Fairplay, Colorado
Encyclopedia
The Town of Fairplay is a statutory town that is the county seat
and the most populous town of Park County
, Colorado
, United States
. Fairplay is located in South Park
at an elevation of 9953 feet (3,034 m). The town is the fifth-highest incorporated place in the State of Colorado. The population was 610 at the U.S. Census 2000. A historic gold
mining
settlement, the town was founded in 1859 during the early days of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. It is the largest community in the grassland basin of Colorado known as South Park
, sitting on the west edge of the basin at the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and State Highway 9. It is on a hillside just east of the Middle Fork South Platte River
, near where Highway 9 ascends the river valley northward to Alma
and Hoosier Pass
. It is a quiet town, and the roads surrounding it have a low volume of traffic. Although it was founded during the initial placer mining
boom, the mines in the area continued to produce gold and silver ore
for many decades up through the middle of the 20th century.
The town consists of modern retail businesses along the highway, as well as a historic town on the bluff above the river along Front Street. The northern extension of Front Street along the river has been preserved and has become the site of relocated historic structures as an open air museum
called South Park City
, intended to recreate the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush. Most of the residences in town are located on the hillside east of State Highway 9, in the vicinity of the schools and Park County Courthouse. The majority of the streets in town were finally paved in 2005.
The Town of Fairplay, Colorado, is the basis for the Town of South Park, Colorado, in the television series South Park
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 610 people, 259 households, and 169 families residing in the town. The population density
was 576.3 people per square mile (222.2/km²). There were 337 housing units at an average density of 318.4 per square mile (122.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.11% White, 1.31% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 2.79% from other races
, and 1.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.92% of the population.
There were 259 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 37.5% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,385, and the median income for a family was $51,979. Males had a median income of $34,286 versus $26,429 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,742. About 6.6% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
. Teams consist of one person and one burro
. The race takes about five hours to complete; first prize is $1,000. Previously, the first prize included an ounce of gold. There are several other burro races in Colorado, the most notable takes place in Leadville
.
The Fairplay race is considered the World Championships of Burro Racing. At 29 miles, the Fairplay race is an ultra-marathon and the longest burro race in the state. For many years (in the 1960s and early 1970s) the Burro race took place from Leadville to Fairplay, or vice versa, crossing over Mosquito Pass. This followed the route that Father Dyer used for carrying mail and his preaching circuit. With time the rivalry between the two cities proved the demise of this cooperative endeavor.
animated television series on Comedy Central
. Although the geographical references contained in several episodes imply that Fairplay is the model for South Park, it is much smaller and more rustic than its fictional counterpart, which has a more suburban character. Co-creator Trey Parker
grew up in Conifer
and went to high school in Evergreen
, both of which are somewhat more affluent mountain communities immediately west of Denver
in Jefferson County
. Co-creator Matt Stone
lived in the Denver suburb of Littleton
.
Because the town is a regional center of government and commerce, the term "South Park" has historically been used in the town in the naming of institutions and business, including South Park High School (the namesake of which appears in the series). The elementary school is Edith Teeter Elementary and the middle school is Silverheels Middle School.
Although the town of South Park is based upon the real life town of Fairplay, the latter is mentioned by Gerald Broflovski in the episode "Night of the Living Homeless
" and described as "4 miles away" in "Jakovasaurus", which implies that it is a separate town in the show. The county seat offices in Fairplay are seen, though not mentioned by name, in the episode "Stanley's Cup
".
A South Park parallel to the Burro race can be found in the Cow Days
episode.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and the most populous town of Park County
Park County, Colorado
Park County is the 17th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named after the large geographic region known as South Park, which was named by early fur traders and trappers in the area. The geographic center of the State of Colorado is...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Fairplay is located in South Park
South Park (Colorado basin)
South Park is a high intermontane grassland basin, approximately 10,000 ft in elevation, in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. It encompasses approximately 1,000 square miles around the headwaters of the South Platte River in Park County approximately 60 mi southwest of Denver...
at an elevation of 9953 feet (3,034 m). The town is the fifth-highest incorporated place in the State of Colorado. The population was 610 at the U.S. Census 2000. A historic gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
settlement, the town was founded in 1859 during the early days of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. It is the largest community in the grassland basin of Colorado known as South Park
South Park (Colorado basin)
South Park is a high intermontane grassland basin, approximately 10,000 ft in elevation, in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. It encompasses approximately 1,000 square miles around the headwaters of the South Platte River in Park County approximately 60 mi southwest of Denver...
, sitting on the west edge of the basin at the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and State Highway 9. It is on a hillside just east of the Middle Fork South Platte River
Middle Fork South Platte River
The Middle Fork South Platte River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long, located in central Colorado in the United States...
, near where Highway 9 ascends the river valley northward to Alma
Alma, Colorado
The historic Town of Alma is a Statutory Town located in Park County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 179 at the U.S. Census 2000....
and Hoosier Pass
Hoosier Pass
Hoosier Pass elevation is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.The pass is located on the Continental Divide at the northern end of the Mosquito Range, in a gap between Mount Lincoln and Hoosier Ridge...
. It is a quiet town, and the roads surrounding it have a low volume of traffic. Although it was founded during the initial placer mining
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
boom, the mines in the area continued to produce gold and silver ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
for many decades up through the middle of the 20th century.
