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<br />GENERAL CONDITIONS AND PAST fLOODS <br /> <br />Settlement <br /> <br />Pueblo, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas <br /> <br /> <br />River and fountain Creek, is the county seat of Pueblo County. <br /> <br />Pueblo County was one of the original 17 counties included in the <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado Territory created in 1861. The county retained its iden- <br /> <br /> <br />tification when statehood Was achieved in 1876. <br /> <br /> <br />Economic development in the area began in 1762 when <br /> <br /> <br />French fur trappers erected a small trading post on the east bank <br /> <br /> <br />of fountain Creek. In 1806, Zebulon M. Pike constructed a crude <br /> <br /> <br />building that was the first to be inhabited by Americans. The <br /> <br /> <br />original old "fort Pueblo" was built in the years 1840 through 1843, <br /> <br /> <br />a short distance south of the present location of the Santa Fe Depot. <br /> <br /> <br />A gold seeking party established a winter camp in 1858, <br /> <br />and over 30 cabins Were constructed using materials from the orig- <br /> <br /> <br />inal old "fort." New gold discoveries in l859 drew thousands of <br /> <br /> <br />new settlers, meny of whom sent for their families which further <br /> <br /> <br />augmented the growing population. Schools a'nd newspapers Were es- <br /> <br />" <br />tablished in the territory as the population grew. <br /> <br /> <br />The railroads arrived in Pueblo in 1872, turning the <br /> <br /> <br />city from a small group of typically western cabins into a thriving <br /> <br /> <br />agriculture, business, and industrial center. Shortly ther~after, <br /> <br /> <br />the Central Colorado Improvement Company came into existance, and <br /> <br /> <br />grew later to become the present Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation. <br /> <br /> <br />Availability of fuel and nearby mineral deposits sup- <br /> <br /> <br />ported diverse mining operations and associated commerce and indus- <br /> <br /> <br />try. Agricultural and related food processing industries dominated <br /> <br /> <br />economic development from the beginning of the 20th century until <br /> <br /> <br />World War II. Development of agricultural and introduction of the <br /> <br /> <br />horseless carriage led to an extensive expansion of transportation <br /> <br /> <br />facilities in the region. Economic development during end since <br /> <br /> <br />lJJorld lJJar II has been characterized by steady growth in the man- <br /> <br /> <br />ufacturing sector, continuance of military activities at the <br /> <br />5 <br />