12 Surprising Things You Didn't Know Came From Colorado
×
Annie
Author
What do wheel clamps, hard candy, and the most epic fast food restaurant EVER have in common? They were all founded/invented in Colorado, of course! Here are 12 things you probably see/do every day that come from Colorado (except for #12.. I hope you don’t have a lot of that…)
(In best Adele voice) Now rumor has it the first Teddy Bear was invented at the Hotel Colorado by maids who put scraps together to give to visiting president Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. *deep breath*
I've never found one on my car so I guess it's a pretty cool invention? The infamous wheel clamp (or "Denver Boot") was invented in 1944 by concert violinist Frank Marugg as a favor to his friends in law enforcement and politics.
Advertisement
Invented by Frank J. Wisner in 1893, the root beer float remains a favorite treat to old and new generations alike! Fun Fact: The root beer float was originally called a "Black Cow."
A favorite candy to many, the Jolly Rancher was invented in 1949 by Golden resident Bill Harmsen.
Many have claimed to have invented the cheeseburger, but we KNOW that it was invented by Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver.
You're welcome, world (the first restaurant opened in Denver in 1993).
Colorado is home to several well known beers (like Coors) and lesser known, equally epic microbrews.
Advertisement
Let's say you've had a few too many Coors and drop your new phone.. Fort Collins based Otterbox to the rescue!
They're festive. They're kitschy. They were (allegedly) invented by early 20th century merchants along the 16th Street Mall.
I feel the need to apologize for this one... I can assure you that the City of Boulder has invented better things than Crocs!
Dr. Earle Haas (who also invented the diaphragm) invented Tampax tampons here in Colorado... and that's all I'm going to say about that.
If youth do the crime, they can do the time at a juvenile detention center (which was reportedly founded in Colorado.)
Which of these Colorado items do you use most often? Which invention surprised you most? Tell me all about it in the comments!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.