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50-555: El Pueblo History Museum is a local history museum in Pueblo , Colorado , United States. The museum presents the history of Pueblo, together with the cultural and ethnic groups of the region. The historical site includes an 1840s-style adobe trading post and plaza and the archaeological excavation site of the original 1842 El Pueblo trading post which was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The facility

100-409: A Semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ), with four distinct seasons. Winter days are usually mild, but the high does not surpass freezing on an average 14.4 days per year, and lows fall to 0 °F (−18 °C) or below on 6.2 nights. Snowfall usually falls in light amounts, and rarely remains on the ground for long (typically, for one or two days). January is the snowiest month, and the seasonal average

150-468: A capacity of 156 megawatts of power—enough to supply 31,000 homes. The project will be run by SunEdison , with a power purchase agreement signed by Xcel Energy . A number of scientific studies now list Pueblo as the state's primary locale for solar energy development and the premier setting for solar companies to locate, placing it ahead of regional rivals such as Boulder, Colorado and Taos, New Mexico. In February 2017, Pueblo City Council voted to commit

200-577: A number of ethnically rooted neighborhoods that are typically not seen west of the Mississippi. Respective cultural groups maintain cultural festivals to the present, with the city being home to locations of the Order Sons of Italy , American Slovenian Catholic Union , and I.O.O.F. , among others. Another major employer in Pueblo is Colorado State Hospital. The hospital is the preeminent mental health facility in

250-457: A substantial number of buildings. Pueblo struggled with this significant loss, but has had a resurgence in growth. Historically, many people were influenced by the orphanages of Pueblo, and the homes are now all historical sites. The three orphanages in Pueblo were known as Sacred Heart, Lincoln, and McClelland. Lincoln was the first historically black orphanage in Colorado, and one of only seven in

300-564: Is 28.3 inches (72 cm); however, snow is uncommon in October, and in May or September, snow is exceedingly rare, with an average first and last date of measurable (≥0.1 in or 0.25 cm) snowfall being November 4 and April 9, respectively. Summers are hot and dry, with 90 °F (32 °C) or greater highs are on average seen 71.6 days per year, with 100 °F (38 °C) or greater on 12.0 days. Diurnal temperature ranges are large throughout

350-497: Is a riverwalk in the Union Avenue Historic Commercial District , and shows the history of the devastating Pueblo Flood of 1921. James Beckwourth , George Simpson, and other trappers such as Mathew Kinkead and John Brown , claimed to have helped construct the plaza that became known as El Pueblo around 1842. According to accounts of residents who traded at the plaza (including that of George Simpson),

400-527: Is administered by History Colorado . The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution , and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). When Pueblo School District 60 switched to four-and-a-half school days and then to four days, "Hands on History" was organized by the museum to help working parents give their children a place to go on Friday afternoons after school

450-462: Is considered semi-arid desert land, with approximately 12 inches (304.80 mm) of precipitation annually. With its location in the " Banana Belt ", Pueblo tends to get less snow than the other major cities in Colorado. Pueblo is one of the largest steel-producing cities in the United States, for which reason Pueblo is referred to as the " Steel City ". The Historic Arkansas River Project (HARP)

500-610: Is home to Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo), a regional comprehensive university. It is part of the Colorado State University System (CSU System), with about 4,500 students. On May 8, 2007, CSU Pueblo received approval from the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System to bring back football as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference . The first game was played in

550-613: Is included in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is currently represented by Republican Lauren Boebert . Pueblo is also included in the 3rd District of the Colorado State Senate, currently represented by Democrat Nick Hinrichsen , and districts 46 and 62 of the Colorado State House, currently represented by Democrats Tisha Mauro and Matthew Martinez . The Pueblo Police Department

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600-554: Is led by Chief Chris Noeller Per capita, the crime rate in Pueblo is higher than the national average for a city of the same size and does not take into account the surrounding unincorporated cumulative population of 176,529. In 2016, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report listed Pueblo's major reported crimes stats as: 1,081 violent crime, murders 9, rape 171, robbery 224, aggravated assault 677, property crimes (all) 7,473, burglary 1,797, larceny 4,505, motor vehicle theft (all) 1,171, arson 49. Pueblo

650-583: Is on the front range of the Rocky Mountains . Pueblo sits on the western edge of the Great Plains in a high desert area of terrain in southern Colorado and is near the western edge of the Southwestern Tablelands ecology region. According to the 2020 United States Census , the city had a total area of 35,893 acres (145.254 km ), including 448 acres (1.815 km ) of water. Pueblo has

