Pikes Peak in the state of Colorado is one of the most famous summits in the United States
of America!
Located in the Rocky Mountains, its official elevation is forteen thousand one hundred
and fifteen feet above sea level.
Stack roughly 1400 Elephants on top of each other, and you're there.
While we could get stuck on the impressive physical statistics of Pikes Peak... today,
we're going to focus on how this massive mountain has played a huge role in US History.
Welcome to That Was History!
I'm your host, Cliff Langston.
So... how exactly has Pikes Peak contributed to US History.
There are so many ways to answer this question, so let's focus in on some of the highlights.
Kicking off our list, the Ute Native American tribe believed that the Great Spirit created
the entire world from Pikes Peak's location and formed the mountain by pouring ice and
snow through a hole in the sky.
While we know this not to be true, today, that's a pretty impressive title to have held.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase.
The United States paid France roughly 15 million dollars to aquire approximately eight hundred
and twenty eight thousand square miles of land known as the Lousiana Territory.
Pikes Peak was included in that purchase, officially making it part of the United States.
Three short years later, President Jefferson sent out explorers to survey the land that
he had purchased.
The famous Lewis and Clarke Expedition headed out toward the Northwestern part of the territory,
and another party led by Leutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike was sent to explore the southern
region.
As you might recognize, Leutenant Pike is the individual from which Pikes Peak gets
its name.
The mountain was named James Peak for roughly 20 years between 1820 and 1840 due to the
fact that Dr. Edwin James was the first recorded person to reach the summit in 1820.
Dr. James' contribution did not stop there, however, as he also made notes and provided
examples of undiscovered plants and flowers, including Colorado's state flower, the Blue
Columbine.
In 1840, the official name was declared "Pikes Peak" since Zebulon Pike was the first American
to document the mountain.
By the late 1850s, Pikes Peak had become an icon among gold seekers who were trying to
strike it rich during the Colorado Gold Rush.
This time in history was also known as the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, and the phrase "Pikes
Peak or Bust" was often seen on wagons traveling toward the region.
Julia Archibald Holmes became the first recorded woman to reach the summit in 1858.
We've covered this story in another That Was History video, so we'll provide links in the
description and in this video for you to check that one out as well.
On October 11th of 1873, The Pikes Peak Weather Observatory was officially dedicated.
It was determined that this location would make the perfect spot to conduct research
on "atmospheric phenomenon and its relationship to weather and forecasting."
The late 1800s were also great years for Colorado tourism due to the opening of the first road
up Pikes Peak and the completion of the Cog Road that allowed a Locomotive to carry tourists
to the summit.
If you ever get a chance to visit Pikes Peak yourself, you'll have to give their "World
Famous Donuts" a try.
This tradition started back in 1889 when the mayor of Manitou Springs, Dr. Alfred G. Lewis,
began selling donuts and coffee to tourists.
Perhaps most famous on this list is this next one.
Katherine Lee Bates visited Pikes Peak in 1893 and wrote in her journal, "We stood at
last on the gate of heavens summit….and gazed in wordless rapture over the far expanse
of mountain ranges and the sea-like sweep of plain."
Bates would use similar wording in a poem that she published a few years later that
we now recognize as, "America The Beautiful."
The Anglo-American Pikes Peak Expedition of 1911 that included these men and lady observed
and tested tourists complaining of "acute mountain sickness."
I can attest to this one.
It really doesn't take much to throw your body off its game if you aren't acustomed
to that altitude.
I had to pace myself at just walking around to avoid feeling nauseous.
In 1916, Spencer Penrose sponsored an auto and motorcycle race up Pikes Peak to promote
further tourism for the area.
This race continues to this day and is known as the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
That same year, the mountain became a part of the women's rights movement when 30 women
planted a large purple, white and gold banner to bring awareness to the Susan B. Anthony
amendmant.
Improvements continued throughout the early 1900s to help strengthen tourism and by 1963
Pikes Peak had become a National Historic Landmark.
Since then, the area around the mountain has continued to evolve.
Ski areas have come and gone, reservoirs and hiking trails have been opened, and bicycling
has been approved.
One fun fact that is most surprising is that the full length of the Pikes Peak Highway
was not completely paved – top to bottom – until 2011.
To put this into perspective for you, the first 6 miles were paved in the 1950s.
Talk about a loooooong project!
Hopefully our list has shown you just how important Pikes Peak really is to US History.
What were you most surprised by in this video?
Was it the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, maybe the inspiration for "America the Beautiful," or
something else entirely?
I really enjoyed the bit about "Pikes Peak or Bust."
Let me see your answers in the comments down below.
I also want to encourage you to check out these other videos from That Was History,
and if we've earned your vote, I'd love for you to join our community by hitting that
subscribe button.
As always, I'm Cliff Langston, and thanks for Watching!
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