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| official_name = Colorado Springs, Colorado | nickname = The Springs | image_flag = Us-co-cs.gif | image seal = | image_map = COMap-doton-ColoradoSprings.PNG | image_skyline = Colorado springs downtown.jpg | map_caption = Location in the state of Colorado | subdivision_type = County | subdivision_name = El Paso | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Lionel Rivera | area_magnitude = 1 E9 | area_total = 482.1 | area_land = 481.1 | area_water = 1.0 | population_as_of = 2004 | population_note = 572,264 ( Metro Area ) | population_total = 369,363 (city proper) | population_density = 1,942.9 | timezone = MST | utc_offset = -7 | timezone_DST = MDT | utc_offset_DST = -6 | latd = 38 | latm = 51 | lats = 48 | latNS = N | longd = 104 | longm = 47 | longs = 31 | longEW = W | | website = http://www.springsgov.com/ | footnotes = }} Colorado Springs is a mid-sized city located just east of the geographic center of the U.S. State of Colorado . It has a population of 360,890 (according to the 2000 census) and is the second largest city in Colorado. At elevation 6,035 feet, it is situated near the base of one of the most famous American peaks, Pikes Peak , on the east side of the Rocky Mountains . The capital of Colorado, Denver , is 68 miles to the north. The city is the County Seat of El Paso County . Today, Colorado Springs has many features of a modern urban area, such as parks, bike trails, urban open-area spaces, business and commerce, theatres and other entertainments. It was established as a posh resort community and the tourist industry is strong and offers many activities and attractions. It also has problems like overcrowded roads and highways, crime, and government budget issues. There are a number of military installations in the area, high-tech industry, and many Christian organizations and churches make their headquarters there. History Founded as a resort community Colorado Springs was founded in August 1871 by General William Palmer , with the intention of creating a high quality resort community, and was soon nicknamed "Little London" because of the many English Tourists who came. Nearby Pikes Peak and the Garden Of The Gods made the city's location a natural. Within two years the Antlers Hotel opened, welcoming U.S. and international travellers as well as health-seekers looking for the high altitude and dry climate, and Palmer's visions of a thriving, quality resort town were coming true. '' America The Beautiful '' was written by visiting English professor Katharine Lee Bates in August 1893 , while she stayed at the Antlers Hotel after visiting the top of nearby Pikes Peak . Early History General William Palmer City founder General William Palmer had quite a personal history, being an American Civil War General for the Union, a POW in that war, the construction manager for the Kansas Pacific Railroad which brought railroad service to the Pikes Peak region, he then founded and owned the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad , a critical regional railroad. After founding Colorado Springs he made many grants of land to many important civic institutions in the community. , public park famous for towering red rock formations.]] Palmer and his wife saw Colorado Springs develop into one of the most popular travel destinations in the United States. Palmer built his dream home Glen Eyrie northwest of Garden Of The Gods , living there for many years before and after his retirement around the turn of the century. Both the town of Palmer Lake and a geographic feature called the Palmer Divide (and other more minor features) are named after him, and a bronze sculpture of Palmer on his horse is prominently displayed downtown in the center of a busy intersection. W. S. Stratton In 1891, Winfield Scott Stratton discovered and developed one of the richest gold mines on earth in the nearby Cripple Creek and Victor area, and was perhaps the most generous early contributor to those communities and to Colorado Springs. After he made his fortune he declined to build a mansion as the other gold rush millionaires were doing, instead in later years he lived in a house in Colorado Springs he had built when he was a carpenter in pre-gold days. In Colorado Springs, he funded the Myron Stratton Home for housing itinerant childen and the elderly, donated land for City Hall, the Post Office, the Courthouse (which now houses the Pioneer Museum), and a park; he also greatly expanded the city's trolley car system and built the Mining Exchange building, and gave to all three communities in many other ways, great and small. Unfortunately as Stratton's generosity became known, he also was approached by many people looking for money, and he became reclusive and eccentric in his later years. Spencer Penrose Spencer Penrose also made his mark on Colorado Springs in its early years--though not until two decades after its founding. Penrose started as a ladies-man and an adventurer who made a huge fortune in the gold fields of nearby Cripple Creek in the 1890s, then married Julie Villiers Lewis McMillan, and settled down considerably. Penrose used his vast amounts of money to invest in other national mineral concerns, financed construction of the Broadmoor Hotel , the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo , the Will Rogers Shrine Of The Sun , the Pikes Peak Highway , an important local hospital, and established the El Pomar Foundation , which still oversees many of his contributions in Colorado Springs today. Old Colorado City and the Gold Rush Colorado Springs' present downtown location, where General Palmer first founded the city, is due to Palmer's dislike of nearby rough-and-ready Colorado City and its many saloons; Palmer ensured his new city stayed alcohol free by buying a huge tract of land to the east of Colorado City and in fact, Colorado Springs stayed dry until the end of Prohibition in 1933 . In its earliest days of 1859 - 1860 , Colorado City was a major supply route of supplies for miners in the South Park , where a major strike in the Colorado Gold Rush was found. Routes further north from present-day Denver's area proved more effective, and