Let The Good Times Roll

Let The Good Times Roll. . , Durango had all the amenities desired by local citizens. With a diverse economy, good roads, and dependable railroads, trade goods and raw materials flowed into and out of southwest Colorado., By the turn of the century, Durango was at the crossroads of economic prosperity. Smelters employed workers to process minerals locally, coal mines supplied an abundance of low-cost fuel, nearby forests supplied timber, and railroads brought in tourists and provided the vital transportation link needed for the growing community. , For a number of years, four rail lines served Durango: the Denver and Rio Grande (D&RG) main line from Alamosa; the D&RG branch line to Farmington, New Mexico; the D&RG branch to Silverton; and the Rio Grande Southern Railroad to Dolores, Rico, Telluride, and on to Montrose that completed the “circle tour” of Colorado. , Wagon roads and pack trails ventured beyond the end of the rail lines. Dave Woods hauled freight from railheads in the 1890s, and burro and mule packers such as Olga Little supplied mines in La Plata Canyon with provisions needed to operate a mine in the 1920s.