Our valley, while small in the scheme of things, means a great deal to the people who call it home as well as to our countless visitors who call it home for just a little while each summer. Every time the Fourth of July comes around, our community joins together. Memorial Park fills with tents and the town comes together to celebrate. Independence Day celebrations are a tradition that extends back generations and will extend forward many more.

But it wasn’t always this way.

Woodland Park was founded 137 years ago, initially as Manitou Park and briefly as Belmont before taking on the only name we have ever known. It became a key destination along the Colorado Midland Railway due to its proximity to Cripple Creek.

Early industries included lumber, which not only provided economic growth for the railroads connecting our towns, but also led to the establishment of Pike National Forest to preserve the forests that were being decimated. Early 20th-century attractions included cattle and ranches as well as rodeos. Half our history ago, Woodland Park saw a surge in gambling and illegal liquor, which was only curtailed by federal intervention.

These early settlers faced challenges that we, with all our modern-day conveniences, cannot begin to imagine.

Our forebears left everything behind to travel out west. They faced harsh winters, rugged terrain, and all the challenges of establishing a community in a remote area.

In order to face these hardships, they needed to work together. In order for them to even be capable of success they needed to work with what they had in common rather than stand only on their differences. This unity gave them a reliable support network. They were in it together and were willing to help others reach their goals.

We stand at an important time in our history. Many people in our community seek to define us by our differences. But are we really that different from the people that came before us? We all want to live successful, happy lives. We have disagreements, but a shared capacity to look past them too. Just as the early pioneers compromised and set aside their differences, so can we.

The vast, undeveloped lands of Teller County symbolize the untapped potential within our grasp. By practicing unity, we can honor the legacy of those who came before us as well as create the prosperous and united future we hope for those yet to come.

Ruth Wiseman is a Woodland Park native and a dual-enrolled high school student attending Pikes Peak State College

Hershey’s candy bars Take 5, PayDay, Almond Joy and a York Peppermint Patty are all popular, but only one is on author Ruth Wiseman’s “personal favorites” list. (SARINYAPINNGAM

via getty images)