Profiting from the Peak: Landscape and Liberty in Colorado Springs

by John Harner

Colorado Springs, Colorado, has long profited from Pikes Peak and built an urban infrastructure to sustain that relationship. In Profiting from the Peak , geographer John Harner surveys the events and socioeconomic conditions that formed the city, analyzing the built landscape to offer insight into the origins of its urban forms and spatial layout, focusing particularly on historic downtown architecture and public spaces. He examines the cultural values that have come to define the city, showing how military and other institutions, tourism, political and economic conditions, cultural movements, key individual actors, and administrative policies have created a singular urban personality.



Capital accumulation has been a defining theme of Colorado Springs from its very beginning, with enormous profits generated from regional industrialization, railroads, land sales, water appropriation, and extraction of coal and gold. These conditions and its setting in the Rocky Mountain West formed a libertarian-oriented, limited governance philosophy.


This persistent prioritization of liberty at the heart of Colorado Springs’s identity, specifically the freedom to conduct business and generate profits in a relatively unconstrained setting, has directed the urban sprawl of the built landscape and molded the region’s political culture. Profiting from the Peak will be of interest to historical and urban geographers, historians of Colorado and the American West, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the cultural identity of Colorado Springs.
 

338 pages, Hardcover

Published July 1, 2021

Reviews

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! As a Colorado Springs native, I’ve often asked myself, why is it like this? This book is such a comprehensive look at the development history of the town. Anyone interested in politics, advocacy, and making a difference in the Springs must read this. 10/10 !

[Max D'onofrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great history of Colorado Springs. Loved how the book is organized. Just the right details for me without a lot of history of individual people. Would recommend.

[Gwen Weddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I participated in John Harner’s class at UCCS. I’m really glad as it enhanced the book so much. But, still the book is a fantastic account of the history of Colorado Springs and its relationship to Pike’s Peak. We moved here in 2018 after many years of reluctance on my part due to the city’s reputation for conservatism and fundamental religion. Like Dr. Harner concludes, the city is changing and embracing its past. We have been delighted to be able to live here in one of the most beautiful cities in the US and take advantage of the landscape by hiking and biking. There is also so much to do and so many ways to be involved in this community. That was an unexpected benefit.

[Kaile Vierstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of listening to John speak at Neighborhood University orientation here in Colorado Springs. You can't know where you going unless you know where you've been. His understanding of COS is fascinating (albeit somewhat dense, hence the 4 stars).

I really appreciated his pointing out the strong libertarian history/attitude of the city - it's one of those things that, once pointed out, you continue to notice the effects daily.

[Jack Leddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! I read this in a class about the Pike's Peak region and there's no doubt that John Harner is one of the foremost and leading experts in the field as it pertains to Colorado Springs. It is a must-read if you want to know as much as you can about Colorado Springs, its geography, and its history.

[Edd · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half of the book is outstanding; well researched. I appreciate History books with illustrations as they can be helpful to explain context. The casual history buff will certainly value this half.
Second half of the book is garbage; digresses into a redundant diatribe about taxes and Christians. I got the sense the extraneous rambling was akin to nitrogen; just filler.

[Lisa November · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting history of the Tava Mountain area. The author is very data driven and also writes a good narrative to go with it.

[SandersonLover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summary about Colorado Springs and how it grew because of the mountain.

[Lauren Barrett]

DNF.

[Jim O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is a little bit dry and full of facts and figures and maps… It is also full of facts and figures and maps, making it an extremely valuable and well researched book. The author really “gets“ Colorado Springs. I should know, I am from the area. This book traces the history of Colorado Springs development and its influence on the region. It does so by honing in on some of the key peculiarities of Colorado Springs. Water, military, God, and extreme libertarianism. And Colorado Springs is a city that really shouldn’t exist and it is a city walking on thin ice. It makes no logical sense for Colorado Springs to be and thus, it is extremely fragile. The author does an excellent job, showing why this is and how it came to be.