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1 ~ , .,,, ti 4'i,4N trading posts, and outposts of the area. tenant John C. Fremont led five exploring Mountain region. Between 1842 and 1853 Lieu- expeditions into the Rocky 49. The political status of the area during the pre-Pikes Peak era was very much unsettled. The apporti~nment of the Louisiana Ter- ritory left the plains section north of the Arkansas River assigned in turn to Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, anq Kansas in that order. The part of the ar~a south of the Arkansas Ri~er remained the territory of the Republic of Mexico until the Treaty o~ Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 which gave this area to the United States. 50. The cry "Pikes Peak or bust" was heard in 1858 and with the cry came the people. The rush for gold, inspired by exaggerated claims of strikes, brought hundreds of people on !fruitless expeditions. Many of them returned to "The States" as quick~y as they had come; however, many of those who stayed, participated in ithe gold bonanza of the next year in other parts of the State. New gol!d discoveries in 1859 drew thousands of new settlers to the area. Many of these later sent for their wives and families which further augmented the growing population. Schools were started, newspapers sprang up, mining camps became towns and towns became cities. In 1861 a bill was passed establishing the Colorado Territory within the present state boundaries. The population of the territory at that time was somewhat' over 25,000 persons. By 1870 the census revealed a population of 39,864. This 59 percent in- crease over the 1860 population took place, even though many miners had gone home. The next decade brought the ra~lroad and farmers. The agriculture and livestock industries of the territory established a permanent type of settlement in the area and the population began to grow rapidly. Colorado became a state in 1876, and by 1880 the popu- lation had increased to 194,327 which was attributable in part to the great silver strikes. 51. URBAN'AREAS.- There are 22 urban areas, incorporated and unincorporated, having more than 1,000 population in the 13-county study area. Towns in general are characteristic~lly small, agriculturally oriented communities. With the exception of Pueblo and Colorado Springs, all urbanized areas have less than about 11,000 population. Towns and cities having more than 5,000 population in 1960 are tabulated below. Pueblo Colorado Springs' Ivywild Trinidad Security Canon City La Junta Walsenburg 91,181 10,194 11,065 10,691 '9,017 8,973 8,026 5,071 16 , !-- " ... .' 1: : '. i I , , .! ~ -I 1-.','fC '-,I .1 I 'j i ,i! ,," '"I "~I