COME TO LIFE Industrial & Cultural Change Colorado’s industrial history is one of determination, innovation and community. From steel mills and railroads to acts of civil courage, the people who worked in the state’s early industries laid the groundwork for modern progress — often under challenging conditions. According to Wei, “[These historical sites] provide tangible connections to the past that can educate current and future generations about what it took to develop the Centennial State.” In Pueblo, the Steelworks Center of the West sheds light on the forces that shaped Colorado’s industrial past. “Visitors to the Steelworks Center of the West can learn about America’s industrialization, particularly the coal and steel industry in the American West, and the labor movements it engendered in response to inequitable labor practices, unsafe working conditions and low wages in the mines and factories,” Wei said. At Amache National Historic Site in Granada, you’ll encounter one of the most powerful reminders of the importance of civil rights. During World War II, over 7,000 Japanese Americans — most of them U.S. citizens — were forcibly incarcerated here (and more than 120,000 were incarcerated across the country). “Learning about Amache is knowing about the most blatant mass violation of civil liberties in American history,” Wei said. “It’s an essential civics lesson.” As you walk past reconstructed barracks and stand before the site’s quiet cemetery, you’re invited to reflect on this moment in history. In the 1880s, as Colorado’s mining economy boomed, railroads became vital lifelines connecting remote mountain towns to the cities. One of the most iconic lines from that era still runs today: the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad . Originally built to haul ore from the San Juan Mountains, the line now carries sightseers through breathtaking canyons and alpine forests. The route is a testament to ingenuity and perseverance. “It gives you an appreciation of the immigrant laborers who constructed the railroad in rugged terrain,” Wei said, “and the indispensable role that railroads played in the growth of mining and industry in Colorado.” Traveling between these unique places — whether it’s an eerie ghost town or an educational museum tour — offers a broader view of how different experiences and eras intersect across the state. That’s because Colorado’s history is not a single story, it’s many. It lives in Indigenous voices, fossil layers, steam locomotives and gold-dust tunnels. It tells of struggle, innovation and a state constantly redefining itself. At 150 years, these stories aren’t finished — they’re still unfolding. “History continues through how we remember, how we teach and how we travel,” Wei said. “If we want a more just and inclusive future, we have to engage with the full story of Colorado, not just the easy parts.” Colorado celebrates 150 years of statehood in 2026 alongside America’s 250th birthday. Find upcoming events, exhibits and ways to experience it all at Colorado.com/am250-co150. 126 1-800-COLORADO JASON LEWANDOWSKI
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