My First Pocket Guide to Colorado

Colorado Basics

Colorado Geography

Colorado History

Colorado People

Colorado Places

Colorado Nature

Colorado Miscellany

by Carole Marsh

M My y F Fiir rs st t P Po oc ck ke et t G Gu uiid de e

B By y C Ca ar ro olle e M Ma ar rs sh h

The Carole Marsh Bob Longmeyer Chad Beard Cecil Anderson Steven Saint-Laurent Karin Petersen Billie Walburn

Doug Boston Jill Sanders William Nesbitt, Jr. Kathy Zimmer Wanda Coats Terry Briggs Jackie Clayton

Pam Dufresne Cranston Davenport Lisa Stanley Antoinette Miller Victoria DeJoy

Published by GALLOPADE INTERNATIONAL

www.coloradoexperience.com 800-536-2GET • www.gallopade.com ©2001 Carole Marsh • First Edition • All Rights Reserved. ©2011 Ebook Edition Character Illustrations by Lucyna A. M. Green. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. The Colorado Experience logo is a trademark of Carole Marsh and Gallopade International, Inc. A free catalog of The Colorado Experience Products is available by calling 800-536-2GET, or by visiting our website at www.coloradoexperience.com.

Gallopade is proud to be a member of these educational organizations and associations:

Other Colorado Experience Products • The Colorado Experience! • The BIG Colorado Reproducible Activity Book • The Colorado Coloring Book • My First Book About Colorado! • Colorado “Jography”: A Fun Run Through Our State • Colorado Jeopardy!: Answers and Questions About Our State • The Colorado Experience! Sticker Pack • The Colorado Experience! Poster/Map • Discover Colorado CD-ROM • Colorado “Geo” Bingo Game • Colorado “Histo” Bingo Game

A Word From the Author... (okay, a few words)... Hi! Here’s your own handy pocket guide about the great state of Colorado! It really will fit in a pocket—I tested it. And it really will be useful when you want to know a fact you forgot, to bone up for a test, or when your teacher says, “I wonder . . .” and you have the answer— instantly! Wow, I’m impressed! Get smart, have fun!

Colorado Basics

Colorado Geography

Carole Marsh

Colorado Basics explores your state’s symbols and their special meanings! Colorado Geography digs up the what’s where in your state! Colorado History is like traveling through time to some of your state’s great moments! Colorado People introduces you to famous personalities and your next-door neighbors! Colorado Places shows you where you might enjoy your next family vacation! Colorado Nature - no preservatives here, just what Mother Nature gave to Colorado!

Colorado History

Colorado People

Colorado Places

Colorado Nature

Colorado Miscellany

All the real fun stuff that we just HAD to save for its own section!

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State Name

Who Named You? Colorado’s official state name is...

State Name

Colorado Word Definition

OFFICIAL: appointed, authorized, or approved by a government or organization

Colorado will be on a statecommemorative quarter in the year 2006. Look for it in cash registers everywhere!

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Statehood: August 1, 1876 Colorado was the 38th to join the United States. Coccinella noemnotata is my name (that’s Latin for Lady Bug)! What’s YOURS?

State Name Origin

What’s In A Name ? When early Spanish explorers were searching for gold, they discovered a river that appeared red. They called it Colorado, which means “colored red.” The Colorado River gave the state its name.

State Name Origin

The introduction of railroads helped Colorado reach statehood. Smart businessmen paid for their own railroad line when the Union Pacific line bypassed Colorado because of its rugged mountain terrain.

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State Nicknames

Who Are You

Calling Names? Colorado is not the only name by which our state is recognized. Like many other states, Colorado has nicknames—official State and unofficial! Nicknames

The Centennial State The Rocky Mountain State The Mother of Rivers Since Colorado was admitted to the Union in 1876, just Centennial means 100! I as America was hope I have a centennial celebrating the birthday! 100th birthday of the Declaration of Independence, it was nicknamed the Centennial State. 6

State Capital/Capitol

State Capital:

Denver 1867 Since

1867

State In 1861, Colorado City Capital/ was named the capital of Capitol the Colorado territory, but within a few months, the capital was moved to Golden City. William Byers, who owned and published the Rocky Mountain News, fought hard to see that Denver was named the state capital. Denver would become “the largest inland city on the American continent,” Byers proclaimed. While Denver is pretty large, there are other, larger cities in the Midwest. However, Denver did become the largest city in Colorado. Denver’s nickname is the “Mile High City.” Construction

Founded

1858

began on Denver’s capitol in 1886 and finished 22 years later. It looks like the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Word Definition

CAPITAL: a town or city that is the official seat of government CAPITOL: the building in which the government officials meet 7

State Government

Who’s in Charge Here? Colorado’s LEGISLATIVE State Government

GOVERNMENT

EXECUTIVE

has three branches: JUDICIAL

The legislative branch is called the General Assembly.

Two Houses: The Senate (35 members); House of Representatives (65 members)

A governor and 16 departments

Supreme Court (7 justices), Courts of Appeals, and District Courts

The legislative branch makes and repeals the laws. The judicial branch interprets the laws. The When you are 18 and register executive according to Colorado laws — branch you can vote! makes sure So please do! Your vote counts! the laws are carried out. 8

State Flag

State Flag

Colorado’s current state flag was adopted in 1964. The state flag is very colorful with blue and white stripes and a bright red “C” with a golden yellow center. Andrew Carlisle Johnson came up with the basic design in 1911. The blue The golden ball in and red aren’t just any the center of the blue and red, but specific “C” on the flag represents the colors that the General important role Assembly voted on in that gold played 1929. On March 31, in Colorado becoming a state. 1964, the legislators voted to move the “C” a little to the left.

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State Seal & Motto

State Seal Colorado’s state seal features a shield with mountains over a crossed pickax and sledge hammer, to represent the State state’s rich history in Seal & Motto the mining industry. At the top is the eye of God within a triangle. A banner under the shield includes the state motto. The seal was adopted in 1877.

Word Definition

?

MOTTO: a sentence, phrase, or word expressing the spirit or purpose of an organization or group

State Motto Colorado’s state motto is... Nil sine Numine

“Providence” means care or help from a divine source, or looking ahead and planning for the future—just what it takes to be a great state like Colorado!

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This is Latin for “Nothing without Providence.” I’m nothing without providence—or a good breakfast to get me going in the morning!

State Bird

Lark Bunting Lark Buntings spend their Springs and Summers in Colorado before moving off to warmer climates for the Fall and Winter. Male Buntings are black with white wing tips, while females have grayish brown streaks. In the Winter, the male’s feathers also become streaked. When it comes time for Lark Buntings to make their nests, several pairs usually build nests in the same area. Lark Buntings eat insects and seeds. The General Assembly accepted the Lark Bunting as the Colorado state bird on April 29, 1931.

Since Lark Buntings are generally found where there are few trees for them to perch and sing, they have learned how to sing while they’re flying!

State Bird

If I caught a ride on the back of the Colorado state bird, you could say I was off on a lark!

