Douglas County’s rolling landscapes, pastoral scenery, and proximity to a big city attracted late-nineteenth-century settlers just as they later drew new residents in the late twentieth century. In November 1861, territorial legislators created Douglas County as one of Colorado’s original seventeen counties, and it stretched 5,160 square miles between the South Platte River on the west and the Kansas border on the east. Strategically located south of Denver, the county welcomed fortune seekers headed to the capital city, but some stayed to develop farms, ranches, and small businesses. In 1874, increased population led legislators to compress Douglas County to its present 843 square miles, and it became known for its small, friendly towns and prosperous ranch spreads. In the late twentieth century, tens of thousands of people seeking a relaxed lifestyle moved to new communities such as Highland Ranch and Lone Tree and to expanding suburbs near Parker and Castle Rock. Since the 1990s, Douglas County has been one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, with booming retail development, job growth, and strong school districts, while many residents also criticized the harmful effects of growth on the environment. In the 1990s, residents formed the Douglas County Historic Preservation Board and the Douglas County Open Lands Coalition to preserve the county’s cultural and natural resources and guide future growth according to community visions and goals.