The construction history of this building is uncertain. A.R. Forbes was an early owner
and used the space for his drug store until around 1880, at which time he moved his
business to the northwest corner of Alpine (now 6th) and Taos streets. He . . . — — Map (db m152848) HM
Restoration of the historic railway was done as a construction training exercise by military engineering units of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army. Work was accomplished under the vision and direction of Captain Robert L. Ferriter, Civil Engineer . . . — — Map (db m282687) HM
Electric generating plants, through their high-voltage lines, provide critical power to the isolated mines in this region. Georgetown, completed in 1900, was unusual in employing both steam and water power. Its owner, United Light and Power . . . — — Map (db m285252) HM
Georgetown-Silver Plume
National Historic Landmark District
Hamill House
1867/1879
The Hamill House represents the height of prosperity achieved during Georgetown's mining era. The centerpiece of Historic Georgetown's properties, this . . . — — Map (db m69625) HM
A Norman inn built in a great silver mining camp by a mysterious Frenchman called Louis Dupuy, opened in 1875, richly furnished from New York ad abroad, it became nationally noted for continental delicacies and the literary bent of its proprietor, a . . . — — Map (db m173300) HM
Frenchman Louis Dupuy came to Georgetown in 1870 to seek his fortune in silver mining. A mine accident ended those dreams, and he soon opened the first phase of his extraordinary Hotel de Paris. The hotel, completed in 1890, featured steam heat, hot . . . — — Map (db m173301) HM
This plant is one of Colorado's oldest alternating-current hydroelectric facilities that is still generating electricity. When it began operating, the ability to provide inexpensive electric power with alternating current over long distances . . . — — Map (db m282673) HM
John Tomay came to Georgetown in 1873 to oversee the properties of the Baltimore Tunnel Company. He became an insurance, real estate, and loan agent and remained in Georgetown until his death in 1922. This “large, jovial man” was also . . . — — Map (db m173302) HM
Henry Kneisel built the western unit of this three-bay structure in 1892, and he moved his grocery business into it the following year. Kneisel had all the shelves and bins, which are still in use, built to his personal specifications. From his old . . . — — Map (db m173422) HM
Georgetown Lodge No. 12 AF & AM is one of the oldest continuously active fraternal orders in Colorado. The builder, Master Mason Charles Fish, incorporated Masonic symbols into the beautiful stained-glass windows. In 1912 this pioneer lodge combined . . . — — Map (db m173424) HM
In 1868 Erskine McClellan erected on this site a place of public gathering, McClellan Hall, which he later enlarged, calling it the McClellan Opera House. During the years 1869-1892, The great and the near-great of the theatrical worlds performed . . . — — Map (db m173425) HM
Attorney John McMurdy built this fine structure for offices; it is one of Georgetown's
earliest commercial buildings. Typical of the times, a false front extends above the gable roof, topped by a well-proportioned Italianate cornice.
Jacob . . . — — Map (db m152895) HM
This structure is one of the town’s oldest surviving wooden commercial buildings. Originally, it was a two-story structure that was about half the width of the present building. By 1874, the owners had doubled the size of the structure, creating a . . . — — Map (db m173427) HM
Now known as the Georgetown Community Center, this is one of the few two-story wooden commercial buildings remaining from the 1860s in Georgetown. Initially, builders John Fillius and J.G. Mahany had their Ohio Grocery and Bakery on the first floor, . . . — — Map (db m173428) HM
The town of Georgetown built this small stone jail in the summer of 1883, using steel cells donated by the county. Built at a cost of $700, the stone jail was known for awhile as the "Hotel de Barr," after town Marshall Barr and for the "vertical . . . — — Map (db m39338) HM
In 1873, The Colorado Miner reported that Theo Simmons had constructed "a handsome brick building on Rose Street," one of Georgetown's first commercial brick structures, to house his business. In 1877, he sold to William Hamill, who soon acquired . . . — — Map (db m282676) HM
This firehouse, which features Italianate detailing, originally stored the equipment of the Star Hook and Ladder Company, which had formed in 1874. The “Star Hooks” had acquired a new long fire truck with ladders, hook stakes, and . . . — — Map (db m173299) HM
The firm of Teal, Foster, and Co. built this fine brick office building. Brothers George and James Teal and their partner, Ernest Le Neve Foster, were "general mining agents and consulting engineers.” Their ads indicate that they managed . . . — — Map (db m152849) HM
The festivities that greeted the 1877 arrival of the railroad in Georgetown were short-lived. Word of massive silver discoveries in Leadville, forty-five miles to the southwest, sparked a rush to the new ore fields.
The Union Pacific Railroad, . . . — — Map (db m282681) HM
Situated in the heart of Colorado's Front Range, the Georgetown Loop Mining and Railroad Park recreates a significant part of Colorado's historic Clear Creek Valley. Some of the most important events of the Colorado gold and silver booms took place . . . — — Map (db m282686) HM
Colorado's scenic wonders lured settlers and tourists alike. Geography and weather placed strict limits on travel routes and seasons. Politicians, engineers, and citizens often disagreed about how to cross the Continental Divide. Between 1941 and . . . — — Map (db m152814) HM
Brothers James F. and Alfred C. Tucker conducted their grocery and provisions business out of this building during the 1870s. They advertised “Wines, Liquors, Tobacco, Queens-ware, Clothing, Boots and Shoes.” Here a customer in 1879 . . . — — Map (db m173240) HM
Arrastras like this one were used by the earliest hard-rock miners in this area to grind gold ore. People skilled in stone cutting made them for the miners from local rock.
This arrastra was chiseled by hand from blocks of hard granite. . . . — — Map (db m144184) HM
In Memoriam DREXEL LACEY 1892-1930 Resident Engineer State Highway Department Completed the survey of this highway August 13, 1926 — — Map (db m76801) HM
Mrs. Coddington owned a two-story brick double on the corner lot. It was occupied by W.K. Townsend (grocer) and Paul Lanius (hardware). Townsend imported glassware and crockery and was said to have the best selection of cigars in town. "Lets all . . . — — Map (db m76856) HM
J.J. Elliott had his assay office in the building which was built in 1879. Often during the boom days of the 1880's dozens of ore wagons were parked on Miner Street in front of the "Exchange". Elliott promoted himself in the city directories of the . . . — — Map (db m76854) HM
Charlie Tayler used this waterwheel to power a stamp mill at his gold mining operations on Ute Creek. Tayler, who attributed his good health to the fact that he never kissed woman or took baths, built the waterwheel in 1893. It was moved to its . . . — — Map (db m74371) HM
Built in 1881, this building housed M. C. Livingstone’s jewelry and sewing machine store during the early ‘80’s. Since Livingstone had some of the first commercial sewing machines in the district, he made a brisk living repairing the canvas awnings . . . — — Map (db m144187) HM
Mt. Evans, Colorado Elevation 14,125 ft.
“The World’s Highest Operational Observatory”
Building Dedication August 19, 1996
“...for educational purposes in astrophysics and astronomy...” — — Map (db m3364) HM
Argentine Central Shay Locomotive No. 1 in Silver Plume, 1905. The Argentine Central Railway, incorporated in 1905 and built to service the Argentine Mining District in the Waldorf area, reached the summit of Mt. McClellan in 1906. The railroad . . . — — Map (db m13629) HM
Language carries the culture. Read in English, the meanings here may differ from those of the traditional Spanish language of this area. The language, reminiscent of sixteenth century Spain, is a cornerstone of the culture. For half a century . . . — — Map (db m282900) HM
This memorial is the
property of the State of Colorado
Cumbres Pass
Near Continental Divide between the
waters of the Rio Grande and the San Juan
”Cumbres” is Spanish for “Summits”
Altitude 10,022 Feet
Railroad . . . — — Map (db m125500) HM
[Español]Sociedad Protección Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos (S.P.M.D.T.U.) 26 de Noviembre 1900 ————— Los Primeros Oficiales De La Sociedad Protección Mutua De Trabajadores Unidos Celedonio E. Mondragón — Presidente . . . — — Map (db m281555) HM
Deeply rooted in the Catholic religion, the Hispano settlers of the San Luis Valley shared unique spiritual beliefs. On the edge of the frontier, they were extremely isolated with only the occasional priest visiting to administer mass, rites, or . . . — — Map (db m282974) HM
Frederick Fitzjarrald Haberlein (1944-2018), grew up at the Conejos Ranch on the Conejos River just west of Antonito. He graduated from Antonito High School and then attended Colorado State University on an art scholarship where he graduated with a . . . — — Map (db m282918) HM
Because our locomotives are powered by steam, they drink a lot of water.
When the D&RG laid the track, crews built tanks at about ten-mile intervals. The first water tank at Osier was built in 1880. The present tank is a replacement. Both were . . . — — Map (db m282850) HM
The D & RG paid attention to comfort.
