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<br />AACKGRQUND l~jFOR~TION
<br />
<br />Oou'll as ("nunty "'ao; n~tahl i ~h"M in IAlil. The hi story of
<br />the count v i; much II~e that 01 Arapa~oc Countv. A lar~ portion
<br />01 the county's la~d is Gralin~ lan~ th~t IS u~~1 for Ilv~stock
<br />ruisinq. Ao,tcul~urul pu,~uit.. include rai~inc of cattle, oo,ses,
<br />a~d poultry; 1airyln~; anD wh~~t ~rowl~q. Douglas County has
<br />bonet i tted trom eon~id(}r~bID DXDan~ion ot nonagricultural industry
<br />since World W.3r II. ::1 ~y ",in In<:, stone ouarryil><l, oxp losives ma~u-
<br />taeturl~g, a~d a missi Ie plant provide employment In'll zeable
<br />establlshrnonts. Dou')lasCountyhasan increaslnqpopulationand
<br />an eXDandln'J ec:onorny due oosically to Its locatlononthelrlnqe
<br />01 t~e Denver metropolitan ar"a.
<br />
<br />SETTLEM!:NT
<br />
<br />T~e settlerr>ent 01 ("-<llorl:!dn essentl ~ Ily ho;'!an in 154.)
<br />when Do~ Francesc:o De Coronado and hIs ~~rty entered the reqlon.
<br />The'loSpanlardsloundmanytrlbBsollndlans. TheU"te,ArupahOl>,
<br />and Cheyenne Indian Trib~s resided In the ~unt~i~ ~reas and o~
<br />the plains to the east. later, In 1806"nd In 1820,r'espectively,
<br />Zebu Ion Pi ke ~nd Steph~n H. long eXfllore<J "the '.Irea, ","ch dlscovor.
<br />ing a mountain peak th~t today bears their n~me. Fur tr~ders and
<br />moun"tain man also ~xplored the area in the early 1800'5 contribut-
<br />ingtotheeventu(ll seHlaman"tofthearea. The search lor wealth
<br />andstetus, how"ver, brought on by thegoldrushot 1858 <:ontrlbu-
<br />ted most to settlement of Colorado. This rush bnou~ht not only
<br />gol d seekers bu"t mer<:haots, fannors, and r~nchers who establ iShed
<br />permanent settlements.
<br />
<br />The ,,",In davelool''''' ,'re,;>s "'o~g the reach 01 Cherry Creek
<br />$tudled in this rcpo,tar" franklown and Park"r. Franktownwas
<br />~ett I ",I in 186). The IOCdt I on of Twenty-tJi Ie House, a hote I at
<br />th" junction of Ch"rry Creek RO.1M and the Smokey I-fi II St"'~" lIne,
<br />.'~s n<l(OOd ['arker In I i!'l I . ,~q, leul tu,e 15 th" rr1mary oconomic
<br />('let I "I ~ y I n 1 he f ran" town to Pa rkcr a rea.
<br />
<br />Arllfl"h"" County w~5 th" I ir<;T rje~i'ln"Terj C<'1Unty in
<br />Colorado. From then, i858,until April of 1903, theCountyc:hllnged
<br /><;hapeand sllemany times. Durinq the aarly days of expansion
<br />a~d oxploration, the cou~ty was only visited by exolorers ~nd
<br />trappers. When gold was discovered at the mout~ of li"ttle Dry
<br />Creek, extensive growth occurred throughout the reoion. Aran'.lhoe
<br />County became known as one ot the ~reatest cattle ranch areas in
<br />
<br />THE SmEA'1 ,~~iJ ITS VALLE"':.
<br />Cherrv Creek i 5 ~ rI'lI,I-bank p lai ns tri butary 01 the
<br />South PI ~tte Hi ve~, enterin'l thll river In a hiqhl Ii ~Ilv"loP"d busi-
<br />nllSS and industrial arCa of Denver. T~Il Cherry Creek b~sln Is
<br /><ltxmt '>, miles. lonq and averaqes 101'1111050 wide. The crBek +Iows.
<br />
<br />"!"~e ,,~s"!" .:'!~~!s s"!"!I! b.:'!sl<::" I IV :!~ :!,;~!c~lt~~a! c=~~!"!"'1.
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<br />
<br />past 15 years, ~wevBr, the county has experIenced a rapid growth
<br />in population because of the Denver metropoll"tan area yrbanilation
<br />and the subsequent extens[~a ~uburban development. ~bst 01 the
<br /><:ounty popula"tlon Is c:oncen"trated In "the western one-third at thll
<br />county.
<br />
<br />mi 1'15 northeast '11 Colo,1ldo Sori nSs., ro its conI I uenCe wi th th~
<br />Soute i'latre lliv"r.
<br />
<br />The Ch"rry Creek basi~ up5otr!lam fr~ franktown has
<br />~1,,>.,!,ly to .'>odHrat"ry roll In') topoqr,~phy wi th ~clndero~a pine ~row-
<br />inn nn t h. ~; n~"r r i ,jc:es. T~" Chc~rv Cree' va I Iryy Is, in 'len"rll!.
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