Located at the base
of Pikes Peak, part of the great, bold, rugged Rocky Mountain Range,
Fountain has all the amenities of urban living at its doorstep, yet
is still a place where people enjoy the advantages of neighborly
living in a small town atmosphere.
Located 10 miles
south of Colorado Springs, 30 miles north of Pueblo along I-25,
residents enjoy the scenic view of Pikes Peak.
The Fountain Valley
boasts an average of more than 250 days of sunshine annually and
consistently low humidity. Few people can complain about the
long stretches of sunny weather, mild temperatures, clean air, and
the lingering "Indian Summers."
History
The Fountain town
site was chosen by early settlers in 1859 along the banks of
Fountain Creek. It was a likely choice, as the creek afforded
the scarce resources of water and abundant flora and fauna in an
area otherwise devoid of fertile growth. The site was also
long familiar as a crossroads, where Jimmy Camp Creek joined
Fountain Creek, linking the Cherokee Trail to the Old Santa Fe
Trail. These paths served native Indians, explorers, trappers,
and gold-seekers during the years preceding pioneer settlers.
Artifacts, bone
fragments, and historical accounts attest a long inhabitance by
native Indians in the Fountain vicinity, and many early structural
influences resulted from the fear of Indian attack. The
Lincoln Trading Post (nine miles south of Fountain on Wigwam Road)
has long thick grout walls, built not only as a house, but as a
fortress against possible raiding parties. Fountain stage stop
(313 South Main), originally built of adobe and later fancifully
reconstructed, was built with a trap door in the front as a probable
precaution against Indian attack.
Settlers Fountain
introduced a way of life unfamiliar to this the fertile valley, they
replaced the seasonal encampment by bands of nomadic Indians like
the Ute, Arapaho, and the Cheyenne. The nature of the
landscape would change from the grazing land of cattle, from
uncultivated lands to irrigated agricultural and farmlands, and to
settlement.
The development of
Fountain originated with hopes of recognition as the new state
capital. In 1859, the first meeting called to organize a state
government in the Pikes Peak region was held in Fountain. In
1888, Fountain vied for political prestige as the capital city.
A delegation that planned to visit candidate towns never got closer
than Colorado City due to a tremendous explosion caused by a railway
accident in Fountain. The explosion destroyed Fountain's
chances of becoming the new state capital.
Fountain was
incorporated as a town in 1903, and remains as one of the oldest
incorporated towns in the Pikes Peak region.
What would
successfully shape the town of Fountain's development was its
ability to serve the region as a centrally located supplier for area
cowboys, ranchers, farmers, and for prospectors on their journey to
and from the gold fields. Industries such as dairy farming,
cattle-raising, truck farming, and fruit and vegetable production
all thrive in the Valley. Fountain also prospered in the
1870's as a railhead shipping point for the area's cattle ranchers.
Fountain Creek itself
was, and remains, a major determinant in the growth and evolution of
the town. It supplies the town with a water source for
irrigation and provides for wildlife and lush surroundings.
Homes