Area History

History & Heritage

Colorado Springs history is unusual compared to how the rest of the west was won. Founded in 1871 by General William Jackson Palmer, the quaint town began a resort area nicknamed “Little London” because of its popularity with English tourists. General Palmer had a grand vision for a sophisticated town, befitting his cultured wife, Queen.

Two years after founding the town, General Palmer opened the Antler's Hotel, an important landmark in Colorado Springs history. The resort welcomed U.S. and international visitors as well as those seeing the health benefits of the plentiful sunshine and dry climate.

Mining in Colorado

Mining in the Pikes Peak region was a tremendous influence in Colorado Springs history. As early as the 1700s, the Spanish were prospecting and mining for precious metals. Throughout the early nineteenth century, explorers reported that they found gold in the region's streams and rivers. 

The public paid little attention to these reports until hard times in the late 1850s renewed interest in the availability of easily-mined riches. The 1858 discovery of gold near the present site of downtown Denver sparked the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, so named after the best known landmark in the region.

Today

There's more to modern Colorado Springs than military installations and evangelical groups. On March 7, 2016, the city of Colorado Springs assumed the designation “Olympic City USA,” as twenty-three National Governing Bodies and more than fifty National Sports Organizations have chosen Colorado Springs as their headquarters. Team USA trains at the city’s Olympic Training Center, a thirty-five-acre facility featuring two Olympic swimming pools as well as facilities for athletes training in boxing, cycling, figure skating, shooting, weightlifting, wrestling, and other sports.

Today, Colorado Springs is a regional hub, and makes up the southern end of the state’s populous Front Range urban corridor. Tourists from all over the country and the world visit the city to marvel at its natural beauty and learn about its multifaceted and auspicious history.

Business & Industry

The sunny weather and energized lifestyle are but two attributes that attract businesses to the Colorado Springs region. Access to advanced research operations, highly-skilled workers and a business climate that matches the area’s reputation for five-star hospitality, provide companies with resources that lay the foundation for accelerated growth.

Global pioneers in aerospace, cybersecurity, IT and medical innovation are just some of the types of companies that call the Colorado Springs region home, as well as more than 30 Fortune 500 firms and five military installations. Discover the major employers that are driving Colorado Springs’ economy and providing leadership and ingenuity for our business community.

Employers:
Cherwell Software, Cobham Semiconductor Solutions Manufacturing
Colorado College, Compassion International, EviCore, Firstsource Solutions,
Luce Research, Peak Vista Community Health Centers, Penrose-St. Francis/Centura Health, Polaris Alpha Information, UCHealth, United Services, Automobile Association, Western Forge Corporation, Wide Open West Telecommunications, YMCA 


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