History of Colorado Manufacturing: 1860s–2025.
1860s–1890s: Foundations of Industry
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Gold Rush & Early Industry (1860s):
Manufacturing in Colorado began as a support system for the booming mining economy following the 1859 Pikes Peak Gold Rush.
Blacksmith shops, foundries, and machine shops were established in Denver, Central City, and Leadville to build and repair mining tools, ore crushers, and wagons.
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1872 – Colorado Coal and Iron Company Founded (Pueblo):
This company would later evolve into Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I).
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1873 - Adolph Coors and Jacob Schueler started the Golden Brewery.
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1880 - Adolph Coors buys out his partner to become the sole owner.
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1881 – First Steel Mill West of the Mississippi (Pueblo):
The Colorado Coal and Iron Company completed the construction of a massive steel mill in Pueblo, which later became part of CF&I. CF&I was the first integrated steel mill west of the Mississippi River, It produced rails for railroads, helping expand transportation and commerce throughout the Western U.S.
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1892 – CF&I Formed:
Merger of Colorado Coal and Iron Company and Colorado Fuel Company. CF&I became the largest private employer in Colorado and a vertically integrated industrial powerhouse.
1900–1930s: Industrialization & Labor Movement
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Early 1900s:
Manufacturing diversified into textiles, brickmaking, cement, brewing, and agricultural processing.
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1910 - CoorsTek Founded
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1914 – Ludlow Massacre:
A defining moment in U.S. labor history.
Workers at CF&I’s coal mines (owned by Rockefeller interests) went on strike for better conditions. The conflict escalated into violence, catalyzing national labor reform discussions.
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WWI Era:
Demand for steel, munitions, and machinery boomed. CF&I’s Pueblo mill expanded output for the war effort.
1940s–1950s: WWII & Postwar Expansion
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World War II:
Colorado manufacturers supported the Allied war effort with production of metals, ammunition, uniforms, and food rations.
New facilities opened to build aircraft components and military equipment.
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Postwar Boom:
Manufacturing expanded into electronics, chemicals, aerospace, and consumer goods. Denver became a key defense and logistics hub during the Cold War.