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STATE FLAG - Adopted in June 5, 1911 STATE SEAL - Adaptation of the Territorial Seal and approved by the State in 1877 with the addition of the "State of Colorado" and the figures "1876" in the seal. STATE MOTTO - "Nil Sine Numine", translates to "Nothing without Providence". In the early mining days some said it meant "nothing without a new mine". COLORADO - Spanish origin meaning "colored red". Colorado has been nicknamed the "Centennial State" as it became a state in 1876, 100 years after the signing of the nation's Declaration of Independence. STATE CAPITOL BUILDING - 22 years in the building, it was completed in 1908. The dome is painted with 177 ounces of 24K gold leaf. STATE ANIMAL - Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Ovis canadensis, adopted May 1961. Found only in the Rockies, usually above timberline. STATE FLOWER - White and lavender Columbine, Aguilegia caerules, adopted April 1899. STATE TREE - Colorado Blue Spruce, Picea pungens, adopted March 1939, first discovered on Pikes Peak. STATE BIRD - Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorpyus Stejneger, adopted April 1931, migrant bird living in plains region and mountains up to 8,000 feet from April to September. STATE FOSSIL - Stegosaurus, designed in 1982, lived 150 million years ago during the Mesozoic era in the Jurassic period. STATE GEMSTONE - Aquamarine, adopted April 1971, crystals range in color from light blue to pale and deep aquamarine, located in the mountain peaks of Mount Antero and White Mountain. STATE GRASS - Blue Grama, adopted in May 1987, native grass on both sides of the Continental Divide. STATE INSECT - Hairstreak Butterfly, Hypaurotis cysaluswas, adopted in April 1996, found on both sides of the Continental Divide at 6,500 to 7,500 feet. STATE SONG - "Where the Columbines Grow" by A.J. Fynn, 1915, adopted in May 1915. STATE FOLK DANCE - Square Dance, adopted in March 1992. LAND AREA - 104,247 square miles and ranks 8th in the largest states of the US. MAJOR RIVERS - Colorado, Arkansas, South Platte. FIRST NEWSPAPER - Rocky Mountain News, founded April 1859. FIRST GOLD PANNED - near Denver at the mouth of Dry Creek in 1858. COLORADO GOLD RUSH - 1859, west and south of Denver FIRST MAJOR GOLD STRIKE - 1859, Idaho Springs, discovered by George Jackson CRIPPLE CREEK - richest gold discovery in the nation. FIRST MAJOR SILVER LODE - Georgetown, 1864. FIRST RAILROAD - 1870, standard gauge Denver Pacific from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming. OLDEST NON-INDIAN TOWN - San Luis, 1851, south central Colorado north of the New Mexico border. FIRST CHURCH - Our Lady of Guadalupe, 1858, at Conejos in the San Luis Valley. AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL- Song written by Katherine Bates, a New England school teacher, was inspired by her visit to Pikes Peak in 1893. |
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CAPTAIN ZEBULON PIKE - 1806, first official explorer to sight Pikes Peak, a later landmark for pioneers heading west that led to the words, "Pikes Peak or Bust" as gold seekers sought their fortunes. WORLD'S LARGEST PIECE OF SILVER - discovered east of Aspen from the Smuggler Mines, 1,840 pounds, featured at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893. WORLD'S HIGHEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE - Royal Gorge, east of Canon City, 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. STATE CAPITOL - 13th step of the building is precisely 1 mile above sea level therefore Denver is called the "Mile High City". TRAIL RIDGE ROAD - in Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest continuous highway in the world above 12,000 feet. COLORADO RIVER - Originates in Rocky Mountain National Park. LEADVILLE - Little Johnny Mines, source for the famous Molly Brown fortune. HIGHEST POINT - Mount Elbert, 14,433 feet. LOWEST POINT - Arkansas Valley, 3,350 feet. ASPEN - First commercial ski resort in Colorado, 1930. CARNATIONS - Originated in experimental greenhouses in Denver, shipped to the coronation of King George VI in 1937. FIRST TELEGRAPH LINE - Denver to eastern US in 1863. WILDLIFE - Over 900 species found in Colorado. BIRDS - There are over 440 species of Birds in Colorado. FRASER - Often called the coldest town in the nation, referred to as "Freezin' Fraser". LONGEST CONTINUOUS STREET - in the US, Colfax Avenue, Denver. BLACK CANYON - of the Gunnison is narrower but deeper than the Grand Canyon. HIGHEST MOUNTAIN PASS - Independence Pass at 12,095 feet. HUMMINGBIRD CAPITOL OF THE WORLD - Empire, Colorado. HUMMINGBIRDS - There are 7 species located in Colorado. ASPEN TREES - Belong to the Poplar family of trees, and are nicknamed "quakies" because of the sound produced as the wind blows through them. FIRST ELECTRIC LIGHTS - Aspen ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS - Fried bull testicles PYRITE - Fool's gold ZINC - 3rd most produced ore in Colorado, after gold and silver. WELLS FARGO - First run to Denver, 1865. FIRST WHITE MAN - in Colorado, Coronado, Spanish conquistador. BENTS FORT - First permanent settlement in Colorado, 1833 FIRST LICENSE PLATE - in the US, Denver, 1908. STATE PENITENTIARY - Located in Canon City since 1870. ICE CREAM SODA - Invented by O.P. Batter in 1871, Denver CHEESEBURGER - Louis Ballast grilled the first cheeseburger at his Denver drive-in restaurant in 1944. BAT MASTERSON- hired in Silverton to bring law and order to this wide open town during the early days. BUTCH CASSIDY - robbed the Telluride Bank in 1889, escaping with $30,000. |
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