Colorado Springs
Webpages concerning "Colorado Springs"
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Wikipedia-Article "Colorado Springs"
| [[Image:{{{image_skyline}}}|250px|none|Skyline of Colorado Springs, Colorado]] | |||
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| Nickname: "The Springs" | |||
| Motto: "{{{motto}}}" | |||
| Official website: "http://www.springsgov.com/" | |||
| Location | |||
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| Government | |||
| County | El Paso | ||
| Mayor | Lionel Rivera | ||
| Geographical characteristics | |||
| Area | 482.1 km² | ||
| Land | 481.1 km² | ||
| Water | 1.0 km² | ||
| Population | 572,264 (metro area) | ||
| Total (2004) | 369,363 (city proper) | ||
| Density | 1,942.9/km² | ||
| Latitude | 38°51'48" N | ||
| Longitude | 104°47'31" W | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) | ||
| Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) | ||
Colorado Springs is a mid-sized city located just east of the geographic center of the state of Colorado in the United States. It has a population of 360,890 (according to the 2000 census) and is the second largest city in Colorado. At elevation 6,035 feet, it is situated near the base of one of the most famous American peaks, Pikes Peak, on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. The capital of Colorado, Denver, is 68 miles to the north. The city is the county seat of El Paso CountyGR1.
Today Colorado Springs has many features of a modern urban area, such as parks, bike trails, urban open-area spaces, business and commerce, theatres and other entertainments. It was established as a posh resort community and the tourist industry is strong and offers many activities and attractions. It also has problems like overcrowded roads and highways, crime, and government budget issues. There are a number of military installations in the area, high-tech industry, and many Christian organizations and churches make their headquarters there.
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History
Founded as a resort community
Colorado Springs was founded in August 1871 by General William Palmer, with the intention of creating a high quality resort community. Nearby Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods made the city's location a natural.
Within two years the Antlers Hotel opened, welcoming US and international travellers as well as health-seekers looking for the high altitude and dry climate, and Palmer's visions of a thriving, quality resort town were coming true.
America the Beautiful was written by visiting English professor Katharine Lee Bates in August 1893, while she stayed at the Antlers Hotel after visiting the top of nearby Pikes Peak.
General Palmer and Spencer Penrose
General Palmer had quite a personal history, being an American Civil War General for the Union, a POW in that war, the construction manager for the Kansas Pacific Railroad which brought railroad service to the Pikes Peak region, and then founded and owned the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, a critical regional railroad. After founding Colorado Springs he made many grants of land to many important civic institutions in the community.
Palmer and his wife saw Colorado Springs develop into one of the most popular travel destinations in the United States.
Palmer built his dream home Glen Eyrie northwest of Garden of the Gods, living there for many years before and after his retirement around the turn of the century. Both the town of Palmer Lake and a geographic feature called the Palmer Divide (and other more minor features) are named after him, and a bronze sculpture of Palmer on his horse is prominently displayed downtown.
Spencer Penrose also made his mark on Colorado Springs in its early years--though not until two decades after its founding. Penrose started as a ladies-man and an adventurer who made a huge fortune in the nearby gold fields of nearby Cripple Creek in the 1890s, then married Julie Villiers Lewis McMillan, and settled down considerably.
Penrose used his vast amounts of money to invest in other national mineral concerns, financed construction of the Broadmoor Hotel, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, the Pikes Peak Highway, an important local hospital, and established the El Pomar Foundation, which still oversees many of his contributions in Colorado Springs today.
Old Colorado City
Colorado Springs' present downtown location, where General Palmer first founded the city, is due to Palmer's dislike of nearby rough-and-ready Colorado City and its many saloons; Palmer ensured his new city stayed alcohol free by buying his huge tract of land to the east of Colorado City--and in fact, Colorado Springs stayed dry until the end of Prohibition in 1933.
In its earliest days of 1859-1860, Colorado City was a major supply route of supplies for miners in the South Park, where the second big strike of the Colorado Gold Rush was found. Routes further north from present-day Denver's area proved more effective, and as only a few very minor gold finds were made in the Pikes Peak region, commerce shifted towards serving the agriculture of Colorado's eastern plains. (Eventually General Palmer's Denver & Rio Grand Railroad would snake from Denver into the South Park.)
