Nowadays, the term ‘cripple’ is considered offensive. That said, it’s one of two words that make up the name of a high-elevation tourist town in Colorado.

Cripple Creek is located on the western side of Pikes Peak at an elevation of about 9,500 feet. Born in an era of mining, it’s since made the transition to a casino town while maintaining its Wild West vibes. The town’s name, however, is sure to turn heads, using an outdated term that was once commonly used to describe a person unable to fully use one or more limbs. Given the offensive nature of this word, many visitors to the town likely wonder how the spot got its name.

According to Colorado Encyclopedia, the name may have been born out of a string of accidents that injured numerous people and cattle at a nearby creek. That, or it may have been named by William Womack’s family, an early homesteader that was from Kentucky and lived near Cripple Creek, West Virginia – a town said to have gotten its name in relation to a hunting accident.

A report from the Colorado Springs Gazette supports the idea that the name could stem from injuries at a local creek, with an incident said to have occurred in the late 1800s involving a calf that got spooked, running off and ultimately breaking its leg in the creek.

According to the City of Cripple Creek website, the name was officially adopted in 1894. That website doesn’t seem to detail the reason behind the name though.

Perhaps a question with a definitive answer that’s been lost to time, signs seem to point to this town being named after cattle injuries in a nearby creek.

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