Tahama Spring

Named by the city's founder, General William Jackson Palmer, the spring honors Tamaha, who is mentioned by explorer Zebulon Montgomery Pike in two journal entries in 1805.

When the local Parks Board commissioned a pavilion in 1926 to commemorate these early pioneers, the name “Tahama Spring” was selected and inscribed on decorative limestone-carved cartouches above each entrance.

The local newspaper detailed how mineral water was piped to the D&RG depot in 1871, but those improvements were lost in periodic flooding along the shifting creek basin.

During excavations in 1880 to accommodate a new railroad bridge for the D&RG, Monument Creek was reconfigured in an area just north of downtown Colorado Springs.

Within the newly carved creek banks, numerous chalybeate mineral springs slowly reemerged and were discovered by Dr. Charles Gatchell.

[2] Intending to memorialize the community's original spring and to beautify the surrounding grounds, Palmer envisioned Monument Valley Park, a world-class public green similar to those he had seen in England.

In 1904, he tasked chief engineer Edmond C. Van Diest to create a “charming and picturesque” network of gardens, water features and bridges.

Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by architect Elmer L. Nieman, the pavilion was octagonal in plan, constructed of masonry and embellished with limestone accents and terracotta roofing.

Bronze medallions were placed on the interior above each entrance with castings in the likenesses of Tahama, Pike, and Palmer and a fourth plaque offered a brief epitaph on each man.

[10] A few years later a bridge was installed to link Tahama Spring directly to the downtown area allowing pedestrians easier access from the east side of the creek.

Each was regarded as a leader and a warrior, but being similar in age, they were peers, truly comrades, and likely shared stories and laughter during their challenging journey.

[17] Hoping to prevent future catastrophes, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) made substantial modifications to the park grounds by widening the channel and increasing the height of the creek banks.

[20] Even with the taller WPA creek banks, heavy rains and subsequent flooding in May 1965 badly damaged the memorial pavilion and font.