Pueblo, << PWEHB loh >> (pop. 111,876; met. area pop. 168,162), is one of the largest cities in Colorado. It serves as the cultural, educational, and industrial center for the southeastern part of the state. Pueblo lies at the junction of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek.
Pueblo’s industries include the manufacture of air conditioners, airliner brake pads, bricks and tiles, and steel. EVRAZ Pueblo steel mill (formerly CF&I Steel Corporation) is the city’s oldest employer. The steel plant began operations in 1881. Pueblo is the home of Colorado State University-Pueblo and the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center. Since 1872, the city has hosted the Colorado State Fair in late summer.
Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute peoples lived in eastern Colorado when Europeans first came to the area. In 1840, trappers built Fort Pueblo on the site of what is now Pueblo. The Ute killed the fort’s inhabitants in 1854. Gold prospectors settled on the site in 1858 and named their community Fountain City. It was incorporated as the city of Pueblo in 1860.
In the 1970’s, Pueblo began a downtown modernization program. The Pueblo Mall opened in 1976. The Pueblo Convention Center opened in 1997. It includes meeting and exhibit space, and a large ballroom. An eight-story hotel, at the convention center, opened in 1998. Pueblo has a council-manager government. It is the county seat of Pueblo County.
