First Christmas in Colorado

 By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the only place in the United States where four states meet at a single point. It's a national monument called Four Corners. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/11/four-states-four-tribes-four-corners.html.

Today, since it's December, and we're nearing Christmas, I wanted to share about a historical marker honoring the very first Christmas in Colorado. 

CHAFFEE COUNTY CHRISTMAS

So, almost everyone knows about the Louisiana Purchase that occurred in 1803. Well, with that purchase came the need to explore and map out the land. Lewis and Clark were already doing some exploration of the area, but they were primarily traveling to the northwest. President Thomas Jefferson wanted greater detail covered, so he commissioned Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike to explore the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains into present-day Colorado. Pike was promoted to Captain during his expedition.

Pike contacted several Native American tribes during his travels and informed them the United States now claimed their territory. Thankfully, he and his men didn't run into too much opposition from the Ute, Cheyenne, Navajo, and Arapahoe, but they were just exploring at the time.

Zebulon Pike's story is frequently told at various museums through Colorado. When you live here, you learn a lot about him, namely his attempt to hike to the top of what is today known as Pike's Peak, named after the Captain. When the Ute Indians settled the area, the peak was called Tava, which is the Ute word for "sun." Throughout its history, Europeans have called the mountain El Capitán, Grand Peak, Great Peak, James Peak, Long Mountain, and Pike's Peak.''

Unfortunately, arriving at the base of the peak in late November resulted in too much snow at the higher elevations of the mountains. Pike and his men saw the peak from the area known as Pueblo, Colorado today. They never made it to the top, as the deep snow and frigid temperatures forced them to turn around. However, they changed course slightly in an attempt to find the headwaters of the Red River (the southern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase), only to end up encountering the Arkansas River at a time when their food supply was perilously low.

After crossing Trout Creek Pass on Christmas Eve, two hunting parties shot eight buffalo, and Christmas Day was spent near the mouth of Squaw Creek (one-half mile to the south) feasting on Buffalo and repairing equipment. Not exactly a "traditional" Christmas meal, but when you're out on an expedition or traveling in mostly unknown areas, sometimes you have to improvise.

This event became so famous from Pike's journals, they erected a historical marker at the site many years later, and it's still there today.

* * * * * *

NOW, IT'S YOUR TURN

* Have you ever spent Christmas somewhere unexpected? Where was it and why was it unexpected?

* What is the most unusual meal you have eaten on an otherwise traditional day?

* Have you ever been to the top of Pike's Peak?

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (24) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Garden of the Gods

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shined the spotlight on the 10 Harvey House stations in Colorado. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/04/on-atchinson-topeka-and-santa-fe.html.

This month, it's time for the Garden of the Gods to take a step into the limelight.

GARDEN of the GODS

view of the Park toward Pikes Peak

Would you believe me if I told you that Colorado used to be a tropical haven and an inland sea? No? It does sound rather outlandish, doesn't it? How in the world can a landlocked state with a semi-arid climate have been tropical or connected to the sea? The answer is geology.

horseback ride through the Park

During the time of the Great Flood and prior, the area that eventually became Colorado actually had dinosaurs who once grazed on the ferns and other tropical plants present in this area at the time. There are even some who have reported the rocks are evidence of a Saharan-scale desert that covered the region from Arizona to Montana a long time ago.

Sea serpents swam in shallow waters, and woolly mammoths trudged through deep snow in May. Of course, in some areas of this beautiful state, we still have that deep snow sometimes into June! The wonder and grandeur of the unique rock formations are the key to the secrets of ancient environments to those skilled and talented individuals who can understand the stories they tell.

Cathedral Spires - then

Cathedral Spires - now

I'm certainly not a geologist, but I've always been fascinated by the history of rocks. So, here's a brief summary. Molten rock cooled and created Pikes Peak granite and the Rocky Mountains. The mountains got worn down a bit by erosion. The tall orange sandstone rocks that are part of Garden of the Gods were once sand dunes! Today, the only sand dunes we have are a little further south at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. I'll cover that fascinating story in another post.

Balanced Rock - now

Balanced Rock - then

As is typical for mountain formation, the Pacific plate slammed into the North American plate. The mountains rose, and the overlying sedimentary rocks got bent upward. The softer rocks eroded, and valleys were created, leaving harder rocks standing as tall ridges in the Park. Siamese Twins, Kissing Camels, Cathedral Spires, The Three Graces, Balanced Rock...these are all found in the Park.

Back in 1859, a surveyor named Rufus Cable first saw the towering spires jutting over 300 feet into the air near Pikes Peak. He enthusiastically declared it was “a fit place for the gods to assemble!” From this excited outburst came the name Garden of the Gods. These distinct and unique formations attract millions of people annually who come to enjoy the beauty of the Park, and they have inspired thousands through various stories. I'm working on a few myself. (grins)

Gateway to the Rockies

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever visited Colorado or Colorado Springs? If so, when and why?

