Colorado History
From the Pikes Peak gold rush to the development of Colorado’s modern ski resorts, learn about Colorado’s history here. The Coloradotopia archives contain a large selection of photographs, slides, postcards, motion films and other items that have been catalogued on this website.
Coloradotopia Archive Project
View hundreds of historical photographs, souvenirs and other items relating to Colorado’s automobile history in the mountains.
Colorado Automobile History
Find articles, photographs, resources and more relating to Colorado’s automobile history.
Did You Know?
- Aspen Mountain was the last ski resort in Colorado to lift its ban on snowboarding, finally allowing snowboarders on April 1st, 2001.
- The Eisenhower Tunnel first opened in 1973.
- Monarch Pass was once named Vail Pass. See a photo of the Vail Pass sign on Monarch Pass here.
External Links
Colorado History FAQ
Howelsen Hill was Colorado’s first ski area. The first ski jump was added here in 1914.
Colorado was still a territory at the time of the Civil War. Colorado supplied troops for the Union and was largely a pro-Union territory. There were confederate sympathizers in Colorado as well.
The Pikes Peak gold rush started in 1958, and mining towns would be built deep into the mountains over the next decade. The Colorado silver boom began in 1879, and another wave of mines and roadways were built into Colorado’s mining territory afterwards.
The final piece of I-70 to be completed through Colorado was Glenwood Canyon. This stretch was completed in 1992.
Colorado became a state on Aug. 1st, 1876. It had been declared a territory in 1861.
This area was established as a park by 1872. Concerts were held here, but the modern amphitheater was not completed until 1941.
