OCR Text |
Show Colorado's Colorados Co (0 0 ( rado's rados ' Story S to ry a L } J.A JA . . i 4 4r 1 aj MA MA'T 'T T ' a r j } xx axx xxk . . k qO.Y qOY qO.YA qO.Yy qO.Yy A y y , is ist t 4 } "r r " 0 0r r a t tdy dy d , . . .r r . a s3 s3K s3Sm ; K Sm ' . an s sL syGrrpp L ? yGrrpp d rd ybi'N ybiN . , ' fvut r . . .UN UN . . Lvnv MA Iur . . . . . M MCrude Crude Forerunner of the Modern Ore Mill MITI . Prepared Prepnred by b > ) Natlonil Nation'll Nationll Natlonti ' Geo Geographic rnphlc Society SocietyWashlncton . , WllshlnC'ton WllshlnCton Washington ' D CWNU C-WNU C WNU C -WNU WNU - WNU SerIca SCrtICo SCrtICoIF Sen Ser\ Ser \ IcaTH Ice Ica Icer r | HU Istory ] stoiy St01Y of Colorado's Colorados ' swiftdevelopment swift swiftM \ 1ft 1ftde TH M IF IFIstory de\ de development deelopment \ elopment In the ShOl shoit short t spnce space spnceor spaceof spaceof or of one lifetime is crummed crammed crummed"lth crammedwith crammedwith "lth lth with " romance , , tragedy , , and high highad highadventure highadventure ad\ ad adenture adventure \ enture , , " with "Itb Itb strokes strohes of good goodfortune goodfortune goodfortune fortune and 111 m ill , as are few chapters chaptersIn chaptersto In to the national chronicleOne chronicleOne chronicle chronicleOne One day the tbe region " was as nw r'1\V r'1 r1 V raw nwvirtually ' \ , , 'dr dr vlr 'drtuaJly vlrtually ' -virtually virtually - tuaJly tually untouched by ch civilization civilizationThe civilizationThe IhzatIon IhzatIonThe The next ne\.t ne.t ne .t t \ . , almost , men \ were ere starting startingto startingto to make a state out of thin moun mown mountaln mowntali mountain taln tali air and nnd dusty sag sagebrush brush flats fiats ; were selling town lots at auction ; Issuing ne newspapers " spapers ; ; building bUJldmg homes homeschinches , , ChUlChe chutctaes 3 < , saloons , and theaters ; or organ17lng organlring organlying gan17lng ganlring stagecoich stageco'lch stagecolch stagecoach ' companIes companiestalking , talking polities polItics ' Tlie The stage probably had never neverbeen neverbeen neverbeen been better set during durmg American histoiy bls his blstOlY histmy tOlY tmy than during 1859 1353 for a ru rush h t6 to t6new tonevv t6new new nevv lands ' The 'Ihe Ihe Zhe countryas country \ was \\as as vvas \ In the themiddle themiddle themiddle middle of at a great financial deprec depres depresion depresslon ; sIon ; ion Tens of thousands thousnnds of othels otlrets otlretswere othels"ere otheiswere "ere ere were " barely making makmg livings JlvIngs and andwere andwere andwere were restlessThen restlessThen restless restlessThen Then the news of gold discoveriesin dlsco'er1eSlD discoveriesmn dlsco\'er1eS dlsco 'er1eS er1eS discoveries \ ' lD mn the time Pikes PJkes Peak Peal . country sifted siftedback siftedback siftedback back East-not East not East - not the true facts , but butpi butpieposterously butpicposterouslv pi eposterouslv pieposterously glowing glowmg accounts accountsBefore accountsBefore accountsBefore Before the winter snows hid h'l.d hl.d hld had ' . melt melted melted melted ed , long lines of travelers " weie "cle cle were inmotion In Inmotlon Inmotion motlon motion , converging cOn\erging cOn erging \ on the frontler frontier frontlertowns frontiertowns frontiertowns towns nearest nenrest the Pikes Pihes peak coun coon countryLeaCIlOlth coontryLeavenwoath country try-Lea\CIl\\Olth try Lea CIl Olth try-Leavenwoath Leavenwoath - Leavemvoith \ \ , , Lawrence Ln"rence Lnrence " I'ooe Iooe Ire I'ooebr'lska Irebraska ' Nobnska br'lska brlska braska ' CityWh'1t CityWhat City CityWhit Whit Wh'1t Wh1t What ' a mad scramble it at bec'1me bec1me became becirnethat ' , that mass muclnng m'11clung m11clung muclung ' to find the theImnbow's therainbow's thelainbow's thelainbows Imnbow's Imnbows rainbow's rainbows ' ' end I ' Over Oer , the boundless boundlesspi boundlessprairie boundlesspialrie prairie pi alrle " west "e'5t e5t ' of the settlements