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<br />~. I'lANITOU SPRINGS, THE; SETTING <br /> <br />A. Situation <br /> <br />~lani tou Springs is located in El Paso Count)1 at the foot of the Front <br />Range of the Rocky Mountains in east-central Colorado. The city is <br />immediately west of Colorado Springs and has a population of 4,475 (U.S. <br />Depar'tment of Canmerce, 1980 Census). Situated along Fountain Creek at an <br />altitude of 6,606 feet, the city is at the mouth of Ute Pass and the base of <br />Pikes Peak. <br /> <br />Manl.tou Springs is renowned for its many mix:.eral springs located <br />throughout the city and for other attractions sv,ch as thE~ Garden of Gods, <br />Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak Cog Railroad, Cliff Dwellings and the Mani tou <br />Incl i.ne. <br /> <br />B. History <br /> <br />The history of the Manitou Springll area sl;r'~'olmds its 26 springs and <br />reflect!l the tourism-oriented economy which i:9 evident there today. The <br />Indians were first to discover the natural spl~lngs of Manitou Springs, and <br />the valley was considered sacred territory by many trites. In the 1830's, <br />piOneer!1 tegan to recognize the natITa]. teauty of the arE~a as they arri ved <br />seekIng the professed healing powers of the waters. In '1847, Lt. George <br />Ruxton established permanent camps at the mouth of Ute P,ass. In the 1860' s, <br />gold was discovered in South Park, just over the pass. An influx of people <br />to the area resulted from this discovery (Phelps, 1985). The town was <br />surveyed and laid out in 1871 as the rir~lt tour:i.st resort in Color'ado (I) .S. <br />Ar'my COI"PS of Engineers, 1974). It was seen as a retreat by both tourists <br />and settlers, pranoted by the famous medi.cinal mi,neral waters" On July 8, <br />1876, Manitou was incorporated. A building boom in the 1890'11 was <br />responsible for most of the buildings which fr'ont the main st,"eet, Manitou <br />Avenue (Phelps, 1985). The backs of of these bu:\ldings face Fountain Creek <br />where their walls form the creek's southern channel. Even into the 1950' s, <br />Manitou Springs was one of the two maj or touris'; destinations in Colorado <br />(Stumpp, 1985). Today, visitors to the area al'l, at.trac:ted by its historic <br />nature and small-town atmosphere. <br />