Cañon City in Fremont County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Health, Wellness ~ Entertainment
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2025
1. Health, Wellness ~ Entertainment Marker
This region was originally the domain of the Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne peoples who were attracted by the abundance of water (including mineral and hot springs), temperate climate, and plentiful wildlife.
Local Food and Drink
In March 1890 an article in the Rocky Mountain News called the city “The Eden of America.” Much of this can be attributed to the fruit orchards that were spreading throughout the region.
Rest and Recovery
Cañon City was a respiratory health center, with many people arriving to battle consumption and dust pneumonia. The city boasted five hospitals at one time.
In the early 1890s, hundreds of local residents spent time in the hot waters of the Royal Gorge Hot Springs Hotel. The hotel was never a financial success until the boom days of mining in Leadville, Cripple Creek and Rosita.
“No doubt, in a few years, Cañon City will largely be known as a resort for invalids, for the winter climate is a very pleasant one, much milder and warmer than that of Colorado Springs, and therefore, better for many consumptives.”
—Helen Hunt Jackson, famous Colorado Springs writer
Between 1911 and 1914, more than 40 Western silent movies were filmed in the area. Many starred cowboy actor Tom Mix. In the late 1950s and 1960s, Hollywood
this page online
[other photo captions]
• Business Card for the Royal Gorge Hot Springs Hotel, ca. 1898
• Royal Gorge Brewery
• Tasting Room — Holy Cross Abbey Winery
• Holy Cross Abbey Winery
• Hot Springs Hotel, ca. 1901
• Overlook at Royal Gorge with site seekers and man in rock crevice, ca 1930s
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Entertainment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Science & Medicine.
Location. 38° 26.242′ N, 105° 14.51′ W. Marker is in Cañon City, Colorado, in Fremont County. It is on South 3rd Street 0.1 miles south of Royal Gorge Boulevard (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling south. The marker is located at the east end of the Royal Gorge Railroad parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 403 Water Street, Canon City CO 81212, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley and in Pikes Peak Region. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Comanchería and also the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cañon City (here, next to this marker); W. C. Catlin (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Filmed in Cañon (about 800 feet away); Bustling Center for Trade, Transportation, and Tourism (about 800
Courtesy Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center, circa 1914
2. Marker detail: Skyline Motorcycle Club at the Royal Gorge, ca. 1914
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Cañon City, Colorado (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Cañon City was laid out on January 17, 1858, during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, but then the land was left idle. The Cañon City, Colorado, post office opened on December 13, 1860. Cañon City straddles the easterly flowing Arkansas River and is a popular tourist destination for sightseeing, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing. The city is known for its many public parks, fossil discoveries, Skyline Drive, The Royal Gorge railroad, the Royal Gorge, and extensive natural hiking paths. In 1994, the United States Board on Geographic Names approved adding the tilde to the official name of Cañon City, a change from Canon City as the official name(Submitted on August 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)in its decisions of 1906 and 1975. It is one of the few U.S. cities to have the Spanish Ñ in its name, others being La Cañada Flintridge, California; Española, New Mexico; Peñasco, New Mexico; and Peñitas, Texas.Courtesy Eve Nagode3. Marker detail: Royal Gorge Bridge
2. Pre-Hollywood Era Silent Western Movie Films (ColoradoInfo.com).
Excerpt: Tom Mix was a budding star when he appeared in the first of many silent Western movies filmed in the Cañon City area. After winning national riding and roping contests at Prescott, Arizona, in 1909 and Cañon City in 1910, Mix appeared in various rodeos and Wild West shows, then joined the Selig Polyscope Company of Chicago and returned to Cañon City in 1911 to make films.(Submitted on August 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Library of Congress
4. Marker detail: The Moving Picture Cowboy, 1914
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2025
5. Health, Wellness ~ Entertainment Marker
Looking east from the Royal Gorge Railroad parking lot. This marker is the leftmost of three panels in the interpretive kiosk. The station is in the background, behind the panels.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 103 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
