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History in
a Pecan Shell
Colorado City is
the oldest established town between Weatherford
and El Paso.
The name comes from it's location on the Colorado River.
1880s: The Texas & Pacific Railroad arrives, the town becomes
the county seat and gets a post office - all in 1881. "Pete" Snyder,
namesake of the Scurry County seat does a brisk business in Colorado
City. Throughout the 1880s Colorado City was a prosperous town - but
it lost business to Abilene
and San Angelo when
the railroad reached those cities in 1887/88.
1890s: Salt mining was an economic factor
1900s: This decade brought a surge of settlers - increasing
the population and creating a boom.
1910s: Electricity and water come to Colorado City and a setback
from drought is experienced 1916 - 1918
1920s: The twenties were good everywhere and Colorado City
was no exception. City Hall was built and streets paved
1930s: Oil discoveries in Mitchell and neighboring counties
help ease The Great Depression - but for the most part the growth
was stagnant
1959: Lake Colorado City and Champion Creek Reservoir were
built |
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"The Founding
of Colorado City" Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson |
The Founding
of Colorado City
Founded, 1880,
at the crossing of the Colorado River and Texas & Pacific Railroad
right-of-way; central shipping point and supply depot for the sprawling
cattle ranches of West Texas
and New Mexico.
From 1880 (when A.W. Dunn opened his dirt-floor, tent-roof general
store) to 1890 the boisterous cattle town garnered notoriety as well
as fame.
The largest community between Fort
Worth and El
Paso, Colorado City had more millionaires than any other Texas
town and the most saloons in the West. Law and order was housed in
a dugout at the edge of town, where a company of Texas Rangers made
all men check their guns. Modest, courageous Ranger Dick Ware was
elected first sheriff in 1881.
Population soared from 700 to 5,000 in the first two years, as cowboys,
cattlemen, merchants, and (as a visitor said) "any number of bummers",
vied for space.
The first sermon was preached in a saloon and the town "jail" was
a chain attached to a mesquite tree, but citizens could find beauty
in the lantern-glow from dozens of tents in the center of town.
Although drouth and the passing of the open range soon diminished
Colorado City's glory, its first decade won for it the epithet, "Mother
City of West Texas".
1968 |
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Colorado City,
Texas
Attractions / Landmarks
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The Heart of
West Texas Museum:
Third Street and Locust St. Closed Mondays
Lake Colorado
City State Park: 915/728-3931
7 miles southwest of town off Highway 163
4582 FM 2836 Colorado City TX 79512
Champion Creek
Reservoir
Texas 208, seven miles south of Colorado City on Champion Creek
Book Hotel Here › Colorado
City Hotels
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Colorado City
Methodist Church
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2007 |
Colorado City,
Texas
Old Photos
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Second Street
in 1917
Courtesy rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
T & P Depot
in Colorado City
Courtesy
rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
More Texas Depots |
Cotton Scene,
Colorado, Texas -
Total Receipts from Crop of 1906. 40,000 Bales
Note courthouse
in the background
Click on image to enlarge
Courtesy Dan
Whatley Collection |
Colorado
City Tourist Information
Colorado City Chamber of Commerce: 325-728-3403
157 W. 2nd o P.O. Box 242
Colorado City, Texas 79512
http://coloradocitychamberofcommerce.com/ |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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