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Enjoy the 267 days of sunshine Pueblo has each year! At the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, Pueblo
has historically been known as a natural crossroads and melting pot for diverse ethnic groups since the dawn of time. Ute,
Cheyenne, Arapaho and Kiowa tribes as well as Spanish troops, mountain men, and gold seekers would often come to do business.
In 1806, Capt. Zebulon Pike built a log fort -- the first structure built by Americans in Colorado. Eventually the railroads
found their way to Pueblo and in the late 1880s the town built smelters.
The history of Pueblo dates back to the mid-19th century when the community was known as Fort Pueblo. The
Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 spawned settlement in the area and four towns emerged: Pueblo (incorporated in 1870), South Pueblo
(incorporated in 1873), Central Pueblo (incorporated in 1882), and Bessemer (incorporated in 1886). The present-day city of
Pueblo was formed from the merger of these four towns into a single city. A momentous setback in the city's history occurred
in 1921 when one of Colorado's most well known natural disasters struck. The Great Flood of 1921 was responsible for thousands
of lost lives and millions of dollars in damage to the city. Recovery was slow but steady, and throughout most of the 20th
century the city relied on steel production as its principal industry. In recent years, Pueblo has made a concerted effort
to diversify its economic base, and the city today boasts an industrial park and a revitalized downtown area and is now home
to a number of electronics and aviation companies.
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