Telluride in San Miguel County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Hear that Lonesome Whistle Blow
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025
1. Hear that Lonesome Whistle Blow Marker
Across the San Miguel River are remnants of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, Telluride Branch. This branch provided rail service from Durango to Ridgway from 1890 through the early 1950's.
Prior to 1880, the foothills west of Telluride were Ute Indian territory. Miners with mules loaded with heavy equipment and supplies approached their mines from the mountains by way of Silverton or Ouray. In 1880, the Ute were forced to relinquish the foothills and relocate to reservation land south of Durango. Within ten years, pioneer road and railroad builder, Otto Mears constructed the Rio Grande Southern Railroad across the former Ute homeland.
The distant sounds of train whistles are no longer heard on the South Fork of the San Miguel River. Today, you are more likely to hear and see mountain bikes, as the Telluride Branch is now a year-round, multiple-use trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 37° 56.924′ N, 107° 52.902′ W. Marker is in Telluride,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Western Slope. It is also in the American Mountain West, in Colorado Plateau, and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: San Miguel Valley Bank Robbery (here, next to this marker); Flushing Out the Gold (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named San Miguel Valley Bank Robbery (here, next to this marker); Tomboy Mine Office (approx. 3.8 miles away); Telluride (approx. 3.8 miles away); Colorado Centennial Project (approx. 3.8 miles away); Courthouse (approx. 3.8 miles away); Telluride's Founding
2. Marker detail: Rio Grande Southern Railroad
Also see . . .
1. The Brunot Agreement (History Colorado).
Excerpt: Miners first made their way into the San Juan Mountains in 186061, but it was not until 1869 that valuable minerals were discovered and not until 187172 that mine development took place. The Treaty of 1868 put the San Juan Mountains within a Ute reservation that encompassed almost the entire western third of Colorado. Although off limits to non-Indians, prospectors and miners entered the region. The growing mining activity drew the attention of the Utes, who were unhappy about the incursions but not openly hostile.(Submitted on February 9, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
The Brunot Agreement between the Ute and the US government in 1873 led to the development of mining in the San Juan Mountains by taking 3.7 million acres from the Ute Reservation in western Colorado. As white encroachment continued over the next decade, tensions escalated and the Utes were eventually force-marched to Utah in 1881.
Unlike previous agreements between the US government and Native Americans, the Brunot Agreement was not a treaty; treaties were consideredto be agreements between sovereign nations, and the US government no longer recognized Indigenous sovereignty after 1871.Colorado Historical Society3. Marker detail: The Illium LoopVery little railroad was straight and almost none was level. The Illium Loop allowed trains to climb Keystone Hill, a steep 7% grade.
2. Rio Grande Southern Railroad (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) was a 3 ft narrow-gauge railroad which ran in the southwestern region of the US state of Colorado, from the towns of Durango to Ridgway, routed via Lizard Head Pass. Built by German immigrant and Colorado toll road builder Otto Mears, the RGS operated from 1891 through 1951 and was built with the intent to transport immense amounts of silver mineral traffic that were being produced by the mining communities of Rico and Telluride. On both ends of the railroad, there were interchanges with The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG), later known as the Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW), which would ship the traffic the RGS hauled elsewhere like the San Juan Smelter in Durango.(Submitted on February 9, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Courtesy Fort Lewis College, Center for Southwest Studies
4. Marker detail: Galloping Goose #3
A Galloping Goose on the Telluride Branch. These gas-powered rail cars provided passenger, mail and freight service to the mountain communities. Stop and see a Galloping Goose in Dolores or Telluride.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025
5. Hear that Lonesome Whistle Blow Marker
Looking east from the Keystone Hill Interpretive Site Overlook.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 60 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on February 8, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 9, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
