DENVER

capital of Colorado, U.S., seat (1902) of Denver county (which is coextensive with the city limits), at the western edge of the Great Plains, just east of the Rocky Mountains' Front Range. The city lies at the junction of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River; its elevation (5,280 feet [1,609 metres] above sea level), which gives it the nickname Mile High City, and crisp, dry climate are distinctive characteristics. The site, an early stopping place for Indians, trappers, and traders, was settled in the Pikes Peak or bust gold rush of 1859. Early settlements (Placer Camp and Montana) gave way to the rival towns of Auraria and St. Charles. The latter was renamed Denver City for James W. Denver, governor of the territory in 1858. Auraria and Denver consolidated in 1860, and seven years later Denver was designated the permanent capital. The city was devastated by fire in 1863, and a year later a flash flood swept away many buildings, including the city hall. Indian wars on the plains in the 1860s also slowed the community's growth. When the transcontinental railway was built through Wyoming, Denver's citizens organized their own railway, completed in 1870, to connect with the Union Pacific at Cheyenne; the Kansas Pacific Railroad reached Denver shortly thereafter. The resulting economic boom increased the population from 4,759 in 1870 to 106,713 in 1890. During the 1870s and '80s, silver became more important economically than gold. Mining kings were created almost overnight, and an opera house was built. This period of opulence ended in 1893 with the crash of the silver markets. Banks failed, smelters shut down, and silver kings became paupers. New gold discoveries helped prevent a major decline, and farming, cattle and sheep ranching, and commerce began to provide a more stable economy. The Denver branch of the U.S. Mint (opened 1906) produces about 75 percent of U.S. coinage and is the nation's second largest gold depository. Military and related installations established in the area include Lowry Air Force Base (1938), Rocky Mountain Arsenal, and the Air Force Accounting and Finance Center. As the largest city between the Missouri River and the Pacific states, Denver serves as a transportation, industrial, and commercial hub. The Denver Union Stockyards form one of the nation's largest livestock markets. Denver has become a major centre for winter sports, with many ski areas in the vicinity, including Winter Park. In addition to tourism, the economy relies upon health and business services, real estate and banking, air transportation, and telecommunications. Denver is the home of professional gridiron-football, baseball, basketball, and hockey franchises. The city is the seat of the University of Denver (incorporated 1864 as Colorado Seminary), Regis University (1877), Iliff School of Theology (1892), Metropolitan State College (1963), and medical and extension centres of the University of Colorado. The State Capitol (built 188795 in Corinthian style) has a 272-foot (83-metre) gold-leafed dome, and the Civic Center adjoins the Capitol grounds. The Denver Mountain Parks, in addition to the 150 parks in the city, extend into the Rocky Mountain foothills and are scattered over a wide scenic area. Metropolitan growth after World War II created a ring of satellite communities, including Arvada, Aurora, Brighton, Broomfield, Cherry Hills Village, Commerce City, Edgewater, Englewood, Golden, Lakewood, Littleton, Northglenn, Thornton, Westminster, and Wheat Ridge. Denver International Airport, one of the nation's largest, opened in 1995 and is located about 23 miles (37 km) northwest of the city. Inc. 1861. Pop. (1993 est.) city, 498,402; Denver PMSA (1992 est.), 1,715,000; Denver-Boulder-Greeley CMSA, 2,089,000.