COLORADO 



1490 



COLORADO 



the most famous, largely because of its pre- 

 siding judge (see JUVENILE Count; LINDSEY, 

 BENJAMIN BAKR). 



Government. The constitution under which 

 Colorado is governed dates from 1876, the year 

 of its admission to statehood. Of the amend- 

 ments added since that time the most impor- 

 tant is the one passed in 1893 by which women 

 are permitted to vote on equal terms with 

 men. They are also allowed to hold any office, 

 and are frequently elected to the legislature. In 

 1912 another important amendment was added, 

 providing for the recall of all elective officers 

 (see RECALL). An amendment jn effect Jan- 

 uary 1, 1916, prohibits the shipment of liquor 

 either into the state or within the state, thus 

 insuring statewide prohibition. 



The executive department of the state con- 

 sists of the governor, lieutenant-governor, sec- 

 retary, auditor, treasurer, attorney-general and 

 superintendent of public instruction, each 

 elected for two years. Any of these except the 

 treasurer and the auditor may succeed himself. 

 The legislature consists of the usual two 

 houses; it meets every other year. There are 

 thirty-five senators, holding office for four years, 

 and sixty-five representatives, holding office 

 for two years. By the constitution the com- 

 bined membership of the two houses may never 

 exceed one hundred. The judiciary of the 

 state includes a supreme court of three mem- 

 bers, elected for nine years; district courts, 

 county courts and justice courts. 



The most interesting feature of the local gov- 

 ernment is the right which cities and towns 

 have to establish the commission form of gov- 

 ernment; in 1913 five towns, including Denver, 

 Pueblo and Colorado Springs, the three largest 

 cities in the state, were under this form. See 

 COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



History. The name Colorado means liter- 

 ally colored red; it was borne first by the Colo- 

 rado River and later bestowed on the territory 

 in which one branch of that turbulent river 

 rises. Long ago, before ever a white man 

 entered the state, the Cliff Dwellers or Pueblo 

 Indians lived in the southwestern part, and the 

 second largest city has taken its name from' 

 them. Some of the Spanish adventurers visited 

 the territory in the sixteenth century, but not 

 finding the abundant wealth of which they 

 were in search they made no settlements. In 

 1776 a Spanish expedition headed by Escalante 

 explored the southwestern corner and traced 

 certain river courses, but again no attempt at 

 settlement was made. 



The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 brought part 

 of the territory into the possession of the 

 United States, and three years later Captain 

 Zebulon Pike, for whom the state's famous 

 peak was named, made notable explorations. 

 In 1820 Long, and in 1842 and 1844 Fremont, 

 visited the region and carried back informa- 

 tion concerning it, but it was still a practically 

 unknown wilderness, inhabited by Indians and 

 a very few traders, who were attracted by the 

 wealth of furs. Partially from Texas and par- 

 tially from Mexico the remainder of the ter- 

 ritory became United States ground in 1848, 

 and ten years later an occasional emigrant from 

 the neighboring states to the east moved in. 



Beginnings of Growth. In 1859 gold was dis- 

 covered at the present site of Boulder, and the 

 rush of immigration began. It was not so 

 spectacular as was the movement of a decade 

 earlier toward California, but it reproduced 

 many of the same conditions. Rough mining 

 towns sprang up, out of which grew the cities 



' of Denver and Boulder, and there was an 

 immediate movement toward organization 



. which took no notice of the fact that the 

 territory was supposed to belong to Kansas. 

 In 1861 the Territory of Colorado was or- 

 ganized, with an area somewhat greater than 

 that of the present state, and agitation for 

 admission to statehood began. The early set- 

 tlers had considerable trouble with the Indians, 



'and many a fray took place with the Cheyenne 

 and the Arapahoe between 1864 and 1870. 



Years oj Statehood. In 1864 and again in 

 1868 vain efforts were made toward state or- 

 ganization, but in 1875 the Federal Congress 

 finally passed an enabling act. It was the 

 intention that admission to the Union should 

 take place on July 4, 1876, but the prelim- 

 inaries were delayed somewhat and the final 

 proclamation was not made until August 1 of 

 that year. A period of depression began soon 

 after that date, as it became evident that the 

 supply of gold was not inexhaustible. One 

 mining town after another was deserted, and 

 there are still to be found in the mountain 

 regions these "ghost towns" which were once 

 the scene of hopes and fears, feverish exulta- 

 tion and despair. But other resources were at 

 hand, as soon as men could free their minds 

 from the idea that gold alone was worth striv- 

 ing for. Silver and lead were soon found in 

 large quantities, the possibilities of the vast 

 grassy plains as grazing lands became evident, 

 and the fertility of the soil called for irriga- 

 tion. So the real industrial development of 



