C olorado is a hotbed of bona-fide inven- tion, with gadgets galore, processes of ingenuity, engineering, and always a bit of sheer luck. As America celebrates its 250th birthday this year, and Colorado its 150th, there’s no better time to recognize the innovations, traditions, and cultural contributions born right here in Colorado. From world-changing inventions and iconic brands to historic firsts and unforgetta- ble fun facts, Colorful Colorado has played an important role in shaping America’s story. COLORED CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: While Christmas lights themselves weren’t invented in Colorado, the tradition of hanging outdoor holiday lights originated in Denver in 1914. Around christmastime that year, David Dwight Sturgeon’s son fell ill and Sturgeon, an electrician, devised a plan to dip light bulbs in red and green paint and string them on a tree outside the family’s home in Denver so his son could see them. JOLLY RANCHERS: Dorothy and Bill Harmsen opened their first Jol- ly Rancher Ice Cream Store in Golden in 1949. They chose the name because Rancher gave the store a western aura and Jolly suggested a friendly atmosphere. When sales dipped during Colorado’s cold winters, they pivoted to making chocolates and hard candies, creating the iconic fruit and Fire Stix flavors. RECYCLABLE ALUMINUM CANS: The first modern, two-piece recyclable alumi- num can was invented and debuted in Golden by the Coors Company. It made its debut in 1959 when Coors released a seven-ounce “pony” can of Coors Banquet beer. Prior to this, beer was packaged in tin-lined steel cans, which were heavy, leaky, and gave the beer a metallic aftertaste. CHIPOTLE: Steve Ells, founder, chairman, and CEO of Chipotle, started it with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast-food experience. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in Denver in 1993 in the former Dolly Madison ice cream shop on East Evans Avenue across from the University of Denver. CHEESEBURGERS: Colorado made history by being the first to legally trademark the cheeseburger, despite the culinary invention being credited to Cali- fornia. In 1935, Louis Ballast, owner of Humpty Dumpty Barrel Drive-In, was the first to legally trademark the word“cheeseburger.”Denver is the only location with a physical stone marker dedicated to this milestone. ROOT BEER FLOATS:
St. Anthony administrator E. V. Kuhlman, who wanted to improve medical transport of pa- tients from the mountains and rural areas. FUN FACTS 1. Colorado was the first and only state to reject hosting the Olympics after being selected to host them. The International Olympic Com- mittee originally awarded Denver the 1976 Win- ter Games in 1970, but Colorado voters passed a ballot measure that forbade the use of state tax revenue to fund the event in 1972. Without public financing, organizers were forced to rescind their offer. 2. Colorado has a history of quirky history of unusual state stateus and city ordinances. For example, in 1902, Denver created a rule against kissing at the Denver Union Station because it slowed down the trains. In Boulder, it is illegal to roll, throw, or push a boulder on any public property. You can get a DUI while riding a horse under the influence because horses are classi- fied as “non-motorozied vehicles.” 3. The term “xeriscape” was created by Denver Water back in 1981. It refers to a drought-resis- tant landscape achieved by following a series of basic principles. 4. The inside of the Colorado State Capital is adorned with what is believed to be the entire known global supply of Colorado Rose Onyx, a rare rose marble from a quarry near Beulah, Colorado. 5. Colorado’s motto is “Nil Sine Nume,” which is Latin for “Nothing without Providence or Deity.” It became a state on Aug. 1, 1876. 6. Elvis Presley took his private jet from Mem- phis to Denver in 1976 just for a sandwhich, the“Fool’s Gold Loaf,”created by the Colorado Mine Company. The sandwhich consisted of a hollowed-out loaf of sourdough French bread stuffed with one jar of peanut butter, one jar of jelly, and a full pound of bacon. 7. Colfax Avenue in downtown Denver is recognized as the longest continuous street in America. 8. A golf ball flies on average 10 percent farther in Colorado than other states because of the altitude. It flies even farther at higher altitudes (above 7,000 feet). 9. Colorado has the world’s largest natural hot springs pool at Glenwood Springs. 10. Colorado’s mountain region is six times the size of Switzerland, featuring over 9,600 miles of fishing streams, 2,850 lakes, and over 1,000 peaks.
According to legend, the root beer float, known by some as the“black cow,”was first crafted by a miner in the Colorado mountains. Frank J. Wis- ner, owner of the Cripple Creek Cow Mountain Gold Mining Company and Cripple Creek Brew- ing, is credited with the invention in 1893 when he was thinking of his flavored soda waters and was reminded of vanilla ice cream when he saw the snowcapped Cow Mountain, decided to combine the two and tried it and liked it. CROCS: While sailing from Mexico to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Coloradan Scoot Seamans started dream- ing about the perfect boat shoe that wouldn’t slip or leave marks, or smell bad. He settled on a clog riddled with air vents, then added a back strap to keep it from falling off in the water. Seamans named his waterproof clogs Crocs in 2002 and introduced them at a Miami boat show. If you check the bottom of many classic Crocs clogs, you will still see “Boulder, Colorado” stamped to honor its birthplace. RODEOS: While rodeo roots are widely debated, Colorado has a strong claim to hosting the world’s first recorded and formal rodeo with a prize. The rodeo took place in Deer Trail on July 4, 1869 where a group of cowboys held a competition to showcase their riding and roping abilities. SHREDDED WHEAT: Shredded Wheat was invented by Henry D. Perky, a lawyer and health-food advocate, in Denver. He patended the unique shredding machinery and the pillow-shaped wheat biscuit in 1893. The cereal was mass-produced heavily after 1901 and the company was later acquired by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Nabisco, in 1928. DENVER “BOOT”: The wheel clamp, wheel boot, parking boot, or auto immobilizer are all names for what’s commonly known as the Denver Boot. The boot was invented in the early 1950s when Denverite Frank Marugg, a friend of the police, went home and used his creativity to invent some- thing to help his friends collect outstanding parking tickets. OTTERBOX: Originally intented as simple waterproof storage boxes for fishing or skiing, the OtterBox business exploded in the late 1990s when Fort Collins native Curt Richardson adapted the cases for fragile tech gadgets like iPods and early smartphones. FIGHT FOR LIFE: St. Anthony Hospital in Denver pioneered the nation’s first civilian, hospital-based medical he- licopter program, Fight For Life, which launched in October 1972. The idea was generated from
JULY 2026 COLORADOPARENT.COM 25
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs