President Theodore Roosevelt gave the state its enduring legacy, when on his way through the state composed a small ode to it: “Passing through your wonderful mountains and canyons I realize that this state is going to be more and more the playground for the whole republic… You will see this the real Switzerland of America.” Before it was a ski destination, it was a gold rush one — the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush almost overnight turned the region from backwater to boomtown. By the late 1800s Colorado had met all the requirements for statehood.

On this day, August 1, in 1876, just 28 days after the U.S. celebrated its 100th birthday, Colorado, the “Centennial State” became the 38th to join it.

After the “59ers” came looking for gold, other mines sprouted up for the extraction of coal and other valuable resources. Before the advent of any sorts of safety regulations, mining was an extremely hazardous activity. Colorado had one of the highest death rates in the nation, and miner strikes for better conditions were not at all uncommon.