On County Highway 9, 0.5 miles north of Highway 2, on the left when traveling north.
The first prospectors wintered in "Three Forks of the Animas" in 1873, looking for silver and gold. In 1875 the name was changed to Animas Forks to accommodate the Post Office Department, and funds were committed by the San Juan County . . . — — Map (db m177689) HM
On County Highway 9, 0.5 miles north of County Highway 2, on the left when traveling north.
High Mountain Hopes
The Hardrock Miners who arrived in Animas Forks in the 1870s envisioned the birth of a city, built deep in the mountains, with all the modern conveniences of telephone, telegraph, electric service, and a narrow gauge . . . — — Map (db m211817) HM
On County Highway 2, 0.2 miles east of County Highway 52, on the right when traveling east.
Arrastra Gulch - Where It All Began
Of all the gulches in the San Juan Mining District, few spanned a full century of activity and none had the diversity of mining companies as Arrastra Gulch. It began in 1870 with the discovery of gold . . . — — Map (db m177654) HM
On Million Dollar Highway (U.S. 550) 1.5 miles north of County Highway 825, on the left when traveling north.
The Chattanooga Post Office was established on April 4, 1883, at the head of Mineral Creek. Originally called Sweetville, this small mining community served as a southern staging area for supplies and people coming into the Red Mountain Mining . . . — — Map (db m179022) HM
On U.S. 550, 0.1 miles west of County Highway 31, on the left when traveling east.
"Instant Cities"
In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, towns came and went in the San Juan Mountains as abruptly as gusts of wind. A promising mineral strike might spawn a complete settlement - houses, a general store, saloons, . . . — — Map (db m177508) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at West 12th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
The La Plata Miner newspaper began publication on July 10, 1875, after newspaper pioneer John R. Curry managed to haul an old press by pack mule over Stony Pass. The Silverton Standard newspaper began operations in 1889. The two newspapers merged . . . — — Map (db m176710) HM
On County Highway 2 at County Highway 4, on the right when traveling east on County Highway 2.
Howardsville was the first attempted settlement on the Western Slope of Colorado Territory, although the community was never platted or incorporated. The town was founded in 1874, received the first post office designation in the San Juan . . . — — Map (db m177655) HM
On County Highway 2, 0.4 miles west of County Highway 52, on the right when traveling east.
The large complex in the background is the Mayflower Mill. It was built in 1929 to process ore from the Mayflower Mine as well as other mines in the Silverton area. It was constructed by the Shenandoah Dives Mining Company to extract gold, silver, . . . — — Map (db m177656) HM
On County Highway 2, 0.4 miles west of County Highway 52, on the right when traveling east.
What are Tailings?
In the Silverton region, ore generally contained. only about 5% valuable metals, typically a mixture of lead, zinc, copper, silver, and gold. Most mines sent their ore to a nearby processing plant, known as a mill, which . . . — — Map (db m177662) HM
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
If not for the Denver & Rio Grande Railway, Silverton might have vanished long ago. The twisting, turning, forty-five-mile spur from Durango took nine months to build; when it finally opened in . . . — — Map (db m177483) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at East 16th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
Law and Order on the Frontier
Imagine arriving in Silverton in 1903. You're a burly miner, traveling from the metropolis of Denver to the remote high country of the San Juan. You step off the train onto "Notorious" Blair Street, ready to . . . — — Map (db m177564) HM
On Greene Street at Mineral Street, on the right when traveling north on Greene Street.
This shaft can, held about two tons of ore and required an electric- or steam powered hoist to lift it out of the shaft.
Shaft cans or "sinking skips" came in different sizes and shapes depending on the size of the shaft and the type of . . . — — Map (db m177543) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at Mineral Street, on the right when traveling north on Greene Street.
In 1860, Charles Baker and several prospectors entered the San Juan Mountains in search of wealth. They soon found deposits of gold and silver along the Animas River in an area that was later called "Baker's Park." The prospectors stayed through . . . — — Map (db m177513) HM
On U.S. 550, 0.1 miles west of County Highway 31, on the left when traveling east.