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State Tree

B LUE S PRUCE State Tree

I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree. Indeed, unless the billboards fall I’ll never see a tree at all. —Ogden Nash

Botanist C.C. Parry first discovered the Blue Spruce on Pikes Peak in 1862. The tree has silver-blue needles and if you cut a spruce in half from top to bottom, both sides are pretty much the same, or symmetrical. Blue Spruces grow well in cooler climates and are often used to make landscapes The Colorado more attractive. The General Spruce also provides food Assembly named the Blue Spruce for wildlife—some birds the state tree on and hares eat the March 7, 1939. needles, deer eat the twigs, and small birds eat the winged seeds.

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State Flower

R OCKY M OUNTAIN C OLUMBINE

Colorado’s state flower—the Rocky Mountain Columbine or Blue Columbine—has been described as one of the most graceful wildflowers. They State can vary in color from purple to lavender to Flower blue to pale blue. The flowers grow wild in open woods and meadows and bloom in the Spring or early Summer. Columbines are perennials, which means they bloom each year without having to be replanted. The Colorado General Assembly made the Rocky Mountain Columbine the state flower on April 4, 1899—just in time for its Spring show of blooms! The Columbine is very special in Colorado. In fact, it’s illegal to pick ...purple all the ground with more than 25 vernal flowers... blooms a day!

—Jean Elliot Columbine is the Latin word for “dove.”

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State Animal Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep can only be found—you guessed it—in the Rocky Mountains! Male Bighorns, or rams, can weigh up to 350 pounds (158 kilograms). State During the Animal mating season, usually around December, rams battle with each other to determine who is the strongest. Sometimes two rams will hit each other as many as 50 times, and they can crash into one another at speeds of up to 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) per hour. Sometimes the crashes are so loud they can be heard more than one mile (1.6 kilometers) away! Both male and female Bighorns have horns. The female’s (ewe’s) horns are small spikes, while the male’s are more like a spiral. A set of male horns can weigh up to 35 pounds (15.75 kilograms).

The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep was adopted as the state animal on May 1, 1961.

RIDDLE: Why are the legs of a Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep shorter on one side than the other? ANSWER: So he won’t fall off the mountain!

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State Fossil

Stegosaurus Stegosauruses roamed around Colorado more than 140 million years ago during the Jurassic period. They grew to be about 20 feet (6 meters) long, with two rows of heavy, bony plates sticking up on their backs. While they looked pretty scary, they mainly ate plants.

State Fossil

There is a Stegosaurus skeleton on display at the Museum of Natural History in Denver. It was discovered in January 1980 by a group of students from Cañon City High School. Only six Stegosaurus skeletons are on display for the On April 28, 1982, the Stegosaurus public nationwide. officially became the Colorado state fossil.

I’d share my salad with that dinosaur!

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State Gemstone

Aquamarine Aquamarines are a prized gemstone. State They range in Gemstone color from pale blue to deep green. Colorado is the site of some of the finest Aquamarine mines in the world. These gemstones can be very small, up to about 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) long. Aquamarine is actually one of the many members of the beryl family.

The Colorado General Assembly officially designated the Aquamarine the official state gemstone on April 30, 1971.

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State Insect Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly

If you see a beautiful purple butterfly whose wings have black borders with orange accents, you may have made the acquaintance of Colorado’s state insect. This colorful butterfly is the Colorado Hairstreak.

State Insect

The Colorado Hairstreak is one of about 70 species of Hairstreak Butterflies. They are found north of Mexico, and are known for their quick, darting flight. They are called Hairstreaks because of long, hairlike tails on their hind wings. Colorado is a good place for this butterfly because they do best in places where the The Colorado elevation is 6,500 to 7,500 Hairstreak feet (1,981 to 2,286 Butterfly was adopted as the meters) above sea level. state insect on April 17, 1996. Colorado’s higher elevations certainly meet that requirement. 17

State Grass Blue Grama Grass State Grass

Blue Grama Grass, Colorado’s state grass, is native to Colorado and considered a valuable natural resource. It grows wild on both sides of the Continental Divide, and some people say it looks like a small blue toothbrush! Blue Grama Grass doesn’t need a lot of rain, so it does well during the dry times in Colorado. It generally grows about 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 centimeters) tall. The Blackfeet Indian tribe used Blue Grama to predict how cold the winter was going to be, based on the number of spikes on each stalk. One spike meant they were in for a mild winter, but The Colorado three meant it was General Assembly going to be really named Blue Grama Grass the cold. BRRRRR! state grass on I wouldn’t like to brush my teeth with grass!

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May 20, 1987 to help educate people about how important our natural resources are!

State Folk Dance

Square Dance Colorado’s state folk dance, the Square Dance, traces its roots State Folk Dance back to immigrants from England and France. It combines English country dance with the French formal ballroom dancing. Swing your partner! Dosi-do!

The Square Dance was formally adopted as the state folk dance on March 16, 1992.

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State Fish

Greenback Cutthroat Trout The Colorado state fish almost became extinct. At one time, the Greenback Cutthroat Trout was abundant State in the state’s streams and creeks, but their Fish numbers started decreasing as industry and mining activities increased. In the 1980s, state wildlife experts were sure the fish was extinct. Fortunately, in the 1990s small schools of the fish were found in areas that had not been affected by industrial progress. Coloradans are working to increase the Cutthroat population. This fish gets its bloody name because of the little splash of red on its lower jaw. Female Cutthroats lay eggs in the spring. They can lay as many as 6,000 eggs in a year! That’s a lot of mouths to feed!

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State Map The State of

Colorado

State Map

Colorado is shaped almost like a rectangle, with its boundaries defined by lines of longitude and latitude. The southern border is just slightly wider than the northern one.

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State Location

LO N G I

TUD

E

Colorado is m o s t l y l o c ate d i n t h e G re at P l a i n s re g i o n , but when most people think of Colorado, t h ey t h i n k o f t h e R o c k y M o u n t a i n s.

LA T IT

UDE

State Location

T H E CO N T I G U O U S U N I T E D S TAT E S

do ora Co l

Word Definition

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LATITUDE: Imaginary lines which run horizontally east and west around the globe LONGITUDE: Imaginary lines which run vertically north and south around the globe

State Neighbors

On The Border! These border Colorado: States:

Wyoming Kansas New Mexico Utah

Nebraska Oklahoma Arizona State Neighbors

Wyoming

Nebraska

Utah Colorado

Kansas Arizona New Mexico

Oklahoma

Colorado is the only state that has no boundary defined by a natural structure, such as a river or coast or mountain range. Colorado is part of the “Four Corners”— the only point in the country where four states meet. Along with Colorado, the other three are Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

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East-West, North-South, Area

I’ll Take the Low Road… East–West North–South Area

Colorado is 387 miles (623 kilometers) from east to west—or west to east. Either way, it’s a long drive!

Total Area: Approx. 104,100 square miles (269,598 square kilometers) Land Area: Approx. 103,729 square miles (268,637 square kilometers)

Colorado is 276 miles (444 kilometers) from north to south—or south to north. Either way, it’s still a long drive! This is a compass rose. It helps you find the right direction on a map!

