Pueblo, Colorado
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Pueblo is a city located in Pueblo County in southern Colorado. The City of Pueblo is situated on the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek. The area is considered to be semi-arid with approximately 14 inches of precipitation annually. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 102,121. It is the county seat of Pueblo CountyTemplate:GR.
Pueblo was formerly one of the largest steel-producing cities in the United States. It is now home to a number of electronics and aviation companies. The Historic Arkansas River Project (HARP) is a beautiful river walk that graces the historic Union Avenue district. It shows the history of the Pueblo Flood.
Hometown of Damon Runyon, who never returned after 1911 or so, but mentioned Pueblo in many of his newspaper columns (notably his "Our Old Man" pieces).
Pueblo is the hometown of four living Congressional Medal of Honor recipients - Drew D. Dix, Raymond G. Murphy, William J. Crawford, and Carl L. Sitter. The Medal of Honor is the highest military award that can be bestowed upon a member of the United States Armed Forces; Teddy Roosevelt lobbied for one but never received it, and General George Patton said "I'd sell my immortal soul for that Medal."
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 The City Council adopted the "Home of Heroes" theme because with four living recipients that is more than any other city in the United States. On July 1, 1993, the Congressional Record recognized Pueblo as the "Home of Heroes" (http://www.pueblo.org/homeofheroes/.
Pueblo is home to Colorado State University - Pueblo, formerly University of Southern Colorado. It is part of the Colorado State University system, with about 4000 students.
Pueblo is the home of the Colorado State Fair, held annually in the late summer.
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History
In 1842 traders built a fort, or barricaded settlement, where Pueblo now stands. Generally about a dozen families lived there, traveling to various Indian encampments to trade for buffalo robes. On Christmas Eve, 1854 Fort Pueblo was attacked by about 100 Utes and most of the inhabitants killed. The site remained uninhabited until the modern town of Pueblo was settled after the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859.
Pueblo was once a major economic and social center of Colorado,and was home to important early Colorado families the Ormans and Adams'. 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 a substantial number of buildings. Pueblo has long struggled to come to grips with this loss, and has only recently begun a resurgence in growth.
The economic situation of Pueblo was further exacerbated by the decline of American Steel in the 1970s and '80s, and Pueblo actively seeks to diversify its economic base to this day. The City features a riverwalk, extensive trail system, industrial park, and revitalized downtown area to this effect.
Geography
COMap-doton-Pueblo.PNG
Location of Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is located at 38°16'1" North, 104°37'13" West (38.266933, -104.620393)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 117.5 km² (45.4 mi²). 116.8 km² (45.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.66% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 102,121 people, 40,307 households, and 26,118 families residing in the city. The population density is 874.6/km² (2,265.5/mi²). There are 43,121 housing units at an average density of 369.3/km² (956.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 76.21% 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. 44.13% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 40,307 households out of which 29.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% are married couples living together, 15.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% are non-families. 30.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 3.03.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,650, and the median income for a family is $35,620. Males have a median income of $29,702 versus $22,197 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,026. 17.8% of the population and 13.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- City of Pueblo (http://www.pueblo.us/) (official website)
