Pierce, Colorado, was named on Nov. 8, 1869 in honor of General John Pierce, then president of the Union Pacific R.R. Pierce served as a watering stop for steam locomotives, and a box car was used for the first telegraph office, the depot, and U.S. Post Office. Cattle, sheep, grain, potatoes, beans, and sugar beets were among the things shipped from Pierce. A depot built in 1905 remained until 1963, when it was done away with. Pierce was incorporated in 1918, and its population was 1,000 in 1976.