Information and history of the state of Colorado

First visited by Spanish explorers in the 1500s, the territory was claimed for Spain by Juan de Ulibarri in 1706. The U.S. obtained eastern Colorado as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

On August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation admitting Colorado to the Union as the 38th state.

Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it became a state in the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Some Colorado Symbols

1. State Bird	2. State Mammal	3. State Flower	4. State Butterfly	5. State Dance
6. State Tree	7. State Gemstone	8. State Fossil	9. State Fish	10. State Reptile

1. Lark Bunting - The migratory lark bunting was designated the state bird of Colorado in 1931. The male lark bunting performs a spectacular courtship flight while warbling and trilling a distinctive mating song. A breeding male is jet black with white wings but in winter changes to a gray brown color more like the smaller female bird (the lark bunting is the only sparrow that changes in winter to a drab plumage).
2. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep- The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep was designated official state animal of Colorado in 1961. Named for their massive, curling horns (which can grow to 50 inches in length) and known for their agility and perfect balance.
3. White and Lavender Rocky Mt. Columbine -The Rocky Mountain Columbine was designated the official state flower of Colorado in 1899 after winning the vote of Colorado's school children. Discovered in 1820 on Pike's Peak by mountain climber Edwin James, the Rocky Mountain columbine is a lovely flower with a rich aroma.
4. Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly - Native to the American southwest on both sides of the Continental Divide where elevations are between 6,500 and 7,500 feet, the Colorado hairstreak is easy to identify by the slender "tail" protruding from the hind wings and by their beautiful, distinctive coloration.
5. Square Dance - Colorado designated the square dance as the state American Folk Dance in 1992. Twenty-two states have passed legislation to adopt the square dance as the "state folk dance."
6. Colorado Blue Spruce - The magnifient Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens) was designated the official state tree of Colorado in 1939. Known for its stately, majestic, symmetrical form and its beautiful silver-blue color, the Colorado blue spruce was first discovered on Pikes Peak in 1862.
7. Aquamarine - Aquamarine was recognized officially as the state gemstone of Colorado in 1971.
8. Stegosaurus - Stegosaurus was designated the official state fossil of Colorado in 1982.
9. Greenback Cutthroat Trout - The greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki somias) was designated the official state fish of Colorado in 1994. Indiginous to many small streams and rivers throughout most of Colorado.
10. Western Painted Turtle - The western painted turtle was designated the official state reptile of Colorado in 2008 thanks to the efforts of Jay Baichi's 4th grade class. The 4th graders began the process to have the Western painted turtle designated as the Colorado state reptile in 2007.

Did you know?

• Colorado means “colored red” and is known as the “Centennial State.”
• Colorado contains 75% of the land area of the U.S. with an altitude over 10,000 feet.
• Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any state, with more than 1,000 Rocky Mountain peaks over 10,000 ft high and 54 towering above 14,000 ft.
• The primary agricultural products in Colorado are cattle, dairy products, corn, hay, and wheat.
• The first license plate on a car in the United States was issued in Denver, Colorado in 1908.
• Denver, lays claim to the invention of the cheeseburger. The trademark for the name Cheeseburger was awarded in 1935 to Louis Ballast.