City History
The City of White Ridge was established in 1828 by a group of gold miners seeking a fortune. Gold was discovered in the mountains of the White Ridge area, and the population boomed. In 1830, the White Ridge Fire Department was founded. Due to slow response times and only a "bucket brigade", the city almost completely burned down twice, but luckily that was when the city was composed of log buildings and tents. By 1840, the department owned a tanker of sorts, a wooden box on a mule-drawn cart, but that was the only piece of apparatus owned. Fast-forwarding to 1850, the height of the "gold age". The department purchased two "Piano" hand pumpers and a Gleason and Bailey hand-drawn hose cart. All good things must come to an end, and the gold ran out in 1865. But by then, the city was established and people had built their lives. The city was there to stay. The years passed by, and the department purchased two Crown Firecoaches, one being the department's first Ladder. The 1900's: the Timber Age. People realized the importance of White Ridge's timber resources, and the industry took off. The timber industry has been going strong for over 100 years, and continues to be an important part of the economy of the area. Gold mining has also taken off once again, and with the downturn of the economy, more people are "risking it all" on their own claims. Today, the City of White Ridge is bigger and better than ever, with a major expansion project underway, it will keep geting better and better. Recently, the City's Urban Forestry program was created, and now is a popular agency for volunteer work. From 1828 to 2011, White Ridge's 183 years have been full of history, and history is always being made in White Ridge.
The City Seal
The City of White Ridge's seal represents the history of the city. The tree in the center represents the beautiful environment we have here. The pickaxe on the left represents gold mining, what started the city. The bald eagle on the right represents freedom, and the beauty of the country we live in.