Aspen

The meaning

“The aspen tree”

How it got the name

The silver camp was called Ute City for its first two years. In 1880 the residents voted to rename it for the trembling aspen groves that blanket the valley — a rare case of a mining town choosing scenery over conquest, and a name that paid off a century later when the trees became the tourist attraction.

Former names

1. Ute City
2. Aspen