Lake George, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Lake George is an unincorporated town
and a U.S. Post Office
in Park County
, Colorado
, United States
. The Lake George Post Office has the ZIP Code
80827. It lies along U.S. Route 24
northwest of Colorado Springs
, and several miles north of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
.
, the town of Lake George was established in 1891 as a railroad stop for the Colorado Midland Railway
(CM) which had been completed in 1887. The town and nearby lake—to its west and fed by the South Platte River
--The man made lake was built by George Frost for the purpose of supplying ice to the railroad. The lake, originally called George's Lake was later changed to Lake George when the post office opened. The lake itself freezes mostly solid in the wintertime, which made it ideal for railroad men to cut large blocks of ice from it in order to keep perishables cool. A privately-owned ice company here supplied the needs of much of the Pikes Peak region. Ice cut during the winter was shipped on the CM to both Colorado Springs and the Cripple Creek, Colorado
district. Also related to the town's railroading history, a short walk into the surrounding hills reveals Chinese bread ovens, from the period their labor was imported. At the turn of the century the community's population was 30. After 1900 some farmers and ranchers nearby began raising high-altitude potatoes on a limited scale. This furnished the CM with some additional traffic. However, the CM closed in August 1918. Other railways then provided service to certain shippers along the otherwise idle CM railway. Up to that time this had been the shortest rail route through the mountains. Keeping the track open during winter proved expensive, and when the mining of ore dwindled, the tracks were torn up. U.S. Route 24
follows the abandoned grade of the CM railway. By 1941 the community had grown to 100 persons and was the center of an extensive potato growing area. The community's population in 1965 was 100.
The just under-140000 acres (566.6 km²) Hayman Fire
, the largest fire in Colorado's recorded history, was started near Lake George on June 8, 2002.
A tornado caused minor damage in the Lake George area on Aug. 18, 2009.
Nearby is Camp Alexander, the Scout
camp for Pikes Peak Council
, as well as the Elevenmile Reservoir.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
and a U.S. Post Office
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
in Park County
Park County, Colorado
Park County is the 17th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named after the large geographic region known as South Park, which was named by early fur traders and trappers in the area. The geographic center of the State of Colorado is...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Lake George Post Office has the ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
80827. It lies along U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24 is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It originally ran from Pontiac, Michigan, in the east to Kansas City, Missouri, in the west. Today, the highway's eastern terminus is west of Clarkston, Michigan, at an intersection with I-75 and its western terminus is near...
northwest of Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, and several miles north of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a United States National Monument in Teller County, Colorado, that is noted for its fossils. It is located in a mountain valley just west of Pikes Peak and holds spectacular remnants of prehistoric life...
.
History
About 42.3 miles (68.1 km) northwest of Colorado Springs and 7.3 miles (11.7 km) northwest of FlorissantFlorissant, Colorado
Florissant is a census-designated place and a U.S. Post Office in Teller County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 104.Florissant, Colorado, was named after Florissant, Missouri, the hometown of the founding family...
, the town of Lake George was established in 1891 as a railroad stop for the Colorado Midland Railway
Colorado Midland Railway
The Colorado Midland Railway , incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. It ran from Colorado Springs to Leadville and through the divide at Hagerman Pass to Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction....
(CM) which had been completed in 1887. The town and nearby lake—to its west and fed by the South Platte River
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West, located in the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska...
--The man made lake was built by George Frost for the purpose of supplying ice to the railroad. The lake, originally called George's Lake was later changed to Lake George when the post office opened. The lake itself freezes mostly solid in the wintertime, which made it ideal for railroad men to cut large blocks of ice from it in order to keep perishables cool. A privately-owned ice company here supplied the needs of much of the Pikes Peak region. Ice cut during the winter was shipped on the CM to both Colorado Springs and the Cripple Creek, Colorado
Cripple Creek, Colorado
The City of Cripple Creek is a Statutory City that is the county seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States. Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located southwest of Colorado Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. The Cripple Creek Historic District, which received National Historic...
district. Also related to the town's railroading history, a short walk into the surrounding hills reveals Chinese bread ovens, from the period their labor was imported. At the turn of the century the community's population was 30. After 1900 some farmers and ranchers nearby began raising high-altitude potatoes on a limited scale. This furnished the CM with some additional traffic. However, the CM closed in August 1918. Other railways then provided service to certain shippers along the otherwise idle CM railway. Up to that time this had been the shortest rail route through the mountains. Keeping the track open during winter proved expensive, and when the mining of ore dwindled, the tracks were torn up. U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24 is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It originally ran from Pontiac, Michigan, in the east to Kansas City, Missouri, in the west. Today, the highway's eastern terminus is west of Clarkston, Michigan, at an intersection with I-75 and its western terminus is near...
follows the abandoned grade of the CM railway. By 1941 the community had grown to 100 persons and was the center of an extensive potato growing area. The community's population in 1965 was 100.
The just under-140000 acres (566.6 km²) Hayman Fire
Hayman fire
The Hayman Fire was a forest fire that started southwest of Denver, Colorado and northwest of Colorado Springs on June 8, 2002, and became the largest fire in the state's recorded history. Hundreds of forestry officials and firefighters fought the fast-moving inferno, which caused nearly $40...
, the largest fire in Colorado's recorded history, was started near Lake George on June 8, 2002.
A tornado caused minor damage in the Lake George area on Aug. 18, 2009.
Geography
Lake George is located at 38°58′49"N 105°21′28"W (38.980229,-105.357685).Nearby is Camp Alexander, the Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
camp for Pikes Peak Council
Scouting in Colorado
Scouting in Colorado has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the rugged, mountainous environment in which they live.-Early history :Scouting got a brisk start in Colorado...
, as well as the Elevenmile Reservoir.