700-785: The Central Wildcats and the Centennial Bulldogs in what is touted as the oldest football rivalry west of the Mississippi River. In 2008, Professional Bull Riders (PBR) moved its corporate headquarters to Pueblo. This became the site of their world headquarters based at the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk located bordering the Union Avenue Historic Commercial District . In 2014, the Colorado State University Pueblo ThunderWolves won

750-588: The Fort Pueblo Massacre happened sometime between December 23 and 25, 1854, by a war party of Utes and Jicarilla Apaches under the leadership of Tierra Blanca, a Ute chief. They allegedly killed between fifteen and nineteen men, as well as captured two children and one woman. The trading post was abandoned after the raid, but it became important again between 1858 and 1859 during the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 . The current city of Pueblo represents

800-706: The NCAA Division II Football Championship , a first national title for the football program. In 2019, the Pueblo Bulls junior ice hockey team in the United States Premier Hockey League , began play out of the Pueblo Ice Arena. Pueblo is a state-chartered municipal corporation, previously governed by its city council without the office of mayor and administered by a city manager. In 2017 voters passed Question 2A changing

850-702: The Medal per capita than any other city in the United States. On July 1, 1993, the Congressional Record recognized Pueblo as the "Home of Heroes." A memorial to the recipients of the medal is at the Pueblo Convention Center. From 1846 to 1847 three detachments of the Mormon Battalion wintered in Pueblo during the Mexican–American War . Pueblo is 100 miles (160 km) south of Denver and

900-824: The Rocky Mountain region. Established in 1879 as the Colorado State Insane Asylum, it was renamed as the Colorado State Hospital in 1917. In 1991, the name was changed to the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (CMHIP). The Robert L. Hawkins High Security Forensic Institute opened in June 2009 and is a 200-bed, high-security facility. Pueblo is the hometown of four Medal of Honor recipients (tied only with Holland, Michigan , also with four, each having more than any other municipality in

950-511: The United States): William J. Crawford , Carl L. Sitter , Raymond G. Murphy , and Drew D. Dix . President Dwight D. Eisenhower , upon presenting Raymond G. "Jerry" Murphy with his medal in 1953, commented, "What is it... something in the water out there in Pueblo? All you guys turn out to be heroes!" In 1993, Pueblo City Council adopted the tagline "Home of Heroes" for the city due to the fact that Pueblo can claim more recipients of

1000-469: The adjacent stoves still remain. The stoves and foundations for some of the furnaces can be seen from Interstate 25, which runs parallel to the plant's west boundary. Several of the administration buildings, including the main office building, dispensary, and tunnel gatehouse were purchased in 2003 by the Bessemer Historical Society . In 2006, they underwent renovation. In addition to housing

1050-405: The age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, 25.1% of the population was under

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1100-458: The age of 18, 10.3% was from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 29,650, and the median income for a family was $ 35,620. Males had a median income of $ 29,702 versus $ 22,197 for females. The per capita income for

1150-406: The city charter to a strong-mayor form of city government known as "Mayor-Council Government". Only two other cities in the state of Colorado use the strong-mayor form of government, Denver and Colorado Springs. In 2018 an election was held for mayor for the first time in over sixty years, due to none of the sixteen candidates getting more than fifty percent of the vote, a runoff was required to decide

1200-461: The city to 100% renewable energy ("Ready for 100%") by 2035, with the city's electric franchisee, Black Hills Energy , expected to ramp up its renewable energy portfolio from 29% to 65%. Pueblo County commissioners joined the renewable commitment in April 2018. For several years, Pueblo's Energy Future has been pushing the city to become a municipal electric provider . Among the claimed advantages for

1250-725: The city was $ 16,026. About 13.9% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over. Pueblo is the home of the Federal Citizen Information Center , operated by the General Services Administration , and its Consumer Information Catalog. For over 30 years, public service announcements invited Americans to write for information at "Pueblo, Colorado, 81009". In recent times GSA has incorporated Pueblo into FCIC's toll-free telephone number . Vestas Wind Systems constructed

1300-615: The company was acquired by Oregon Steel Mills and changed its name to Rocky Mountain Steel Mills. The buyout, as well as the end of the union contract in 1997 led to a union strike over pension liabilities, as well as working conditions, wherein the union argued the new owners still needed to pay the pension liabilities provided by the previous owners. With the conclusion of the strike on December 30, 1997, CF&I had replaced several hundred union workers with local employees. In September 2004, both United Steelworkers locals 2102 and 3267 won