"One feels," wrote an early Silverton settler, "as if he is shut off from the rest of the world." A fair assessment: In 1874, when its first buildings appeared, the hamlet lay 125 miles from the nearest post office. Though railroad service . . . — — Map (db m177495) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at East 16th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
History
Freight trains commonly had a caboose at the end. In 1871, its first year of operation, the Denver and Rio Grande (D&RG) railroad had four cabooses made by Billmeyer & Small. D&RG built 84 more, similar to their design, between . . . — — Map (db m177561) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at West 12th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
The Silverton Standard was housed in the Grand Imperial Hotel for decades up until 1951. Its office is now in the old Miners Union Hospital. — — Map (db m178390) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at West 15th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
Located at 9,318 feet above sea level, Silverton is the "Mining Town that Never Quit". Once the hub of four railroads, Silverton was the Queen City of the San Juan's. Captain Charles Baker led a party into this wide valley in 1860 in search of . . . — — Map (db m176652) HM
On Greene Street at Mineral Street, on the right when traveling north on Greene Street.
Railroads were vitally important to the development of mines, hauling out ore and bringing in coal and supplies. They made mining lower grade ore profitable. Railroads were lifelines in supplying the needs of the people in the mining communities. . . . — — Map (db m177535) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at East 12th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
Railroads were vitally important to the development of mines, hauling out ore and bringing in coal and supplies. They made mining lower grade ore profitable. Railroads were lifelines in supplying the needs of the people in the mining communities. . . . — — Map (db m178404) HM
On Greene Street at Mineral Street, on the right when traveling north on Greene Street.
This swivel end-dump car has a 1-1/2 ton capacity of ore. It could be handled by a single person and dumped by hand.
These small, swivel end-dump cars were most commonly called "one-ton cars," yet they came in a number of sizes ranging from . . . — — Map (db m177552) HM
On County Highway 2, 0.4 miles west of Highway 52, on the right when traveling east.
Reclamation in Action
During its more than half century of operation, the Mayflower Mill created four major tailings ponds, two oldest and largest (No. 1 on the right, No. 2 on the left) are in the immediate foreground. Ponds No. 3 and No. . . . — — Map (db m177663) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at East 11th Street, on the right when traveling north on Greene Street.
On August 24, 1881, Silverton Town Marshal David Clayton "Clate" Ogsbury was gunned down in a shootout with members of the Stockton-Eskridge Gang outside the notorious Diamond Saloon at the corner of 11th and Greene streets. The gang had ridden . . . — — Map (db m176711) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at West 12th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
Trails & Passes
▪︎ The Colorado Rocky Mountains, appearing as a formidable barrier, have trails over almost all 260 passes.
▪︎ A trail is a corridor between two places: usually a network of paths that meet at . . . — — Map (db m178408) HM
On Greene Street (County Highway 110) at West 12th Street, on the left when traveling north on Greene Street.
Stony Pass
▪︎ From 1872 until 1882, when the railroad reached Silverton, Stony Pass was the vital link between the San Juan mining districts and supply towns to the east.
▪︎ A practical but tough route from . . . — — Map (db m178581) HM
On County Highway 2, 0.4 miles west of County Highway 52, on the right when traveling east.
This area around you was one of the most productive and rewarding in San Juan County's mining history. The earliest mineral discoveries in the region were made in Arrastra Gulch (ahead and to your right) in the early 1870s. The Little Giant was . . . — — Map (db m177664) HM
Working from his house and publishing through the American Natural History Museum, Earl Morris intrigued the nation with his findings at Aztec Ruins.
In 1923 the site Morris had known since boyhood was preserved as a national monument . . . — — Map (db m71078) HM
On the evening of November 17, 1829, Manuel Armijo and his caravan of about 60 men and 100 mules crossed the Las Animas River at a shallow point near here and made camp. This was only the 10th night of a three-month journey along an untested route. . . . — — Map (db m184353) HM
A ribbon of green in an arid land, the 126-mile Animas River brings a most precious gift to the Four Corners region: reliable year-round water. Starting in the San Juan Mountains, the Animas joins the San Juan River just south of here at Farmington. . . . — — Map (db m184354) HM
In the early 1100s, travelers on this familiar path could see a sprawling settlement ahead. Across the river, ceremonial kivas and great houses with hundreds of rooms dominated the landscape. Smaller house-style unit pueblos and farming areas spread . . . — — Map (db m184352) HM
On North Martinez Lane north of West Martinez Lane, on the left when traveling north.