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Highest & Lowest Points

You Take the High Road!

HIGHEST POINT

Highest & Lowest Points

Mount Elbert—14,433 feet (4,399 meters) above sea level

Mount Elbert is the second highest peak in the contiguous United States. Colorado holds the distinction of being home to 54 Fourteeners—mountains that are at least 14,000 feet (4,267 meters) high.

LOWEST POINT Along the Arkansas River in Prowers County— 3,350 feet (1,021 meters) above sea level

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State Counties

I’m County-ing on You! Colorado is divided into 63 counties.

This is the top of Colorado!

State Counties

Word Definition

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COUNTY: an administrative subdivision of a state or territory

Natural Resources

There are about 21,338,000 acres (8,635,488 hectares) of forests in Colorado.

Word Definition

NATURAL RESOURCES: things that exist in or are formed by nature

Natural Resources

Petroleum Natural Gas Coal Marble Uranium Molybdenum Molybdenum was first discovered in Colorado in the gold-mining days, but the miners thought it was just plain lead. In 1900 it was identified, but no one knew what to use it for. Around 1915, someone discovered that it could be used to make special steels that can withstand high temperatures.

Colorado Yule is a special white marble mined near Aspen. It was used to build the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.

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Weather

Weather, Or Not?!

As a general rule, Colorado is a dry, sunny state. However, the differences in altitude can cause great differences in weather within relatively short distances. Days can be warm, but nights can be pretty cool. During the Summer, the state’s temperature averages from 56°F (13°C) in Leadville to 73°F (23°C) in Denver. Average Winter temperatures are closer—32°F (0°C) in Denver to 25°F Weather (-4°C) in Leadville.

The Rockies in Colorado can get up to 400 inches (1,016 centimeters) of snow in a year!

Highest temperature: 118°F (48°C) at Bennett on July 11, 1888 ºF=Degrees Fahrenheit ºC=Degrees Celsius The chinook, a warm, dry wind that blows down the eastern slopes, has a great impact on Winter weather. It can raise the temperature 30–40°F (16–22°C) in less than an hour and create winds of more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) an hour!

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Lowest temperature: -61°F (-52°C) at Maybell in Moffat County on February 1, 1985

Topography

Back On Top

Word Definition

Early U.S. surveyors weren’t impressed with Colorado. Major Stephen Long described the plains and sand dunes in 1820 as “uninhabitable” and “wholly unfit for cultivation.”

100 m 328 ft 200 m 656 ft 500 m 1,640 ft

TOPOGRAPHY: the detailed mapping of the features of a small area or district

Topography

2,000 m 1,000 m 6,562 ft 3,281 ft

Colorado has been called the “top of the nation” because it has a higher average elevation than any other state.

5,000 m 16,404 ft

Great Plains Colorado Piedmont Rocky Mountains Colorado Plateau

Sea Level

Colorado’s topography includes the following landforms:

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Mountains & Ranges

King of the Hill Ranges The Rocky Mountains run north to south through the middle of Colorado. Several mountain ranges make up Colorado’s Rockies:

Mountains & Ranges

• Park Range • Sawatch Range • San Juan Mountains • Front Range • Sangre de Cristo Range

Mountains Colorado has more “Fourteeners” (mountains over 14,000 feet, or 4,267 meters, high) than any other state. A few of them include:

• Mount Elbert • Longs Peak • Pikes Peak • Mount Evans If I named a mountain, I’d call it “Tall Peak.”

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Rivers

A River Runs Through It! Colorado is the state where more major rivers originate than any other state, which explains its nickname, “The Mother of Rivers.” Rivers

Here are some of Colorado’s major rivers. • Arkansas • South Platte • Rio Grande • Colorado

• Uncompahgre • Gunnison • San Juan • Dolores 31

Major Lakes

Gone Fishin’ Major Lakes

Colorado has hundreds of small natural lakes, but has even more man-made reservoirs. Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in Colorado. It covers 600 acres (243 hectares) and was formed by a glacier. Other lakes in Colorado include: Summit Lake is one of the nation’s highest lakes. It is 12,740 feet (3,883 meters) above sea level.

Word Definition

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• Lake Granby • Blue Mesa Reservoir • Green Mountain Reservoir • Sterling Reservoir • Great Plains Reservoir • John Martin Reservoir

RESERVOIR: a body of water stored for public use

Cities & Towns Are You a city mouse… or Country Have you heard these wonderful Colorado town, city, or crossroad names? Perhaps you can start your own collection! LARGER TOWNS: Denver Colorado Springs Aurora Lakewood Pueblo Arvada Fort Collins Boulder Glenwood Springs

Cities &

OTHER TOWNS: Towns Bonanza Brush Castle Rock Dinosaur Eagle Fairplay Firestone Fruita Holly Hmmm! That’s a good Marble question. Rifle Romeo Silt

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Transportation Major Interstate Highways I-25, I-76, I-70 There are 84,797 miles (136,464 kilometers) of roads in Colorado. Colorado has the highest road in the country, and the highest tunnel. Transportation

Railroads Colorado has 3,500 miles (5,633 kilometers) of railroad track. Ten major cities have passenger trains. Denver is the hub of railroad transportation in the Rocky Mountain States. Denver’s old Union Station is now used by Amtrak.

Major Airports Denver International Airport is the largest Colorado airport used by commercial airlines.

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Timeline 1706 Juan de Ulibarri explores area around present-day Pueblo 1779 Juan Bautista de Anza joins with the Utes to fight the Comanches 1806 Zebulon Pike leads an expedition into Colorado 1846 Mexico cedes area north of the Rio Grande, including Colorado, to United States 1858 Prospectors look for gold in Cherry Creek 1861 Federal government establishes Colorado Territory 1876 Colorado becomes 38th state 1891 Gold discovered at Cripple Creek 1923 Benjamin F. Stapleton is elected mayor of Denver Timeline 1927 Moffat Tunnel opens 1958 U.S. Air Force Academy opens 1966 Underground center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) completed 1973 Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel completed 1983 Federico Peña elected Denver’s first Hispanic mayor 1993 Colorado Rockies begin playing baseball in Denver 1995 Denver International Airport opens On to the 21st century!

NORAD and the U.S. Air Force Academy are both near Colorado Springs!

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Early History

Here come the humans! Early History

Thousands of years ago, ancient peoples came to the area that would one day be the state of Colorado. They may have originally come across a frozen bridge of land which once connected Asia and Alaska. These Paleo-Indians became the ancestors of Colorado’s Native Stone tools American population. found in Weld County have been determined to be at least 12,000 years old.

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Early Indians

Native Americans Once Ruled! The Anasazi, or “ancient ones,” were the first inhabitants of Colorado that we know much about. The Basket Makers lived in the mesas of southwestern Colorado before AD 100. By AD 1100, the Pre-Pueblos, or Cliff Dwellers, had built cliff dwellings in the steep sides of the mesas. The Utes lived in the open lands on the mountains, and protected their homes by blocking the passes through the mountains. The Utes lived in Colorado longer than any other people. The Apache, Navajo, and other tribes came to Colorado from Canada and lived on the eastern plains.