Colorado City also briefly served as Colorado's territorial capital starting on July 7, 1862. By this time the town's fortunes were already waning. The territorial legislature met in a log cabin on Colorado Avenue, and on August 14, 1862 the legislature approved an act which named Golden as the territorial capital. Colorado City was never recognized by the Federal government as the territorial capital.
In 1891, very major gold strikes were made in Cripple Creek and Victor, on the other side of Pike's Peak from Colorado City--and suddenly supplies were needed for this last major phase of the Colorado Gold Rush and the town's big boom was on. Eventually Colorado City was processing much of the gold ore. Colorado City became a booming town with a reputation for saloons, prostitution, and alcohol-fueled fun. Quite a contrast to General Palmer's more genteel community across the river to the east!
The flow of gold and silver ebbed as the decades passed, Colorado City's economic fortunes faded with it; the miners and those who processed the ore left or retired. Now "Old Colorado City" is a quaint old neighborhood in the west part of Colorado Springs, with National Historic District status and a bustling main street of businesses, tourism, antique shops, and Victorian charm.
Geography and climate
Geography
Colorado Springs is located at 38°51'48" North, 104°47'31" West (38.863443, -104.791914)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 482.1 km² (186.1 mi²). 481.1 km² (185.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.21% water.
Climate
Colorado Springs averages 250 days of sunshine per year, and receives 15.42 inches of annual precipitation. Average snowfall for the area (included in the previous annual precipitation calculation) is 5.5" in November, 5.7" in December, 5.0" in January, 5.1" in February, 9.4" in March, and 6.3" in April. Average January low and high temperatures are 14°F/ 42°F and average July low and high temperatures are 55°F/ 85°F. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Colorado Springs was 101°F on June 7, 1874 and the coldest temperature ever recorded was -32°F on January 20, 1883.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 360,890 people, 141,516 households, and 93,117 families residing in the city. The population density is 750.2/km² (1,942.9/mi²). There are 148,690 housing units at an average density of 309.1/km² (800.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 80.66% White, 6.56% Black or African American, 0.88% Native American, 2.82% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 5.01% from other races, and 3.85% from two or more races. 12.01% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 141,516 households out of which 34.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% are married couples living together, 10.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% are non-families. 27.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.06.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $45,081, and the median income for a family is $53,478. Males have a median income of $36,786 versus $26,427 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,496. 8.7% of the population and 6.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.8% of those under the age of 18 and 7.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Attractions and entertainment
Tourism and attractions
In addition to Pikes Peak, there are many other tourist attractions in the area, including:
- American Numismatic Association
- Cave of the Winds
- Flying W Ranch
- Security Service Field, home of the baseball club Colorado Springs Sky Sox, AAA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies
- Focus on the Family visitor center and tours of facilities
- Garden of the Gods, a collection of large red sandstone formations
- Glen Eyrie, home to William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs, now owned by The Navigators - tours available
- Manitou Cliff Dwellings
- Old Colorado City district
- Pioneer's Museum
- ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy
- United States Air Force Academy
- United States Olympic Training Center
According to the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, the area attracts some six million visitors yearly.
Colorado Springs is served by the Colorado Springs Airport.
Sports teams
- The Colorado Springs Sky Sox baseball team, in the Pacific Coast League (AAA classification), a minor league affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies.
- The Colorado Springs Blizzard soccer team, in the Premier Development League a division of the United Soccer Leagues
- The local colleges feature many sports teams. Notable among them are the following nationally-competitive NCAA Division I teams: Air Force Academy (Fighting Falcons) Football and Hockey, Colorado College (Tiger) Hockey, and Colorado College (Tiger) Women's Soccer.
- Colorado Springs Cricket Club represents the city in Colorado Cricket League. Formerly called One World Cricket Club, they have won the state championship three times (1999, 2002, 2005) and been in the top four teams in the state for last four consecutive years.
- Pikes Peak International Raceway is nearby.
Economy, Religious Institutions, and Education
Industry and military
These are some of the larger employers, military facilities, and commercial facilities:
- United States Air Force Academy - Air Force
- Cheyenne Mountain Air Station - Air Force: a major military center, home of NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), it is housed in Cheyenne Mountain, south of Pikes Peak.
