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1884
Year that miners blew up the Swan City Post Office to celebrate Independence Day because they had not been supplied with fireworks.
1901
Year the “largest pyrotechnical display ever to occur on the Fourth of July” was detonated from the top of Pikes Peak.
15
Number of barrels of oil, donated by a Denver oil company, rolled down the hill into a pile of burning embers to create the display.
170
Distance, in miles, between Colorado Springs and Cheyenne, from which the 500-foot tall fireball reportedly was visible.
12
Number of people flying 6-foot-wide kites it took to pull a huge U.S. flag into the air, visible from as far away as Cripple Creek, the day before.
Sources: Fourth of July Celebrations Database, James R. Heintze, American University
