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Colorado: fame or fortune by Tracy Houston, M.A. The motto of the State of Colorado, Nil Sine Numine, “Nothing without Providence,” is reflected in Colorado’s dramatic history. This has always been a land of boom and bust. At the wheel of this economic wild ride were a tenacious breed of people who, on a whisper and a prayer, made their way to the west. From miners to farmers, gangsters to industrialists, Colorado’s early destiny was carved out with the sweat and blood of men and women with an unstoppable vision. By 1890, Colorado’s nickname was “The Silver State.” The state earned this moniker by producing over $20 million worth of silver every year. Deposits were found in areas that stretched from Boulder County in the north to Dolores County in the southwest. Mountain towns such as Aspen and Leadville were close rivals in the race to be top producer. Horace Tabor was living proof that a miner’s haunting dreams of riches could come true. But this was all to come to an abrupt stop with the Silver Panic of 1893 that resulted in a severe depression in Colorado. Banks closed. Businesses failed. People lost their jobs. With the backbone of the economy broken, Coloradans looked toward the turn of the nineteenth century with both concern and anticipation. While mining was the first economic engine in Colorado, miners lacked the time to build communities, grow food, and provide supplies. Instead, the fruits of their labor attracted frontier entrepreneurs who provided the necessary services and developed the first towns and farms along the foothills and in the mining districts. Transportation became an issue, and seemingly overnight the railroad industry began to develop, serving both the mountains and plains. As a tribute to the pride held in Colorado’s prosperity, the citizens of Georgetown rallied together and donated the funds for a pure silver spike to be used in the dedication ceremony for Denver’s first railroad. Much to their chagrin, the carrier of this fine gift, Bill Barton, stopped on his way at a local watering hole, drank away all his funds, and traded the spike to finance his continued celebration. Needless to say, both he and the spike failed to appear at the party. The spike was found later in a local pawnshop. A maturing economy Coal, a less glamorous mineral, helped stabilize the state’s economy when it became an integral part of steel production in the United States’ growing market. By 1900, over five million tons had been sent to market. This established Colorado as the largest coal producer west of the Mississippi. More than eleven thousand men mined coal in the state. They were a vigorous labor force that would eventually join the United Mine Workers of America. The southern part of the state became home to smelters owned by Colorado Fuel and Iron, and by 1900 Pueblo had became know as Colorado’s “Steel City,” producing over twelve million dollars worth of refined mineral products. The cattle industry was also a factor contributing to the stabilization of the state’s early economy. From the plains to the mountains, cattle ranching had matured to include fenced pastures, winter feeding, and better business practices. As a result, open ranges disappeared. However, the rowdy reputation of the cowboy lived on and was embellished by true stories. In Denver, for example, two bronco busters were racing their horses when they met a trolley car head on. One rider bounced though the car window and exited on the other side, while the other hit the car and landed in the road. Luckily, no one, human or animal, was hurt. Celebrating the cowboy and his way of life, in 1906, a group in Denver started the National Western Stock. Farming began on 160-acre homesteads that could be bought after five years of labor and improvements for $1.25 an acre. While this industry initially began to support the state’s mining activity, it wasn’t until the early 1900s that farmers were able to provide enough produce and grain to feed Colorado’s growing population. Toward the end of the 1800s, a wet climatic cycle ended, and a searing drought set in that brought the advent of the professional “rainmaker.” All the promises of the “magical touch” from the rainmakers proved futile, leaving the tillers of the soil to develop dryland agricultural methods. Coloradans, always experimenting, looked to the sugar beet for their next success. In 1899, the state’s first sugar beet factory was built in Grand Junction. The financial backers of this venture had all made their fortunes in the silver industry before the crash of 1893. Tourism began in Colorado in the mid 1800s, and by 1900 many fashionable resort towns were bustling with visitors. Grand Lake was a well-developed destination, and the cog railroad was sporting people to the top of Pike’s Peak. Photographer W.H. Jackson spent most of the late 1800s photographing Colorado’s landscape. His pictures made a huge sensation on America’s east coast and attracted tourists who rode the train to the West for pleasure as well as the health benefits provided by the dry climate. Famous (or perhaps infamous) Coloradans Colorado’s zesty past has produced some famous ruffians and desperados. Butch Cassidy is one of the more famous. He made his first “unauthorized bank withdrawal” in the town of Telluride. In Crested Butte, he and the Sundance Kid drank whiskey, played cards, and chased women at Kochevar’s Saloon until they had to make a hasty back door exit with the Pinkerton posse hot on their trail. Doc Holliday, known as the “deadly dentist,” idealized Wyatt Earp and rode to Colorado while hiding out from the law. His gal, Big Nose Kate, was so dedicated to him that she burned down a hotel to rescue him. Holiday was a small man who wore an overcoat and constantly coughed blood into a blue handkerchief. After brutalizing and murdering several men, he died in Glenwood Springs in 1885 at the age of thirty-five. Anchored in time, Colorado’s legacies were created by pioneers who were determined yet vulnerable. Early life in the state meant surviving everything from choking dust storms and deadly mining labor strikes to the backbreaking work of building railroads and farming the land. This trial and error lifestyle literally molded the land with human sweat and tears. Today, Colorado, with its sky-marching procession of mountains, still draws hopeful souls who are “hell bent” for success. Tracy E. Houston is a facilitator, strategic planner, writer, and the main principal at Historic Colorado, LLC. For more information , e-mail: tehouston@earthlink.net or phone: (303) 520-5235.	Colorado quick facts: In 1900, Denver had almost five hundred different grocery stores and a population of 133,859. German-born people were the largest ethnic group, and people born in Illinois were the most numerous American-born settlers in Colorado. Automobile ads began to appear in the newspapers, boasting that cars with speeds up to 40 miles per hour were available for the low price of $750.00. Gold production reached a peak of more than $20 million annually at Cripple Creek, and the state’s population at the end of the nineteenth century was 539,700.