Thursday, June 7, 2018

A Drive Through History With The Most Historic Towns Colorado

By Walter Graham


It is no secret that it took a while before Colorado was admitted to the Union. It is often regarded as a new state in American culture owing to the fact that it was the 38th state to join the union in 1876. Nevertheless, it is a state rich in history. Here are some of the most historic towns Colorado.

Archives record San Luis as being the first town to be established within the whole state. The Tao people are credited with its establishment in 1851. When this happened, it was placed under the administration of New Mexico. This went on for a few years till 1861, when territorial adjustments were made and its administration was shifted to the present 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.

Black Hawk is an interestingly historic settlement as well. Like many other urban settlements in Colorado, its development is largely credited to the gold rush. During its mining heydays, it produced copious amounts of gold ore. Original settlers arrived in 1859 and primarily made their living out of mining. After most of the gold deposits were exhausted, many of them left.

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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