Town Timeline
1776: Spanish explorers Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre Velez de Escalante explore area, camping 65 miles southwest of Steamboat
1820s: Steamboat Springs name originates when three French Trappers, traveling along Yampa River, hear a “chug chug” sound for area hot springs
1839: Thomas Jefferson Farnham expedition passes through area
1843-1845: John C. Fremont expeditions travel through current-day Routt County
1855: Sir George Gore forges wagon road over Gore Pass; ventures near Steamboat Springs
1862: Gold discovered at Hahn’s Peak
1866: First settlement established at Hahn’s Peak
1875 Region’s first permanent settler, James Crawford, brings his family to the area, living among the Ute Indians; Builds first “bath house” at hot spring
1879: Last Native American uprising in U.S. history occurs at White River Indian Agency, spawning two-year-long confrontation
1881: Northwestern Colorado Utes relocated to Utah reservation; Ute leader reportedly places a curse on Yampa Valley, saying those who come will never be able to leave
1884: Crawford organizes Steamboat Springs Townsite Company
1885: James Hoyle brings printing press to town; Steamboat Pilot begins publication (has appeared weekly ever since)
1890s: Legendary cowboys and outlaws pass through town, including Butch Cassidy, Kit Carson and Jeff Bridger
1900: Town of Steamboat Springs officially incorporates
1908: Namesake springs cease to “chug” when railroad bed gets built
1909: First passenger train arrives to replace stage lines
1909: Official rodeo grounds built (in earlier days, spectators formed a circle)
1912: Strawberries marketed throughout country from Strawberry Park
1913: Town ships more cattle than anywhere else in U.S.
1913: Perry Mansfield Camp founded in Strawberry Park; now oldest performing arts center in the nation
1913: Norwegian and Barnum and Bailey Circus star Carl Howelsen (the “Flying Norseman”) arrives in town and introduces ski jumping; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club founded
1914: Winter Carnival founded
1915: Howelsen Hill opens (oldest continuously running ski area in Colorado)
1932: Steamboat Springs sends first skier to the Olympics
1947: Associated Press calls Steamboat Springs “Ski Town USA.”
1958: Storm Mountain ski area founder James Temple gets permission to use phrase “Champagne Powder,” coined by Kremmling rancher Joe McElroy
1961: First Poma lift opens at Storm Mountain Ski Area
1963: Steamboat Ski Area officially founded
1964: Ski area renamed Mount Werner after death of local Olympic skier Buddy Werner
1970: Billy Kidd, first U.S. men’s skier to win an Olympic medal in skiing, moves to town
1992: Local Nelson Carmichael wins Olympic bronze in moguls
2010: Local Nordic combined skiers Johnny Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Billy DeMong bring home six Olympic medals from Vancouver Games
2014: 14 athletes with ties to Steamboat compete in Sochi Games, bringing town’s total to more than 89 Olympians making 151 Olympic appearances
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.