Palmer, Penrose and Pike
Who made Colorado Springs? In part — Palmer, Penrose, and Pike. Zebulon Pike did not make it to the top of the peak on his only attempt in 1806. But decades later, General William Jackson Palmer did. A veteran of the Civil War, Palmer came to Colorado to expand the railroad, and he saw possibility on the plains below “Pike’s” Peak. In 1871, he platted Colorado Springs as a resort for the wealthy, planted trees, built houses, hotels. It was one of the state’s most prominent cities by 1916 when real estate speculator Spencer Penrose and his partner completed a road to the top of the peak. And to promote that project, a motor race. The winner of the first Pikes Peak Hill Climb made it in 20 minutes. Today, the record is a little less than 8... on the road built by Penrose, near the town built by Palmer, on the peak named for Pike.
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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. See more postcards.
