For the first time, the history of Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado is compiled in book format. Coal Creek Canyon is a small community located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains northwest of Denver. Its founding and development are indicative of many other small foothill communities scattered across the Front Range with some notable events that set it apart.  

Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado: Tales from Times Past engages the reader with stories of colorful local settlers and homesteaders beginning in the 1870s, some of whom commuted to the Gilpin County mining district via the Coal Creek & Black Hawk Wagon Road. It traces the building of the historically-significant railroad—the Moffat Road—through the Canyon, the establishment of several one-room schoolhouses, and the boom days of organization and development that followed World War II.

The book also details the evolution of the Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association and volunteer fire department, which were so critical to the sense of community that exists to this day. The book contains over 155 historic photographs, numerous poignant personal memoirs written by Canyon residents, past and present, and historic newspaper articles that recall the humor and social culture of the era.