The first Europeans to land in Colorado were the Spanish. Spanish went to Colorado after many years, when Coronado had gone to North America in search of City of Cibola whose streets were thought to be carved out of Gold. Traders followed soon and started selling local goods eg. the beaver fur which was considered to be of excellent quality and thus expensive.



By 1830 both the sale and demand of fur nose dived forcing the traders to hunt buffaloes instead. They also used to barter with Indians and many tribes wandered nomadically also and hunted the buffaloes and deer for their clothing and other needs.

When Gold was discovered in this area in 1849 many regions started developing. Historians believe that approximately 50,000 came to Colorado in search for Gold in 1858-59. Denver and some other cities should give credit to for their existence, because more Gold was found in 1860.

San Luis is considered to be the oldest Colorado city. Boundary of Colorado was fixed by a bill being passed. In the coming years many attempts were made to declare Colorado as a state. But it was only after 30 long years that Colorado was declared as the 38th state of the US in 1876.

Colorado was called the "Centennial State" in honor of 100th year of independence.

The original Brent's Old Fort National Historic Site was built in 1833 to trade with the plains Indians and trappers. The first trade was with Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for buffalo robes. For most of its 16 year period this was the first white settlement on the Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and Mexican settlements.

The Fort was used by explorers, adventurous and US Army to stock their food, weapons, livestock, wagon repairs, water, company's rest and protection rooms in the vast desert. Disasters & diseases made them leave the fort in 1849.

When it was reconstructed in 1976 many archeological excavations, original sketches and paintings and diaries were used.

Action of water and rocks sliding down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock formed the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Monument. No other canyon in North America presents sheer walls, narrow opening and startling depths like the Black Canyon.

On May 24, 1911 a 20,453.93 acres of land was established as Colorado National Monument. It includes deep, sheer walls of canyon, towering red sandstone monoliths and lots of different wildlife like golden eagles, mule deer, bighorn sheep and mountain lions.

Dinosaur National Monument is a echo park established in 1869 when the first expedition to the Colorado Plateau was undertaken. Dinosaur Quarry Visitor Center exhibits the Jurassic Dinosaurs that used to live here.