On an April evening in 1830, trader Antonio Armijo and a tattered group of men and boys, stubborn pack mules, and wild California horses passed through this area on their way to Santa Fe. Near the end of a hard, dangerous journey, men and animals . . . — — Map (db m184356) HM
Though you may not notice at first, wildlife thrives along the Animas River. These rich, green corridors, or "riparian zones," provide animals with food, water, and shelter. Archeological research tells us that in the centuries since Ancestral . . . — — Map (db m184355) HM
On U.S. 550 at milepost 158.5, on the right when traveling north.
Aztec, named for the nearby National Monument, was founded in 1876 when portions of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation were opened for non Indian settlement. It is the seat of San Juan County, which was created in 1887 partially as a response to the . . . — — Map (db m36464) HM
On West Aztec Boulevard (State Road 516 at milepost 12.7), 1 mile west of U.S. 550, on the right when traveling east.
Despite its name, this magnificent site reflects 11th century influence from nearby Chaco Canyon rather than from the later Aztecs of Mexico. The striking masonry pueblos illustrate the classic Chaco architectural style with later Mesa Verde . . . — — Map (db m36466) HM
On North Aztec Boulevard, 0.2 miles west of U.S. 550, on the right when traveling west.
Despite its name, this magnificent site reflects 11th century influence from nearby Chaco Canyon rather than from the later Aztecs of Mexico. The striking masonry pueblos illustrate the classic Chaco architectural style with later Mesa Verde . . . — — Map (db m36467) HM
Through the collective recognition of the community of nations, expressed within the principles of the convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage Aztec Ruins National Monument has been designated an outlier . . . — — Map (db m71077) HM
You are standing among many thousands of years of connecting networks, layered over each other across generations. This is a place of ancient farming, with a river offering dependable water and stable soil for planting. It is a place of gathering, . . . — — Map (db m184351) HM
On West Broadway Avenue (U.S. 64 at milepost 62), on the right when traveling east.
Prehistoric farmers established major communities along the rivers of this region in the eleventh century. Eight hundred years later, historic settlement was also made possible by abundant water. Bloomfield was established in 1879 near a site which . . . — — Map (db m36460) HM
In the late 11th century, influence from Chaco Canyon, 45 miles south of here, began to be felt at this site and at nearby Aztec Ruins National Monument. The Chacoans abandoned this large and well-built masonry pueblo by 1150, and shortly . . . — — Map (db m36457) HM
On State Road 371 at milepost 77, at County Road 7250, on the right when traveling south on State Road 371.
The highly scenic badlands of the Bisti were created by the erosion and weathering of interbedded shale, sandstone and coal formations into unusual forms. The area is also rich in fossil flora and fauna. 3,946 acres of the Badlands were designated . . . — — Map (db m52706) HM
On West Main Street (U.S. 64 at milepost 46.1), on the right when traveling east.
Until 1876 this area comprised part of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. Anglo settlement quickly began at the confluence of the San Juan, Animas, and La Plata Rivers. Farmington became a ranching and farming area and, later, an important producer . . . — — Map (db m36469) HM
On Locke Avenue, 0 miles north of Apache Street, on the left when traveling north.
First settled 1876 to 1878 by families of William and Marion B. Hendrickson, Charles and Milton Virden, Orville Pyle, A.F. Miller and William Lock. The first school-house was built in 1879; the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1886. William Lock . . . — — Map (db m22805) HM
On Main Street at Orchard Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Main Street.
Farmington, New Mexico, the heart of the Four Corners, boasts a thriving downtown, where character, history and culture fuse in a mixture of places and events. Originally the land in what is now Northwest New Mexico was known as Tóta’ . . . — — Map (db m22861) HM
On Browning Parkway at Burnham Road, on the right when traveling south on Browning Parkway.
Harriet was an astute financial manager and the first female bank president in New Mexico, operating the First National Bank in Farmington from 1922 until 1951. During the Depression she bought out San Juan National Bank, keeping it solvent and . . . — — Map (db m59629) HM
On U.S. 64 at milepost 32.5 at Road 6950, on the right when traveling west on U.S. 64.
Steeply dipping strata define the western edge of the San Juan basin. To the west older geologic formations are exposed toward the Defiance uplift whereas basinward they are downwarped thousands of feet beneath younger rock units. Vast coal, . . . — — Map (db m36456) HM
On West Main Street at North Orchard Drive, on the left when traveling east on West Main Street.
