Current Colorado State Flag
Colorado Territory was created in 1861. The borders of the Colorado Territory were the same as the current borders of the state of Colorado. Because gold had been found in the Pikes Peak region, the federal government wanted to establish firm boundaries. The Civil War then delayed statehood. The territory was dissolved when Colorado became the thirty-eighth state on August 1, 1876.
Grand Tetons
“America the Beautiful” was published first in poem form in 1895 by Katherine Lee Bates, a professor at Wellesley College. Stories say she wrote the poem after visiting the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. Children can read the poem at: America the Beautiful.
Pikes Peak – 1899 print
Zebulon Pike recorded seeing Pikes Peak in Colorado in 1806. The mountain, with an elevation of 14,115 feet, is a National Historic Landmark. Katharine Lee Bates wrote “America the Beautiful” after visiting the peak.