparently, sometime between when the old occupants left and the
new ones moved in, ghosts appeared.
The outside looks the same, as does the interior, and someone is still brewing beer, but now there are guests at all hours of the
day. One employee was very sincere relating her experiences in the back room at night. She heard doors banging and pans
hitting the floor. She thought it was the work of ghosts. I right away thought of the raccoons that frequent in the neighborhood.
She went on to tell of chairs moving and other seemingly normal happenings that she was certain were supernatural visitations.
Yes, it is a creepy, old building better suited to the Addams Family than to a restaurant, but the ghost stories left me
unconvinced. So, I tried the food.
Readers will remember the visit to the Yak and Yeti in Westminster just a few short weeks ago. As is customary, I try to visit a
restaurant a few times before reaching an absolute verdict, and even that is not always on the mark. Fortunately, for Yak and
Yeti, their menu of dishes from India and Nepal is suited perfectly for just such sampling. Even vegetarians can choose from a
wide variety of options and not settle for just a few selections. On this visit, we went with the Dinner Club.
With only five in attendance, I still was able to get rulings on five separate dishes while trying a couple of new ones myself. We
sampled the Vegetable Biryani, the Chicken Tandoori, the Shrimp Curry, the Vegetable Momo, and, for me, the Vegetable
Vindaloos. I went for the Vindaloos because it is supposed to be hot and spicy and that is the way I like food. I ordered mine extra
spicy against the caution of others.
I liked the Vindaloos, especially since it did not have the cream sauce of some of the dishes I tried before, but it was not as spicy
as I was hoping. I added some of their hot sauce, and that made all the difference. Overall, it was my best experience yet with
Indian food. This cuisine is still not my favorite, but I am still learning about what I like and do not like.
I also tried another Indian beer, the Flying Horse. It was good, but the Taj Mahal beer I had before was better. What was really
impressive about this restaurant on this visit was the attentive, appreciative and cooperative wait staff. They were adorable. They
really made us all feel welcome and comfortable. All around, it was a very good experience at a very good price and all topped off
with a belly dancer. I do not know if belly dancers generally accompany Indian food, but I do know you do not usually find that
type of cuisine in a brewpub either, so what the heck?
This belly dancer was a bit thin, relatively speaking, but she danced well and did not linger long at any one table. It took
customers a while to join in the fun, but, by the time we left, she was sporting a new outfit made of tips. It was fun.
On this visit, I will bump Yak and Yeti up to an “A”. Although I did not check the condition of the restrooms, the rest of the
restaurant was very clean. Everyone was pleased with the food and we all enjoyed the evening. After all, the most important
reason for dining out is to enjoy the evening. Ghost stories will always attract customers, and, even though I did not see a ghost, I
am happy they are on the menu. Offering ghosts, belly dancers and plenty of menu options, Yak and Yeti might just be able to
make a go of it in Arvada.
For more info: The "new" Yak and Yeti Arvada 7803 Ralston Road. 303-431-9000
Most entrees in the $8.00 to $12.00 range. Also serving a variety of appetizers and Indian breads. Fresh brewed beer available
too.
www.examiner.com/x-357-Denver-Dining-Examiner~y2008m8d10-Did-someone-say-ghosts
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
History of the Cheshire Cat Brewpub
www.catsbrew.com/history.html
In 1864, Eli Allen built a "one-story frame house (24' X 27') with a board floor and cellar under the house." This cellar appears to
still exist under the east side of the present house, today known as the Cheshire Cat Brewpub, a basement 24' X 27'. Eli Allen
was the second postmaster of Arvada, having taken over from Benjamin Wadsworth in 1882. He operated that Post Office from
his home until 1889, when the structure was described as "a lovely home" at the location of present day Ralston Road and
Yarrow Street. The Allen family also maintained race horses in a large stable on the property, and were instrumental in the
development of the Highline Canal, giving them water to irrigate their crops as early as1863.
Eli's son, C. Irwin Allen, took over the property in 1891 and, in preparation for his upcoming marriage, upgraded the existing
house, or perhaps built an entirely new two-story, brick structure on its site. Irwin passed away unexpectedly at the age of 28,
leaving the unfinished house and property to his new bride, Jennie. Photographs of the house from period show the distinctive
fish-scale shingles, windows, roof-pitch and carved barge boards still visible today.
In 1894, the independently wealthy Elias W. VanVoorhis came to Colorado for health reasons. While on a buggy ride along
Ralston Road, he and his young bride Cora spotted the house, and later bought it from the widow Allen. They completed the
construction, and hired a Denver architect to design an addition to the west side of the house, which was completed in 1895. The
two sides were joined at the tower,creating the basic look of the house today (see photo above).
