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<br />BAcKGROU~D INFO~~TION
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<br />Settlement
<br />
<br />Labor troubles beset the town in 1~03; new technology dis-
<br />placed mill labor, population dwindled, and the town began slipping
<br />to",ardoblivion. In 1917, ab~or~by its thrivir,g rival to the east,
<br />Colorado City became west Colorado Springs.
<br />Manitou Springs was surveyed and laid out in 1671 by the
<br />Colorado Land and Improvement company. The townsite encompassed the
<br />legendary mineral springs which the developers foresaw as an oa~is
<br />forhealth,pleasureandculturese"kers.Itwasplann<'0--and
<br />successful-~as the first resort in the Colorado region. Hotels sprung
<br />up one after another. Manitou's reputation grew until it was referred
<br />to as the "Saratoga of theWe$t." 'l.'hespringsrc".-ainedac"nstant
<br />attraction, drawing health seekers to taste their waters and bathe in
<br />the many baths and spas. Although much of the l~th Century charm of
<br />Manitou has given way to the pragmatism of the 20th Century, Manitou
<br />continues to offer resident and tourist alike mountainous surround-
<br />ings rivaled by few cities.
<br />Two historic events have most significantly effected the
<br />Pikes Peak area's development. In 11391, discovery of t!1e incredibly
<br />rich Cripple Creek gold fields, roughly 20 ~iles we~t of Colorado
<br />Springs, brought wealth and an initial era (1691-1910) of explosiVe
<br />growth. tat..r, in 1942, the establish,.ent of Camp Carson, now fort
<br />Carson. on Colorado Springs' 50uthern o~tskirts introduced a more
<br />stable economy, based on year-round military spending, in place of
<br />the tourism featured in pre-World War II daY5. Other important mili-
<br />tary installations fo1lowed--U.S. Air Force ^cadcmy, Ent ^ir Forco
<br />Base, North American Air Defense Command--and the area readily
<br />accepted the military as a new and dominant economic re~urce. In
<br />1970, the U.S. Bureau of the Census reported a population of 135,060
<br />ln urban COloradO Springs and 4,2'/!;l in Manltou spr~nqs.
<br />
<br />Colorado Springs and_"'''nito\1 Sprinqs, a3 llei'1hboril:<; com-
<br />~unities on Fountain Creek, are locatec in central Colorado's El Paso
<br />County, '..-hich features towering 14,110 foot high pnes Pea): ir. its
<br />background. This heartland of Colorado "..as first explored by tl,,,
<br />"arly~day "'''pmd.ker, Lieutenant Zebuli" ".. Pik<=, in 18,,6. A half-
<br />cent~ry later, the lure of gold brought those who eve~tually st,yed
<br />as settlers.
<br />
<br />We~t Colorado Spri~gs, knowr. as Colorado City, was founded
<br />as El Dorado City i~ 1859 by a party of gold hunters from Kansas. On
<br />t~e same site the year before, the town of El Paso had been laid out
<br />by other Kansa~ prospectors because it stood on an Indian Trail through
<br />Ute Pa~~, offeri~g access to the mines of South Park. Despite widely
<br />distributed maps which "-..bla"on<'0to the'""rld that a ne",towr. had
<br />"nlargedtheareaofcivilization,"theventurefailed,anjE1Dorado
<br />City was rechristened Colorado City. lily 1~61, :x>re than 300 cabir.s
<br />had been erected along the river. The following ye~r it became the
<br />Territorial capital for a brief pnriod when the Second Terri~orial
<br />L<'gi~latur<! m~t the"" for fO"r days. Little busin~ss was t"ansac~"d,
<br />however, for not only did lawmakcrs consider the accommodations a'~
<br />
<br />divcrtisse~ent~ in~ce~~~~c, r.ut news ~~d just co~c ~r~t fort ~~~tcr
<br />had been fired on. The territorial qovernor never saw fit to trans-
<br />fer his offic" to Colorado City.
<br />Discouraging raports by prospectors returning from South
<br />Park and th@ diver~ion of travel from the Arkan3a~ valley during th€
<br />Civil War brought a long period of decline. Ut~ Pass again bec~~n
<br />merely an Indian Trail, a flood 3wept away much of the sp.ttlemcnt,
<br />~nd Colorado City seemed destined to becom~ ~r~ther g~ost town. It
<br />was displaced by Colorado :iprings "s the county seat in U173. Colo-
<br />rado City stirred with new life ",.ith th" riCh gold strikN' at Crippl"
<br />Creek in the 1390's. This all but deserted to"'~ became" lively
<br />industrial center.
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<br />The Stream and Its valley
<br />fountain Creek has its sou~ce in the mountains of th<!
<br />Rampart Ranqe about sev<=n miles northwest of Fikes PeaK. The stre~,
<br />with a drainage area of about 120 s~~re miles in the ~tudy area, flows
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