Salida in Chaffee County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The Salida Steam Plant
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 18, 2009
1. The Salida Steam Plant Marker
Electricity was introduced in Salida in 1887 when a group of local townsfolk created The Electric Illuminating Company. In 1892 the then-named Salida Light and Power Company built a 1000-kilowatt steam generating plant at this location on the banks of the Arkansas River. The east half of the building housed the generators or dynamos, the west section contained boilers, furnaces and coal storage. The enclosed yard on the west side once held the transformers for the power plant.
Salida Light and Power Company joined with Public Service Co. of Colorado in 1924 and successfully operated the Salida Steam Plant until 1958. By then, cheaper power had become available through the nearby Poncha substation and the Stean Plant was shut down. The building was abandoned and for thirty years it served only as a home of flocks of pigeons. In the late 1980s a visionary group of local townfolk again banded together to purchase and save the building. Years of hard work and dedication have resulted in the transformation of this historic structure into the pide of the Arkansas Riverwalk.
Erected 2006 by Al Packer Chapter No. 100, E Clampus Vitus.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.
Location. 38° 32.262′ N, 105° 59.501′ W. Marker is in Salida, Colorado, in Chaffee County. It is on West Sackett Avenue near G Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 220 West Sacket Avenue, Salida CO 81201, 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
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: FIBArk: First in Boating on the Arkansas (within shouting distance of this marker); Water Use and Water Rights (within shouting distance of this marker); A Railroad Town (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Heart of the Rockies (about 500 feet away); Old Rails New Trails (about 500 feet away); Chaffee County Honor Roll Board (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chaffee County Courthouse (approx. 0.3 miles away); Votes for Women (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salida.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 18, 2009
2. The Salida Steam Plant Marker
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 18, 2009
3. The Salida Steam Plant
Credits. This page was last revised on December 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 20, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,443 times since then and 34 times this year. Last updated on February 9, 2012, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 20, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
