Industry & Growth
Civic Expansion and Public Utilities
In 1902, the city and Denver County were made coextensive. After Robert W. Speer was elected mayor in 1904, projects were begun that added or improved major public places, including the City Auditorium, the Civic Center, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
City leaders also worked to bring a major political gathering to Denver. After assuring officials in Washington, D.C., that Denver was no longer a frontier town, they secured the 1908 Democratic National Convention, the first major party convention held in a western state.
Citizens had complained about high rates charged by the private Denver Union Water Company, and debates over a purchase continued for years. In November 1918, Denver voters approved a bond measure to buy the company’s assets for nearly $14 million, forming Denver Water.
Livestock, Skills, and Regional Trade
Cattle pens appeared around existing railroad depots as farmers shipped animals to the meat-packing industry in Kansas City and Chicago. Local ranchers wanted to focus on raising cattle rather than managing shipments east, and in 1906 the first National Western Stock Show was held. It quickly became a prominent livestock show in the region.
In 1914, Denver schoolteacher Emily Griffith opened the Opportunity School. It offered language and vocational instruction in both day and night classes, giving nontraditional learners a place for self-improvement.
World War I Demand and Postwar Strain
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Denver contributed through donations, youth agricultural and garden clubs, and expanded mining and agricultural work. As wartime demand pushed up prices, farmers planted more crops, while mining companies opened new mines for molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten.
After the war, demand fell and prices dropped. A short recession came in 1918, followed by a more severe one between 1920 and 1921. Mining was hurt by lower prices and foreign competition. Coal mining in Colorado was especially affected as other fuels were adopted and labor strikes reduced production. In 1928, Denver received a major natural gas pipeline from Texas, and as households and businesses shifted to gas, demand for coal declined further.
Agriculture, Depression, and Public Work
From 1905 to 1929, Colorado experienced its longest recorded wet period. Favorable weather and wartime demand encouraged farmers to overplant during World War I, but falling prices after the war caused major losses. Some farmers sold their land, while other land was rented out or abandoned. Dryland farming was common on the prairies, and many farmers removed native grasses that had helped control erosion.
The national economy crashed in 1929, and dry weather began in 1930, opening the period later called the Dust Bowl. Agriculture was devastated, and the Great Depression closed industries and mines, leaving workers unemployed. Many people came to Denver looking for work. In 1933, it was estimated that one in four Denverites was out of work.
New Deal programs brought funds and jobs to Denver and Colorado. The Historic American Buildings Survey hired architects and photographers to document historic buildings. The Civilian Conservation Corps built trails and campgrounds in Denver’s Mountain Parks. The Works Progress Administration built roads, repaired schools, and funded artists to decorate government buildings.
Rail and Air Connections
In the mid-1920s, Denver financed the Moffat Tunnel through the Rocky Mountains. When it opened in 1928, it shortened the distance between Denver and the Pacific coast by 176 miles. The direct western link helped Denver compete with Cheyenne and Pueblo for rail business, and the city became a major railway hub.
Rail travel also changed in the 1930s. In 1934, the Burlington Railroad introduced the Zephyr, a diesel-powered train that traveled from Denver to Chicago in 13 hours and 5 minutes. Air travel advanced in the same period. Denver Municipal Airport opened in 1929 northeast of the city with four gravel runways, one hangar, and a terminal. It was first used mainly by mail service and private pilots. As pressurized planes became common, the mountains were less of an obstacle, and major airlines were attracted to the airport.
World War II Jobs and Federal Activity
Lowry Air Force Base opened in 1938, and the Denver Ordnance Plant opened in 1941. These facilities brought jobs and attracted more people to the city. Denver had started the decade with just under 288,000 people and had more than 322,000 by 1940.
Until World War II, Denver’s economy depended mainly on processing and shipping minerals and ranch products, especially beef and lamb. During the war, city leaders continued efforts to bring businesses to Denver. Its location away from either coast was used as a selling point because an attack was considered highly unlikely. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Buckley Air Force Base, and the Denver Ordnance Plant all opened during the war. In 1941, more than 6,500 federal employees lived and worked in Denver, and more than four million soldiers came through the city during the war for training or recuperation.