Podpast: The story behind Swetsville Zoo
Big changes have been coming for little Timnath.
The small town just east of Fort Collins has seen explosive growth over the past decade, going from a population of 625 in 2010 to an estimated 6,487 in 2020. Housing subdivisions and shopping centers have popped up — even a TopGolf may be in Timnath's not-so-distant future.
And, after delighting generations of Coloradoans for decades, another piece of old Timnath will be going away — representing the end of an era for the once-sleepy town.
Swetsville Zoo, a roadside sculpture park built by retired farmer Bill Swets on his family's Timnath farmland, will be sold later this year. Development is in store for the last slice of Swets land, which has been home to Bill's menagerie of wacky, welded creatures for nearly 40 years.
As Bill got ready to say goodbye to the land last month, he offered the Coloradoan a peek into its past — including the tragedies that paved the way for Swetsville Zoo. Step back into the Coloradoan's time machine — or history podcast, "The Way it Was" — to learn more.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins history podcast: Story behind Swetsville Zoo in Timnath
