History
Ute Indians were the first inhabitants into this area that is nestled against the foothills near Boulder. The Indians lived within the walls of the canyon because they provided protection from the harsh Colorado winters. Settlers soon followed in search of gold and agriculture. Eldorado Canyon is famous for its spectacular geologic history dating back billions of years ago. Near the park’s entrance at the visitors center, there are rocks calculated to be over 1.5 billion years old.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the town of Eldorado Springs was established and was known as a resort for the elite. The town offered visitors warm artesian springs and lush hotels including the Crags Hotel, the Eldorado and the Grand View. Numerous celebrities and Denver residents enjoyed the beautiful getaway until a fire burned all these hotels in 1912.
The town also received considerable attention between 1906–1949 when Ivy Baldwin performed tight rope acts across the canyon 580 feet (180 m) in mid-air. Like Ivy Baldwin, many visitors enjoy the spectacular views of the park from a higher perspective, but these visitors prefer rockclimbing to a tight rope.
Read more about this topic: Eldorado Canyon State Park
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“In front of these sinister facts, the first lesson of history is the good of evil. Good is a good doctor, but Bad is sometimes a better.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“There is a history in all men’s lives,
Figuring the natures of the times deceased,
The which observed, a man may prophesy,
With a near aim, of the main chance of things
As yet not come to life.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“In history as in human life, regret does not bring back a lost moment and a thousand years will not recover something lost in a single hour.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)