Colorado  was first inhabited by Native Americans including the Ute, Cheyenne, and the Arapaho tribes. Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the 1500, as the first Europeans. In 1858, the discovery of Cherry Creek attracted the first U.S. settlers to the area. This state was named Colorado because Spanish explorers named the river that ran through the area Colorado, meaning "colored red" for its muddy, red hue. It eventually became the name of the state. Finally Colorado became a state in 1876.