World War II was a great watershed in Colorado history. How did the mobilization for war end the Great Depression during the late 1930s and 1940s? And how did the massive spending for the Cold War and other developments continued to boost Colorado’s growth through the end of the 20th century? Was federal spending the state’s great growth engine in the postwar years?

The Japanese would attach Pearl Harbor on December 7^th 1941, pulling America into the bloodiest war in history.  The event would have a profound effect on the Nation and on the state of Colorado.  The Great Depression was about to come to a quick and abrupt end as the mobilization for the war, especially in Colorado, eliminated hardships domestically and boosted the economy.  As WW II raged on Colorado thrived due to federal spending on defense.  As the Atomic Bomb ended the war many feared that Colorado would return to the Great Depression ways.  As Coloradans saved their money and soldiers returned home, the postwar boom took root in Colorado.  Federal Spending continued as the Cold War developed between the United States and the Soviet Union.  Colorado would grow by leaps and bounds through the end of the twentieth century.

Massive federal spending during WW II helped bring Colorado out of the economic depression that had a strong grip on the state.  The Remington Arms Plant on the west side of Denver was constructed as 265 buildings were erected between February and October of 1941.  The facility would produce over 14 million rounds of small-arms ammunition in one month.  At Stapleton airport mechanics fitted bomber with the latest technology.  Thousands would be employed at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal making poison gas and bombs to help with the war efforts.  Gates Rubber was busy producing fan belts and rubber products for the war.  As Denver benefited from federal spending so would other regions of the state.

Colorado Springs and Pueblo would benefit greatly from the federal spending during the war as they lobbied for government contracts. Camp Carson would be established and became the most significant Army training site in the state, as 11,000 workers were hired to complete the construction in less than a year.  The camp housed 40,000 soldiers at any given time during the war.  Pueblo saw a massive depot constructed to store ammunition, supplies and contained 1.3 billion tons of explosives by 1947.  The Pueblo Army Air Base trained more than 4,000 airmen, including crews from China.  Most training facilities were located on the eastern slope due to the ease of transportation with the exception of Camp Hale.

Camp Hale was located north of Leadville in a high valley basin that was cold and snowy.  The camp trained soldiers for mountain warfare and was very short-lived opening in mid-1942 and closing in the fall of 1944.  The Government spent $33 million to construct the 10^th Mountain Division, which preformed duties in Italy.  The camp proved to be a great success for Colorado, as it would also attract servicemen back to the state at the end of the war.  As soldiers trained in Colorado, civilians from all walks of life would step up and join the war efforts.

As the war continued to rage on the economy in Colorado thrived as almost everyone that wanted a job could have one due to the shortage of male workers.  Women were very important to fill the labor shortage and took on traditionally male dominated positions.  African-Americans and Hispanics also found work in more skilled positions.  The pay rate for women, African-Americans and Hispanics would increase during WW II and for the first time-integrated workers with different backgrounds together in one working space.  African-American business thrived and in the five-points area and the population more than doubled during the 1940s.  As the citizens of Colorado worked together during the war to create a sense of pride that was about to change with the US dropped the first atomic bombs on Japan.

The Atomic bomb brought World War II to a close and opened up a new chapter in American History.  Many believed that the economic depression of the 1930s would return. Shortly after the completion of the war American saw a new war start with the Soviet Union.  The Cold War would inject Colorado with massive amounts of federal money and spurred the economic growth by great measures.  What would result would be massive population growth in all regions of Colorado as our society as we know it today would emerge.

Coloradans would save almost a billion dollars during the war a massive amount of money considering that the average wage was only $1 per hour.  With the money, may citizens would purchase new cars, bought new houses, pursued a higher education degree and many started families. Junior colleges and four year Universities saw attendance figures jump by more than six fold in some instances as soldiers took advantage of the GI Bill. As servicemen returned home, many choose to settle in Colorado thanks to the training provided at Camp Hale.  The population in Colorado would grow by more than 425,000 during the 1950s thanks to the defense industry.

The Cold War generated new streams of revenue and jobs for the state of Colorado.  It is estimated that 20 percent of people employed in Colorado worked in the defense industry during the 1950s.  Camp Carson would remain as an Army training site employing more than 23,000 soldiers, with a payroll of $37 million.  The Air Force Academy would be established in Colorado Spring in 1958 on 17,500 acres.  Cheyenne Mountain was constructed to house the U.S. Air Defense Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command in cooperation with Canada.  The Remington Arms plant was converted into the Federal Center the largest government site outside of Washington D.C.  Defense plants such as Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Rocky Flats produced chemical weapons, plutonium triggers and pumped millions of dollars into the rapidly growing economy.  The Western part of Colorado would also enjoy great economic success during the Cold War.

Western Colorado enjoyed a significant amount of growth after the War as highway access improved and mountain towns cashed in on the ski boom.  With the completion of the Eisenhower tunnel in March of 1973 access to ski resorts was now much easier as Vail became the third-ranking spot for tourists to spend their money by 1980.  The Cold War spurred the federal government to develop a domestic supply of uranium for bomb production and as a result the four corners region saw a new mining boom that boosted the economy.  Durango and Grand Junction benefited from uranium mining facilities that employed geologists, engineers, and production workers at higher than average salaries. 

Federal Spending pumped a lot of money into Colorado’s economy during World War II and into the Cold War era.  The attraction of the Mountains and natural resources was definitely a lure for many government contracts and new industry.  Facilities like the Remington Arms Plant which is now the Federal Center, Camp Carson, Air Force Academy and Cheyenne Mountain are just a few examples of the engine the fuel the present day economy in Colorado.  Facilities like Rocky Flats and Rocky Mountain Arsenal provided large streams of revenue into out economy and while the fallout may not have been ideal, they did help out society grow by leaps and bounds and served as anchor facilities for new manufacturing.  Without the federal spending, Colorado would not be the state that we know today.