City of Brighton History

The city of Brighton was incorporated on July 26, 1887.  Brighton began as Hughes Station.  It was named after John Hughes who owned the stage line between Denver and Cheyenne.  Brighton's founding fathers were Daniel F. Carmichael and Dewey W. Strong.  In 1879, Carmichael purchased 240 acres at Hughes Station from the Denver Pacific Railroad, and by 1882 owned 720 acres.  He was "determined that there should be a town here that would do credit to the splendid valley."

Mr. Carmichael's wife is credited with naming Brighton after her birthplace, Brighton Beach, New York.  Dewey Strong also had a vision of a city in this valley, and in 1882 he platted his own addition called Northern Brighton.  By the time Brighton incorporated, it began to look like a real town.  The first school was completed in 1885 and the historic preserved 1886 Church.

In 1904, Brighton was named the permanent county seat of Admas County as it was the most populous town in the county at the time.  Brighton was a rural, agricultural area.  It was home of the Kuner Pickle Company and the Great Western Sugar Factory.  The farming population was largely Japanese.  The Japanese continue to play a strong role in Brighton as demonstrated by the still-successful Sakata Farms and the Kitayama Brothers plant north of Brighton.

The historic site of the stage/railroad depot that gave Brighton its birth is held in memory today by the Brighton Depot Restaurant, located on the original site.

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