A Brief History of Fountain
Fountain was founded in 1859 along Fountain Creek, in a valley that had served as wintering grounds for Ute people. Its early growth was interrupted by a catastrophic railroad accident in 1888: runaway rail equipment reached Fountain from Colorado Springs, and a collision set off explosives and a spreading fire. Residents rebuilt the damaged settlement, which incorporated as a town in 1903. The episode remembered as the “Big Blast” remains a defining event in the history of this El Paso County city.