Monday, June 11, 2018

A Sneak Peak At The History Of The Most Historic Towns Colorado

By Walter Graham


The State of Colorado is renowned for many things, and one of them is the fact that it is not among the first states to be unionized. Records indicate that it became a US state in 1876, a couple of years after many others. Despite this, it has just as much history as any other state in America. This article showcases some of the historic towns Colorado.

If archived records of American history are to be believed, San Luis holds the mark for being the oldest town in the entire state. Its first settlers were a group of Tao people, with the year being 1851. At the time, the settlement fell under the jurisdiction of the state of New Mexico. Nevertheless, territorial changes were made in 1861, with its mandate being placed under the current territorial jurisdiction.

At the turn of 1858, another town named Boulder was started. The years that followed its establishment saw the putting up of many buildings within its surroundings, with some of them being schools. A crucial railroad was also constructed during the same period.

Today, Leadville is largely known to be a popular mountain destination amongst Coloradoans. Its first inhabitants were miners looking to exploit supposed gold reserves. It was originally christened Oro City, the local word for gold at the time. The miners first started streaming in at the turn of the gold rush in 1859.

The years that followed would see a mass exodus of the miners from the area, as gold never became forthcoming. Something else would stoke the interest of the remaining settlers. Shortly after the exodus, remaining miners discovered that the area had a treasure trove of silver which was integrated in the naturally occurring cerussite, a lead based ore. This explains why the place is called Leadville.

Also ranked among the oldest is the settlement of Idaho Springs. It is well known for being the setting for the first major gold discovery in the state. This was during the height of the gold rush era. The most prominent mill at the time, the Argo, still stands tall. Its original purpose was to extract raw gold from the nearby mines and process it.

Many Coloradoans also love talking about Como. It was founded by coal miners in 1879. The name came from the fact that the founders were from Como, Italy. The Denver, South Park and Pacific railroad had a huge depot in the area. Interestingly, the roadhouse remains unaltered.

The town of Black Hawk also has its fair share of history. Just like several other Coloradoan settlements, it arose from the gold rush. Back then, the ore output in its mines was stupendous. It was first settled in 1859, with many of its first settlers working in the mines for a living. After the gold deposits got depleted, many miners left for other areas.

These days, it is renowned for its gambling spots. The gambling boom kicked off in 1991 and has never slowed down. Central City, also renowned for gambling, lies close to Black Hawk. A visit to these places will certainly quench your thirst for knowledge and give you a feel of what life was like in the past.




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