* What would YOUR reaction have been to seeing these rocks for the first time? If you HAVE seen them in person, what were your impressions?

* Do you have a gem like Garden of the Gods where YOU live? What is it?

* What did you like the most about today's post? What topics would you like to see covered in future posts?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments you have on the post below. Come back on the 9th of June for my next appearance.

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (23) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

On the Backside of Pikes Peak - Divide, Colorado

 


By Davalynn  Spencer

Look for an image of Divide, Colorado, and you’ll likely find grand photographs of Colorado’s Great Divide or Continental Divide – the place in the Rocky Mountains where river systems run either toward the Pacific Ocean or toward the Atlantic and/or Gulf of Mexico, depending upon which side of the “divide” they originate.

Sunrise over Pikes Peak. Image from author's collection.

But that’s not the town of Divide, Colorado, population less than 150 souls in 2010, located 25 miles west of Colorado Springs on the north slope of Pikes Peak in Teller County. The little town was named for the dividing point of the South Platte and Arkansas rivers and is today billed as the Center of the Known Universe.

At 9,165 feet atop the summit of Ute Pass, that claim might not be far off.

The pass, first used by the ancient Ute tribes, is one of the oldest routes in the United States. Its general line remains a transportation artery today as thousands of tourists scale the mountains west of Colorado Springs via Highway 24.

In 1859, gold was discovered in the South Park area. Settlers and prospectors considered the rough and rugged Ute trail a viable route, in spite of the need to leave their wagons and teams in Colorado City and pack in their tools and food for the final 75-mile stretch. A more passable “Wagon Road” was cut in 1872, increasing the ease of reaching the gold rush to Leadville.

The Ute Pass area was acknowledged as Ute hunting grounds until it was surveyed by the U.S. government in 1870 and settlers began moving in on 160-acre plots in 1873. However, many ranches had already been established by that time.

The mountainous area was unsuitable for farming other than the open land around Divide where potatoes, lettuce, and hay crops excelled, in addition to cattle and sheep ranching. Lumbering also became a lucrative business with demand for timber increasing with mining operations and the approach of the railroad.

Many area ranchers survived by hunting, opening inns, and setting up small, portable sawmills that cut rough timber. 

In 1871 Divide served as the Spotsweed and McClellan Stage stop where teams were changed while on their way to mining camps Tarryall, Fairplay, and Leadville. 

Sixteen years later, the Colorado Midland Railroad laid tracks through Divide, bringing boarding houses, saloons, and restaurants to service railroad workers.

In my recent novella, Just in Time for Christmas, I note in the author remarks that I took creative license with the development of Divide for the purpose of my story set in 1875. At that actual time, the Divide area was more of a crossroads in El Paso County (no Teller County until 1899), and Colorado was not yet a state.  

Therefore, my novella opens with "The Catamounts, El Paso County, Colorado Territory, 1875."

Did you catch that – The Catamounts? My imagination soared when I read about ranches, lakes, and creeks bearing this name. A place like that had to be named Catamount for a reason. 

From the Mountain Lion diorama, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

 Avrand6, Wikimedia Commons

And in case you’re wondering, catamount is another word for mountain lion.

Mueller State Park, image courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Today, the beautiful 5,000-acre Mueller State Park draws visitors to the Divide area, as does the historic Midland Depot Complex, the Catamount Recreation Area, and America’s mountain, Pikes Peak (no possessive apostrophe in the name). 

If you’re looking for a high time, try visiting Divide, Colorado, and travel along the early migration route of the Mountain Utes that was later used by Spanish, French, and American explorers, settlers, miners, and ranchers of the Old West.

Davalynn Spencer

Davalynn Spencer can’t stop #lovingthecowboy. As the wife and mother of professional rodeo bullfighters, she writes romance for those who enjoy a Western tale with a rugged hero, both historical and contemporary. She holds the Will Rogers Gold Medallion for Inspirational Western Fiction, teaches writing workshops, and plays the keyboard on her church worship team. When she’s not writing, teaching, or playing, she’s wrangling Blue the Cowdog and mouse detectors Annie and Oakley. Learn more about Davalynn and her books at www.davalynnspencer.com. Become a newsletter friend and receive a free historical novella: http://eepurl.com/xa81D.

Celebrating 100 Years: Pikes Peak Highway

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I introduced Spencer Penrose, philanthropist and ladies' man, but also a significant financier for many attractions here in Colorado Springs. This month, I'll begin highlighting a few of the significant establishments made possible through Penrose's generous and charitable investments.