Word Definition

WAMPUM: beads, pierced and strung, used by Indians as money, or for ornaments or ceremonies.

Early Indians

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Exploration

Land Ho! The first Europeans to explore Colorado were the Spanish who claimed the entire region in the early 1700s. The Spanish established a colony in Colorado in 1598 and called it New Mexico. The purpose of the settlement was to Exploration convert the Native Americans to Christianity. French traders and trappers also entered the area looking for fur-bearing animals. In 1682, explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Spanish Salle, claimed all of the explorers land between the introduced Allegheny Mountains horses to North America. They and the Rocky were allowed to Mountains for France. run wild and populated the He named the region Southwest. Louisiana after Louis XIV, the king of France. 38

First Settlers In the 1820s and 1830s, fur trappers and traders, called mountain men, started settling in Colorado in search of beaver and other fur-bearing animals. Trading posts were built, and both the mountain men and the Native Americans traded furs and manufactured goods. Many mountain men also served as scouts. First Settlers

In 1821, Mexico offered large tracts of land to citizens willing to establish a colony in the San Luis Valley. Only a few settlers moved to Colorado.

France sold the Louisiana Territory, including a large part of Colorado, to the United States in 1803 for $15 million.

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Making a Living In the early days, settlers were mostly self-sufficient. They cleared their lands, built their homes and furnishings, grew crops, and made their own clothing. Neighbors helped neighbors. They grew potatoes, spinach, cabbage, sugar beets, and corn. Colorado was a land of trappers and traders. Beaver pelts could sell for as much as eight dollars in gold. Native Americans Making a traded the animal skins for cloth, flour, Living whiskey, and rifles. When beaver went out of fashion in the 1830s, the trappers dealt in buffalo hides. Others came to Colorado in search of gold! Only a few found gold and made their Panning was an fortune, but many others easy way to look for gold. stayed and settled in Prospectors filled a pan with dirt Colorado. and water, shook it, and the gold would sink to the bottom! Eureka!

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Legends & Lore

Fact Or Fiction? Because Native Americans believed there was no power in squares, everything an Indian did was in a circle. According to a Lakota Sioux named Black Elk, the Power of the World works in circles and everything tries to be round. The Indians’ power came from the sacred hoop of the nation. As long as the hoop remained unbroken, the people lived well. The living center of the hoop was a flowering tree. It was fed by the circle of the four quarters: The north with its cold and wind gave strength and endurance; the south gave warmth; the west gave rain; the east gave light and peace.

Legends & Lore

Man’s life is a circle from childhood to childhood. Teepees were round like birds’ nests. They were always set in circles like the nation’s hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit The seasons also meant for the people to form a circle. hatch their children. They always come back to where they were.

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Pikes Peak or Bust! Gold was discovered in Colorado in 1858 by William Green Russell and his party of prospectors near the junction of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) from Pikes Peak. In 1859, John Gregory found a rich lode of gold ore near Denver City (present-day Denver). As news of the gold strikes spread, Pikes Peak nearly 100,000 people headed for or Bust! Colorado. They were called “Fiftyniners” because they came in 1859. Many painted the words “Pikes Peak or Bust” on their wagons. Denver became a supply center for the gold camps. New towns sprang up overnight as miners put up tents and built log cabins.

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Not everyone struck it rich. Many went bust, left Colorado and returned home. Others stayed and started businesses to support the miners or turned to farming. They became Colorado’s first settlers!

Slaves and Slavery

Although some families owned slaves, slavery was never widespread in Colorado. Many fugitive slaves came to Colorado looking for freedom. Barney Ford was a fugitive slave who came to Colorado during the 1859 Gold Rush. He opened a hotel in Denver, which became one of the city’s finest. Slaves and Slavery He fought Colorado’s admission to the Union until African-American citizens were given the right to vote by the 15th Amendment. Some Native Americans in Colorado had slaves. Some of these slaves were members of other Clara Brown was tribes and some were a former slave who was freed African-American. Many in Missouri. She Native Americans captured opened the first laundry in by the Spanish served as Colorado slaves or servants at Territory! missions where they remained for life.

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The Civil War

The Civil War (1861-1865) was fought over slavery and the right of the states to make their own decisions. The Confederacy, (Southern states) with plantations and slaves, were on one side of the conflict. On the other side, the Union (Northern states) opposed slavery or had no need for it. Some states remained neutral. The Civil War

The people of Colorado supported the Union. William Gilpin, the territorial governor, was worried the Confederacy might invade Colorado. He set up a regiment of volunteers. The First Colorado Calvary served with General Edward Canby and helped secure the Union victory at the Battle of Glorieta Pass in New Mexico in 1862.

Word Definition

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RECONSTRUCTION: the recovery and rebuilding period following the Civil War.

The Civil War

In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln, freed the slaves in areas still under Confederate control!

The Civil War was also called the War Between the States. Soldiers often found themselves fighting against former friends, neighbors, or family. More Americans were killed during the Civil War than during World Wars I and II together!

The Civil War

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Famous Documents

Get It In Writing! Declaration of Independence, 1776 U.S. Constitution written, 1787 Famous Documents

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican War and Mexico cedes western Colorado to the United States, 1848 Colorado approves state constitution which is still in effect, 1876

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Immigrants

Welcome To America! People have come to Colorado from other states and many other countries. As time goes by, the state’s population grows more diverse. This means that people of different races and from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds have moved to Colorado. Around 80 percent of Colorado’s population is of European descent. Hispanics are the largest ethnic group in the state and make up about 15 percent of the population. Many Hispanics came to Colorado when part of the state was ruled by Mexico. Freed slaves were living in Colorado before the Civil War, and many came after the war ended. African-Americans make up about four percent of the population. Today, most of Colorado’s immigrants are from Europe, Mexico, Canada, and Japan.

Immigrants

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Disasters & Catastrophes!

1921 A flood in Pueblo kills more than 100 people and causes $20 million in damages.

1932-37 A severe drought causes “dust bowl” conditions across the Great Plains and creates economic hardship for Colorado’s farmers.

Disasters & Catastrophes

1976

A flash flood hits Big Thompson Canyon and kills 139 people.

In April 1921, 75.8 inches (192.5 centimeters) of snow fell at Silver Lake within a 24-hour period!

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1990

Golf ball to baseball-size hail causes $625 million in damage and injures 60 people along Colorado’s Front Range. Heavy rain washes the hail into sewers, causing water to back up from 3 to 6 feet (.91 to 1.82 meters) in some places.

Legal Stuff

1876

Colorado’s constitution includes a requirement that schools should not be segregated by race.

1890 The price of silver is raised by the passage of the Sherman Silver Act and boosts the state’s silver industry.

1922

Seven western states agree to the Colorado River Compact which states that the water of the Colorado River must be shared between the states.

