Wikipedia:WikiProject Colorado/List of the highest U.S. town by date
This is a chronological list of the highest elevation town in the United States from 1849 to present.[1] This list includes both incorporated municipalities[2][3][4] and unicorporated communities with a post office.[5][6]
The California Gold Rush of 1848–1855 and the Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858–1861 filled the western United States with eager gold seekers. The first discoveries of placer gold were found in the streams of the mountain foothills, but later searches for hardrock gold and other minerals pushed mining camps ever higher into the mountains. High elevation mining camps appeared rapidly and frequently disappeared just as rapidly. Very few western towns incorporated before 1876 unless they felt their territory was threatened. Most western towns were content just to have a post office. The following list shows the progression of these highest elevation towns in the United States. All but four of these towns (the incorporated municipalities of Santa Fe, Mountain City now Central City, Breckinridge now Breckenridge, and Alma) are now ghost towns.
Table[edit]
See also[edit]
- History of Colorado
- History of New Mexico
- List of ghost towns in Colorado
- List of ghost towns in New Mexico
- List of municipalities in Colorado
- List of municipalities in New Mexico
- List of populated places in Colorado
- List of post offices in Colorado
Notes[edit]
- ^ Pedro de Peralta, the Spanish governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, founded the village of La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís in 1607. General Stephen W. Kearny seized Santa Fe for the United States on August 15, 1846. The United States acquired most of New Mexico with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed on February 2, 1848, and proclaimed on July 4, 1848. The Territory of New Mexico incorporated the City of Santa Fe on June 17, 1891.
- ^ The State of Colorado incorporated the City of Central on June 12, 1886.
- ^ The State of Colorado incorporated the Town of Breckenridge on March 3, 1880.
- ^ With the admission of Kansas to the Union on January 29, 1861, the portion of the former Territory of Kansas west of the 25th meridian west from Washington became unorganized territory of the United States. The extralegal Territory of Jefferson effectively governed this region.
- ^ a b Since their GNIS elevations only differ by 3 feet (0.9 m), both Rexford and Holy Cross had legitimate claims to the highest elevation town in the United States from January 23, 1882 to November 10, 1883.
- ^ The Holy Cross, Colorado post office open on January 23, 1882.
- ^ Located at an elevation of 12,230 feet (3,728 m), Arastra, Colorado was the highest elevation town to ever have a United States post office.
- ^ The Climax, Colorado post office reopened on December 5, 1917.
- ^ The Territory of Colorado incorporated the Town of Alma on December 2, 1873. The Town of Alma, Colorado has been the highest elevation populated municipality in the United States since 1890.
References[edit]
- ^ "Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "State of Colorado Incorporated Places - Current/TAB20 - Data as of January 1, 2020". United States Census Bureau. January 1, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "State of New Mexico Incorporated Places - Current/TAB20 - Data as of January 1, 2020". United States Census Bureau. January 1, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "Postal History". United States Postal Service. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN 0-918654-42-4.