When traveling to the lovely city of Colorado Springs, Colorado, it is almost impossible to miss seeing the spectacular Garden of the Gods city park. This is a large city park (over 1,300 acres!) situated near the base of the towering Pikes Peak.
Pikes Peak is an impressive mountain with an elevation of 14,100 feet. One's eye is naturally drawn to that "purple mountain majesty" which inspired the song America The Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates.
This city park is stunningly beautiful. It consists of striking red sandstone formations that were seemingly thrust up from the earth in distinctive and unusual patterns in comparison to the topography of the surrounding area.
C.E. Perkins became the president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1881. He remained president until his retirement in 1901. Perkins had amassed great wealth over the course of years. He had originally purchased a portion of land in Colorado Springs consisting of what is now known as Garden of the Gods for the possible location of a summer home.
He came to appreciate the land for its natural beauty and decided to leave it in its natural state instead of building anything man-made upon it. He had already opened it up to the public for the enjoyment of this space and acquired even more of the adjacent land.
Perkins' children knew his intent, and after his death, they generously donated the land (consisting of 480 acres) to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909 with the stipulation that it would always remain open and free of charge to the public. Additional surrounding lands were subsequently added, making Garden of the Gods the city park that is now enjoyed daily by countless residents of and tourists to this fine city.
Wander Wisdom
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