Cora and Elias had twin daughters, but only Elizabeth, called Betty, survived. Betty married Milton "Nic" Nicholson, part of a well-
known family of masons and builders, who were involved in the construction of several of Arvada's churches. Cora VanVoorhis's
sister, mother and uncle Ned lived with the family in this house, and Uncle Ned used to take refuge from all the women, reading in
what is now known as the tower room, which he called the "Sanctuary." Ned, Cora's mother, sister, and husband Elias eventually
passed away, leaving Cora living in the big house with Betty and Nic, and their daughter and son.
In 1929, a fire was started by baby mice playing with wooden matches (so said the Arvada Fire Marshall), which caused extensive
damage on the east side, including the destruction of the balconies. Cora saved the sleeping children by wrapping them in wet
sheets and carrying them downstairs through the smoke.
Nic and Betty used to celebrate their birthdays together each year (Nic's was September 1, Betty's was September 2), with an all-
night party, beginning with a stuffed pork chop dinner in the upstairs dining room, then off for dancing until midnight at the
Trocadero Ballroom in Elitch Gardens, and back to the house for date cake. Bridge parties were also common in this room, and
Betty's orange embroidery is still visible on the wall.
Cora died in the 1940's, from injuries suffered in a fall down the stairs. Nic and Betty's daughter Katie (Katherine) reported visits
from Cora's ghost after the funeral, and stories tell that Uncle Ned is also still roaming the halls, but both are said to be friendly.
After the death of her mother, Betty divorced Nic, cut down the trees and modernized the house. She subdivided the 33 acre
homestead and sold the lots, then turned the big house into apartments. She expanded the quarters by dragging the old chicken
coop across the yard and attaching it to the rear of the house, where it today houses the kitchen and restrooms. Katie lived in an
apartment in the old barn when she graduated from college.
Over the years, the house became run-down, and increasingly in need of major repairs, but since the money wasn't available, it
was eventually gutted and made ready for demolition. However, in 1997, a group of investor/contractors bought the property and
spent three years of their own labor restoring it and converting it into a restaurant/brewpub. They kept the original room layout as
much as possible. Katie's old bedroom is now the office, and her brother's room is known as the "Owner's Room" today. The
original 1895 hardwood floors are preserved in many areas, and what is now the smoking room was once Cora's washroom and
summer kitchen, where she put up her famous canned peaches.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Yak and Yeti offers Indian, Nepalese with a pub fare flair
Restaurant reaches out to former Cheshire Cat regulars with cuisine
By Megan Quinn, Arvada Press
The scents of coriander curry and ginger waft from the yellow Victorian house on Ralston Road. That's because Yak and Yeti, an
Indian and Nepalese restaurant, has taken up residence in the old Cheshire Cat building. The restaurant, which opened in early
July, used to serve pub food and tall pints of beer. Now, in the same yellow house, diners can expect steamy spiced samosas and
large plates of creamy saag. The most popular aspects of the Cheshire Cat — micro brewed beer and some of the English pub
treats such as shepherd's pie and fish and chips — will stick around on the new Yak and Yeti menu. It's a good marriage. In
England, pubs have English food and a few Indian items. Here's it's just a flipside,
Business is picking up as new customers wander in for a lunch hour or stop in after seeing the red, angular Nepalese flag flying
from the side of the building. ..
Yak and Yeti Restaurant serves Indian and Nepalese cuisine including masala, saag and tandoori dishes served with baskets of
fresh naan bread. Look for shepherd's pie, fish and chips and bangers and mash along with beer brewed in-house. Yak and Yeti
is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 7803 Ralston Road. For more information, call 303-431-9000.
www.theyakandyeti.com/arvada/index.html
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The Festival Playhouse in Olde Town Arvada presents:
2009- Curse of the Werewolf!
www.festivalplayhouse.com
info@festivalplayhouse.com
303-422-4090
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm - $15
Sundays @ 2pm - $13
www.festivalplayhouse.com/Oct.html
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Arvada Historical Society to Host 6th Annual Cemetery Tour!
2009
Tombstone tales will be told on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at the Arvada Cemetery, 5581 Independence. Recognized
this year will be long time Arvada residents "Bernie" Haug, Roger Cridlebaugh, Larry and Vince Lotito, Elaine Kanatzar and Edna
McCormack. This guided walking tour will last about an hour with tours leaving at noon, 12:30 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:
00 p.m. Tickets are $6, include refreshments, and are available at the Arvada Cemetery the day of the event. Children six and
under are free. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Proceeds will benefit the Arvada Historical
Society and the Arvada Cemetery Association. For additional information call 303-431-1261.
Historic Olde Town Arvada ~ (H.O.T.A.)
www.historicarvada.org
info@historicarvada.org
303-420-6100
Arvada Historical Society
www.arvadahistory.org
info@arvadahistory.org
7307 Grandview Avenue
Arvada, CO 80002
303-431-1261
Back to home page