The town consists of modern retail businesses along the highway, as well as a historic town on the bluff above the river along Front Street. The northern extension of Front Street along the river has been preserved and has become the site of relocated historic structures as an open air museum
Open air museum
An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...
called South Park City
South Park City
South Park City is an open air museum located at the west end of Front Street in the town of Fairplay in Park County, Colorado. The museum is a historic reconstruction of a mining town from the days of the Colorado Gold Rush and the later Colorado Silver Boom in South Park in the late 1850s through...
, intended to recreate the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush. Most of the residences in town are located on the hillside east of State Highway 9, in the vicinity of the schools and Park County Courthouse. The majority of the streets in town were finally paved in 2005.
The Town of Fairplay, Colorado, is the basis for the Town of South Park, Colorado, in the television series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
.
Geography
Fairplay is located at 39°13′28"N 105°59′53"W (39.224384, -105.998132).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 610 people, 259 households, and 169 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 576.3 people per square mile (222.2/km²). There were 337 housing units at an average density of 318.4 per square mile (122.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.11% White, 1.31% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 2.79% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.92% of the population.
There were 259 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 37.5% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,385, and the median income for a family was $51,979. Males had a median income of $34,286 versus $26,429 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $21,742. About 6.6% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Burro Days
Burro Days is a festival held on the last weekend of July. The event celebrates the town's mining heritage. The main feature of the festival is a 29-mile burro race over rough terrain and approximately 3,000-ft elevation gain from downtown Fairplay to the 13,000-ft summit of Mosquito PassMosquito Pass
Mosquito Pass is a high mountain pass in the Mosquito Range of central Colorado in the United States.The pass lies on the boundary between Lake and Park counties between Leadville and Fairplay . One of the highest passes in the state, it is traversable only on foot or with a proper four-wheel...
. Teams consist of one person and one burro
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
. The race takes about five hours to complete; first prize is $1,000. Previously, the first prize included an ounce of gold. There are several other burro races in Colorado, the most notable takes place in Leadville
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
.
The Fairplay race is considered the World Championships of Burro Racing. At 29 miles, the Fairplay race is an ultra-marathon and the longest burro race in the state. For many years (in the 1960s and early 1970s) the Burro race took place from Leadville to Fairplay, or vice versa, crossing over Mosquito Pass. This followed the route that Father Dyer used for carrying mail and his preaching circuit. With time the rivalry between the two cities proved the demise of this cooperative endeavor.
South Park animated series
The town has become mildly famous in recent years as the town depicted in the South ParkSouth Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
animated television series on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. Although the geographical references contained in several episodes imply that Fairplay is the model for South Park, it is much smaller and more rustic than its fictional counterpart, which has a more suburban character. Co-creator Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
grew up in Conifer
Conifer, Colorado
Conifer is an unincorporated town in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Conifer is located along U.S. Route 285 in the foothills West of Denver. The Conifer Post Office has the ZIP Code 80433.-History:...
and went to high school in Evergreen
Evergreen, Colorado
Evergreen is a census-designated place and a U.S. Post Office in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Evergreen is roughly west of Denver. The population was 9,038 at the 2010 census...
, both of which are somewhat more affluent mountain communities immediately west of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
. Co-creator Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
lived in the Denver suburb of Littleton
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
.
Because the town is a regional center of government and commerce, the term "South Park" has historically been used in the town in the naming of institutions and business, including South Park High School (the namesake of which appears in the series). The elementary school is Edith Teeter Elementary and the middle school is Silverheels Middle School.
Although the town of South Park is based upon the real life town of Fairplay, the latter is mentioned by Gerald Broflovski in the episode "Night of the Living Homeless
Night of the Living Homeless
"Night of the Living Homeless" is episode 1107 of Comedy Central's South Park. It was first broadcast on April 18, 2007. This episode marks the end of the first half of Season 11, which continued on October 3, 2007. The episode is rated TV-MA. It parodies various zombie movies, in particular...
" and described as "4 miles away" in "Jakovasaurus", which implies that it is a separate town in the show. The county seat offices in Fairplay are seen, though not mentioned by name, in the episode "Stanley's Cup
Stanley's Cup
"Stanley's Cup" is episode 1014 of Comedy Central's South Park. It originally aired on November 15, 2006. This is the season finale of Season 10 of South Park. It parodies the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks.-Plot:...
".
A South Park parallel to the Burro race can be found in the Cow Days
Cow Days
"Cow Days" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the animated television series South Park, and 26th episode of the series overall. "Cow Days" originally aired in the United States on September 30, 1998...
episode.
See also
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area
- Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaDenver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Areathumb|300px|Map of the 12-county Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaThe Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Combined Statistical Area located in the Denver region of the state of Colorado...
- Front Range Urban CorridorFront Range Urban CorridorThe Front Range Urban Corridor is an oblong region of urban population located along the eastern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. The corridor derives its name from the Front Range, the mountain range that defines the west central boundary of the...
- Park County, ColoradoPark County, ColoradoPark County is the 17th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named after the large geographic region known as South Park, which was named by early fur traders and trappers in the area. The geographic center of the State of Colorado is...
- State of Colorado