THE PIKES PEAK HIGHWAY

Though foot traffic and burro rides up Pikes Peak were common in the earlier days, the first crude road up the mountain opened in 1887. Built by the Cascade and Pikes Peak Toll Road Company, this new road on the north side of the mountain gave sightseers and thrill seekers the ability to reach the top of the mountain on a wagon or carriage seat. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer that over riding on the back of a donkey! Travelers could pay $1 and use their own vehicles,or $5 and be treated to a nine-hour ride on the Pikes Peak Carriage Line. Which one would YOU choose?

That carriage road saw consistent activity, but the construction of the Cog Railway on the south side of the mountain in 1891 drew the majority of passengers and travelers desiring to reach the summit. I've taken the Cog and driven the Highway, and while the drive is breathtaking in the expansive views you're granted, there's something to be said for riding in comfort while someone else is doing the driving. Considering the conditions of the carriage road, I can understand the preference of most travelers. Of course, there was also Barr Trail, a steep hiking path up the east face of the mountain with a halfway resting point at Barr Camp. Today, you can travel south from the trail and take the Cog Railway the rest of the way to the summit or down if you wish.


Thank goodness for Spencer Penrose! In 1915, he requested permission from the Secretary of Agriculture to refine and complete the carriage road to the summit of the mountain so it would be more suitable for the growing number of motored vehicles. It cost $500,000 to build. In exchange for his efforts and his financing, Penrose was granted a 20-year license to maintain the road and permission to charge a $2 toll for the duration of the agreement.

The very next year, Penrose sponsored an auto and motorcycle race up the mountain. This was the birth of what is now known as the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which I mentioned last month.

Twenty years later, the Highway was added to the State Highway Systems and responsibility for the management of the highway was returned to the U.S. Forest Service. For 12 years, they kept it toll-free, but without tolls to help maintain the road, the highway deteriorated and was almost abandoned. In 1948, a permit was granted to the city Colorado Springs to assume responsibility, and it still maintains it to this day.

In 1999, a settlement was reached to pave the entire highway, but due to opponents and other factors, the full paving didn't occur until 2011. My first drive up the highway was in 2007 when my then-fiance took me to the summit during a 1-week visit here about 10 weeks before we were married. At that time, the paving stopped around the height of timberline (roughly 12,000 feet), so the remaining distance was merely graded. You can see where the paving stopped in the second photo above and what the graded road looked like up close in the photo to the left.

I remember when they announced full paving, as it was right after my son was born, and 3 months later, I drove with my parents and my children to the summit. With an infant and a 2-year-old and concerns about how the altitude would affect them, we didn't stay long. However, I can proudly say both of my children have made it to the summit of Pike's Peak!

* Bonus Note:
Katherine Lee Bates made notations in her journal upon standing at the summit of Pike's Peak in 1893. Some of those words later became what we now consider to be a "classic anthem" for the United States in "America the Beautiful." In 1926, a strong push was made to establish that as our national anthem, but "The Star-Spangled Banner" was chosen by President Truman instead.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever driven the Pikes Peak Highway? When?

* If given the choice of the Cog Railway, the drive up Pikes Peak Highway, or hiking up Barr Trail, which one would you choose? Why?

* Which of the 2 anthems for the United States is your favorite? If you love both, what is your favorite aspect or part for each one?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments on the post below.

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning author and speaker who has partnered with Nerium International in the whole body anti-aging industry, helping others achieve optimal brain health, look younger, and live better.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have one girl and one boy, a Retriever mix named Roxie and and Australian cattle dog named Timber. She has sold seventeen (19) books so far and is currently seeking a new literary agent for representation. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Spencer Penrose, Ladies' Man and Philanthropist of Colorado Springs

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the historic forts of Colorado. This month, it's a shift in theme to introduce to you a man whose legacy and stamp on Colorado Springs still lives on today. Over the next 5 months, I'll be showcasing Spencer Penrose and highlighting just a handful of significant establishments made possible through his generous and charitable investments.

I've been living in Colorado Springs for eight years now, and almost everywhere I turn, something I see or somewhere I go is brought back to a single name: Spencer Penrose. Whether it's taking my children to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (built by Penrose to house his collection of rare and exotic animals), taking a drive to the top of Pikes Peak: America's Mountain (built by Penrose as an alternative to the Cog Railway), visiting The Broadmoor Hotel (purchased and turned into a world-class luxury resort by Penrose), or even giving birth to my children at Penrose-St. Francis Hospital (named for Penrose), so much of this beautiful city has the stamp of Spencer Penrose somewhere on it. In my quest to unearth more about the history of Colorado Springs, I figured it only fitting to start with this man.

Spencer Penrose (November 2, 1865–December 7, 1939) was a businessman, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist at the turn of the 20th century.

