COLORADO

Mention the state of Colorado and Americans still conjure up images of freewheeling gold and silver mining towns, rugged mountains, open spaces, health spas, and ski resorts. To a large extent, all of these stereotypes correctly describe aspects of the state and its history. First developed by prospectors looking for riches in gold and silver, the state also discovered its agricultural potential and promoted its many tourist attractions. Contemporary Colorado has a healthy industrial base, as well as a steadily growing population attracted by the state's many amenities.

In the early 1600s, Spanish conquistadors arrived in Colorado, finding a number of warring Native American tribes. French fur traders were not much interested in what was called the Colorado region, which then included most of the area east of the Rocky Mountains. France ceded the territory to Spain in 1763, then regained it in 1801. In 1803 the area east of the Rockies became part of the Louisiana Purchase when France ceded it to the United States.

In 1806 Lt. Zebulon M. Pike (1779–1813) set out to explore the southwestern border of the territory, and he unsuccessfully attempted to scale the peak that now bears his name. In 1819 the United States and Spain established a boundary along the Arkansas River, then north to the Continental Divide. Stephen Long (1784–1864) soon arrived to explore the new border, and Dr. Edwin James was the first to climb Pikes Peak. Western and southern Colorado became U.S. territory after the Mexican War (1846–1848). John C. Frémont (1813–1890) led five expeditions into eastern Colorado between 1842 and 1853.

It was an exaggerated report of the discovery of gold at Cherry Creek (now Denver), however, which brought thousands of prospectors into the territory beginning in 1858. The so-called "Pikes Peakers" sent home glowing reports of fortunes to be made in Colorado. A number of mining towns sprang up, and by 1860 the population of Colorado was more than 30,000. In 1861 Colorado formally became a territory, with Denver becoming the capital in 1867.

Expansion and settlement of the Colorado region was not without its difficulties. The early history of the territory was marked by serious conflict between white settlers and Native Americans. Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, who had been pushed onto reservations, began to rebel, raiding towns and attacking travelers. After a brutal massacre of the Indians at Sand Creek in 1864, more warfare followed; but most of the Plains Indians were eventually moved to reservations in the Oklahoma territory. In 1873 the Ute Indians were forced from their large reservation, supposedly forever given to them by the U.S. government, when gold and silver were discovered there. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, Colorado finally entered the Union in 1876 as the thirty-eighth state.

More people trekked to Colorado during the 1870s and 1880s to seek their fortunes in the silver and lead mines, and farmers were attracted to the High Plains. At first bypassed by the transcontinental railroads, Colorado soon had rail access from Denver to the Union Pacific rail station at Cheyenne, Wyoming. Early tourism was also important to the economy of the new state. Resorts developed around the many mineral springs, and narrow-gauge trains brought travelers to the scenic mountain areas. Colorado Springs, one of the most important early spas, attracted thousands of tourists during this period, as did Denver. Unfortunately, this boom in the economy ended abruptly with a depression during the early 1890s. Silver became a glut on the market when the U.S. government adopted a gold standard in 1893. In addition, a severe drought caused many to abandon their farms.

California mineral miners experienced a number of violent disturbances during the last two decades of the nineteenth century. The Knights of Labor led around 35 strikes against mine owners between 1881 and 1886; and the Western Federation of Miners struck at Telluride and Cripple Creek. The United Mine Workers shut down operations at a number of mines in the early 1900s; a particularly violent episode occurred at Ludlow in 1914, when several women and children were killed after the governor called out the militia.

In the early twentieth century, farmers began returning to the land after a period of farm depression. Many German and Russian immigrants planted sugar beets in the Colorado, Arkansas, and South Platte river valleys. Cattle barons from Texas also drove their longhorns to Colorado's public lands for grazing. Later local farmers began to fence their land to produce the more popular shorthorns and Herefords. Water, always in short supply in the semiarid state, was made more available during this period by large reclamation projects. Tourism also increased as more roads were built in the mountain areas.

The state's economy fell after World War I (1914–1918), when mining and agriculture went into decline. The population growth rate in the state also declined, as did employment. During World War II (1939–1945) a number of military bases brought jobs, as did postwar expansion of federal facilities. Colorado Springs benefited from the placement of the North American Air Defense Command, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the Air Force Space Operations Center. Between 1960 and 1983 Colorado grew twice as fast as the rest of the nation; by 1983 the state ranked ninth in per capita income.

In the 1970s and early 1980s Colorado's economy boomed as the oil, mining, and electronic industries continued to expand. In the mid-1980s, however, a drop in oil prices and the closing of several mines brought a recession, with the number of new businesses dropping 23 percent between 1987 and 1988. An upturn, however, occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The state continues to face challenges, including air pollution, overcrowding on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, water shortages, and unemployment caused by cuts in defense spending.

Though agriculture and mining continue to be important economic sectors in Colorado, more jobs were created in trade, government, and manufacturing between 1975 and 1985. The service sector now accounts for more than 50 percent of the state's gross product. The companies that grew the fastest in Colorado during the 1980s and early 1990s were high-technology concerns such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computer, and MCI Telecommunications. Tourism generates more than $6 billion each year for the state. Ski resorts, such as Vail and Aspen, and tourist attractions, such as the Air Force Academy and Colorado's rugged mountains, continue to bring thousands of visitors to the state during all seasons. The per capita income of Colorado in 1996 was nearly $25,000, placing thirteenth in the nation. Denver ranked thirtieth among the most important metropolitan areas in income.

COLORADO

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