Interesting Facts About Colorado Springs (Denver, Air Force Academy: home, tenant, restaurant)

[reginhild]

This is a fun thread where you can post interesting and little known facts about Colorado Springs.

To start:

Serbian-born American physicist Nikola Tesla built a laboratory in Colorado Springs in 1899 for his experiments in the wireless transmission of electrical power. The site of the lab, the present intersection of Foote and Kiowa streets, is now a residential area.

[Josseppie]

The Penrose Room at the Broadmore is Colorado's ONLY 5 diamond restaurant!

[akagoof]

Home of the OTC

[Barshney]

It is permissible to wear a holstered six-gun within city limits, except on Sunday, Election Day, or holidays. (or so says the Intertubes)

[lalahartma]

Colorado Springs was nicknamed 'Little London' in the late 1800s due to the English tourists who came for the air and the views.

[reginhild]

The use of fluoride to help prevent tooth decay has its origin in the Colorado Springs area. Dr. Frederick McKay of Colorado Springs was studying the "Colorado Stain" that was found on teeth of folks drinking lots of spring water from the area. In 1909, he discovered the connection with fluoride in water being able to prevent tooth decay.

[PokerMunkee]

Katherine Lee Bates wrote “America the Beautiful” after being inspired on the summit of Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs.

[Bullitt007]

Famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, a member of the Air Force Academy New Site Committee, rented a light plane in Colorado Springs, flew over the site with committee members aboard and pronounced it fit for flying.

[Terytee]

This is a fun one.

Colorado Springs is protected from harsh weather by two natural barriers: the Rocky Mountains to the west and Monument Divide to the north.

Colorado Springs is 6,035 feet above sea level; just higher than Denver (5,280).

[Terytee]

Peterson AFB began as Colorado Springs Army Air Base, established on April 28, 1942, at the site of the original Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, which had been in operation since 1926.

The first mission of the air base was photographic reconnaissance training under supervision of the Photo Reconnaissance Operational Training Unit. More than 20 reconnaissance squadrons were organized and trained for combat here from 1942 to 1943.

On Aug. 8, 1942, 1st Lt. Edward J. Peterson, operations officer with the 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron and a native of Colorado, crashed while attempting to take off from the airfield after the left engine of his twin engine F-4 (a reconnaissance version of the Lockheed P-38 fighter) failed.

Lieutenant Peterson was critically injured and died at a local hospital that afternoon, becoming the first Coloradan killed in a flying accident at the airfield. Consequently, on Dec. 13, 1942, officials changed the name of Colorado Springs Army Air Base to Peterson Army Air Base to honor the fallen Airman.