It Itspread Itspread Itspread spread spread1 , , \\1 1 \ vvitli with \ th SCal scaicely scarcely cely a n bieik bieak bl e'11 e11 ' from fromthe fromthe fromthe the Missouri to the Rockies Rochles 5tmdy Sturdy 5tmdyCO Sturdycovered Stuidycoveied CO\ CO COel covered \ el cd " wagons "ngons ngons , some with Un three threeyokes thiceyokes ee eeyohes yohes yokes of oxen oxcn ; light Jlght " wagons "agons agons dla\\ dla dlan drawn dlaby diavvnby drawnby \ n by hOl hoises horses se'3 se3 ' and mules , hOl horseback horsebackriders hoisebackildcrs "ebacl ebacl " . tIders riders , men and \ women \ omen on foot foottl foottrundltng foottiundling tl trundltng undhn loided 10'1ded 101ded loaded ' pushcarts pu"hcnrts puhcnrts " , other otherpel1estll'l.ns otherpedesttrans otherpedestinns pel1estll'l.ns pel1estlll.ns pel1estlllns pedesttrans ' . " with "lth lth knapsackb knap-acl knap acl knapsacks ' - b , , somerecl somereckless some sonic sonicreckless recl reckless less souls " with Ith nothing noOung but the theclothes theclothes theclothes clothes they wore-1l1 wore 1l1 wore-all all wore - - ' ill poured on onto ontoward ontoward toard toward to\\ to \ ard the Pioraised Plomlsed Promised I'1n I1n I ' ind and 'PikesPeak PikesPeak ' PIkes PIkesPeak PikesPeak Peak or Bust ' w \ wis 'I.S I.S IS as ' . bli/oned bli oned bh/oncd bh oncd blaeoned / onmany on onmany onmany many a n " wagon "agon agon in tlie the motJe motley train trainSome trainsome trainSome Some of these the"e thee tliece " wcie were "CI CI " e to meet disappointment dis disappomtment disappointment appomtment appointment at nt the tIle time meiger rne'l.ger rnel.ger rnelger meager ' . goll1 gold goll1sho goldshowings goldshowings sho\\ sho shomgs showings \ mgs In the nvci river In Cl sinds Sands " 'lnd lnd ' " , ' ind 1nd and to toleturn toicturn toreturn leturn return In a few months montlls " vvitli "Ith Ith with onl only onba onlya . } a sense of humor left , , the time old Sl sign signmarked signmirked n nlli'1rhed lli'1rhed lli1rhed marked ' out ind 'lnd lnd and ' below i 1 a ' lacomc laconic lacomcnew laconicnevv laconicnew new nevv one Busted b by bv ) Gosh Go"h Goh Goch " In i ' " Pikes Peak Diggings DiggingsBefoie DiggingsBefole DiggingsBefore Befoie Befole Before the discouiaged dl"comaged dlcomaged discouraged " letmn return letmnst'1mpe returnstampede ictuinstimpede st'1mpe st1mpe stampede ' e to the East Cast last co could ld run Its Itscom itscourse itscouisc com course se , thel thcie there e cime C'lme Clme cane ' ne news " s of rcaJly really rcaJlysubstantial reallysubstantial reallysubstantial substantial gold dl discoveries < ; coverles In inveins Inveins veins \ cIns , then J'lehopes ' new J'le\\ J'le Jle \ \ hopes and i 1 a ' new newand newind 1nd and ' bigger gold bold rush Whole Where Whel e 10000had 10000 10000had 10000had had gone before , now piobibly plob'l.bly plobl.bly ploblbly piobably ' . 100 100,000 100000 , 000 crossed the phlnsThe plainsThe pliins phlns plains pliinsThe The Colorado mountamsIt mountarnsIt mountains , , It seemed seemedmight , mlht might , ; be America America's Americas ' , ; last frontlCl frontier frontieiand , , and ArnelIcans Americans Arnei leans turned to\\ to towird to1rd toward \ \ 1rd ' them themI themas themis I 1S as ' childicn chlh.hen chlhhen children . tioop hoop troop to a street paride pa par'lde parode r'lde rlde rode ' They overran the e existing existingtowns existingtowns istmg : towns , , built ncones new nc\\ nc \ ones , chmbelel1 clambered chmbelel1I chmbelel1Into clamberedInto climbeiedInto I Into tlie tile the mountains mountain ' : , , staked stal.ed staled . claIms claimsor claimsor ; or jumped them , , dug , played rIOt riotously notously I Iously . ously , f fought ught , Olg'lnl Olglnl organized 01 ginned ' d vIgihnte vigilante vigilantecommittees vigilintecommittees committees and courts , , and vIgihnteI beganineptly began beganmepUy beganineptly I mepUy ineptly at first , but determmedly