Legal Stuff

1927

Josephine Roche of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company signs a historic labor contract and works to improve labor conditions.

1964 The U.S. Congress approves groundbreaking civil rights laws.

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Women & Children

1860

SCHOOL

Boulder miners build Colorado’s first schoolhouse.

1893

Colorado becomes the second state to give women the right to vote. Wyoming was the first.

Women & Children

1973

Patricia Schroeder is the first woman from Colorado elected to Congress. She serves for more than 20 years.

1994

Colorado founds the Youth Offender System to send convicted teens to an Army-style boot camp rather than to prison. 50

Wars

Fight!, Fight!, Fight! Wars that had an impact on Colorado: ● American Revolution ● War of 1812 ● Mexico’s War for Independence ● Mexican-American War ● Civil War ● Indian Wars ● World War I ● World War II ● Korean War ● Vietnam War ● Persian Gulf War

Wars

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Claim to Fame

The beautiful Rocky Mountains are Colorado’s claim to fame. The Rocky Mountains run from Canada to Mexico. Colorado’s section of the mountains is known as the Southern Rockies. The Colorado Rockies have two belts of ranges that divide the state. The eastern belt includes the Front Range, the Wet Mountains, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The San Juans, the Sawatch Mountains, and the Park Claim Range make up the western belt. to Fame The Sawatch Range is the highest. Colorado’s tallest peak, Mount Elbert, is located there. Colorado has more than 1,140 mountains that are taller than 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). Ski resorts in Colorado offer a variety of Winter sports, such as downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding. Aspen and Vail are considered world-class ski resorts and draw skiers from all over the world. Rocky Mountain scenery includes the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River, Black Canyon, Garden of the Gods, and Pikes Peak. Coloradans love their mountains. When a professional baseball team came to Denver in 1993, it was named the Colorado Rockies to honor the state’s claim to fame.

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Indian Tribes • Cheyenne • Arapaho • Kiowa

• Comanche • Ute • Apache • Sioux • Navajo

Early Native Americans hunted deer, caught fish, and grew corn and squash. Families lived in buffalo hide teepees that could be moved easily and quickly. Indian Tribes

Indians found that horses of Spanish descent could be ridden, used to hunt buffalo, and to make war on other Colorado Indians tribes. A Comanche family’s could not have wealth was measured by the known that the coming of the number of horses they settlers would owned! On horseback, the mean an end to the way of life they Comanche ruled the plains had known for of Colorado hundreds of years! for decades!

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Explorers and Settlers

Here, There, Everywhere! WILLIAM BENT—frontiersman and scout who founded Bent’s Fort with his brother Charles on the Santa Fe Trail; fort housed travelers and served as a trading post for the fur trade STEPHEN HARRIMAN LONG—Army officer, explorer, engineer; provided U.S. with valuable information about the American West ZEBULON MONTGOMERY PIKE—Army officer, explorer; made an unsuccessful attempt to scale the snow-covered peak that is Explorers now named after him and Settlers

CHRISTOPHER “KIT” CARSON— mountain man and expert scout; commanded Fort Garland until November 1867, when he retired from the Army “Go West, young man!”

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State Founders

Founding Fathers These people played especially important roles in early Colorado! WILLIAM JACKSON PALMER—soldier, railway businessman, industrial promoter; helped develop the Colorado Territory JOHN EVANS—physician, businessman and public official; territorial governor of Colorado; built the Denver Pacific Railroad, the first railroad between Denver and the East HORACE AUSTIN WARNER TABOR—mining developer, lieutenant governor NATHAN COOK MEEKER—journalist and social reformer; founded Union Colony at Greeley, a cooperative agricultural settlement; served as an Indian agent

Founding Mothers State CLARA BROWN—pioneer and nurse; former slave who Founders bought her freedom; joined the Gold Rush and later turned her home into a hospital, church, and boardinghouse for destitute miners MARGARET TOBIN (THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY) BROWN—mining-era pioneer with her husband, James; Denver philanthropist; survived the Titanic disaster ELIZABETH MCCOURT (BABY DOE) TABOR—one of the first women in Colorado to own and work a mine herself; later married the wealthy Horace Tabor; continued to work the penniless Matchless Mine after his death EMILY GRIFFITH—started the Opportunity School in 1916 which offered free classes for adults who wanted to improve their lives CATHERINE MURAT—known as the “Mother of Colorado”; first in Denver to fly the American flag, which she had made from clothing

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Famous Native Americans

People Black Kettle was a famous Cheyenne chief whose village was destroyed in the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre. While trying to negotiate peace, he was killed when General George Custer raided his new camp in Oklahoma. Ute chief Ouray was respected by his own people and white settlers for his efforts to promote peace between the two groups. Chipeta was the wife of Chief Ouray. Along with her husband, she traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1867 to promote peace with the white settlers in Colorado.

Tribes The Pueblo people are descendants of ancient cliff dwellers. These cliff dwellers are often called the Anasazi, which means “ancient ones.” Ironically, the word Anasazi, is a Navajo word. A more correct name for these people would be the Ancient Puebloans.

Famous Native Americans

The Arapahos, Comanches, and Kiowas were great horsemen who were able to pursue migrating herds of buffalo with their newfound way of traveling. These Native American families lived in tepees made of buffalo hide that could be packed up and ready to move within minutes.

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Pueblos looked like little rock apartment houses in the cliffs.

Ghosts GIDDY-UP GHOST! The ghost of John Fagan, who was buried alive, rides on horseback near Fort Lupton and Bent’s Fort.

WESTERN HEADLESS HORSEMAN Espinosa’s ghost was last seen in the Sangre de Cristos Pass area. The ghost is a headless body astride a black horse.

SILVER SPIRIT An ugly one-armed ghost was last seen in Leadville’s Chippewa Number Six mine.

Ghosts

“ENLIGHTENED” MARBLE ORCHARD

D O Y

O

U

The Silver Cliff Cemetery has had some odd occurrences. In 1882, several intoxicated miners saw eerie bluish lights above the gravestones. Many people have seen the lights since then. In fact, National Geographic magazine did a story on the cemetery.

B ELIEVE

IN

G H O S T S?

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Sports Stuff Famous Colorado Sports Figures: John Elway—quarterback for the Denver Broncos; helped the Broncos beat the highly favored Green Bay Packers in the 1998 Super Bowl Championship Rashaan Salaam—won the 1994 Heisman Trophy, the nation’s top award to a college football player, while at the University of Colorado in Boulder William Harrison “Jack” Dempsey—world heavyweight champion in the early 1900s; called the “Manassa Mauler” Rich “Goose” Gossage—great baseball pitcher

Sports Stuff

NATIONAL SPORTS EVENTS: World Snowboarding Championships, Breckenridge—held every March

SPORTS CENTERS: Olympics Training Center, Colorado Springs—up to 600 athletes in a variety of sports can live and train at the facility at one time POPULAR COLORADO PROFESSIONAL TEAMS: Denver Broncos (football), Colorado Rockies (baseball), Denver Nuggets (basketball), Colorado Avalanche (hockey), Colorado Rapids (soccer)

If you are a home run hitter at Coors Field, you are in luck. The thin mountain air is on your side! Home runs fly out of the park and fans rarely see low-scoring games. However, if you are a pitcher, this thin mountain air might be a real nightmare!

