Impression Evergreen

Mount Vernon townsite Just south of where Interstate 70 curves west and begins its climb up into the Rockies, Matthews/Winters Park preserves a splendid plateau and a fascinating past. It’s a unique location because it’s the exact point where the high plains meets the mountains. The place was first settled in 1859 by an entrepreneurial clergyman named Joseph Casto who hoped to make a profit from the burgeoning gold rush. Second to arrive was a lawyer from Nebraska named Robert Williamson Steele who called the area Mount Vernon after George Washington’s estate in Virginia. Casto platted the hillside and encouraged development of the small village that became known as Mount Vernon Towne. Casto also started the Denver, Auraria, and Colorado Wagon Road Company, which built a toll road from Denver through Mount Vernon and up the canyon to the gold fields at what is now Central City and Blackhawk. Almost overnight Mount Vernon was transformed into a thriving transportation hub as

The majestic, purple mountain Towering over Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak has been inspiring artists, explorers, gold seekers and presidents for over 200 years. In 1806, from out on the fruited plain, Zebulon Pike first beheld the majestic, purple mountain. He named it Grand Peak but early trappers and soldiers refused to call the megalith anything but Pikes Peak. Zeb felt compelled to climb the challenging alp as he led a party of trailblazers in a failed attempt to reach the summit. Upon his return, he wearily admitted that the mountain would probably never be climbed. The half-marathon distance from base to the summit was finally attained in 1820 and by 1873 the U.S. Army had established a military installation at the top of Pikes Peak. President Ulysses Grant hoped that meteorological data gathered from the summit of the high peak would assist in predicting volatile weather patterns circulating toward the east. He believed the valuable information would be critical in forecas

Steve Canyon is an American Hero Born in New York, quarried in Indiana, and erected in Colorado, there is a forgotten monument to honor a chiseled war veteran who captured the imagination of our country 63 years ago. On the corner of Miner Street and Colorado Boulevard, one of the greatest action heroes of all-time stands guard over the sleepy mountain town of Idaho Springs. Steve Canyon was an unflappable adventurer with a kind heart who was the star character of a long running comic strip created, written and illustrated by Milton Caniff. The daily adventure series ran from January 13, 1947 until June 4, 1988. With its fast-paced story-lines and superb artwork, the strip was extremely popular. Idaho Springs is nestled in a steep canyon along the banks of Clear Creek. Founded during the gold rush, the cheerful, little town used to celebrate its gold-mining history with an annual festival. When the Depression and World War II dampened the nation's mood, the event was discont