Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, the second largest city in Colorado, was originally founded as a resort town in August of 1871. The high climate, dry air, and beautiful scenery made the small town a success as a resort destination. International visitors stayed at the successful Antlers Hotel to enjoy the beautiful Colorado land. The town was largely the project of General William Palmer and his wife, who founded the Antlers Hotel. Palmer controlled a large share of the land, and sold much of it to government institutions in order to be preserved.
Unlike the pioneer atmosphere of Colorado City, Palmer designed Colorado Springs with a more genteel atmosphere in mind. Instead of saloons, Palmer ensured that the city was occupied by the rich and well to do. In fact, Palmer went so far as to buy up a big stretch of land inbetween the two cities in order to keep out the influence of Colorado City’s predominantly roughhouse pioneer nature.
The early days of the Colorado Springs area saw some of the largest goldstrikes in United States history. The city was home to many mansions and millionaires spent a great deal of their wealth in the resort town. The wealth would not prove to be permanent, however, as the gold rush soon passed. The previously bountiful mining operations began to dry up, and prospectors soon left for other areas. The booming Colorado City economy soon suffered from a serious slowdown.
The naturally dry and arid climate, as well as the beautiful scenery, kept Colorado Springs a popular destination among both domestic and foreign tourists. Shifting rapidly to a tourism based economy, Colorado Springs managed to survive the failure of the gold and silver prospecting industries. The upper scale 1800s housing and downtown area were preserved as reminders of an earlier time, and as tourism attractions in later years.
The arrival of World War II was also a great boon to the economy of Colorado Springs. Camp Carson was established shortly after the beginning of the United States involvement in World War II, and its construction created many new jobs in the area. Major industries soon began to relocate into the Colorado Springs area as the military established a stronger and stronger presence.
Despite a slowdown in military spending immediately following World War II, Colorado Springs soon saw the establishment of a permanent military presence after the Korean War. With the creation of NORAD and the founding of an Air Force academy in the area, Colorado Springs has always benefited from a high level of military spending in the area.
Economy of Colorado Springs
The early economy of Colorado Springs was focused on providing a place for the wealthy to expend their money. Whereas other nearby towns were more geared toward the rough and tough pioneer, Colorado Springs was meant as a place for the wealthy to live, visit, and relax. This tradition began with the establishment of the Antlers Hotel and continued for many years. The good climate and natural vistas made Colorado Springs a preferred getaway for the rich and famous of the time.
Tourism has always been a major component of the Colorado Springs economy, and in fact, tourism helped the city survive the bust of the mining industry. Many other frontier towns would end up disappearing because of the mining industry collapse. Colorado Springs, however, remained because of its thriving tourism business. The lack of major industries in the town limited growth during this time, but World War II would bring about a major influx of commerce.
After the Korean War, Colorado Springs saw a huge expansion of its military industries. With both an Air Force academy and NORAD, Colorado Springs derives a great deal of its income from military investments made in the area. Although spending slumped after World War II, the Colorado Springs area became a permanent base of military activity, with the Air Force establishing extremely active air fields. The military has successfully brought a bounty of jobs, ranging from civilian staff at military bases to the manufacturing and service sector employees that support the bases.
Colorado Springs Tourism
Colorado Springs is packed with things to do and see. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to wonderful and exotic wildlife. The Peterson Air and Space Museum is great to visit, as is the Garden of the Gods. Colorado Springs is also near Pikes Peak, one of the greatest mountains in the United States. Colorado Springs is also home to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
Colorado Springs Home Mortgage
Have an itch to move to Colorado Springs Colorado? Want to buy a house in Colorado Springs. First you’ll need to help obtaining a Home Mortgage in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs Family Dentistry
If you are planning to move to the Colorado Springs Colorado area or have recently relocated to Colorado Springs and you are looking for a good Colorado Springs Family Dentist, the best way is to ask your old dentist to see if he or she has a colleague in Colorado Springs. Many family dentists will typically keep in contact with many dentists all over the US when they are attending dental seminars and conventions.