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150 Years and Counting

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Contributed by: Dave Hughes on 7/3/2008

Few El Paso County residents really know the roots of the Westside of Colorado Springs, which grew out of the original frontier town of Colorado City - now surrounding what is called the 'Old' Colorado City historic district. Today it seems at first glance just like any other neighborhood of the greater metro area.

That's too bad, for there is often confusion in the minds of newcomers to the Pikes Peak region, or online or sightseeing visitors, and even to longtime westside residents who never properly were taught their own history by local schools, about the deeper roots of the area between I-25 and the Manitou Arch. And why it is different.

Yet the authentic history of pioneering, Indian and Civil War fighting, Territorial politickin,' Colorado City founded during the first gold rush of 1859, which then metamorphosed into the saloon drinking, gambling and red light Victorian brick wild and wooly 'Old Town' after the 1891 second gold rush in Cripple Creek is rich and varied indeed. That Westside history couldn't be more socially, economically, politically and architecturally different from the histories of once upscale Manitou Springs, or separate, often pretentious sprawling, Colorado Springs which was long so full of itself it called itself 'Little London' and was called 'Newport of the Rockies'.

I have spent 35 years digging out those historical differences, and have tried to help the Westside and Old Colorado City reclaim and celebrate their own unique history. Which history was suppressed and dismissed for so long by the prejudices of dominant Colorado Springs and its libertarian rag - the Gazette Telegraph newspaper which often looked down its nose editorially at any Westsiders who were not knee-jerk Republicans Even though I grew up on millionaire's row - Wood Avenue - of Colorado Springs, I too, as a youth, was brainwashed into thinking all local history worth knowing started with General Palmer and Colorado Springs. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Both Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs have their own histories, and they don't need me to recite them. The likes of Marshall Sprague, the misnamed Pioneers Museum, the selective holdings of the Penrose Public Library and the Colorado College Tutt Library, all have collected and thoroughly displayed and continue to display those histories. Personally I find their stories, by contrast with the rich 150 year evolving history of the Westside, dull and uninteresting.

And not, as you might think, just because of the memories of the wild western frontier, saloon, bawdy houses, gold mills, railroads and tunnels that draw over a hundred thousand visitors to Old Colorado City's Territory Days every year. It is not just those ribald stories that interest me.

No, there is a still largely untold "Westside Story" - about a traditional neighborhood of modest Carpenter-Victorian era homes, inhabited by hard working, largely blue-collar, god-fearing families, who have long attended the scores of small westside churches of every denomination, whose parents sent their children walking to nearby westside schools, ran small neighborhood businesses, visited the tiny Carnegie Library, and joined their favorite labor unions or service organizations. Five generations and more of their children grew up here but, because of the generally lower-middle income-economy of the Westside, most of the youth had to leave it to seek a further education and their fortunes elsewhere.

Yet no less than 5 Mayors of Colorado Springs grew up on the westside, and many noteworthy and successful people have come from its quiet neighborhoods.

So it should not be a surprise that many newcomers to El Paso County seek a place to live and settle down on the Westside of Colorado Springs even while the cost of homes, largely due to the successful economic 'revitalization' that the city started 30 years ago, have gone up. It is an area with a friendly character of its own.

And when one answers the question when venturing out to frenetic Academy Boulevard or visit the many modern subdivisions of the east side, "Where do you live?" and I say "Westside", as often as not one gets the comment "I really like that part of town."

To the surprise and puzzlement of many who have long lived east of I-25, the Westside has always been loved by Westsiders. It is not too much to say that newcomers join the Westside, rather than Westsiders join the newcomers. The term 'Westsider' is a matter of enduring pride. In every way but producing riches for all, the Westside has been a successful town within a city for 150 years. Why?

As the Colorado City Sesquicentennial approaches - 150 years since its August 12th, 1859 founding - it is time for Westsiders, young and old, to better learn their long, successful, and wonderful history. About the quiet parts and people as well as the more well known spectacular and conspicuous ones. Perhaps in that way it can continue to perpetuate that priceless gentle "Westside" spirit by understanding it better.

So let's get started. I will try, from time to time to tie all the different threads together of its history, many singular aspects of which I have already put on the hub. I will, with your help, try to define that indefinable term "Westsider." It will be more about people than events.

Stay tuned - the next Installment will answer why did they rush for gold right here? In 1858. And who were they?

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Submitted By: Dave Hughes

posted on 7/3/2008 @ 6:39:44 PM

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Now if you have a little anecdote, insight, or know a person who typifies The Westside and Westsider, email it to me at dave@oldcolo.com, or call me at 636-2040 and let me add to the lore for future hub "Westside Story' articles

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Dave Hughes

Colorado Springs , CO

Dave Hughes has posted 98 stories and 91 comments since joining on 3/1/2007. Dave Hughes 's average story rating is 4.91.

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