Gould is a small unincorporated community in southeastern Jackson County, Colorado, United States.
Description
The community is located on State Highway 14, southeast of Walden in North Park. The community is situated in the valley of the Middle Fork of the Michigan River between Owl Mountain and Gould Mountain. The landscape is a patchwork of wetlands, pine forest, aspen groves, and sagebrush. A tavern, campgrounds, community center, and several other businesses cater to local residents, campers and sportsmen. The largest public attraction is the Colorado State Forest Headquarters and Moose Visitor Center. Located at 40.526°N, 106.026°W, the community lies at an elevation of 8913 feet (2717m).
A post office called Gould was established in 1937, and remained in operation until 1973.
Luke Jones is currently the Mayor of Gould. Al Stace is the sheriff. The community has the name of Edward Bradley Gould, a cattleman.
Climate
Gould has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).
History
The North Park basin was inhabited by Native American for thousands of years. In the late 19th century white settlers moved into the area. The Ute Indians were subsequently forced to distant reservations at the orders of Gov. Frederick Walker Pitkin. Some Indians remained in the region until the 1920s. In 1886, the LaFever saw-mill opened and in 1887, Edward Bradley Gould, for whom the town is named, homesteaded 640 acres. His only son, Eddy Gould, was the town's first mailcarrier.
Life at the turn of the 20th century was centered on the timber industry. In 1939 the town of Gould and the Bockman Lumber Camp built simple log cabin schools. A post office and gas station/hotel were also built as well as a general store, known as Belle and Earl's. The population peaked at ~300 in 1949.