Colorado incorporated in the United States after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Gold was discovered along the South Platte in 1858; other discoveries followed. The following year, a gold rush swept the eastern United States. Gold was first panned from streambeds, then the mountainous terrain was explored in search of the mother lode. The mining boom fueled open conflict with Native Americans. Despite such incidents as the Sand Creek Massacre (1864), the majority of tribes were relocated to reservations outside the state during the 1870s, including the Arapaho, Pawnee, Cheyenne, and Crow.
Civil and criminal codes were created in frontier mining districts, and penalties for crimes were established. Only a few of the thousands of gold-seekers found their bonanza. The boom had ended by the 1890s, and the mountains had largely been vacated except for a few permanent mining towns. Colorado’s period of territorial government coincided with the mining rushes. A federal law from 1861 provided that administrative officials would be appointed by the president. In 15 years, seven governors were appointed, but none served a full four-year term. A constitution was drafted and ratified by the territorial assembly in 1875, and Colorado became a member of the union in 1876.
Food shortages during the gold rush led enterprising pioneers to establish a new and significant economic component. The single most significant event in Colorado history was the diversion of water from streams to irrigate the land. In a time of conflict between livestock herders and farmers, a completely new social code and economy, as well as a Western water law, were created. Cities and towns became dependent on irrigation agriculture. Across the landscape sprang sugar factories that extracted juice from the sugar beet plants. Cattle and sheep had replaced buffalo herds on Colorado’s plains by 1881. The Rocky Mountains, plains, and feedlots of Colorado provided the basis for Colorado’s meat industry. The automobile, railroad, and a tunnel connecting western Colorado to the eastern portion of the state helped push industrial development forward, linking the mountains and high plateaus with the flat eastern portion of the state. The Pueblo area also became a major producer of metals in the 1880s, thanks to the availability of iron ore and coal.
Below are some stunning historical photos that show what Colorado looked like in the late-19th Century.
#1 Trail of the Serpent – Grand Junction
#2 Boulder City from the West, 1890s
#3 Louisville Bank, 1887
#4 The Great Flood, Denver, Colorado Territory, May 19, 1864
#5 Pearl Street, Boulder City, looking east, 1865
#6 Denver in 1864
#7 Group portrait of scouts and Indians,circa 1865
#8 Early Denver View witrh Cherry Creek in background, 1865
#9 Boulder, 1866
#10 Early Denver Street Scene, 1867
#11 Larimer Street, 1868
#12 Wagon Train on Market Street, 1869
#13 Larimer Street under Construction, 1870
#14 Marshall, Colo. No. 73. J.B. Sturtevant, 1870
#15 1100 Block of Pearl Street, South side, 1874
#16 15th Street, 1875
#17 Southside of Pearl Street – West half of 1100 Block, 1875
#18 30 Bars of Silver in Black Hawk, Colorado, 1878
#19 A.L Welch & Co., Boots and Shoes, SW corner Pearl 1879
#20 1200 Block of Pearl Street, 1880
#21 Pacific Express Co, 1880
#22 Aspen Street Railways, 1880
#23 Mapleton Hill, Boulder N.W From Court House, 1880
#24 Bush and Co. Jewelers, Pearl Street, 1880
#25 Twin Lakes, The Idlewild” Colorado”, 1880
#26 Steamboat Springs, CO – A. & G. Wither, 1880
#27 1200 Block, Pearl Street, 1880
#28 Aspen Streets, 1885
#29 17th Street,1885
#30 1309 Hill St. – President Sewall, 1885
#31 Pearl Street from 10th Street, 1889
#32 Boulder, Colorado, 1870
#33 Central City, 1878
#34 Uravan, U.S Vanadium Corp, 1884
#35 Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, 1882
#36 T-Bar Ski Tow, Aspen, 1879
#37 Steamboat Springs, 1871
#38 After the Speckled Beauties Brand Lake, 1875
#39 A view of early Nederland from above, 1877
#40 Broomfield – Jones Hall, 1880
#41 Apex – Colorado Ghost Town, 1884
#42 Boulder Railway Cars and Conductors, 1881
#43 Beautiful Boulder Home, 1878
#44 Trinidad. Colorado, 1873
#45 People enjoying the Eldorado Springs resort swimming pools, 1880s
#46 Nederland in Snow, 1891
#47 Madam Carolista on tightrope, 1861
#48 Mill on South Boulder Creek, Eldorado Springs
#49 13th and Pearl Street,1866
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This is not a photo of 13th & Pearl St. By any stretch of the imagination. There is NOT a small mountain in this area. How do you explain the background?