Tourists meant revenue and potential new settlers. Ads boasted special excursion trips through the scenic Rockies. In the 1930s, the San Juan refitted its 1880s vintage passenger cars with closed vestibules . . . — — Map (db m282835) HM
“It is believed that the penitente lay fraternity was founded in the 13th century by followers of St. Francis of Assisi in Europe. The practice of penance and strong devotion came to the Western Hemisphere with the Spaniards and made its way . . . — — Map (db m291779) HM
Ranchers relied on the D& RG to ship livestock to Denver, Kansas City, and other markets.
In 1935 alone, shippers ordered 1,087 stockcars, most double-deck sheep cars. From the 1880s until the 1950s, ranchers drove grazing livestock into . . . — — Map (db m282833) HM
You have entered the land of the Rio Bravo del Norte, the northernmost outpost of sixteenth century Spain. To the Spanish people, the San Luis Valley was a wild and unexplored place known only to the Native people. Amid the beauty and towering . . . — — Map (db m293899) HM
Until the railroad arrived, there was no town where Antonito exists today. The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) had originally intended to establish its southern operations in the village of Conejos. Settlers there, some of the earliest to the . . . — — Map (db m282935) HM
The Section House, built in 1881, provided living quarters for railroaders stationed here.
A cook, sometimes the forman's wife, prepared food for everyone at the site. Larger than many on the Cumbres route, Osier's section house had rooms to . . . — — Map (db m282852) HM
Rising Rockies!
The Rocky Mountains started uplifting about 65 million years ago, during what's called the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era.
As they rose, the mountains often fractured along fault lines, which are still visible. About 35 . . . — — Map (db m282827) HM
Antonito grew out of the race to build the first railroad through the southern Rockies. The Denver & Rio Grande Western arrived in 1880, built the town, then kept pushing westward over a rugged, remote stretch of the San Juan Mountains. To save . . . — — Map (db m280799) HM
In a great race to reach the gold and silver mines of Silverton, the San Juan Extension of the Denver & Rio Grande built a railroad over Cumbres Pass. In 1880, a narrow gauge railway was the quickest and cheapest way to transport people and . . . — — Map (db m293898) HM
Once the tracks had been laid through Cumbres Pass toward Chama and Durango, another building crew arrived at Cumbres Pass to construct the facilities the railroad would need to operate its trains. In 1881, a little settlement took shape. . . . — — Map (db m282868) HM
The horse represented more than a new mode of transportation to the American Indian — it represented a new way of life. The animals began filtering north from Spanish settlements in the seventeenth century, and the once-impenetrable great Plains . . . — — Map (db m280794) HM
“Over 100 years ago my uncle, Alejandro Garcia, a rancher, gathered cows near here. He always carried his geologist pick with him on his horse, and given the opportunity, he would stop to investigate the land looking for gold, silver, or other . . . — — Map (db m293897) HM
Fred Warshauer was born in the Province of Posen in 1859 — a part of modern day Germany and Poland. He was Jewish and fled Europe to avoid being drafted into the Prussian army. He lived in poverty until coming to the United States and settling in . . . — — Map (db m282911) HM
¡Bienvenidos Caminantes! Come! Take a walk with us. We know an old song, El Caminante, which tells of taking a long walk along the ancient roads. Like the first prehistoric inhabitants, you too are a “caminante”, or one who . . . — — Map (db m293990) HM
What is a National Heritage Area? A national heritage area is a region recognized by the United States Congress for its unique qualities and resources — natural, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreational. Rich in history, religion, . . . — — Map (db m282922) HM
[left panel] Colorado's vast plains, rugged mountains, and grand plateaus, so magnificent in their beauty and variety, seem at times to overshadow the state's history and people. But look closely. The story of Colorado is . . . — — Map (db m280985) HM
This tract was selected by Bishop Machebeuf, for the first permanent church in Colorado. Here was built a jacal (picket) church, later replaced by a larger church. The first parish of Colorado was erected 100 years ago with Our Lady of Guadalupe as . . . — — Map (db m281594) HM
The bunkhouse provided sleeping quarters for the men who did seasonal track work, snow removal, and improvement to the railroad.
Built in 1880, it was an adjunct to the section house. Some crews were served by bunk and kitchen cars on work trains . . . — — Map (db m282849) HM
We burn coal to boil water to make steam, to drive the pistons, to turn the wheels, to make our locomotives go, go, go!
Coal was the lifeblood of the D&RG and still fuels the C&TSRR. Coal platforms like this one dotted the line. Crews shoveled . . . — — Map (db m282855) HM
Built in 1880, the depot is small because Osier handled very little freight and passenger business. Nevertheless, the agent issued all-important train orders and processed message traffic each day of the year. Furnishing included a telegraph desk, . . . — — Map (db m282863) HM
At 9,637 feet, Osier was one of the D&RG's most remote stations.