- Peterson Air Force Base - Air Force
- Schriever Air Force Base - Air Force
- Fort Carson - Army
- MCI - Telecommunications - has a fairly large engineering presence
- HP - Computing - large sales, support. and SAN storage engineering center. The location was built by Digital Equipment Corporation, renamed Compaq in the 1998 acquisition of Digital, and finally renamed HP after the 2002 merger.
- SNIA - Computing - home of the SNIA Technology Center
- Agilent - Tech manufacturing - HP operated a large facility in the area that was later renamed Agilent in the spinoff.
- Intel - Chip fabrication - bought a fabrication plant from Rockwell International in 2000 and now run as Fab 23 making flash memory chips. Intel had plans for building a second location, but abandoned the idea due to the falling economy in 2001.
- Atmel - Chip Fabrication
Religious Institutions
In recent years, Colorado Springs has attracted a large influx of Evangelical Christians and organizations. Evangelical groups with headquarters at Colorado Springs include Focus on the Family (a Christian organization active on many social and political issues), Compassion International, The Navigators, Youth with a Mission, Young Life and the International Bible Society.
At one time Colorado Springs was counted to be the national headquarters for 81 different religious organizations.
The city and surrounding areas also host hundreds of churches and synagogues of many faiths and denominations, including a mosque.
Education
Universities, colleges and special schools include:
- The Colorado College, founded in 1874
- The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, also founded in 1874
- The United States Air Force Academy, established upon its present site in 1958
- The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), established upon its present Cragmor grounds in 1965
- Pikes Peak Community College
- Nazarene Bible College
Trivia
- The events depicted in the Emmy Award-winning dramatic television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, starring actress Jane Seymour, were set in this town. Though there was some historical accuracy, the majorty of the events and settings were fictional.
- Kelsey Grammer's sister was murdered after leaving a Red Lobster in Colorado Springs, Colorado [1].
- Lon Chaney was born in Colorado Springs on April 1, 1883. The Lon Chaney Theatre is named for him.
- Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. Elvira, Mistress of the Night) attended Palmer High School in downtown Colorado Springs. She graduated in the class of 1969.
- Leeann Tweeden worked briefly as a waitress at a local Hooters in the 1991-1992 timeframe.
- Bobby Unser was born in Colorado Springs on February 20, 1934.
- The TV series Stargate SG-1 has several episodes which at least partially take place in Colorado Springs; additionally SGC is based out of nearby Cheyenne Mountain, and most of the team members are shown to reside in Colorado Springs.
- In the movie The Sum Of All Fears the Russian President asks a military advisor how many people live in Colorado Springs, as he weighs the ramifications in the use of nuclear weapons against the city. This highlights the strategic importance of the military-centered city.
Sister Cities
Sister Cities of Colorado Springs include Fujiyoshida, Japan (1962); Kaohsiung, Taiwan (1983); Smolensk, Russia (1993); Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (1994); Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico (1996); and Bankstown, Australia (1999). Colorado Springs' sister city organization began in when Colorado Springs became partners with Fujiyoshida. The torii gate erected to commemorate the relationship stands at the corner of Bijou Street and Nevada Avenue, and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. The torii gate, crisscrossed bridge and shrine, located in the median between Platte and Bijou Streets in downtown Colorado Springs, were a gift to Colorado Springs, erected in 1966 as a token of friendship between the two communities. A plaque near the torii gate states that "the purpose of the sister city relationship is to promote understanding between the people of our two countries and cities". The Fujiyoshida Student exchange program has become an annual event.
Sources/external links
- Early Capitol and Legislative Assembly Locations
- Denver & /Rio Grande/Colorado Springs, CO
- The Antlers Hotel/history: where Katherine Lee Bates penned America the Beautiful (click on "History" on the top left hand corner of index to access page)
- City of Colorado Springs government site also at [2]
- Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center
- Fort Carson
- Peterson Air Force Base
- Schriever Air Force Base
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth
- Federal Lands mapping system
- Colorado City Historical Society See especially "early history" and "mining"
- Will Rogers Shrine Of The Sun Read about the Penroses