#50 The Terrible Load on Brown Mountain, Near Idaho Springs, 1867
#51 Mountain City Between Black Hawk & Central City, 1867
#52 Fall River, Idaho Springs, 1867
#53 Central City, 1867
#54 Idaho Springs, 1867
#55 Idaho Springs, 1867
#56 Georgetown, Looking Eastward, 1867
#57 Georgetown, 1867
#58 Breckenridge – 1867
#59 Fountain – Oil Company, 1867
#60 Golden, 1867
#61 Guy Gulch, near Golden, 1867
#62 Cheney’s Chicago Saloon and Billiard Hall and the Golden City Fire Brick Works. Golden, Colorado, 1868
#63 Mount of the Holy Cross as Photographed by William Henry Jackson, 1869
#64 Early photo of Boulder Looking West, 1870
#65 Boulder from 16th and Mapleton,1870
#66 The Old Red Rock Mill, Boulder, 1870
#67 Boulder,1870
#68 Larimer Street, 1870
#69 Black Hawk, 1874
#70 Town of Idaho Springs,1875
#71 Jamestown, 1875
#72 Central City Bank, 1875
#73 Train Going Through Clear Creek Canyon, 1876
#74 65 tons of silver bullion & 10 tons of silver ore, 1876
#75 Main Street, Black Hawk Bridge, 1878
#76 Central City, 1878
#77 Black Hawk, 1878
#78 A Caribou Mine, 1878
#79 Caribou after the fire of 1879
#80 Chestnut Street, Leadville,1879
#81 Georgetown Loop, 1880
#82 Lawrence Street,1880
#83 Black Hawk Cracker Bakery, 1880
#84 Leadville miners, 1880
#85 Iron Mine guards, 1880
#86 Sale Hotel, Boulder, 1880
#87 Men in Front of Carbonate Mine – Leadville, 1880
#88 Saints John Mine, 1880
#89 The Colorado House-Northwest Corner 13th & Pearl, 1880
#90 Saints John Miners, 1880
#91 Saint John Mine and Gray’s Peak in the Distance, 1880
#92 Toltec Gorge, 1881
#93 A Train Above Georgetown on the Loop”. The Loop, Near Georgetown”1881
#94 Chipeta Falls, Black Canyon of the Gunnison,1881
#95 1200 Block Pearl Street, Looking West, 1881
#96 Phantom Curve, 1881
#97 Train Going Through Cottonwood Pass, 1881
#98 Canyon of the Rio Las Animas – The Needle Mountains, 1882
#99 Estes Park – Crocker Ranch, 1882
#100 Estes Park, 1882
#101 Aspen, 1882
#102 Georgetown, Colorado,1882
#103 Georgetown, Colorado,1882
#104 1200 block of Pearl Street, Boulder, July 4, 1884
#105 Silver Plume, 1885
#106 Entrance to Boulder Canyon, 1885
#107 Silver Plume, 1885
#108 Ore from Poorman Mine, Caribou,1885
#109 16th Street, 1885
#110 Georgetown- Alpine Street, 1885
#111 Platoro, 1885
#112 Union Depot, 1885
#113 Cripple Creek-Phantom Canyon, 1885
#114 Central City, 1885
#115 Union Depot,1885
#116 J.B. Sturtevant’s Photo Gallery, 1885
#117 Silver Plume, 1885
#118 Mountain & Plains Festival,1885
#119 Stamp Mill & Gold Concentrator – Ouray, 1885
#120 First House Built in Creede, 1885
#121 Denver Street Scene, Lawrence St, Lodo, 1885
#122 Larimer Street Trolley, 1885
#123 Mountain & Plains Festival, 1885
#124 Leadville, 1885
#125 Aspen 500 Block Hyman Ave, 1885
#126 First Courthouse in Fremont, Cripple Creek, 1885
#127 Cathedral Spires – Garden of the Gods, 1885
#128 W.R. Rust Sampler Works, Aspen, 1885
#129 The Silver Queen”, Aspen” 1885
#130 Early Boulder Stagecoach, 1885
#131 Lake City, 1885
#132 View of Pearl Street, Boulder – Looking West – 1885
#133 Meeker, 1885
#134 Aspen Street Scene, 1855
#135 Mountain & Plains Festival, 1885
#136 Aspen Store Fronts 400 Block, 1885
#137 Pearl Street looking West from 15th St, 1885
#138 17th Street, 1885
#139 Ed Perren Blacksmith and Farm Machinery, 1886
#140 Geronimo and his band of renegade Chiricahua Apaches, 1886
#141 Old Main from 9th and College looking East, 1886
#142 Geronimo on Horses, 1886
#143 Sunset, Colo. Aug. 1st, 1886
#144 Captive white boy, Santiago Jimmy” McKinn, in Geronimo’s Camp”, 1886
#145 Boulder Hose Champions of Colorado, 1886
#146 1200 Block of Pearl Street, 1887
#147 9th Street Cemetery, 1887
#148 Golden, Colorado, 1887
#149 Kids Arbor Day Parade on Pearl Street, 1887
#150 Young Ladies Cottage at CU, 1888
#151 Gold Hill – 9000 Feet Above Sea Level – Colorado, 1888
#152 Longmont Snow Day, 1888
#153 South Boulder School House, 1888
#154 First School Class in Lafayette, 1889
#155 Happy Hours in Camp G, & B.M, Deadwood, SD, 1889
#156 Ward in Winter,1889
#157 Boulder,1889
#158 Idaho Springs, 1890
#159 Georgetown, 1890
#160 Post Office – Niwot, 1890
#161 Steamboat Roller Mill, 1890
#162 Martin’s Restaurant, Nederland, 1882
#163 Manitou, Colorado, 1884
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I think the date is off on this one, why? The cars.