As early as 1882, it operated as one of the few open train order telegraph offices along the Cumbres Pass route and was especially busy during stock shipping season and winter snow . . . — — Map (db m282866) HM
Foot paths and unpaved toll roads led early travelers through these mountains prior to the coming of D&RG.
In 1878, Osier marked the halfway point from Conejos, Colorado, and Chama, New Mexico, on the Park View-Ft Garland toll road. You can . . . — — Map (db m282865) HM
How do you turn around on a one-track railroad?
The D&RG used three methods. Tracks configuring a "wye" allowed a locomotive to leave the main line, then back around another curved track to end up heading in the opposite direction. A loop track, . . . — — Map (db m282854) HM
Bob Howsam was born February 28, 1918 in Denver, Colorado. His parents, Lee and Mary, moved the family to La Jara in 1926 to produce honey. Bob was an All Valley basketball player for the La Jara Wildcats in 1936. He attended the University of . . . — — Map (db m294492) HM
District Number 1Organized January 25, 1915, for the betterment of rural education. The first consolidated school in the San Luis Valley. ——— This tablet is the property of the State of Colorado ——— Monument erected by The State Historical . . . — — Map (db m281581) HM
“Swift, deep and wide ran the Río Grande through the San Luis Valley. Untapped by irrigation, crossing the Río Grande was a death defying experience for anyone who attempted it. The 1694 de Vargas entrada is the first record of a Spaniard . . . — — Map (db m294494) HM
“Swift and wide ran the Rio Grande through the San Luis Valley. Untapped by irrigation, crossing the Rio Grande was a death defying experience for anyone who attempted it. The 1694 de Vargas entrada is the first record of a Spaniard successfully . . . — — Map (db m294497) HM
Established in 2006 through an act of Congress, the purpose of the Rio Grande Natural Area is to “conserve, restore and protect the natural, historic, cultural, scientific, scenic, wildlife and recreational resources” of the lower Rio Grande in . . . — — Map (db m294498) HM
This monument is dedicated to Mary Celia Dempsey mother of William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey born June 24, 1895
He fought his way to become
world heavyweight champion on July 4, 1919
and became known as the legendary "Manassa Mauler"
My . . . — — Map (db m80896) HM
In 1878, Mormon pioneers came from the southern states and Utah, settling first at Los Cerritos. In 1879, they organized the town of Manassa, built homes, a school house, and place of worship from native logs. Settlements of Ephraim (1879) and . . . — — Map (db m281593) HM
“In order to survive the Valley's first of many harsh winters, the earliest settlers needed to build shelter quickly. Jacales were constructed by digging a trench, setting vertical posts and covering them with adobe stucco. Annual travelers . . . — — Map (db m291699) HM
Near here, on the banks of the Conejos River, Zebulon M. Pike built a log stockade in early February, 1807, and for the first time raised an American flag over what is now Colorado. Pike's trek of 1806-07 was the second official United States . . . — — Map (db m22701) HM
The D500 is a chain-drive diesel-mechanical locomotive built in Mesita, CO, 25 miles south of Blanca, at the workshops of the Colorado Aggregate Co. during 1954-56. It was designed and built by Channel Wilcox of Denver, CO and George Oringdulph of . . . — — Map (db m281439) HM
Rail transportation reached the San Luis Valley in the form of the narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Railway, completed to Alamosa in 1878. The track was standard-gauged in 1899. Meanwhile, efforts to cultivate the Valley demonstrated the soil's . . . — — Map (db m281433) HM
Trails throughout the San Luis Valley tell many stories of those who have lived and visited here. They speak of prehistoric animals, bands of native hunters and gatherers, Spanish explorers, Mexican traders, American soldiers, and many others. . . . — — Map (db m295403) HM
Honoring with Pride Costilla County Veterans
A list of veterans from the Civil War through Operation Desert Shield is engraved on the marker. — — Map (db m64065) WM
This property was presented to the State Historical Society by the Fort Garland Historical Fair Association, which saved the fort for posterity. Established November 30, 1945, as a memorial to the first Colorado settlers, and the U.S. Army troops . . . — — Map (db m281275) HM
This memorial is the
Property of the State of Colorado
———
Fort Garland
United States military outpost
to protect settlers from
hostile Indians. Named for
Brig. Gen. John Garland . . . — — Map (db m22731) HM
Front
The Soldier’s Life
Fort Garland housed infantry and cavalry units. During the 1870’s the famed Buffalo Soldiers—African-American cavalrymen—were also posted here. For all soldiers—and their families—life at Fort Garland was . . . — — Map (db m71032) HM WM
Western expansion and the need to keep peace between settlers and indigenous people fueled the need for frontier forts. Fort Garland was established in 1858, replacing the earlier Fort Massachusetts, just six miles to the north. Five of the . . . — — Map (db m295462) HM
