WSP08299

• File Number: 8141
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/1969
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Flood Control Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Eastern Slope Features
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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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 "as very much unsettled. The apportionment of the Louisiana Ter-
ritoD' left the plains section north of the Arkansas River assigned in
turn to Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas in that order. The
part of the area south of the Arkansas River remained the territory of
the Republic of ~lexico until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848
which gave this area to the United States,

SO. 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. ~Iany
of them returned to "The States" as quickly as they had come; however,
many of those who stayed, participated in the gold bonanza of the next
year in other,parts of the State. New gold discoveries in 1859 drew
thousan~s of nm' settlers to the area, f.lany of these later sent for
their wives and families "Ihich further augmented the grO\,ing population.
SchoolS were started, ncwspapers sprang up. min.ng camps became towns
and towns hecome cities. In 1e(,] a hill "as passcd establishing the
Colorado Terri tory I'll thin the pr'~sent state houndaries. The population
of the territory at that time \>ias some"hat ovcr :5,000 persons. By
1870 the census revealed a population of 39,864. This 59 percent in-
crease over the 186b population took place even though many miners had
gone home. The next decade hrought the railroad 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 beca~me 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. URB~N AREAS,- There are 22 urban areas, incorporated and
unincorporated, having more than 1,000 population in the 13-county study
area. To"ns in reneral are characteristically small, agriculturally
oriented communities. liith the exception of Pueblo and Colorado Springs,
all urbanizeo areas have less than about 11,000 population. Towns and
cities having more than 5,000 population in 1'160 are tabulated below.

Pueb 10
Colorado Springs
, Ivywil d
Trinidad
. Securi ty
Canon City
La Junta
l%lsenhurg

16

91. I 81
70,194
11 ,065
10,691
9 ,017
8,973
8,026
5,071

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