"The Hunters arrived in Farmington in 1891 and donated the land for this plaza to the city of Farmington in May 1902. This pavilion is dedicated to the memory of the Hunters for their generosity and community spirit in helping Farmington grow." — — Map (db m185385) HM
On Brigham Street (County Route 6100) west of County Route 6337, on the right when traveling east.
Among early settlers on this site were the families of Wm. Simpson, A.D. Arthur and Frank Coolidge, Ager and James K.P. Pipkin, Hugh Curry, W.L. Kennedy and others. James B. Ashcroft was called by L.D.S. Church as bishop in 1997. He supervised . . . — — Map (db m240549) HM
On Entrance Road to Chaco Culture NHP, on the left when traveling west.
Atop Fajada Butte Chacoan skywatchers commemorated the movement of the sun and the seasons. Sunlight passed between three boulder slabs onto a spiral petroglyph to mark the sun's position on the summer solstice, winter solstice, and the equinoxes. . . . — — Map (db m120182) HM
Chaco Culture was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Chaco Canyon was a major cultural center between 850 and 1250 CE, and is remarkable both for its monumental architecture and its status as a center of trade, politics, and . . . — — Map (db m120186) HM
On Entrance Road to Chaco Culture NHP, on the left when traveling west.
Fajada Butte dominates the landscape. Exposed rock layers reveal the regions geologic and human history.
Cliff House Sandstone forms the upper layer with deposits of fossil shells, clams, shark teeth, and marine sand. Menefee Formation forms . . . — — Map (db m120180) HM
On State Route 504 (U.S. 64 at milepost 3.5), on the right when traveling west.
Colorful red rocks of Entrada Sandstone are domed up by deep seated igneous intrusions to be exposed by erosion. The same igneous activity created the Carrizo Mountains to the west. Uranium deposits in the Morrison Formation just above the Entrada . . . — — Map (db m36455) HM
Near State Road 597 at milepost 0.4,, 0.5 miles west of U.S. 160.
This is the only place in the United States marking the common corner of four states – Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
Who established this corner?
The four corners monument was established and perpetuated by U.S. Government . . . — — Map (db m36522) HM
In 1868, U.S. Surveyor Ehud N. Darling surveyed the 37 parallel of latitude to establish the territorial boundary of Colorado and New Mexico. He placed specially marked stones at intervals along the surveyed line that started at the northeast . . . — — Map (db m36529) HM
On U.S. 64, on the left when traveling west. Reported missing.
This huge volcanic neck was formed in Pliocene times, over 3,000,000 years ago. It rises 1700 feet above the surrounding plain and is famed in legends of the Navajo as "Sa-bit-tai-e" (the rock with the wings). They hold that it was the great
bird . . . — — Map (db m30013) HM
On 4 Corners Road (New Mexico Route 597) north of U.S. 160, on the right when traveling south.
The monument was first surveyed in 1875 and that remarkable feat of surveying precision and accuracy stands today. The tribal park which was first identified with a concrete pad in 1912, improved in the 60's and graced with its current look in 2010. . . . — — Map (db m184213) HM
On Bridge View Drive, 8 miles Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling north.
The two prominent buttes in the distance are called the Bears Ears. Several native American groups, including the Navajos, Utes, and Pueblos, consider this area sacred and include it in their oral traditions.
One of the more popular Navajo . . . — — Map (db m93095) HM
Near County Route 271, 0.1 miles east of U.S. 191, on the right when traveling east.
This location marks the second encounter of one of the last Indian uprisings in the United States. Posey and his Piute followers helped 2 young braves escape from the Blanding jail. At this site the pursuing posse closed in, Posey opened fire and . . . — — Map (db m95047) HM
Welcome to “Hovenweep.” It is a Paiute and Ute word meaning “deserted valley.” It was the name given this extraordinary place by pioneer photographer William H. Jackson, who visited here in 1874. It’s an apt description. As . . . — — Map (db m71464) HM
Near Bridge View Drive, 4.8 miles west of Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling south.
Kachina (Ka-cheé-na) Bridge was named for the Hopi kachina spirits which frequently displayed lightning snake symbols on their bodies. Similar snake patterns were carved by prehistoric people on the base of Kachina Bridge.