He was 1 of 7 sons born into a prominent Philadelphia family to Richard Alexandria Fullerton and Sarah Hanna Penrose. In 1886, he graduated last in his class from Harvard. Not exactly a boast-worthy accomplishment many would want to herald. Some of that might be due to Penrose's talent with the ladies and the distraction they offered away from his studies. Regardless, he soon turned his sights to entrepreneurship when he ventured west to follow his boyhood friend, Charles L. Tutt, to Colorado. After becoming the manager of the local real estate office, his investments led to great fortune in copper, silver, and gold.

In his desire to give back to the community which had afforded him so much and the minerals which made him a fortune, Penrose used his vast amounts of money to invest in other national mineral concerns, financed construction of the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, and the Pikes Peak Highway (1916), The Broadmoor (1918), the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (1926), and the Glockner-Penrose Hospital, and established the El Pomar Foundation (1937), which still oversees many of his contributions in Colorado Springs today.

He and his wife, Julie, were also active in the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross, and there's an amazing collection of their vintage automobiles, carriages, and race cars in The Carriage House, adjacent to The Broadmoor hotel. It's quite a sight to see.

That collection and the building of the Pikes Peak Highway led to the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Race, an event Penrose used to advertise the highway and draw attention to it for tourists. It's absolutely crazy if you ask me! It's the 2nd oldest motorsports race in America, but you'd never see me getting in any vehicle going that fast around those hairpin turns with those deadly drop-offs! Still, every year, daredevils do it, and so far, the record is an astonishing 8 minutes and 13 seconds to race on a fully-paved 12.42 mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,115 foot summit of America’s Mountain. Umm...no thank you!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever been to Colorado Springs? If so, what brought you here and what (if any) sightseeing did you do?

* Do you have a favorite attraction in or near Colorado Springs you love to visit?

* Which zoo is your favorite in the United States?

* Would you ever get into a car that was participating in the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb Race? Why or why not?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments below.

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning author and speaker who has partnered with Nerium International in the whole body anti-aging industry, helping others look younger, function with optimal brain health, and live better.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have one girl and one boy, a Retriever mix named Roxie and and Australian cattle dog named Timber. She has sold seventeen (17) books so far and is currently seeking a new literary agent for representation. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Pikes Peak or Bust - Gold Rush in Colorado Rockies

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about silver mining in southwestern Colorado and how some mines produced coins uniquely marked and traceable back to that specific mine. This month, it's a discovery of gold in the Colorado Rockies in the mid-1800s and the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859.

Nearly everyone has heard of the "famous 49ers" and the California Gold Rush. No less significant is the "Pikes Peak or Bust" slogan and the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859. I first heard of this through the TV show, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, in the 1990s. Once I moved here in 2007, I did more research as part of the building of my Colorado history folders. Who knows where all this research will enter my books, but you can bet it will. :)

As far back as 1835, a French trapper discovered gold in the area, but after taking it back to New Mexico for examination, he forgot where had found the gold and failed at leading anyone else back there. A critical lapse in memory caused the gold rush in Colorado to occur a decade *after* the famous rush in California. Makes me wonder what would have happened with the USA had the rush occured in Colorado first. Of course, what gold some found failed to impress those with visions of unlimited wealth in California, so it might not have changed anything. Still can't help but wonder!

Once the thrill of the California rush waned, folks started heading back home. Rumors of the gold in the Rockies led several parties to journey to what is today known as Denver and surrounding suburbs. By 1860, Denver City, Golden City, and Boulder City were substantial towns serving the mines. Today, the "city" has been dropped, and those cities are Denver, Golden, and Boulder. The rapid population growth led to the creation of the Colorado Territory in 1861.

The Pike's Peak Gold Rush sent everyone into a frenzy. Anyone who could afford it packed up their belongings and headed out to Colorado. They gathered their supplies, wagons, mules, mining equipment, anything they could think of to sustain them when they arrived at their destination. As soon as the spring of 1859 came around, people were in a race to get to Pike's Peak. That's where the "Pikes Peak or Bust" slogan originated. Some even painted it on the sides of their wagons!

Colorado produced 150,000 ounces of gold in 1861 and 225,000 troy ounces in 1862, leading Congress to establish the Denver Mint, which is one of only two mints in the US today. You can see which mint produced the coins in your wallet or pocket by looking for a "D" or a "P" on them.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

Have you ever packed up everything and headed away from all you've known in search of something potentially bigger? What was it? Was it worth it?

If you had lived during the time of the gold rush frenzy, would you have joined the thousands of others heading west in search of gold? Why or why not?

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning author and speaker who has partnered with Nerium International in the whole body anti-aging industry, helping others look younger, function with optimal brain health, and live better.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have one girl and one boy, a Retriever mix named Roxie and and Australian cattle dog named Timber. She has sold seventeen (17) books so far and is represented by agent Sandra Bishop of the TransAtlantic Agency. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.