1350-454: The consolidation of four towns: Pueblo (incorporated 1870), South Pueblo (incorporated 1873), Central Pueblo (incorporated 1882), and Bessemer (incorporated 1886). Pueblo, South Pueblo, and Central Pueblo legally consolidated as the City of Pueblo between March 9 and April 6, 1886. Bessemer joined Pueblo in 1894. The consolidated city became a major economic and social center of Colorado, and

1400-652: The country. Sacred Heart was run by the Catholic Welfare Bureau, while McClelland was run by the Lutheran Church. Several children from Cuba were placed at Sacred Heart as part of " Operation Pedro Pan ". Though the orphanages in Pueblo are no longer in service, the buildings still exist and have transformed with the times. According to the Rocky Mountain News , in 1988 the Sacred Heart Orphanage

1450-567: The establishment and building up of colonies, towns, coal mining, iron making and manufacturing works, and to build canals and wagon roads." The work on the mill began with excavation of the foundation for the first blast furnace in February 1880, on a prairie south of what would later become South Pueblo. Much more history and context is given by the South Pueblo Historic Context Study, conducted 2003–2011, and summarized in

1500-504: The fall of 2008 at the ThunderBowl, a stadium at CSU Pueblo for over 12,000 spectators. In 2014, the football team won the NCAA Division II Football Championship . South Pueblo, Colorado South Pueblo began as a neighborhood of makeshift homes arose in 1880 near the works under construction for a new steel mill—later to become Colorado Coal and Iron Company and, by 1892, Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I). The settlement

1550-594: The historic CF&I Archives, they also house the Steelworks Museum of Industry and Culture . Due to the growth of the CF&;I steel mill and the employment that it offered, Pueblo in the early twentieth century attracted a large number of immigrant laborers. The groups represented led to Pueblo becoming the most ethnically and culturally diverse city in Colorado and the West. At one point, more than 40 languages were spoken in

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1600-659: The largest (nearly 700,000 square feet) wind turbine tower manufacturing plant in the world at Pueblo's industrial park. It sold the facility to CS Wind in 2021. Renewable Energy Systems Americas broke ground on the Comanche Solar Project seven miles south of Pueblo in 2015. When complete, it will be the largest solar energy farm east of the Rocky Mountains, and its backers say the project will produce electricity more cheaply than natural gas . The project will cover 1,000 acres with 500,000 solar panels, providing

1650-628: The late summer, and the largest parade, the state fair parade, as well as an annual Chile & Frijoles Festival. Pueblo is the hometown of Dutch Clark , the first man from Colorado inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame . The primary football stadium belonging to Pueblo School District 60 is named for him. Two long-standing high school rivalries are played annually at this stadium. The Bell Game has been played annually since 1892 between

1700-484: The move toward independence: lower cost to the consumer, increased reliability and the opportunity to move more aggressively toward renewable energy development. At one time, an August 2020 "divorce" seemed possible. According to Pueblo's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Pueblo is the home to Colorado's largest single event, the Colorado State Fair , held annually in

1750-544: The plow and the mowing-machine." Pueblo's development stretched beyond agriculture. Steel emerged as a key industry very early, and in 1909 the city was considered the only steel town west of the Mississippi River. Until a series of major floods culminated in the Great Flood of 1921, Pueblo was considered the 'Saddle-Making capital of the World'. Roughly one-third of Pueblo's downtown businesses were lost in this flood, along with

1800-584: The population. As of the census of 2000, there were 102,121 people, 40,307 households, and 26,118 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,265.5 inhabitants per square mile (874.7/km ). There were 43,121 housing units at an average density of 956.6 units per square mile (369.3 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 56.21% White , 2.41% African American , 1.73% Native American , 0.67% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 15.20% from other races , and 3.71% from two or more races. Residents of Hispanic or Latino ancestry made up 44.13% of

1850-435: The population. 10.1% were of German , 8.1% Italian , 6.0% American, 5.5% English and 5.4% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000 . According to the 2005 Census estimates, the city had grown to an estimated population of 104,951 and had become the ninth most populous city in the state of Colorado and the 245th most populous city in the United States. There were 40,307 households, out of which 29.8% had children under

1900-475: The runoff, Graham defeated Gradisar and was sworn in as mayor on February 1, 2024. The deputy mayor is selected by the mayor and must be confirmed by a vote of the city council, the deputy mayor serves a term of one year. According to the city charter, the deputy mayor must be a city department head. The city council is elected by the residents of the city. There are seven council seats, four of which are elected by district, and three elected at-large. Pueblo

