Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Buena Vista and the “South Park” Railroad Line
The Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad (DSP&P)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 22, 2025
1. Buena Vista and the “South Park” Railroad Line Marker
(left side)
(left side)
DSP&P Historical Timeline:
1872: Governor John Evans, the 2nd territorial governor of Colorado, forms the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railway.
1873: Governor Evans forms a new company, the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad (DSP&P, changing the name from “Railway” to “Railroad.” Grading for the DSP&P begins south of Denver. Jay Gould, a railroad developer and unscrupulous financier, acquires control of the Union Pacific (UP). He was known for questionable business practices and refusing to fund railroad repairs or improvements.
1876: Leadville silver boom begins; Leadville soon becomes one of the world's largest silver camps, quadrupling its population in less than four years. Gould directs UP to start acquiring stock in the Rio Grande and DSP&P in an effort to block expansion of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, which was owned by his business rivals.
August 1 — Colorado becomes a state.
1879:
October — Joint Operating Agreement signed between the DSP&P and the Rio Grande. The Agreement allows the Rio Grande to use DSP&P future tracks from Buena Vista past St. Elmo to Gunnison. In return, DSP&P is given rights
this page online
November 8 — Town of Buena Vista is incorporated.
1880:
February 9 — DSP&P tracks reach Buena Vista, ahead of the Rio Grande by a few months.
July — DSP&P tracks reach the Mt. Princeton station (originally called “Hortense,” located near the current location of Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort).
August — The Rio Grande reaches Leadville. Because of the Joint Operating Agreement, DSP&P now has access to Leadville.
November 12 — After commandeering an engine & flatbed in the middle of the night, the Chaffee County seat is moved from Granite to Buena Vista. (The County seat eventually moved to Salida in 1928.)
December — DSP&P tracks reach St. Elmo. Governor Evans sells control of DSP&P to Gould rejecting offers by Rio Grande founder, General William Palmer.
1881:
August — Worried it would eventually be prevented from using DSP&P tracks to Gunnison, the Rio Grande reaches Gunnison via Salida rather than relying on DSP&P.
October — Governor Evans sells his remaining DSP&P interest to UP. It became known as "the South Park Division of the UP" but continued to operate
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 22, 2025
2. Buena Vista and the “South Park” Railroad Line Marker
(right side)
(right side)
1882: September 1 — DSP&P finally reaches Gunnison (work on the Alpine Tunnel was met with extensive delays due to weather, cave-ins and equipment failure). Relations with the Rio Grande crumble as the Rio Grande takes court action to prevent DSP&P from using the Rio Grande line to Leadville.
1883: DSP&P begins an alternate route to Leadville, via the "High Line" over Boreas Pass, splitting from the main track in Como (near Fairplay).
1884: DSP&P reaches Leadville on its own tracks; the Joint Operating Agreement is cancelled. Eventually all connections between Rio Grande and DSP&P in the Arkansas Valley are removed.
1889: DSP&P goes bankrupt and is reorganized as the Denver, Leadville and Gunnison Railway Company (DL&G), still under UP control.
1890: April 1 — the DL&G comes under the control of a new corporation known as the Union Pacific Denver & Gulf Railway Company.
1893: A serious economic depression called "the Panic of 1893" begins. "The Panic" was blamed on a crash in silver prices, shaky railroad financing and overbuilding which set off a series of bank failures. UP goes into receivership; DL&G undergoes an independent
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 22, 2025
3. Buena Vista and the “South Park” Railroad Line Marker
The marker is beside the sidewalk in front of the Buena Vista Heritage Museum (formerly the Chaffee County Courthouse). There is a six-foot-long original section of rail from the Denver South Park & Pacific Railroad on exhibit (mounted on the supporting stand) in front of and just below the marker.
1898: Bondholders foreclose on DL&G which is eventually sold to the newly formed Colorado and Southern Railway Company.
1908: The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad buys controlling interest in the Colorado and Southern (thus its equipment bore "Burlington Route" signs).
1910: October — The Alpine Tunnel suffered a cave-in which was never repaired, discontinuing through service to Gunnison.
1910-1914: Floods along Trout Creek wash out sections of track leading into Buena Vista, leaving the Buena Vista-Romley section without physical connection to Denver. (Romley was located beyond St. Elmo.) The Buena Vista-Romley section continues to operate to serve a few mining camps and communities in the Chalk Creek area.
