Arapahoe County was named for the Arapaho Indians, who were one of the larger tribes of the Plains Indians. Together with the Cheyenne Indians, the latter occupied most of Colorado. In the beginning, Arapahoe County stretched east to western Kansas and encompassed many more square miles than it does today.As more people came to the Colorado region, new counties sprang up and the size of Arapahoe County diminished. In 1861, when Kansas joined the union, Colorado was made a territory and Arapahoe was one of the first 17 counties in the region.
In the late 1820s, a number of trappers came into the region in search of beavers in order to supply the (then) great demand for men´s beaver hats.During the late 1830s and early 1840s, this demand shifted to buffalo skins and in 1832, the first trading post was built on Cherry Creek, which was then part of Arapahoe County. In 1848, gold prospectors heading for California stopped long enough to discover that the area was rich with gold and they set up camps along the Platte River.The first camp was known as the Placer Camp and The Mexican Diggings.Shortly thereafter and because of the fertile river valley, many homesteaders came to the region to settle.Roads were laid and the Leavenworth and Pikes Peak Express (the first stagecoaches) arrived in the area in May of 1859. Arapahoe County grew into a very prosperous region of Colorado and today offers wonderful communities in which to live, work and play!
For more information on Arapahoe County real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors – your Denver real estate – specialists.
Arapahoe County History
Arapahoe County was named for the Arapaho Indians, who were one of the larger tribes of the Plains Indians. Together with the Cheyenne Indians, the latter occupied most of Colorado. In the beginning, Arapahoe County stretched east to western Kansas and encompassed many more square miles than it does today.As more people came to the Colorado region, new counties sprang up and the size of Arapahoe County diminished. In 1861, when Kansas joined the union, Colorado was made a territory and Arapahoe was one of the first 17 counties in the region.
In the late 1820s, a number of trappers came into the region in search of beavers in order to supply the (then) great demand for men´s beaver hats.During the late 1830s and early 1840s, this demand shifted to buffalo skins and in 1832, the first trading post was built on Cherry Creek, which was then part of Arapahoe County. In 1848, gold prospectors heading for California stopped long enough to discover that the area was rich with gold and they set up camps along the Platte River.The first camp was known as the Placer Camp and The Mexican Diggings.Shortly thereafter and because of the fertile river valley, many homesteaders came to the region to settle.Roads were laid and the Leavenworth and Pikes Peak Express (the first stagecoaches) arrived in the area in May of 1859. Arapahoe County grew into a very prosperous region of Colorado and today offers wonderful communities in which to live, work and play!
For more information on Arapahoe County real estate, please contact TeamCox Realtors – your Denver real estate – specialists.