Cotopaxi, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Cotopaxi is a census-designated place
and U.S. Post Office
in Fremont County
, Colorado
, United States
. The population as of the 2010 Census
was 47.The Cotopaxi Post Office has the ZIP Code
81223. Today, Cotopaxi remains a small train stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
along the Arkansas River. There is a small local population living in Cotopaxi, most of whom are Caucasian
. Because of this low population, there are no major businesses in Cotopaxi except for a successful white water rafting business that attracts thousands of tourists each year to ride on the Arkansas River
.
. Henry Thomas was the man responsible for naming Cotopaxi. Henry was an early prospector to the western territory in the mid-nineteenth century. Cotopaxi is also known for its early failed colony of approximately sixty-three Jewish-Russian immigrants who first settled there in early 1882. These colonists, most of whom were related, traveled to Colorado
in hopes of starting a successful farming community and to reap the benefits of the new Homestead Act
, which would grant each head male of a family one hundred and sixty acres of land. When the colonists arrived in Cotopaxi, they discovered that only half of the houses that were promised to be built upon their arrival had actually been erected; this forced many of the families to live out of small make-shift canvas houses during the first winter. In addition to the housing problems, the colonists also faced an extreme shortage of supplies that were needed to support them through the first winter and to plant their crops. Desperate to plant their crops, the colonists soon opened large lines of credit with the local store to buy the seeds and equipment they needed to get their crops planted. The variety of crops that the colonists chose to plant mostly consisted of potatoes and corn. The immigrants soon discovered, however, that the climate in the Colorado Mountains was only suitable for growing crops for less than four months out of the year, and the first frost of winter killed most of what was still planted in the fields. This failed season of crops forced the immigrants to look for jobs elsewhere to help pay off their fast growing debt to the local store. They soon found work with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad
which had decided to lay down more tracks to the west over the Marshall Pass. The men of the colony were paid three dollars a day which helped the struggling settlement get through its first winter. The colonists made it to spring but the second crop was also a failure and entire families soon started leaving. Only about six families remained in Cotopaxi to plant a third crop which was wiped out by a large blizzard and this officially ended the attempted farming colony in early June 1884.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and U.S. Post Office
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
in Fremont County
Fremont County, Colorado
Fremont County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for explorer and presidential candidate John C. Frémont. The county population was 46,824 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Cañon City. The Cañon City...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population as of the 2010 Census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
was 47.The Cotopaxi Post Office has the ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
81223. Today, Cotopaxi remains a small train stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
along the Arkansas River. There is a small local population living in Cotopaxi, most of whom are Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
. Because of this low population, there are no major businesses in Cotopaxi except for a successful white water rafting business that attracts thousands of tourists each year to ride on the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
.
History
The township was named after Mount Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, located in EcuadorEcuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Henry Thomas was the man responsible for naming Cotopaxi. Henry was an early prospector to the western territory in the mid-nineteenth century. Cotopaxi is also known for its early failed colony of approximately sixty-three Jewish-Russian immigrants who first settled there in early 1882. These colonists, most of whom were related, traveled to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in hopes of starting a successful farming community and to reap the benefits of the new Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
, which would grant each head male of a family one hundred and sixty acres of land. When the colonists arrived in Cotopaxi, they discovered that only half of the houses that were promised to be built upon their arrival had actually been erected; this forced many of the families to live out of small make-shift canvas houses during the first winter. In addition to the housing problems, the colonists also faced an extreme shortage of supplies that were needed to support them through the first winter and to plant their crops. Desperate to plant their crops, the colonists soon opened large lines of credit with the local store to buy the seeds and equipment they needed to get their crops planted. The variety of crops that the colonists chose to plant mostly consisted of potatoes and corn. The immigrants soon discovered, however, that the climate in the Colorado Mountains was only suitable for growing crops for less than four months out of the year, and the first frost of winter killed most of what was still planted in the fields. This failed season of crops forced the immigrants to look for jobs elsewhere to help pay off their fast growing debt to the local store. They soon found work with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
which had decided to lay down more tracks to the west over the Marshall Pass. The men of the colony were paid three dollars a day which helped the struggling settlement get through its first winter. The colonists made it to spring but the second crop was also a failure and entire families soon started leaving. Only about six families remained in Cotopaxi to plant a third crop which was wiped out by a large blizzard and this officially ended the attempted farming colony in early June 1884.
Businesses
Today, Cotopaxi has a few small businesses, the most notable of which is the Cotopaxi General Store. This general store was opened in the early 1920s and has since been connected to a Sinclair gas station and a small hotel.See also
- Cañon City Micropolitan Statistical AreaCañon City Micropolitan Statistical AreaThe Cañon City Micropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Micropolitan Statistical Area located in the Cañon City area of the State of Colorado. The Cañon City Micropolitan Statistical Area is defined as Fremont County, Colorado. The Micropolitan Statistical Area had a...
- Front Range Urban CorridorFront Range Urban CorridorThe Front Range Urban Corridor is an oblong region of urban population located along the eastern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. The corridor derives its name from the Front Range, the mountain range that defines the west central boundary of the...
- List of cities and towns in Colorado