1924: September 10 — Due to declines in the mining industry and other factors, lines between Buena Vista and Romley are discontinued.
1926: Buena Vista to Romley trackage is removed.
Governor Evans' Vision for the South Park Line
John Evans (the 2nd Governor of the Territory of Colorado) believed railroads were invaluable public utilities and saw the power of connecting Colorado by rail. Propelled
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 22, 2025
4. Buena Vista Depot — Transportation Museum
Built by the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad (“South Park Line”). Buena Vista Heritage eventually moved it to McPhelemy Park on Highway 24 where they renovated it into a small museum.
Evans originally planned to build a line from Denver to South Park and eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean. Evans saw opportunities in the mining booms in Leadville, St. Elmo and Gunnison and focused expansion to those areas. Similar to the more well-known Leadville rush, veins of gold and silver were uncovered in the Gunnison area and other precious metals were discovered along Chalk Creek (which parallels County Road 162), southwest of Buena Vista.
Evans' new line, the DSP&P (referred to by some as the “Damned Slow Pulling & Pretty Rough Riding”), exemplified narrow gauge railroading in the Colorado Rockies. With 335 miles of track, it was the largest narrow gauge railroad located entirely within Colorado. Evans chose narrow gauge rather than standard gauge track, believing it would better cope with mountain terrain, could be built within a smaller right-of-way and handle sharper curves, steeper grades, lighter rails and smaller, less expensive equipment.
Joint Operations with the Denver & Rio Grande
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 22, 2025
5. Buena Vista Depot — Transportation Museum
During the Colorado mining booms, the infamous Jay Gould worked on acquiring control of several western railroads, including the DSP&P and its chief rival, the Rio Grande. Perhaps in an attempt to control the market, Gould integrated the two Colorado railroads via a Joint Operating Agreement. This was before anti-trust laws! The Agreement gave the Rio Grande trackage rights over future DSP&P rails from Buena Vista past St. Elmo into Gunnison. In turn, the DSP&P could use the soon-to-be built Rio Grande tracks from Buena Vista to Leadville.
Connecting Buena Vista to Denver by Rail
The DSP&P started in Denver, its most eastern point, and headed south. In 1880, the DSP&P made it down Trout Creek Pass into the Arkansas Valley, becoming the first rail connection between Buena Vista and Denver. Once in Buena Vista, the DSP&P split into a north & south line. The south line turned at Nathrop (7½ miles south of Buena Vista), followed Chalk Creek past Mt. Princeton and St. Elmo and through the Alpine tunnel. Gunnison was its most western point. The north line went to the mining town of Leadville over Rio Grande tracks.
Operations in Buena Vista
The DSP&P was vital to the development of Buena Vista. The route allowed a considerable amount of passengers and freight, necessary to service the boom in Leadville, to be shipped by train. Even before railroad connections to Leadville and Gunnison were complete, the line allowed traffic to reach striking distance. The trip from Denver to Buena Vista typically took approximately 8-11 hours.
According to a Rocky Mountain News article dated January 8, 1880, there were dozens of mule teams going through Buena Vista every day headed for Leadville. By November 1880, five passenger trains each way per day traveled to the Mt. Princeton station (not including freight and construction trains). Before tracks to St. Elmo were completed, travelers reached St. Elmo by transferring to stagecoaches.
While the Joint Operating Agreement was still in effect, the DSP&P and the Rio Grande shared a depot located a few blocks west of this spot. That depot burned down in the 1940s. Following cancellation of the Joint Operating Agreement, the "South Park Line" built its own depot, (pictured above), originally located where the elementary school now stands. Buena Vista Heritage eventually moved it to McPhelemy Park on Highway 24 where they renovated it into a small museum.
Crossing the Arkansas
The DSP&P initially crossed the Arkansas River over a bridge near what is now called Johnson Village. It was originally called Arkansas Station and was later known as Macune.
