Falcon, Colorado

Infobox Settlement
official_name=Falcon
subdivision_type=Country
subdivision_name=United States
subdivision_type1=State
subdivision_name1=Colorado
subdivision_type2=County
subdivision_name2=El Paso
elevation_footnotes= [cite web |url=Gnis3|193381 |title=USGS detail on Falcon |accessdate=2007-09-27 ]
elevation_ft=6831
population_as_of=
population_footnotes=
population_total=
timezone=Mountain Standard Time
utc_offset=-6
timezone_DST=Mountain Daylight Time
utc_offset_DST=-5
postal_code_type=ZIP code
postal_code=80831
area_code=719
footnotes=
website=

Falcon, Colorado is an unincorporated exurb 14 miles northeast of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. A railroad hub in the early 20th century, the town spent several decades as a quiet ranching community until it experienced rapid residential growth throughout the 1990s.

History

In 1881, the area now known as Falcon was crossed by the railroads: first the Denver and New Orleans on a rail bed parallel to today's Eastonville Road, then the Chicago and Rock Island on a rail bed parallel to today's U.S. Route 24. The lines' intersection remains an important center of the Falcon area today.cite news |first=Warren |last=Epstein |title=New winds of change alter Falcon |date=1998-04-06 |accessdate=2007-09-30 |page=Our Town 1 ]

On September 20, 1888, the first announcement of "Falcon, Colorado" was advertised in the "Colorado Springs Gazette". The Falcon Land and Town Company, associated with the Chicago Rock Island Railroad, were selling lots to individuals. By 1896, there two hotels, a newspaper, six saloons, a pool hall, stockyards, two train depots, two general stores, a blacksmith shop and a school.cite news |first=Dru |last=Wilson |title=Go East, young man, go East |date=1996-02-11 |work=The Gazette |accessdate=2007-09-30 |page=City/State 1]

The introduction of the automobile brought a decline in passenger rail traffic to Falcon. A 1935 flood washed out the Colorado & Southern tracks, which weren't rebuilt, and the Rock Island railroad junction closed. By 1975, only a small number of homes and the school remained at the Falcon intersection.

In 1984, a business complex including a convenience store and gas station was built at the intersection of Meridian Road and U.S. 24; the intersection gained a traffic light in 1996. In the early 1990s, Falcon began to undergo residential development at a rapid pace [cite news |first=Jane |last=Reuter |title=Falcon takes wing |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/falcon_9318___article.html/green_thought.html |work=The Gazette |date=2007-03-28 |accessdate=2007-09-28 |quote=When the market turned around in the entire region, the market at Falcon Hills turned around with it. It was ultimately a success story. ] , regaining a community post office in March 1991. [cite news |author=Associated Press |title=Spirits fly as town of Falcon gets its own post office |work=The Gazette |date=1991-04-02 |accessdate=2007-09-28 |quote=For nearly 50 years, Falcon residents have driven through snow, rain and the gloom of endless dirt roads to pick up parcels at the Peyton Post Office. Now, that 10-mile trek is history. The small town east of Colorado Springs received a community post office in March. . . .] The area's population nearly doubled between 1990 and 2000.cite news |first=Brian |last=Newsome |title=Falcon’s growing discontent |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/developers_7277___article.html/schools_school.html |work=The Gazette |date=2007-03-28 |accessdate=2007-09-28 |quote= ]

With the rapid growth, suburban amenities began appearing in Falcon. Safeway opened a grocery store in Falcon in 2000. [cite news |title=Safeway Plans Supermarket in Falcon, Colo. |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/premium/0286/0286-5734051.html |work=Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News |date=2000-02-21 |accessdate=2007-09-29 ] The county approved a new Wal-Mart store in 2005 with minimal opposition [cite news |first=Rich |last=Laden |title=County approves Wal-Mart in Falcon |url=http://www2.gazette.com/display.php?id=1313181&secid=4 |work=The Gazette |date=2005-12-23 |accessdate=2007-09-28 ] . As that new retail presence was preparing to open, residents voted in May 2007 on whether to incorporate as a town. The proposal was defeated, with 78% of the vote against incorporation. [cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Wilson |title=Falcon says no to incorporation |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/incorporation_23010___article.html/falcon_town.html |work=The Gazette |date=2007-05-31 |accessdate=2007-09-28 ] The next major retail chain to set up shop in Falcon was Lowe's, which procured a desirable location through a land swap with the Falcon Fire Protection District and providing funding for the construction of a new firehouse on Woodmen Road. [cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Wilson |title=Falcon fire district swaps old headquarters for new |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/fire_25583___article.html/district_lowe.html |work=The Gazette |date=2007-08-02 |accessdate=2007-09-28 ]

Geography

Falcon neighborhoods include Meridian Ranch, Woodmen Hills, Falcon Hills, Paint Brush Hills and Falcon Heights.

Arts and culture

The Black Squirrel Creek Bridge, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located between Falcon and Peyton, Colorado.

In 2004, the Antler Creek Golf Course opened as the longest golf course in Colorado and the second-longest in the nation. [cite news |first=Tom |last=Kensler |title=Go the distance at Antler Creek |work=Denver Post |date=2004-05-20 |accessdate=2007-09-29 |page=D-01 |quote=Demand for distance clubs figures to be high at Antler Creek, which will play 8,100 yards from the back tees, making it the first golf course in Colorado to stretch more than 8,000 yards and the second-longest in the nation, according to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. ]

Education

Students are served by Falcon School District 49. The district currently has two high schools, Falcon High School and Sand Creek High School. The area's rapid growth has caused the district to grow by 1100 new students annually over the past few years. They are observed to be extremely attractive.

References

External links

* [http://www.hbaa.com/Falcon-Peyton-MP/ Falcon/Peyton Small Area Master Plan]
* [http://www.falconfirepd.org/ Falcon Fire Protection District]
* [http://www.newfalconherald.com/ The New Falcon Herald] newspaper
* [http://www.falconco.org/ Falcon Incorporation Committee]
* [http://www.falconroundtable.org/ Falcon Area Issues Roundtable]