The New International Encyclopædia/Pueblo (Colorado)

PUEBLO. The second largest city of Colorado, the county-seat of Pueblo County, and an important commercial and industrial centre, 120 miles south by east of Denver (Map: Colorado, E 2). Situated in a small basin near the eastern foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains and on both sides of the Arkansas River, at the junction of the Fontaine qui Bouille, Pueblo enjoys a natural location for a great railway and business centre. Its transportation facilities comprise the Denver and Rio Grande, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the Missouri Pacific, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, and the Colorado and Southern. The vicinity to the east is interested to a very large extent in stock-raising, and to a somewhat important degree in agriculture. Near the city are deposits of coal, limestone, and oil, and the tributary region includes very highly productive mineral districts. Pueblo is the great distributing and receiving point for this section of vast natural wealth. It has become known as the ‘Pittsburg of the West,’ being famous for its iron and steel, and smelting industries. There are in the city several smelters producing lead, silver, and gold, zinc, and copper; the immense plant of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, which manufactures various iron and steel products; foundries and machine shops, including railroad car shops; manufactories of fire-brick, glass, woolens, furniture, etc.; and large stock yards. According to the census of 1900, an aggregate capital of $12,374,000 was invested in these industries, which had a production valued at $30,795,000, the output of the lead smelting and refining works alone amounting to nearly $20,000,000.

Pueblo has the McClellan Public Library, with more than 12,000 volumes; law libraries; the State Insane Asylum and several other charitable institutions; and the State Mineral Palace and Park. In the building last mentioned is a complete collection of the minerals of Colorado. The government, under a charter of 1887, is vested in a mayor, elected biennially, and a unicameral council, and in administrative officers. Fire department officials, the police judge, and city physician are elected by the council, which also confirms the mayor's nominations of police officials. The engineer, auditor, treasurer, and clerk are chosen by popular election. There are two systems of water-works, one of which is owned by the municipality. A few Mormons settled temporarily on the site of Pueblo in 1846, and about 1850 a trading post was established here, the inhabitants of which, however, were massacred by the Ute Indians in 1854. The present city was laid out in 1859 and was chartered in 1873. In 1887 Pueblo, South Pueblo, and Central Pueblo were consolidated. Population, in 1890, 24,558; in 1900, 28,157.