1611, 3037 UNITED STATES (Colorado) - Colorado map

Posted on 27.05.2015, 05.05.2017
Bordered by Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona at the Four Corners, Colorado is noted for its vivid landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. It encompass most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains, being the only U.S. state that lies entirely above 1000m elevation. It owes its name to the Colorado River, whereon the Spanish travelers named so for the ruddy (Spanish: colorado) silt the river carried from the mountains.

Its capital and the most populous city is Denver, founded in November 1858 as a mining town during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in western Kansas Territory. The region that is today the state of Colorado has been inhabited by Native Americans for more than 13,000 years, the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains being a major migration route. Among the Native Americans who lived in the area before the arrival of Europeans were the Ancient Pueblo peoples, the Ute Nation, the  Apache and the Comanche , but also the Arapaho Nation and the Cheyenne Nation, who at times moved west to hunt across the High Plains.

The U.S. acquired a territorial claim to the eastern Rocky Mountains with the Louisiana Purchase  from France in 1803, but the area was also claimed by Spain. In 1821, Spain recognized the independence of Mexico, and the new state inherited the border disputes with the United States. In 1848, at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War, Mexico surrendered its northern territory to U.S. After the brief episode called State of Deseret, and new territorial divisions, in 1861 was organized the free Territory of Colorado.

On August 1, 1876 Colorado was admitted to the Union as the 38th state and earning it the moniker "Centennial State". The discovery of a major silver lode in 1878 triggered the Colorado Silver Boom, followed by the gold strike at Cripple Creek. Colorado women were granted the right to vote in 1893, making Colorado the second state to grant universal suffrage and the first one by a popular vote (of Colorado men). The state suffered greatly through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, but a major wave of immigration following WWII boosted its fortune, and tourism became a mainstay of its economy.

CNBC's list of Top States for Business for 2010 has recognized Colorado as the third best state in the nation, but it has a per capita personal income of "only" $51,940 (in 2010), which ranked it 11th in the nation. The state's economy broadened from its mid-19th century roots in mining when irrigated agriculture developed, and by the late 19th century, raising livestock had become important. Now the state's economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration of scientific research and high-technology industries. It has also significant hydrocarbon and uranium resources. Colorado is home to four national parks, eight national monuments, and an UNESCO World Heritage Site (Mesa Verde National Park).

About the stamps
On the postcard 1611
The stamp, which honors Bette Davis, is part of the Legends of Hollywood series, started in 1995, about which I wrote here. Bette Davis (Ruth Elizabeth Davis, 1908-1989) was regarded as one of the greatest actors in cinema history. She was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic, sardonic characters and was reputed for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies, although her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas. She was the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, being also the first person to accrue 10 Academy Award nominations for acting. In 1999 Davis was placed second on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female stars of all time. Artist Michael J. Deas based his painting for the stamp on a black-and-white still of Bette Davis made during the filming of All About Eve (1950), in which Davis brilliantly portrayed aging Broadway star Margo Channing.

On the postcard 3037

The first stamp, designed by Derry Noyes, was issued on February 20, 2017 to commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th president of the United States. Kennedy was the nation's first Catholic president and, at age 43, the youngest person ever elected to the nation’s highest office. The stamp features a photograph taken by Ted Spiegel of Kennedy campaigning for president in Seattle, Washington, in 1960. The selvage art, showing President Kennedy in a reflective pose, is a 1970 oil painting by Aaron Shikler (courtesy of the White House Historical Association).

The following two stamps are part of the series Seashells Postcard Stamp, issued on January 28, 2017. The stamp art features stylized depictions of four seashells. The horizontal swaths of white and blue in the background suggest waves washing the shells onto a beach. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps, and Sergio Baradat created the stamp art. The word "postcard" on the stamps indicates their usage value. Like a Forever stamp, these stamps will always be valid for the rate printed on them.
• the alphabet cone - It's on the postcard 3037
• the zebra nerite - It's on the postcard 3037
• the Pacific calico scallop
• the Queen conch

References
Colorado - Wikipedia

Sender 1611: Denise 
Sent from Greenvale (New York / United States), on 26.01.2015
Sender 3037: Shirley / TandemStoker (postcrossing) US-4624023
Sent from Denver (Colorado / United States), on 24.04.2017
Photo: Smith-Southwestern