1. Denver can lay claim to the invention of the cheeseburger! It’s impossible to pinpoint the exact time and place where the cheeseburger was first assembled, but we do know the first time the cheeseburger legally came into existence. On March 5, 1935, Humpty Dumpty Barrel Restaurant owner Louis E. Ballast trademarked the cheeseburger at his downtown restaurant. While the restaurant is long gone, an official stone marker marks the spot as the birthplace of our favorite American Cheeseburger. It’s located in the parking lot of a Key Bank at 2776 North Speer Boulevard in Denver. (I can’t even imagine life without cheeseburgers!)
3. Colorado has the 4th most breweries per capita in the U.S.—an impressive statistic given the state is home to less than 2 percent of the country’s population. Boulder has 16, Fort Collins has 8, Loveland has 7, while Denver has 6. Come for the skiing—stay for the beer, and the cheeseburgers!
4. Colorado is Spanish meaning “colored red.” The name was applied to the Colorado River because of the red sandstone soil of the region, and came into use for the entire territory after the discovery of gold in the Pikes Peak region. In 1861 the U.S. Congress chose Colorado as the name for the Territory, and in 1876 Colorado became the 38th state.
5. Colorado once had 3 Governors in a single day. On March 17, 1905, Democrat Alva Adams, left, was forced to resign because of election improprieties (one district had 717 votes for Adams but only 100 registered voters). He was replaced by Republican James H. Peabody who had run against him in the election, on the condition that he immediately resign. He did so, yielding to his Lieutenant Governor, Jesse F. McDonald.
6. The Park Theater in Estes Park was the state’s first place to catch a movie. Built in 1913, the Park Theater in Estes Park is the oldest movie theater in Colorado and among the oldest theaters worldwide.
7. The first ever car license plate in the U.S. was issued in Denver in 1908. The purpose was not to raise revenue, but rather to get a grip on the speeders and reckless drivers who were well-known for frightening horses and running amuck on city streets. The thought was that if autos were tagged with a big number plate, the offenders could be identified and held accountable for their recklessness. It worked! Initially the cost was $2 and they were often made of leather for the first decade.
8. In Pueblo, it is illegal to let a dandelion grow within the city limits. Other crazy-common-sense laws on the books include that it’s illegal to kiss a woman while she is asleep; it’s illegal to ride a horse while intoxicated; and establishments that sell alcohol must provide ample lighting to be able to read text.
9. Mesa Verde National Park is one of the richest archaeological sites in the world with more than 4,000 protected areas, many of which originate from 600 to 1,300 A.D.
10. Roughly 75% of all U.S. land over 10,000 feet can be found in Colorado, and is home to 58 mountain peaks above 14,000 feet. Referred to as Colorado Fourteeners, climbing these majestic beauties is one of the best ways to enjoy Colorado’s rugged natural beauty. But be respectful and stay on the trails. Colorado’s Fourteeners contain rare and fragile native alpine tundra ecosystems that are uniquely adapted to living on these high peaks. These tundra plants –some of which exist nowhere else on earth– are ill-adapted to being trampled by the estimated 415,000 hiker use days that occur on these peaks every year.