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Entertainers ★ LON CHANEY—actor ★ DARRYL F. ZANUCK—movie producer ★ JOHN DENVER—folk singer, songwriter, actor ★ MARY COYLE CHASE—playwright ★ PAUL WHITEMAN—musician and orchestra conductor ★ TIM ALLEN—actor and comedian ★ DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS—actor ★ EUGENE FODOR—violinist ★ TED MACK—TV host ★ JUDY COLLINS—folk singer

Entertainers

★ GLENN MILLER—“Big Band” orchestra conductor ★ ANTOINETTE PERRY— actor and director; Broadway’s Tony Awards were named for her RIDDLE: Which entertainer listed above was originally named Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.? ANSWER: John Denver

The movie, The Unsinkable Molly Brown is about Denver’s Molly Brown, who survived the Titanic disaster. The Ballad of Baby Doe is an opera about Elizabeth McCourt Tabor’s life.

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Authors ✒ HELEN HUNT JACKSON—novelist who tackled tough subjects in the late 1800s; famous for her brave stance in novels like A Century of Dishonor and Ramona ✒ EUGENE FIELD—poet and journalist known for his work in children’s literature, including such poems as Little Boy Blue ✒ CLIVE CUSSLER—best-selling novelist known for his work Raise the Titanic, Night Probe, and Deep Six ✒ DALTON TRUMBO—author of Johnny Get Your Gun and movie screenplays such as Spartacus, Exodus, Hawaii, and Papillion

Authors

✒ HANNAH GREEN—novelist and short-story writer; best known for I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and The Far Side of Victory ✒ ANNE PARRISH—author and illustrator; known for such books as Floating Island and The Perennial Bachelor Katharine Lee Bates traveled up Pikes Peak in 1893. She was inspired by its beauty and wrote a poem called “America the Beautiful,” which was later set to music.

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✒ JAMES MICHENER—author, teacher; his novel Centennial is about Colorado nom de plume: French for pen name, a fictitious name a writer chooses to write under instead of his/her real name

Colorado Artists WILLIAM HENRY JACKSON— photographer; created one of the largest and most expansive collections of western photography ROBERT ADAMS—photographer of the western landscape GEORGE ELBERT BURR—etcher whose western-influenced work is in the permanent collection of many U.S. museums EPPIE ARCHULETA—blanket weaver; her work has been termed a “national treasure” by the National Endowment for the Arts

Colorado Artists

GEORGE CATLIN—painter who lived with various Indian groups in the 1800s and painted their portraits and way of life ALBERT BIERSTADT—landscape painter in the 1800s; his work helped bring worldwide attention to Colorado’s natural beauty BRADFORD RHEA—“living tree” sculptor; his detailed works include a mermaid, golfer, and giraffes

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Very Important People MALCOLM SCOTT CARPENTER, BOULDER—astronaut; second American to orbit the Earth RUTH HANDLER, DENVER—invented the Barbie doll, using her real-life daughter’s nickname; Barbie’s the world’s most popular doll and was the very first doll produced by the Mattel toy company ADOLPH COORS, GOLDEN—established his brewery in 1873, using the region’s famous mountain spring water; Coors is presently the nation’s third largest brewer Very Important People

WILLARD LIBBY, GRAND VALLEY—scientist; discovered radiocarbon dating and won the 1960 Nobel Prize

RODOLFO GONZALES, DENVER— founded the Crusade for Justice to bring together Colorado Hispanics and give them more control over their lives PAUL STEWART, DENVER—foremost historian of black history in the West; started the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center in Denver

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Mountain Men Kit Carson, the famous mountain man, occasionally lived at Bent’s Fort on the Arkansas River. He was an excellent scout, hired by John C. Frémont to lead his exploration party through the Rocky Mountains. Jim Beckwourth, a black mountain man, helped found a trading post that would later become Pueblo, Colorado. He was often called “The Crow” because of his friendship with the Crow Indians. The Crow discovered a pass through the Sierra Nevadas and named it Beckwourth Pass. Jim Nugent, often called “Rocky Mountain Jim,” was a rough-and-tumble mountain man. He lived in the area that is now Estes Park. The right side of Jim’s face had been clawed by a grizzly bear, but the left side was still handsome. People were often afraid of him because of his terrible temper.

Mountain Men

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Political Leaders BYRON WHITE, Fort Collins—lawyer who was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962; served on the country’s highest court until 1993 PATRICIA SCHROEDER, Denver—first Colorado woman elected to Congress; elected in 1973 and served more than 20 years BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Ignacio—elected to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986; in 1992, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and re-elected in 1998; first Native American senator from Colorado Political Leaders

FEDERICO PEÑA, Denver—Hispanic lawyer elected to the state legislature in 1979; served as mayor of Denver from 1983 to 1991; named to President Clinton’s cabinet in 1991 where he served as Secretary of In 1987, the people of Guffey Treasury and then as elected a cat Secretary of Energy named Paisley as their mayor! This town of less than 30 people has had a cat mayor ever since. Me-wow!!

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WELLINGTON WEBB, Denver—city’s first African-American mayor, elected in 1991

Colorado’s Famous Cowboy

Colonel William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody was a well-known cowboy who earned his nickname hunting buffalo to feed railway workers who were building a railroad after the Civil War. Buffalo Bill had many jobs–Pony Express rider, soldier, Indian scout, hunting guide, and actor. Probably his most famous job was as the organizer and performer of the famous “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.” With female sharpshooter Annie Oakley and the respected Indian chief Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill traveled all over Colorado’s Famous the United States. Eventually, his Cowboy show’s popularity grew and they traveled overseas—even performing before Queen Victoria! Colorado’s beloved cowboy and entertainer is buried west of Denver in Golden, atop Lookout Mountain.

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Churches and Schools

Keeping the Faith Sheldon Jackson Memorial Chapel, Fairplay— built in 1874 by Presbyterians First Presbyterian Church, Georgetown— native-stone building completed in 1874 Grace Episcopal Church, Georgetown—built in 1867 South Broadway Christian Church, Denver—built in 1891 Zion Baptist Church, Denver—oldest African-American Baptist church in Colorado

SCHOOLS University of Denver—founded in 1864 by a group of Methodists; previously called Colorado Seminary Colorado College, Colorado Springs— Churches established in 1874 and Schools Colorado School of Mines, Golden—established first as Jarvis Hall in 1874 Colorado State University, Fort Collins—established as an agricultural school in 1870 United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs University of Colorado, Boulder Regis University, Denver Naropa Institute, Boulder—the United States’ only Buddhist university

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Historic Places and Parks ★ Larimer Square Historic District, Denver— these 17 brick structures were erected between 1870 and 1890 ★ Brown Palace Hotel, Denver—this 1892 triangular building has played host to Denver society, royalty, and presidents ★ Wheat Ridge Soddy, Boulder—built in 1860 by stacking blocks of native tall-prairie grass sod ★ The Lost Gold Mine, Central City ★ Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site— frontier trading post along the Santa Fe Trail

PARKS

★ Mesa Verde National Park—contains preColumbian cliff dwellings and other relics of early people ★ Rocky Mountain National Park— sits along the Continental Divide

Historic Places and Parks

★ Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park—a sheer-walled canyon with geologically interesting ancient rocks

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Home, Sweet Home!

