Eagle, Colorado - History in the Making

Decades before skiing became the dominant economic engine for Eagle County, Colorado, the town of Eagle formed in 1887 and was incorporated in 1905. By 1921, Eagle was the seat of government for the county and today this mile-plus high community is home to more than 6,000 year-round residents.

The first settlers of European descent moved into what is now known as Eagle in the early 1880s. These new residents were attracted by land which proved ideal for farming.

Mining for silver, lead and copper also attracted people to the area with the town's population increasing fivefold to 124 residents by 1900. Eventually, mining dried up and many of the farmers decided that they were better suited to work as cattle ranchers.

Name Change

Before there was an Eagle, there was a Castle and a McDonald. William Edwards, who farmed nearly one-quarter of a square mile of land near Bush Creek, called the town "Castle" when it was formed in 1887.

In 1891, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad named its station in Castle "Eagle," but that name wasn't officially adopted until 1896, nine years before the town was incorporated.

In the interim, Castle became McDonald when a local landowner, A.A. McDonald, intervened to pay the town's back taxes, renaming Castle for himself. That name change lasted less than a year before local residents insisted that Eagle be adopted.

County Seat

Eagle County was formed in 1883 and is one of 64 counties in the Rocky Mountain state. The town of Eagle didn't become the seat of government until 1921, following several failed attempts to wrest that honor from Red Cliff.

Beginning in 1895, residents sought to have the county seat moved to Eagle, but that attempt failed. In 1904 another vote was held and it also failed to muster enough support. Undaunted, a third vote was held in 1912 with the majority of the 186 voters approving the move.

Yet, it wasn't until 1920 following a Red Cliff appeal that a county-wide vote was held, with the vast majority of voters approving Eagle over Red Cliff, Minturn and Gypsum.

In 1921, following Colorado Supreme Court intervention, Eagle was recognized as the county seat and 12 years later the county commissioners approved the construction of a courthouse. That very same year electricity arrived in town.

Recent Years

The four decades following its recognition as county seat, growth in Eagle was slow, but there was one notable achievement accomplished in 1947 when the county's air field was opened just west of Eagle in Gypsum.

That airport helped fuel the "ski rush" which began in 1962 when construction of the Vail ski resort began. In 1973, Interstate 70 pushed through Eagle, providing yet another way for visitors to arrive in Eagle County to enjoy all that it has to offer.

Today, the Eagle County Airport provides shuttle service from Denver as both American Airlines and United Airlines help connect visitors arriving from all over the world.

By : Matthew_Keegan