Brush, Colorado

History

Brush, Colorado was named for Jared L. Brush, who was a Colorado cattle pioneer. Brush had never lived in Brush, Colorado, instead helping to settle what is now known as Greeley. Brush had later served as Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, and liked to visit "his town" often.

The town was incorporated by election in 1884.

Geography

Brush is located at 40°15′28″N 103°37′41″W (40.257836, -103.628109).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Brush has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,117 people, 1,836 households, and 1,233 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,120.0 people per square mile (819.8/km²). There were 1,923 housing units at an average density of 796.7 per square mile (308.1/km²). The racial makeup of the population in the city was 75.81% White, 0.39% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 20.19% from other races, and 2.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.00% of the population.

There were 1,836 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the city, the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,333, and the median income for a family was $39,094. Males had a median income of $24,431 versus $20,371 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,672. About 5.4% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Agriculture and ranching make up a large part of the local economy. The Brush Rodeo, known as the largest amateur rodeo in the world, is held each July. The Morgan County Fair showcases the community's 4-H projects and livestock.

The Brush High School mascot is the Beetdigger, signifying the importance of the annual sugar beet crop. The football team, winner of multiple state championships, plays its games at Beetdigger Stadium.

Brush is home to many retirees that move into the town from the outlying farms in northeastern Colorado and became known as Brushians. Several local communities, including Ebenezer and Sunset Manor, are home to retirees from the outlying farms in northeastern Colorado.

School District

Elementary Schools

•Address: 422 Ray Street

•Address: 2710 Mill Street

Middle School

•Address: 401 Howard Street

High School

•Address: 400 West Avenue

Major Highways

A Tesla Supercharger was built and operational in the town by the end of December 2016.

Local Notables

Pat Day, 1992 Kentucky Derby winner and a member of the jockey Hall of Fame, was born in Brush.

Frank Mercer was the longest running announcer of Beetdigger football teams. Mr. Mercer was also a science teacher and auto devotee. He could often be spotted tooling around the streets of Morgan County in one of his old cars at about 20 miles per hour.

BHS graduate, Chad Friehauf, 6-6, 211 pounds, finished his career at Division II Colorado School of Mines as its all-time leader in passing yards (9,873), touchdown passes (84), attempts (1,183) and completions (773). He was 22-8 (.733) as a three-year starter at CSM, marking the ninth best career winning percentage in Division II history among quarterbacks with a minimum of 25 starts. Friehauf’s 10,679 total yards of offense and 84 touchdown passes rank sixth and 15th, respectively, all-time in Division II annals. In 2004, Friehauf received the Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in Division II after setting NCAA single-season records in passing yards (4,646) and completions (384). Friehauf, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, threw 39 touchdowns in 2004 while rushing for 717 yards with 15 scores as part of a Division II single-season record 5,363 yards of total offense. He led CSM to its first-ever playoff win and accounted for 1,044 of the 1,127 yards gained by CSM in its two postseason games. Friehauf became CSM’s starting quarterback midway through his sophomore season in 2002 and earned honorable mention All-RMAC accolades from 2002-03. A first-team all-state selection in football, basketball and baseball at Brush High School in Brush, Colorado, Chad Friehauf was born August 31, 1982.