determinedly detcriumedlyto , , to iron out the rough edges edbes of the theflOntier thefrontier thefiontler flOntier frontier into a civilized tivl1l7ed elvili7ed communitySo community comnmnit communitySo So begin beg'ln begln began ' the Pikes Pl I Peak " > al ak Dig Digglngs Diggings Diggings glngs gings , a group of communities communltres tb that thatwas tintwas 1t 1t"a'3 "a'3 a3 was " ' to spreid spre'ld spreld spread ' over mer i 'l l a ' greit gre'1t gre1t great ' aicaand mea area meaand areaand and to become 17 icars sears ears liter hter later the theCentenmal theCentennial theCentennial Centenmal Centennial stateMapwise : . state .tate tate stateMapwise .tate1Japwlse \ Mapwise 1\Japwlse 1 Japwlse , Colondo Colol1.do Colol1do Colorado . Is somethingof somethmgof somethmg something of an anomaly . . Across It marches marchesNorth marchesNorth marchesNorth North America's Americas Amerlcn's Amerlcns ' mightiest mountain mountainrange mountainrange mountainrange range and within \ \ I thIn it are concen conten contentrated concentrated concentrated trated Uncle Sam'b Samb Sam's Sams 5am ' : . greitost gre'lte'5t grelte5t greatest ' ' group groupof groupof groupof of lofty pciks pe'1hs pe1hs peaks ' Among these moun moon mountains moontalns mountains tains talns rise nse some of the country countn s ma- ma major major ma major - jor rivers let at no point does doesInnge doesrange doeslange Innge range or stream mirk m'1rl m1rl mark ' . Colorado's Colorados Colorado'sboun Colorado'sboundaries Colorado'sboundincb Coloradosboundincb ' boun boundaries < hr1C : . Its straight strollght lines ofmcildiins of ofmelldhns ofmeridians melldhns meridians and nnd pinllels p'lr'lllels plrlllels parallels ' ' , hurdUn hurdlln hurdlingall , ; a11 all nitural n'ltural nltural natural ' geographic feituies fe'1tmes fe1tmes features ' , , 'lC lC ac 'lCtU'1lly actually ' ictuilly tU'1lly tU1lly tually ' bear a closer rclitlonslnp rehtlonsilip relationship to toGlcenlch toGreenwich toGleenwich Glcen\\lch Glcen lch Greenwich \ , Englind Lnghnd England , , and the Cqua Dqua Cquator Dquator Equator tor than the they . } > do to tlie the Rocky Rock RocI . ) moun mountaIns mountains mountains taIns or the Colorado river riverThe rh riverThe er erThe The eastern t\\ t \ two t0 0 fifths of the state stateIs stateis stateis Is a plain plains , ; country , a continuation continuationof of the time gently unduliring unduhting undulating and al\\ al alays always alwaysrather alwaysrather \ ays aysrather rather dr dry drv piiirics p11irles prairies of western "estern estern " Kan Kansas Kansas Kansas sas andeblfisha and NebraskaApproach ! \ Ncbiaska \eblfisha eblfisha Nebraska NcbiaskaApproach eblfishaAppro.tcb Approach Appro.tcb Approtcb . fiom flom from the west ind and 'ln ln ' YOTJ yon find youfind YOTJfind yonfind that Utah Ut.lh Utlh Utahm . cnirlcs cmries carries over o\er o er \ Into Intothe intothe intothe the . extreme e\.treme e.treme e .treme treme \ . " western "estern estern part of ot Colo Colorndo Colorndo Colorado rndo neighborsdo W as Kinsas K'1nsas K1nsas Kansas ' and Its neighbors do on the time eist east e'1 e1 ' , > t Drv Dry pliins phlns plains alter alternnte alterante alternate nnte ante " with "Ith Ith tabl table linds hnlls lands , , their roc rod rodl I y yslopes .vslopes vslopes . : \ slopes clad \ with tth scra scraggy gv bushesCentral bushe'3 bushe3 bushes bushesCentral ' Central Area of Colorado'lhe ColoradoZhe Colorado ColoradoTlie Tlie 'lhe lhe Zhe ' great cential centwl cental aica meo area , "here here where "herethc wherethe " wheretlie thc the ' en E'll Ell ear ' th tar Ins lI'1s lI1s has ' beon been thrust sky s1 skywardIs . ) w " ard and ardIs andis Is the re region JOn of glittering gl1ttetln gold Id to to"hlch towhich towhich "hlch hlch which " Coloiado COIOIJdo Colorado owes o\\es o es \ \ its Us bilth bhth birth 13 19 ms a alite astate nst -lite lite state ' - ite If you von , 011 " would "oulel oulel plunge