Getting to Know Pueblo, Colorado

Today was our day to go into the center of Pueblo and get to know the present city and its history.

Pueblo is situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek in south-central Colorado, east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a branch of the Rocky Mountains. It is surrounded by semi-arid desert land.  By some accounts, it ranks 5th among towns and cities in the country for least expensive housing, with its median housing price recently reported as $147,000.  The city seems very liveable and accessible, with recreational activities, bike trails, access to nearby mountains and state and national parks, health care and good education.

Several fur trappers founded the settlement known as "El Pueblo" around 1842.  It was constructed as a fort.  The adobe structures were built with the intention of settlement and trade next to the Arkansas River, which then formed the U.S./Mexico border. About a dozen families lived there, trading with Native American tribes for hides, skins, livestock, as well as (later) cultivated plants, and liquor.  An interesting fact about Pueblo and the Arkansas River is that the river formed the boundary between what was originally Spanish colonial territory (south of the river) and what was originally French colonial territory (north of the river).  By the time El Pueblo was settled, the U.S. had purchased the land north of the river from the French in the Louisiana Purchase.  The area had been explored for President Thomas Jefferson by Zebulon Pike, for whom the nearby Pike's Peak is named, just about the time Lewis & Clark explored the northern portions of the territory.

According to accounts of residents who traded at the fort, the fort was raided just before Christmas 1854 by a war party of Utes and Jicarilla Apaches under the leadership of Tierra Blanca, a Ute chief, allegedly resulting in the deaths of 15-19 men and the capture of two children and one woman.

The current city of Pueblo results from the completion in 1894 of the consolidation of four local towns.  The consolidated city became a major economic and social center of Colorado.  At that time, Pueblo was considered the 'Saddle-Making capital of the World'.

A notable event in Pueblo's history was the Ludlow Massacre, an attack by the Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel & Iron Company camp guards on a tent colony of 1,200 striking coal miners and their families at nearby Ludlow, Colorado, in 1914. About 25 people, including miners' wives and children, were killed. The chief owner of the mine, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was widely criticized for the incident.

The third defining historic event for Pueblo was the Great Flood of 1921. The flood was caused by a sudden cloudburst on the Arkansas River just ten miles west of Pueblo. The flood only became worse later on when Fountain Creek, a tributary of the river that also flows into the center of Pueblo, also began to flood from downpours 30 miles north. When the two merged in the heart of Pueblo the results were catastrophic.  Fifteen hundred people lost their lives in the flood, which caused over $20 million in damage. The flood level was over 15 feet in some places.  Almost all of the downtown area was destroyed.  The town remembers telephone operators who stayed at their posts through the flood to call and warn all the town's residents.  As a result, the operators were trapped on the second story of the telephone company building, but were eventually themselves rescued.

The flood set the stage for the development of the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, opened in October 2000. This 32-acre urban waterfront river walk is patterned after the well known San Antonio, Texas Riverwalk project. This urban development transformed the downtown and has been vital to attracting new businesses and older businesses to relocate in the area.  The Riverwalk serves as the center of the city for anyone who visits and wants to see historic and architectural sites.

After learning about Pueblo's history at the El Pueblo History Museum, we headed south.  Here was our first view of the Riverwalk:

The Riverwalk actually follows the original route of the Arkansas River through the city.  After the Great Flood of 1921, the river was re-routed south to a newly-dug canal that runs near the railroad tracks.  We got a glimpse of both river and railroad tracks near the historic Union Station:

One of the other museums in town is the Southeast Colorado Heritage Center, which is housed in the former freight station of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad:

The Heritage Museum gathers cultural and historic artifacts of the area, and tells its human history.   This quilt, which reminded us of the Native American Winter Counts, is called a "Heritage Quilt" that depicts memorable events in the city's history.  It was made and donated in 2006.

The museum houses two collections of artifacts, from the early Anasazi peoples and the more recent Ute peoples.  The original Mesa Verde pottery finds were discovered by local ranch owners, who foresightfully protected and preserved them; some of the collection can be seen at this museum. Native Americans in the area also preserved a "Bear Dance Flag," painted on a bear hide to symbolize the traditional Bear Dance:

After all this history, we returned to the Riverwalk to amble along it to lunch:

The Riverwalk boasts many public sculptures, which grace the banks of the stream:



New buildings have been constructed, whose design and landscaping blend harmoniously with the design of the Riverwalk:

There is even a bandshell suitable for concerts and plays or other public presentations.  Attendees can sit on soft, cool grassy slopes to watch the performances on the water:

Our destination for lunch was Shamrock Brewing Co., a brewery set in an Irish pub, serving a tasty selection of original craft beers, and a menu of modern twists on traditional Irish dishes and other pub fare:

Having slaked our thirst and filled our bellies, we ventured out and about downtown Pueblo.  One immediately noticeable feature of the city are the many murals painted on sides of older (usually brick) buildings:

The city sidewalks boast innovative landscaping and public sculpture:

After perusing the public art, we decided it was time to head home.  Besides, we had picked up a cold growler of Shamrock Brewing Co.'s "Ten Year Beer," an imperial stout aged over chocolate and poblano peppers, and we didn't want that very tasty beer to get skunked before we got home!

There is no doubt our stay in Pueblo was too short.  We missed the time to and hike in Great Sand Dune National Park and the Sangre de Christo Mountains, each not too far away, and to explore nearby sites boasting native petroglyphs and pictographs.  However, we've made notes and promised ourselves there will be another, longer visit in the near future.