Florence

History

Florence was built as a transportation center, with three railroads including a small railroad depot for the trains that hauled coal from the neighboring towns of Rockvale and Coal Creek. After a small oil discovery north of Canon City at Oil Spring, commercial quantity oil was discovered near Florence in 1862, Florence became the first significant oil center west of the Mississippi. The Florence, Colorado Territory, post office opened on May 8, 1873, and the Town of Florence was incorporated on September 13, 1887. After incorporation, the town grew rapidly. The Downtown Florence Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Geography

Florence is located in eastern Fremont County, on the south side of the Arkansas River. It is bordered to the west by the town of Williamsburg, and the town of Coal Creek is to the southwest. Colorado State Highway 115 runs northwest to Cañon City and northeast to Penrose, intersecting U.S. Route 50 in each direction. Colorado State Highway 67 leads north to US 50 and south to Wetmore. Pueblo is to the east via CO 115 and US 50. At the 2020 United States census, the town had a total area of including of water. Florence sits in the semi-arid high desert lands of southern Colorado.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,042
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  2,934
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,904
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  2,590
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,146
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,983
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,968
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,903