IllInge ) Into Intothl intotills this thl " 01110101 old 0111 Colni \0101 0101 glom ( \ ' ido 1110 mdn of pioncel plOIlCCl pioneer gold goldntttiing goldmining old oldmlnln ntttiing mlnln ; : d\ d dl1JIC divs days , \ " iln\o iln o l1JI\C l1JI C throve l1JICIt \ \ west \\It It ( ' ) from Den \ ver er on P'l Pl pivcd paved ' \ ed roids rO'lds rOlds roads ' , , over the time foottrills foot footh1l1s foothills h1l1s trills , , and an up Clear creek for 25miles 25 25mUes 25miles mUes miles There 'llJere llJere 1hmere ' , , strung out In a can canson canion son , } on , Sou vou au will "m m " find Idaho Springs Spnngs , fa- fa famous famous fa famous - mous as 'the the ' ' the town to\\n to n \ that is threemiles three threemHe threemiles mHe miles : . long and thl thice three ee blocks bloc1s , wide " Look Looh up to sights that will w1l1 be become become become come more and more marc familiar as asyou asyou asyou you poke about the mOllnt'llns mOllntllns mountains mountiins'holes mountiinsholes ' ' holes torn In the hillside hntslde "lth lth with "lthsteeply withsteeply " withsteeply steeply sloping slopmg dumps outside , , ns as nsthough asthough asthough though huge animals hid 11'1d 111d had ' dug dog Imrs lairs lairsscratching , , scratchmg scratching the debris out behindthem behind behindthem behindthem them A few fm . are mere prospectholes prospect prospectholes prospectholes holes , where "here here yvhere " some trcisure tre'lsure trelsure treasure ' seeker seekerguessed seekerguessed seekerguessed guessed " wrong "rong rong Others are portals portalsof of long tunnels There aie me are steep- steep steeploofed steeproofed stecp-loofcd stecp loofcd - loofed roofed mlJJ mills , , some abindoncd ab'lndoned ablndoned abandoned ' , some somepreserved somepreserved somepreserved preserved for a better day . . But push deeper into the tbe pioneercountry pIoneer pIoneercountry pioneercountry country . . Turn up VIiginn VhgIm'l VhgIml Vlrgina ' cnnyon canyon cnnyonnnd canyonand canyonand nnd and 0 over ' er a tremendous ridge to Central Cen Central Ccntral tral City and Black mack Hawk , the eradie crn- crn era- era crndIe era.die eradie . - dIe of the Colorado mining Industry indus industry Industry try . Here , , at the tbe 'Gregory Gregory ' Dig Dlg- Dlg Dig- Dlggmgs Diggings Diggings - gings gmgs , " , , " the first gold was dug fromveins from fromveins fromveins veins , , the first crude ore crusher crusher"as crusherwas crusherwas "as as was " e\ e e01 evolved \ 01\ 01 01ed \ ed , , the first steam quartz quartzmm quartzmill quartzmill mm mill was erected It " was as the miner'slaboratory miner's miners miner'slaborator miner'slaboratory minerslaboratory ' ' laboratory laborator . . Steam , fire , , chemIcals chemIcals.ere chemicalswere chemicalswere \.ere .ere were \ . tiled hIed In the bittle b'1tue b1tue battle ' to pry pre pre- precIous preclous precious - - cious clous gold from worthless rock ; andfinally and andfinaUy andfinally finaUy finally , , in 1SG7 18G1 1307 . , tlie the first experimental experi experi- experimental experimental - mental smelter " was "as as set upCentr'll upCentral up upCentnl Centnl Centr'll Centrll Central ' City was a lusty townan town townm townin m an those tho"e thoe " days , , using v ing " with "Hb Hb Denver DenverItself DenverItself Denveritself Itself until " well "e11 e11 after Colorado became be- be became be became - came a state At one time bothUnited both bothUnited bothUnited United States tates scnitors sen'1tors sen1tors senators ' and the thestate thestate thestates state s single smgle member of the houseof house houseof houseof of representati representatives representatn es hailed halled fiom flam from thelittle the theJlttJe thelittle JlttJe little mountiin mount'1ln mount1ln mountain ' town to"n ton " It Ins h'1s h1s has ' ne\er ne er never neerbecome neverbecome neverbecome \ become i 1 a ' gho ghos ghoc ghostown ghoctown " -town town - to " n , , like llke miny |