as only a few very minor gold finds were made in the Pikes Peak region, commerce instead shifted towards serving the agriculture of Colorado's eastern plains. (Eventually General Palmer's Denver & Rio Grande Railroad would snake from Denver into the South Park.) Colorado City was the county seat of El Paso County until 1873, when the courthouse moved to Colorado Springs. Colorado City also briefly (and unofficially) served as Colorado's territorial capital starting on July 7 , 1862 . By this time the town's fortunes were already waning. The territorial legislature met in a log cabin on Colorado Avenue, and on August 14 , 1862 the legislature approved an act which named Golden as the territorial capital. Colorado City was never recognized by the Federal government as the territorial capital. In 1891 , very major gold strikes happened in Cripple Creek and Victor, on the other side of Pike's Peak from Colorado City and suddenly supplies were needed for this last major phase of the Colorado Gold Rush and the town's big boom was on. Eventually Colorado City was processing much of the gold ore as Palmer's railroads connected the areas. Colorado City became a booming town with a reputation for Saloon s, Prostitution , and alcohol-fueled fun. Quite a contrast to General Palmer's more genteel community across the river to the east! The flow of gold and silver ebbed as the decades passed, and Colorado City's economic fortunes faded with it; the miners and those who processed the ore left or retired and the town was absorbed by Colorado Springs in 1917. Now "Old Colorado City" is a quaint old Victorian and brick neighborhood in the west part of Colorado Springs, with National Historic District status and a bustling main street of businesses, tourism, antique shops, and Victorian charm. Geography and climate Geography Colorado Springs is located at 38°51'48" North, 104°47'31" West (38.863443, -104.791914). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 482.1 Km&2 (186.1 Mi&2 ). 481.1 km&2 (185.7 mi&2) of it is land and 1.0 km&2 (0.4 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 0.21% water. Climate Colorado Springs averages 250 days of sunshine per year, and receives 15.42 inches of annual Precipitation . Average Snow fall for the area (included in the previous annual precipitation calculation) is 5.5" in November, 5.7" in December, 5.0" in January, 5.1" in February, 9.4" in March, and 6.3" in April. Average January low and high Temperatures are 14°F/ 42°F (-10°C/ 5.5°C) and average July low and high temperatures are 55°F/ 85°F (12.7°C/ 29.4°C). The hottest temperature ever recorded in Colorado Springs was 101°F (38.3°C) on June 7 , 1874 and the coldest temperature ever recorded was -32°F (-35.5°C) on January 20 , 1883 . Demographics As of the Census of 2000, there were 360,890 people, 141,516 households, and 93,117 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 750.2/km&2 (1,942.9/mi&2). There were 148,690 housing units at an average density of 309.1/km&2 (800.5/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 80.66% White , 6.56% Black or African American , 0.88% Native American , 2.82% Asian , 0.21% Pacific Islander , 5.01% from Other Races , and 3.85% from two or more races. 12.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 141,516 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were Married Couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,081, and the median income for a family was $53,478. Males had a median income of $36,786 versus $26,427 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $22,496. 8.7% of the population and 6.1% of families were below the Poverty Line . 10.8% of those under the age of 18 and 7.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Attractions and entertainment Tourism and attractions In addition to Pikes Peak, there are many other tourist attractions in the area, including:
According to the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, the area attracts some six million visitors yearly. Colorado Springs is served by the Colorado Springs Airport . Sports teams
Orchestras
Economy, religious institutions, and education Industry and military These are some of the larger employers, military facilities, and commercial facilities:
Religious institutions In recent years, Colorado Springs has attracted a large influx of Evangelical Christians and organizations. Evangelical groups with headquarters at Colorado Springs include Focus On The Family (a Christian organization active on many social and political issues), Compassion International , Promise Keepers , The Navigators , Youth With A Mission , Young Life and the International Bible Society . At one time Colorado Springs was counted to be the national headquarters for 81 different religious organizations, earning the city the tongue-in-cheek nickname "the Protestant Vatican". The city and surrounding areas also host hundreds of churches and synagogues of many faiths and denominations, including a mosque. Education Universities, colleges and special schools include:
Trivia
Sister cities Sister cities of Colorado Springs include:
Colorado Springs' sister city organization began in when Colorado Springs became partners with Fujiyoshida. The ''torii'' gate erected to commemorate the relationship stands at the corner of Bijou Street and Nevada Avenue, and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. The ''torii'' Gate , crisscrossed bridge and shrine, located in the median between Platte and Bijou Streets in downtown Colorado Springs, were a gift to Colorado Springs, erected in 1966 as a token of friendship between the two communities. A plaque near the ''torii'' gate states that "the purpose of the sister city relationship is to promote understanding between the people of our two countries and cities". The Fujiyoshida Student exchange program has become an annual event. To strengthen relations between the two cities, the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony regularly invites the Taiko drummers from the city to participate in a joint concert in the Pikes Peak Center . See also
Sources and external links
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