Seven Falls
Encyclopedia
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, 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...
. The sum of the height of the seven falls is 181 feet (55.17 m) and there are a total of 224 steps on the staircase from the base of the falls to the peak. In the late 19th century, some of the associated property was developed as a scenic resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
. It was popular for a time with travelers who arrived by horse-drawn vehicle
Horse-drawn vehicle
A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load...
s or by horseback or burro.
History
On December 5, 1872, Nathaniel Colby homesteaded the 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) that included the present-day Seven Falls and South Cheyenne Canyon. Nine months later he sold the land to the Colorado Springs Land Company for $1000.Later owners realized little value from the land until 1882, when James Hull purchased the property for $1300. Mr. Hull was a naturalist who was disturbed to note the scenic beauty of the canyon was being threatened by the felling of trees for their lumber value. Hull had already purchased 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) west of Seven Falls for $500 and later secured an additional 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) by preemption in 1885. With 400 acres (1.6 km²) including the heart of the canyon, Hull became one of Colorado's earliest environmental protectors.
Hull was also a businessman, and he understood the value of the "ranch" as it was then called. He advertised the property as a scenic resort. He constructed a road through the canyon to the Seven Falls, and built a stairway along the side of the Falls so tourists could visit it. He installed a toll gate at the foot of the canyon to collect fees.
Access to the Falls in those days was largely by carriages, burros and saddle horses furnished by a local entrepreneur named Hunter. He paid a kind of concession fee to James Hull and his sons of $500 to take passengers to the Falls for 25 cents each. Business flourished, and Seven Falls became a prominent tourist attraction. Helen Hunt Jackson
Helen Hunt Jackson
Helen Maria Hunt Jackson, born Helen Fiske , was a United States writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the U.S. government. She detailed the adverse effects of government actions in her history A Century of Dishonor...
was among many prominent visitors who went to the resort for its beauty and healthful mountain air.
In 1900 after Hull's sons took over the property, the county assessor valued the property at $80,000. The local newspaper, The Gazette
The Gazette
The Gazette is a title of several newspapers and magazines, including:-English-language newspapers:*London Gazette, the official publication of the government of the United Kingdom...
, suggested the value at over $200,000. In 1905 the property, then containing 1400 acres (5.7 km²), was purchased by C.D. Weimer for $250,000.