Early Residency Byers-Evans House, Denver—eclectic house built by the founder of the Rocky Mountain News in 1880; now houses the Denver History Museum Governor’s Mansion, Denver—Colonial Revival house dating to 1908 Molly Brown House, Denver— home of the “unsinkable” Molly Brown who survived the Titanic disaster Thomas-Billings Home, Central City—now a museum Home, Sweet Home!

Pitkin Place, Pueblo—street of fine old homes of Victorian and Queen Anne styles

Avery House, Fort Collins—built in 1879 of native red sandstone

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Briarhurst, Manitou Springs— an 1888 Tudor Revival house where high society met; now a restaurant

Mining in Colorado Cherry Creek was the first place in Colorado where gold was found. Oro City grew quickly after Abe Lee found gold nuggets in the water at the bottom of California Gulch in 1860. Other mining communities such as Central City and Black Hawk started in the same way. The 1870s silver rush in Colorado happened after the first gold boom had died down. Oro City turned out to have lead ore with large amounts of silver. The city’s name changed to Leadville. Gold was once again discovered at Cripple Creek in 1891. A cowhand found gold in a stream. Cripple Creek was the largest producer of gold in the United States for several years.

Mining in Colorado

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Libraries Check out the following special state libraries! (Do you have a library card? Have you worn it out yet?!) Denver Public Library—oldest library in the state State Historical Society of Colorado, Denver Libraries of the University of Colorado, Boulder Colorado State Library, Denver Colorado State University Libraries, Fort Collins

Libraries

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Colorado has 120 tax-supported library systems. Each year the libraries circulate an average of 7.8 books for every resident.

Colorado Attractions Buffalo Bill’s Memorial Museum, Golden—located atop Lookout Mountain Pikes Peak—ride the Cog Railway up this 14,110 foot (4,301 meter) mountain Garden of the Gods, near Pikes Peak–large, red rock formations Vail Ski Resort—one of many ski resorts in Colorado Glenwood Hot Springs, Glenwood Springs—hot water that bubbles up from inside the earth! Durango—a real western town; many western movies were filmed in this area; rustic trains add to the atmosphere United States Mint, Denver—one of only four mints in the United States, this mint opened in 1906 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs Denver Zoological Gardens Movie Manor, Monte Vista—you can view the giant drive-in screen from your motel bedroom; built-in ceiling speakers provide sound

Colorado Attractions

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Museums The Aspen Art Museum Boulder Museum of History University of Colorado Museum, Boulder Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum May Natural History Museum and Museum of Space Exploration, Colorado Springs Museum of the American Cowboy, Colorado Springs Western Museum of Mining and Industry, Colorado Springs World Figure Skating Museum, Colorado Springs Children’s Museum of Denver Denver Museum of Natural History Astor House Hotel Museum, Golden Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum, Golden Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden Museums

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Mounuments and Places Great Sand Dunes National Monument, northeast of Mesa Verde—565 square miles (1,463 square kilometers) of sand and dunes reaching heights of more than 1,200 feet (366 meters) Colorado National Monument, Fruita— natural spires, columns, canyons, and dinosaur fossils Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Florissant—a volcanic eruption 35 million years ago buried and preserved Monuments insect, plant, and fish fossils and Places

Hovenweep National Monument, southwestern Colorado—canyon heads and six clusters of dwellings dating back 900 years

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The Arts • Central City Opera House—opened in 1878 and still in operation today • Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra • Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Denver • Aspen Music Festival—held each summer • MahlerFest, Boulder—held in January; celebrates the music of Austrian composer Gustav Mahler • Colorado Music Festival, Boulder— founded in 1976; held from June to August • Denver Performing Arts Complex The Arts • Colorado Shakespeare To be... or not to Festival, Boulder— be involved in the arts — that is the held from July to question. What is your answer? August at the Mary Rippon Theatre built in 1939 74

Ski Areas Spectacular state skiing! Each year, 11 million skiers come to Colorado’s famous slopes. The state boasts 23,000 skiable acres (9,308 hectares) and 27 major ski resorts. Most resorts are found in quaint historic towns. A few of Colorado’s famous ski resorts include: Aspen—host (along with Vail) of the World Cup Ski Racing Competitions; founded by silver prospectors Telluride—remote, but accessible; a modern resort on a mountain nestled near the historic town of Telluride Breckenridge—includes four ski areas; previous gold-mining community Winter Park—special facilities and programs for disabled people who want to ski Ski Areas Steamboat Springs—famous for its hot springs Vail—first made popular by the photographs of William Henry Jackson; originally a favorite area for hunting Glenwood Springs—also famous for its steaming hot springs

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Roads and More! Roads… Trail Ridge Road out of Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest continuously paved road in the United States. Loveland Pass, 11,992 feet (3,655 meters) high, used to be the main road through the mountains. Now two tunnels provide passage through the mountains. Red Mountain Pass, a windy and curvy elevated road, takes you into the old mining town of Silverton.

…and more! Royal Gorge Bridge, near Cañon City is the world’s highest suspension bridge. It hangs 1,053 feet (316 meters) above the Arkansas River! The Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel and the E. Johnson Memorial Tunnel were made to provide cars with access across the Continental Divide without relying on the Loveland Pass road. Both tunnels were blasted through the mountains near Idaho Springs and are about 3,000 feet (914 meters) lower than the Loveland Pass.

Roads and More!

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Rocky Wonders Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs— made of red rock landforms called earth pillars; the rocks have such names as the Sleeping Giant and the Kissing Camels Manitou Cliff Dwellings, near Colorado Springs—a 40-room pueblo where the Anasazi lived about AD 1200; more pueblos can be found in the western part of the state Black Canyon— formed over 2 million years by the Gunnison River; in some places the Black Canyon walls are 2,425 feet (739 meters) deep Dinosaur National Monument, Dinosaur—more than 50 kinds of dinosaurs lived here millions of years ago; their bones have been fossilized in the rock in western Colorado

Rocky Wonders

Red Rocks Amphitheater, near Morrison—a natural bowl that has been turned into an outdoor theater; the bowl is surrounded by Colorado’s famous red sandstone rocks 77

Animals Colorado’s animals include:

Animals

Beaver Bighorn Sheep Black Bear Moose Bobcat Coyote Mountain Lion Mule Deer Fox Marten Porcupine Prairie Dog Pronghorn Skunk The Bighorn Squirrel Sheep is the

state animal. It can be found in the Rockies.