Kachina Bridge is the . . . — — Map (db m93017) HM
Near Utah Route 95 at milepost 101.5, on the right when traveling west.
Mule Canyon Ruin is an open Anasazi habitation site consisting of both above- and below-ground structures. This site was first occupied briefly in the Pueblo I time period (about A.D. 750) but the main occupation was during the Pueblo II and Pueblo . . . — — Map (db m95153) HM
Near Bridge View Drive, 6.7 miles Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling south.
Owachomo (O-wá-cho-mo) is a Hopi Indian word for rock mound. On the upper left side of the bridge is a rock outcrop which suggested the name for the bridge.
Owachomo Bridge looks different from either Sipapu or Kachina Bridge. Because Owachomo . . . — — Map (db m93094) HM
On Utah Route 95 at milepost 97, on the left when traveling west.
December 23, 1879 “The snow fell about eight inches...”
December 24, 1879 “... we had cooked the last food we had, consisting of a slap jack baked in a frying pan and about one inch thick.”
December 25, 1879 “ it was Christmas day 1879, which . . . — — Map (db m199568) HM
On South Main Street, on the left when traveling north.
A canal was surveyed from Johnson Creek on Blue Mountain to White Mesa; in 1902-3 lots were staked for homes. Two years later Albert R. Lyman and Family pitched first tent and settled one block west of this site. In 1907 a tent school was . . . — — Map (db m95062) HM
Near Bridge View Drive, 1.9 miles Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling south.
Several names have been given to the bridges over the years. Sipapu (Seé-pa-pu) has had at least two other names—President and Augusta—but these were later changed. Cliff dwellings and rock art in the area reminded William Douglass, the . . . — — Map (db m93093) HM
Over 700 years ago, Little Ruin Canyon was the scene of a sizable ancestral Pueblo community. Sustained by a small spring at the head of the canyon and rainwater held behind check dams on the mesa top, they flourished in what we would consider a . . . — — Map (db m71468) HM
Prior to surveyors setting the four Corners Monument this boundless land was inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans, followed by the Dine, Ute and other indigenous people. Over time, this land was claimed by Spain, taken in war by Mexico, ceded to the . . . — — Map (db m36526) HM
In 1883, Cass Hite wandered up White Canyon from his mining claim on the Colorado River and “discovered” three stone bridges. He brought them to the attention of area residents and the scientific community. Nowhere else had three such . . . — — Map (db m132275) HM
Official outlet of ZCMI (Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution), "America's First Department Store". This building housed the Grayson City Co-op from 1918 to 1939 when the name was changed to Parley Redd Mercantile. Both companies were part of . . . — — Map (db m95063) HM
A blacksmith shop with a skilled blacksmith was a necessity. Amasa Barton (Joseph Barton's brother) was kept busy fitting horseshoes, repairing wagons and making , sharpening and repairing everything from farming implement to carpentry tools.
In . . . — — Map (db m95040) HM
On U.S. 163 at milepost 38.3, on the right when traveling east.
William H. Jackson of the United States Geological and Geographical survey conducted the first formal archeological exploration of the Comb Ridge area. Originating in the Colorado Territory, Jackson and his team reached Comb Ridge by following . . . — — Map (db m95034) HM
On U.S. 163 at milepost 39.6, on the left when traveling east.
As winter storm approached, four nearly starved scouts, George Hobbs, George Morrill, Lemuel Redd, Sr. and George Sevey, sought shelter for the night in this area on December 27, 1879. The scouts were exploring for a feasible route for the 250 . . . — — Map (db m95035) HM
On North 6th Street at Black Locust Avenue, on the right when traveling north on North 6th Street.
Built in 1890's by Jens Nielson
Born in Denmark in 1820
Member of handcart company of 1856, to S.L.C.
First Mormon Bishop of Bluff 1880-1906 — — Map (db m95042) HM
In honor of her courage, faith, compassion, friendship, love, and medical service to the greater Bluff community from 1882-1906.
In addition to serving the children as Bluff's Primary president for 25 years, Josephine Wood was called by Bishop . . . — — Map (db m95037) HM
The Jones log cabin was located in the northwest corner of the fort. Near the turn of the century, the Joneses constructed an elegant stone home adjacent to their original cabin. Fire destroyed the Jones home in 1975.
In 1896, a gold rush brought . . . — — Map (db m95038) HM
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