Pronghorns in Highlands Ranch

Pronghorns in Highlands Ranch

Pronghorns have a special place in the history of Highlands Ranch!  They are unique and beautiful animals, and once roamed freely on the land that would become Highlands Ranch. Highlands Ranch when Mission Viejo first arrived….no homes, lots of pronghorn!...

Bird Art in Highlands Ranch

Bird art, like animal art, also dots the Highlands Ranch landscape. THE EPIC BIRD The bird “flying” on signs is immediately recognizable to drivers entering Highlands Ranch. In 1981, builder Mission Viejo asked Brock and Associates marketing firm to develop a logo for...

The First Homes and Subdivisions

THE FIRST HOMES AND SUBDIVISIONS IN HIGHLANDS RANCH The first homes were built starting in 1981 and sold by MV in what is today the subdivisions just to the north and south of Northridge Park and Rec Center.  They include the Grove, Bayfield, and Stoney Point. The...

The Highlands Ranch Herald, Community Newspaper

In March of 2021 Jerry and Ann Healey, owners and publishers of the free, weekly community newspaper Highlands Ranch Herald, sat down with the HR Historical Society to discuss the history of the newspaper, how the newspaper reflects and reports the local news, and the...

The First Convenience Center (Shopping Center)

The First Convenience Center: Highlands Ranch’s First Shopping Center Opened in 1983 When Highlands Ranch was first built in 1981, residents had to travel outside their new community for shopping. There weren’t shopping centers, let alone stores or markets. At that...
Town Center and the Clocktower

Town Center and the Clocktower

New England Inspires Highlands Ranch Town Center Design Ever wonder what inspired the design for the Highlands Ranch Town Center and its clock tower looming above the spread of buildings? John Kilrow, the person behind the design, was inspired from his boyhood days in...

James (Jim) Toepfer and HR

James Toepfer, the “Father of Highlands Ranch”  In the early 1980s, several people were hired or were transferred from California. James Toepfer was one of those who moved here to Colorado.  Jim served as the first President of the Colorado Division of...
The Epic Bird of Highlands Ranch

The Epic Bird of Highlands Ranch

THE EPIC BIRD ….. ….…was a symbol created for Mission Viejo after they purchased the cattle ranch from Lawrence Phipps’ estate and started developing the 22,000-acre property into the New Town of Highlands Ranch. According to Kathi Brock, owner of the...
The Windmills of Highlands Ranch

The Windmills of Highlands Ranch

The Windmills of Highlands Ranch Windmills served a vital role in rural America. In the days before what is today’s Highlands Ranch, windmills dotted the landscape. The early settlers erected them to harness wind power to pump up underground water—a precious resource...