The “Nathrop Cutoff”
Until 1884, the DSP&P used Rio Grande track between Buena Vista and Nathrop as a link to connect to its Gunnison extension. After the Joint Operating Agreement terminated, the DSP&P constructed an independent line to connect to its Chalk Creek/Gunnison operations. The new connection (called the “Nathrop Cutoff”) went through Box Canyon, where the track turned south toward Nathrop at Schwanders. This section was subject to numerous washouts and accidents. It included a stretch known as “Deadman's Curve” and is now under water — a result of the construction of a private reservoir. The “Nathrop Cutoff” resulted in construction of a large bridge over the Arkansas River just above Nathrop (304 feet long, including the two approaches).
South Line Along Chalk Creek
The DSP&P's south line to Gunnison had several station stops along Chalk Creek. In the immediate area, there were stations at Nathrop (where the line turned west to head up to St. Elmo along what is now County Road 162) and Mt. Princeton. Mt. Princeton was originally called “Heywood Springs Station.” By 1989, it was consolidated with the Hortense Station and renamed “Mt. Princeton.”
Highline to Leadville
As the Union Pacific gained control over the DSP&P, disputes arose regarding division of profits and payment of fees. The cooperation between the DSP&P and the Rio Grande deteriorated. The DSP&P eventually lost the right to use the Rio Grande tracks from Buena Vista to Leadville.
The DSP&P created an alternate route to Leadville by splitting the line at Como (near Fairplay).
The new route (called the "High Line") reached Leadville by way of the 11,482 ft Boreas Pass, through Summit County, bypassing Buena Vista. Although it crossed the Continental Divide two times in the process, the DSP&P advertised that their line was 100 miles shorter than the Rio Grande's route.
End of an Era
The mining industry contributed to the birth and death of the South Park Line. As mining declined in the early 20th century, narrow gauge lines accessing the mines lost their importance. Colorado and Southern, which owned the South Park Line since 1898, eventually abandoned the route because of loss of mining business coupled with the growing dominance of automobile, bus and truck traffic and perhaps the inability to incorporate narrow gauge into a standard gauge system. Eventually, all narrow gauge lines were either abandoned or converted to standard gauge.
Buena Vista Heritage Museum
Buena Vista Heritage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to preserve and share the history of Buena Vista and Chaffee County. Come into the museum to learn more about the heritage of this beautiful valley.
[photo captions]
• View of the Buena Vista Depot and the Courthouse from Midland Hill, circa 1910
• Time Table (post 1889 — note the name — DL&G)
• Buena Vista Depot, circa 1924
• Silver Bars at Buena Vista Railyards, 1884
• Arkansas River Bridge at Macune (Johnson Village)
• Engine 39 Near Hortense Station (Note: Chalk Cliffs in the background)
• Turn towards Chalk Creek at the Nathrop Station
• Heywood and the Princeton Hotel
• Rotary on the Highline
• Deadman’s Curve in Trout Creek Canyon, circa 1884
• Mt. Princeton Depot
• Remains of the Crossing of the Arkansas River at Nathrop, 1949
Photos courtesy of Buena Vista Heritage. Maps and information courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 38° 50.606′ N, 106° 7.649′ W. Marker is in Buena Vista, Colorado, in Chaffee County. It is at the intersection of East Main Street and North Court Street, on the right when traveling east on East Main Street. The marker is beside the sidewalk in front of the Buena Vista Heritage Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 506 East Main Street, Buena Vista CO 81211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley, in the Colorado High Rockies and on the Continental Divide. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Chaffee County Jail (within shouting distance of this marker); Town Hall (approx. ¼ mile away); Mountain Getaways (approx. 0.3 miles away); Historic Vistas (approx. 0.3 miles away); Putting Down Roots (approx. 0.3 miles away); William Joseph Walsh (approx. 0.3 miles away); World War I Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historic St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Buena Vista.
More about this marker. This historical marker comprises the right and left sides of a six-foot-long interpretive panel chock full of fine print. It is difficult to get a single closeup photo of the entire panel.
Also see . . . Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad (later called the Denver, Leadville and Gunnison Railway) was a historic 3 ft narrow gauge railroad that operated in Colorado in the western United States in the late 19th century. The railroad opened up the first rail routes to a large section of the central Colorado mining district in the decades of the mineral boom. The railroad took its name from the fact that its main line from Denver ascended the Platte Canyon and traversed South Park, hence its popular name “The South Park Line.” Despite its lofty goals, the line never connected itself with the Pacific or any transcontinental line, apart from its terminal at Denver Union Station.(Submitted on February 13, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 11, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 67 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 13, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
