Q: There are two cities in Colorado named Colorado City. Where are they, and which one came first?
A: There is an unincorporated community that is a census-designated place, on Colorado 165, about 25 miles south of Pueblo, established in 1963. The site was formerly called Crow Junction and in the 1880s had a post office under that name.
What is now referred to as Old Colorado City was established in 1859 when the area was still part of Kansas Territory. In 1861, Colorado Territory was formed and Colorado City became the capital for a short time. The capital was moved to Golden in 1862 and then to Denver in 1867.
In 1918, Old Colorado City was incorporated into Colorado Springs. Every year, Old Colorado City celebrates Territorial Days over Memorial Day weekend.
Sources: Beverley Disch, president of Old Colorado City Historical Society; Old Colorado Historical Society (history.oldcolo.com/); Colorado Place Names by William Bright
Q: What is “Fire Clay” referring to on the topo map, located in the foothills just west and slightly north of Arvada, near a railroad loop?
A: That is where fire clay was mined. Fire clay is clay used to make high-temperature fired ceramic products, materials that can withstand high temperatures without melting or softening.
Fire clays were once mined at a number of places in Jefferson County and elsewhere in Colorado. Some of the clay beds found as layers within the Dakota sandstone, which forms the Dakota Hogback near Golden, are pure enough to be used as fire clays. In several places, you can see scars from past clay mining for these types of clays, such as the white stripes (mined- out clay beds) visible prominently along the hogback north of Golden along Colorado 93, going toward Rocky Flats and Boulder.
Little, if any, of this type of clay is still mined here, although other types of clay are mined at a number of sites along the foothills. Most of it is “common clay,” which is mainly used to make bricks. The 1994 USGS Minerals Yearbook says fire clays were mined in 12 states, including Colorado, but for 2003 only three states are mentioned: Missouri, South Carolina and Ohio.
Source: Peter J. Modreski, U.S. Geological Survey
Compiled by Bonnie Gilbert
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