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Wildlife Watch Some endangered Colorado animals are: Grizzly Bear Gray Wolf Wolverine Bald Eagle Lynx Wood Frog Black-footed Ferret Bison used to be numerous, but were hunted to near extinction in Colorado. Now, small herds remain on private land.

Wildlife Watch

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Birds You may spy these

birds in Colorado:

Blackbird Duck Goose Golden Eagle Grouse Hawk Lark Bunting Mallard Meadowlark Mockingbird Pheasant Quail Robin Sparrow Mockingbirds are Turkey Birds able to imitate Warbler other birds’ songs perfectly!

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Insects

Don’t let these Colorado bugs bug you! Beetle Cricket Fly Bumblebee Honeybee Mayfly Mosquito Moth Butterfly Weevil Whirligig

Ladybug

Grasshopper Do we know any of these bugs?

Maybe... Hey, that ladybug is cute!

Ants

Dragonfly

Whirligig Beetles have two pairs of eyes—one pair looks above the water, the other looks under it!

Insects

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Fish SWIMMING IN COLORADO WATERS:

Bass Carp Catfish Kokanee Salmon Perch Sunfish Trout Walleye

Fish

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Pond Life IN COLORADO’S PONDS, YOU MAY FIND: Crayfish Diving Beetle Fishing Spider Hydra Leech Muskrat Mussel Tiger Salamander Toad Turtle Water Bug

Axolotls, or Tiger Salamanders, are unlike other salamanders in that they do not change as they grow into adulthood. Other salamanders normally lose their gills and become like lizards.

Pond Life

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Rocks and Minerals Minerals are the building blocks of all rocks. Most minerals are tiny and you need a magnifying glass to see them clearly. Some minerals you may find in Colorado include:

Iron Pyrite Quartz Calcite Feldspar Kaolinite Rocks are solid masses of minerals or rock fragments that occur in nature. Some rocks you may find in Colorado include:

Rhyolite Sandstone Schist Rocks and Minerals Gneiss Marble Slate Quartzite 84

Trees These trees grace the state of Colorado:

Aspen Pine Spruce Juniper Alder Dwarf Maple

Trees

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Flowers these out b a Ar Colorado e you crazy wildflowers?

Violet Wild Geranium Columbine Jacob’s Ladder Chicory Goldenrod

Flowers

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Buttercup Indian Paintbrush Black-eyed Susan Lupine Wild Blue Iris

The roots of some types of irises are used to give a sweet smell to perfumes and soaps.

Cream of the Crops Colorado’s main farm income is from the sale of livestock and livestock products. Crops account for only 30 percent of farm income.

Colorado’s agricultural products include: Horses Beef Cattle

Dairy Cattle Wheat

Corn

Sheep Hay Cream of the Crops

Hogs

Poultry 87

Colorado Potpourri Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway Company made its first ascent on June 30, 1891. The cog railway was invented in New Hampshire and uses a gear between the rails that meshes with a cog (like the tooth on a gear) on the track. It can climb much steeper grades than a regular train. The largest silver nugget ever discovered in the United States was found in Aspen in 1894. It weighed about 1,840 pounds (834 kilograms). The world’s first snowboarding competition was held in Leadville in 1981. The World Snowboarding Championships were permanently moved from Lake Tahoe to Breckenridge Colorado in 1986. Potpourri 88

Festivals National Western Stock Show, Denver Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival, Steamboat Springs Winter Park Wingbreak, Winter Park Blossom Festival and Royal Gorge Rodeo, Cañon City Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Festival of the Arts, Crested Butte Colorado State Fair, Pueblo Larimer Square Oktoberfest, Denver Aspen Filmfest, Aspen Festivals

Parade of Lights, Denver

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Holidays

Calendar Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February

Memorial Day, last Monday in May

Independence Day, July 4

Colorado Day, August 3

Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October

Veterans Day, November 11

Thanksgiving, 4th Thursday in November

Christmas, December 25

Holidays

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St. Patrick’s Day, March 17

Famous Food

Colorado is famous for the following delicious foods! Lamb chops Venison (deer) Grilled jalapeño buffalo burgers Slumgullion, a yellow meat stew eaten by miners Celestial Seasonings herbal tea Chuckwagon Steak Elk Burgers

Famous Food

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Business & Trade The production of scientific instruments, food processing, and the making of industrial machinery lead the state in manufactured goods. The Denver metropolitan area is the state’s leading manufacturing center. Colorado’s chief industries are services, government, manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture. A region in Colorado is called “Silicon Mountain,” named after Silicon Valley in California. Silicon Mountain in the Front Range of Colorado is so named because of its numerous jobs in high-technology industries. Colorado’s workers are well-educated and this draws hightech companies to the state.

Business & Trade

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Rocky Mountain high-tech!

Colorado Books & Websites My First Book About Colorado by Carole Marsh America the Beautiful: Colorado by Jean F. Blashfield From Sea to Shining Sea: Colorado by Dennis Fradin Margaret’s Magnificent Colorado Adventure by Julie Danneberg Let’s Discover the States: Colorado by the Aylesworths

Cool Colora do Web sites http://www.state.co.us http://www.coloradoex perience.com http://www.50states.co m

Colorado Books & Websites

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Glossary

Colorado

G LO S S A R Y W O R D S

Words to Know

Glossary

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ancient: relating to a time early in history canyon: a deep, steep-sided valley centennial: a 100th birthday or anniversary constitution: a document outlining the role of a government dune: a rounded hill or ridge of sand that has been heaped up by the wind fossil: the remains of an animal or plant that lived long ago gorge: a narrow pass or valley between steep cliffs or walls pioneer: a person who is among the first to move to a region pueblo: stone or adobe building built one above the other reservation: land in the United States that is set aside for Native Americans to live on revolution: the overthrow of a government trading post: a store in a town or settlement where trading is done treaty: an agreement between two or more nations, having to do with trade or cooperation

Spelling List

Colorado

Spelling Bee

SPELLING WORDS

Here are some special Colorado-related words to learn! To take the Spelling Bee, have someone call out the words and you spell them aloud or write them on a piece of paper.

Alamosa Anasazi Arapaho axolotl Breckenridge Cavalry centennial Comanche continental Curecanti

Gunnison Manassa Ouray plateau Sawatch Stegosaurus Telluride tributary Utes Spelling List

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About the Author About the Author... CAROLE MARSH has been writing about Colorado for more than 20 years. She is the author of the popular Colorado State Stuff series for young readers and creator, along with her son, Michael Marsh, of “Colorado Facts and Factivities,” a CD-ROM widely used in Colorado schools. The author of more than 100 Colorado books and other supplementary educational materials on the state, Marsh is currently working on a new collection of Colorado materials for young people. Marsh correlates her Colorado materials to the Colorado Content Standards. Many of her books and other materials have been inspired by or requested by Colorado teachers and librarians.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Terry Briggs Pam Dufresne Jill Sanders You know… that was a great experience! About the Author

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Sure was! Thanks for taking me along.

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