1950-513: The site, only the steel production (electric furnaces, used for scrap recycling), rail, rod, bar, and seamless tube mills are still in operation. The wire mill was sold in the late 1990s to Davis Wire, which still produces products such as fence and nails under the CF&;I brand name. The facility operated blast furnaces until 1982, when the steel market collapsed. The main blast furnace structures were torn down in 1989, but due to asbestos content, many of

2000-406: The steel mill and more than two-dozen foreign language newspapers were published in the city. Irish , Italian , German , Slovenian , Greek , Jewish , Lithuanian , Russian , Hungarian , Japanese , and African-American groups arrived in the area at the turn of the century and remain to the present time. The convergence of cultures led to a cosmopolitan character to the city that resulted in

2050-441: The strike and the unfair labor practice charges. All of the striking steel workers returned to their jobs, and the company paid them the back pay owed for the seven years they were on strike. In 2007, shortly after Oregon Steel made amends with the union and its workers, Evraz Group , one of Russia's biggest steel producers, agreed to buy the company for $ 2.3 billion. Of the many production and fabrication mills that once existed on

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2100-457: The winner. In January 2019 attorney Nicholas Gradisar faced former Pueblo City Council President Steve Nawrocki, Gradisar prevailed and was sworn in as mayor on the first of February for a term of five years, with all subsequent mayoral terms being four years and a maximum of two consecutive terms. Gradisar ran for re-election in 2023 and faced a runoff against Heather Graham in January 2024. In

2150-475: The year, averaging 32.5 °F (18.1 °C). Precipitation is generally low, with the winter months receiving very little. Sunshine is abundant throughout the year, with an annual total of nearly 3,470 hours, or 78% of the possible total. Pueblo is considered a high desert climate, and sits on the desert lands in southern Colorado between Pueblo and the Royal Gorge . The hottest temperature recorded in Pueblo

2200-586: Was 109 °F (42.8 °C) on July 13, 2003, while the coldest temperature recorded was −31 °F (−35.0 °C) on February 1, 1951. See or edit raw graph data . As of the 2010 census , the population of Pueblo was 106,544 ( 259th most populous U.S. city ), the population of the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area was 159,063 ( 190th most populous MSA ), the population of the Pueblo–Cañon City, CO Combined Statistical Area

2250-691: Was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census , making Pueblo the ninth most populous city in Colorado. Pueblo is the principal city of the Pueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and a major city of the Front Range Urban Corridor . Pueblo is situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek , 112 miles (180 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver . The area

2300-561: Was 205,887, the population of the South Central Colorado Urban Area was 851,500, and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor in Colorado was an estimated 4,166,855. In 2010, the racial makeup of the city was: 75.2% White, 2.5% Black or African American, 2.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 4.1% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) were 49.8% and Non-Hispanic Whites were 45.2% of

2350-527: Was bought by the Pueblo Housing Authority and turned into 40 small-family housing units. The main industry in Pueblo for most of its history was the Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) Steel Mill on the south side of town. For nearly a century the CF&I was the largest employer in the state of Colorado. The steel-market crash of 1982 led to the decline of the company. After several bankruptcies,

2400-664: Was home to important early Colorado families such as the Thatchers, the Ormans , and the Adams. By the early 1870s the city was being hailed as a beacon of development, with newspapers like the Chicago Tribune boasting of how the region's lawless reputation was giving way to orderly agriculture with triumphalist rhetoric. One author crowed of Pueblo that "the necessity exists no longer for Sharp's rifles and revolvers. These have been [supplanted] by

2450-707: Was initially called Taylorville, named after the superintendent of construction, Col. W. W. Taylor . The company wanted the name changed so referred to the area as "Steelworks." In 1881, as more permanent dwellings were constructed, the corporation began to organize a town under the name of "Bessemer." The 1880 steel works were one of the projects of the Central Colorado Improvement Company , founded by General William J. Palmer in 1872, with plans "to purchase lands, minerals springs, coal and iron and other mines and quarries in Colorado Territory, and

2500-482: Was out. The program then expanded to a full day on Fridays and also now has a summer program. The successful program has expanded to other Colorado cities as well, including Trinidad , Fort Garland , Platteville and Montrose . Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo ( / ˈ p w ɛ b l oʊ / PWEB -loh ) is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County , Colorado , United States. The city population

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