An Early History of Colorado City, AZ

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History of Colorado City

Colorado City is a town within Mohave County, Arizona. Situated in a region referred to as the Arizona Strip, it was founded in 1913 by members of a breakaway group of the Salt Lake City-based The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints called the Council of Friends. Known as the Short Creek Community, polygamy was a common practice for the residents in the area. However, on July 26, 1953, troops sent by Arizona Governor John Howard Pyle arrived at the settlement to stop the practice. The Short Creek raid led to a two-year legal battle that became a public relations disaster for Pyle and the town.

As the community separated into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and the Apostolic United Brethren after Joseph W. Musser died, the FLDS remained in the area and changed its name to Colorado City to eliminate ties to the raid. Most of the properties in the town were owned by the United Effort Plan, which was a real estate trust of the FLDS. It wasn't until 2007 when state authorities took the initiative to dismantle church ownership of Colorado City lands. The year prior, local FLDS fundamentalist leader, Warren Jeffs, was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list and arrested for child sexual assault.

As of the 2010 census, Colorado City has a population of 4,821 people and a total area of 10.5 square miles. You can also Get To Know Fredonia, Arizona.

Cottonwood Park

Cottonwood Park is a recreational park for children in Colorado City. Located on Colvin Street, off of Academy Avenue, it features two playgrounds for children ages 2 to 5 and ages 5 to 12. The former playground includes spinners, the ZipKrooz, and a PlayBoaster play structure with slides, net climbers and GeoPlex climbing panels. The latter playground consists of a We-Saw, Oodle Swing, and a 7-post Netplex play structure. There is also a play area for toddlers and preschoolers that offers a Weevos play system with challenges like climbers, activity panels and tunnels.

El Capitan

El Capitan is a public school in Colorado City. Part of the Colorado City Unified School District, it serves the students in Colorado City, Cane Beds, Centennial Park, and Hildale, Utah. It is one of the only two schools in the district and offers classes from grades 6th through 12th. During the 2012-13 school year, the high school had a total enrollment of 150 students. However, none of them were FLDS Church members because Warren Jeffs had ordered the church members to pull their children out of public school back in 2000. Today, it has a population of  248 students. Based on state test scores, 42% of the students in the school were at least proficient in reading and 52% were in math. El Captain has an overall Niche grade of a C plus and a GreatSchools rating of 6 out of 10.

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Are you a victim of sexual abuse? Contact our Colorado City sexual abuse lawyers and let us help you get the justice you deserve. You are not alone in this fight. Call our office today for a free case review.