Back in the 1880’s when Glenwood Springs was settled, it was named Fort Defiance. The area was the epitome of the wild, wild, west with tent camps, saloons and brothels. Defiance was inhabited by prospectors and miners, gamblers, gun-toting cowboys, saloon and dance hall girls. It has been said the name change came about when the wife of one of the town founders was struggling to adjust to frontier life and lobbied her husband and others to change the name. Isaac Cooper changed the name to Glenwood Springs after her hometown of Glenwood, Iowa.
One of the main attractions to the area was the soothing waters of the hot springs. Developer and town founder, Isaac Cooper, had a vision for Glenwood Springs as a tourist destination, hoping to lure visitors to the medicinal properties of the hot springs. In fact, dentist, gambler and gunslinger Doc Holliday, famous for his participation in the gunfight at the OK Corral, came to Glenwood Springs in hopes of curing his tuberculosis. Today, Glenwood Springs boasts the world’s largest natural hot springs pool, with countless smaller mineral pools dotting the area.
Glenwood Springs is a great tourist destination as well as a beautiful place to live. Give us a call at (970) 300-2025 when you are ready to build your dream home in the Roaring Fork Valley