A State occupying a mountainous and high plateau region, between
Kansas and
Nebraska on the east,
Utah on the west,
Wyoming on the north, and
New Mexico and
Texas on the south, organized as a Territory Feb. 28, 1861, from parts of its several contiguous neighbors, and admitted to the
Union July 4, 1876, hence known as the “Centennial State.”
The portion north of the
Arkansas River, and east of the
Rocky Mountains, was included in the
Louisiana purchase of 1803 and the remainder in the
Mexican cession of 1848.
Francis
Vasquez de Coronado is believed to have been the first
European explorer of this region in 1540.
In 1806
President Jefferson sent an expedition, under
Lieut. Z. M. Pike, to explore this region, and it nearly crossed the territory from north to south in the mountain region, and discovered
the mountain known as
Pike's Peak.
In 1820 another expedition, under
Col. S. H. Long, visited this region; and in 1842-44
Col. John C. Fremont crossed it in his famous passage over the
Rocky Mountains.
Before the beginning of the nineteenth century, it is believed that no white inhabitants lived in
Colorado, excepting a few Mexicans and Spaniards in the southern portion.
Gold was discovered there, near the mouth of
Clear Creek, in 1852, by a Cherokee cattle-dealer.
This and other discoveries of the precious metal brought about 400 persons to
Colorado in 1858-59; and the first discovery of a gold-bearing lode was by
John H. Gregory, May 6, 1859, in what is now known as the “
Gregory mining District,” in
Gilpin county.
An attempt to organize government among the miners was made by the erection of
Arapahoe county, and the election of a representative to the Kansas legislature, Nov. 6, 1858.
He was instructed to urge the separation of the district from
Kansas and the organization of a new Territory.
The first movement for a territorial government was by a convention of 128 delegates held at
Denver in the autumn of 1859, who decided to memorialize Congress on the subject.
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The
Territory was organized in 1861, and but for the veto of
President Johnson statehood would have been granted in 1867.
A further attempt was made in 1873, but Congress refused to pass an enabling act.
Colorado was long noted as a silver-producing State, but after the repeal of the silver-purchase clause of the
Bland silver bill (q. v.) by the
Sherman Act of 1890, the serious apprehensions of local mineoperators were proved groundless by the results of a general exploitation for gold, and within a few years
Colorado passed from the status of a silver to that of a gold State.
In the calendar year 1900 the
State produced bullion of various kinds to the value of $50,303,964, and of this total $29,226,198 was in gold and $12,433,785 in silver, the
State then breaking all its previous records as a gold-producer.
Coal, both bituminous and anthracite, and iron, are found in great quantities; lead, zinc, copper, quicksilver, tellurium, salt, gypsum, and pottery clays are plentiful.
Mining and smelting are the most important industries after that of agriculture.
Cattle and sheep herding are declining in consequence of the multiplication of small farms.
In 1899 the total assessed valuation of taxable property was $212,202,886, and the net debt $2,728,667. The population in 1890 was 412,198; in 1900, 539,700.
