What was colorados first capital

Coined the "Wild West" town during the s, Colorado City boasted more than 20 saloons, gaming parlors and brothels. When gold was discovered on the western slope of Pikes Peak during that time, gold miners would flock to Colorado City to buy supplies and spend their money in the saloons and brothels, but if they struck it rich, they generally built homes in Colorado Springs.

Until , Colorado City remained independent, fueled by gold, entertainment and industry. However, prohibition hit this town of saloons hard. In , with no economic recovery in sight, the residents voted to become part of Colorado Springs. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Your e-mail: Sign Up. Share on Facebook Pin it on Pinterest. Annie is a freelance writer, content editor, and marketing whiz with a background in broadcasting and a passion for chicken nachos.

Enter your e-mail address for things to do, restaurants to try and much more! Once established, the Colorado Territory had a governor, territorial legislature, and judicial system.

Over its short lifespan, the territory had seven separate governors holding eight separate appointments. William Gilpin served as the first territorial governor from to , followed by John Evans , who served until The territory had its capital first at Colorado City —62 , later at Golden City —67 , and finally at Denver City — Chaffee, in his final week in office, convinced Congress that there were more than , residents in the territory. Grant on August 1, Following the declaration of Mexican independence from Spain in , the Republic of Texas declared independence from the Republic of Mexico in and was eventually annexed by the United States in At that time, Texas included the areas south of the Arkansas River and large parts of the western half of present-day Colorado.

The annexation of Texas escalated existing US-Mexican tensions into open war. The brief conflict ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which established the Rio Grande as the US-Mexican border and consolidated all of the lands that would later become Colorado under US ownership.

Thomas J. Smith, A Colorado History, 10th ed. Boulder: Pruett Publishing Company,