Secured by the U.S. Military from attacks by native peoples, new settlements and mining camps began developing in the San Luis Valley. Long used trails and wagon roads were updated and turned into toll roads. “ 'I had a dream' wrote William . . . — — Map (db m295486) HM
Two U.S. military forts, only six miles apart, on the fringes of the frontier? What gives? Since the early 1800s, Hispano people from northern New Mexico had attempted to settle in the San Luis Valley on land granted from Spain or Mexico. To . . . — — Map (db m295482) HM
What is a National Heritage Area? A national heritage area is a region recognized by the United States Congress for its unique qualities and resources — natural, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreational. Rich in history, religion, . . . — — Map (db m295451) HM
The majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains facing you, or “La Sierra,” are the life of this community. This land was part of the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant, issued to Narciso Beaubien and Stephen Lee in 1843 by the Mexican government. With . . . — — Map (db m294298) HM
The acequia (ah-say-kya) system, a thriving example of environmentally wise self-government, merges influences from Spain and North Africa. Acequias are long, gently sloping ditches that carry water from rivers and streams to the fields. All . . . — — Map (db m293699) HM
Hispano pioneers founded Colorado's first permanent settlements. Settlers began pushing northward from Taos toward present Colorado in the early 1800s, and in 1844 the Mexican government gave the Sangre de Cristo land grant to two Taos residents. . . . — — Map (db m281598) HM
The oldest continuously used ditch in Colorado, with court decree priority No. 1, and dating from April 10, 1852. Dug by the pioneer settlers of Colorado. Colorado's greatness is built upon irrigation. ——— This tablet is the property of . . . — — Map (db m281600) HM
Located within the National Historic Landmark District of La Plaza de San Luís De La Culebra Listed to the National Register of Historic Places on December 22nd, 1978 — — Map (db m294294) HM
The Sacred Circle Mission Churches lie in Costilla County, Colorado — nestled at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Construction of the nine original historic buildings in the Sacred Circle began in the mid-1850s and continued until . . . — — Map (db m294299) HM
In May 1991 Rev. Pat Valdez of the Sangre de Cristo Church journeyed to Rome with twenty-nine parishioners for an audience with Pope John Paul II. They were accompanied by sculptor Huberto Maestas, a San Luis native and creator of the town's . . . — — Map (db m293688) HM
The birthplace of Colorado is here! On April 9, 1851, the Town of San Luis was founded as the first permanent settlement in Colorado. This settlement was in the northernmost frontier of Hispano lands and very few ventured into this unknown . . . — — Map (db m294296) HM
[left panel] All the inhabitants shall have use of pasture, wood, water, and timber and the mills that have been erected shall remain where they are, not interfering with the rights of others. No stock shall be allowed in said . . . — — Map (db m294491) HM
Colorado's earliest non-Indian occupants were Hispanos. Migrating north from present-day New Mexico in the mid-1800s. These colonists battled the Ute Indians for control of the San Luis Valley while the United States and Mexico warred over the . . . — — Map (db m293599) HM
In honor and memory of those from San Luis and Costilla County who gave their lives in defense of freedom World War II Korean War Vietnam War — — Map (db m294479) WM
Commemorating the historical importance of the pioneers who were responsible for the first permanent settlement in Colorado.1851 ——— This tablet is the property of the State of Colorado ——— Erected by the State Historical Society of Colorado . . . — — Map (db m281599) HM
The Silver Thread Scenic and Historic Byway travels through the upper Rio Grande Valley and crosses the Continental Divide. Creede, Lake City, and South Fork are historical complements to this extraordinary scenic byway. Our Lady of Guadalupe . . . — — Map (db m293698) HM
What is a National Heritage Area? A national heritage area is a region recognized by the United States Congress for its unique qualities and resources — natural, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreational. Rich in history, religion, . . . — — Map (db m294295) HM
Times of Thriving, Times of Striving
Fertile soil and plenty of irrigation water
set the stage for farms that thrived for
forty years, beginning in 1919. The area
around Crowley was bursting with
orchards, vegetable farms, an . . . — — Map (db m119634) HM
Crowley Communities
If the dry summers of the late 1920s spelled trouble for Crowley County, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s spelled disaster. Many farmers simply packed up and left, and their acreage reverted to grasslands and became cattle . . . — — Map (db m120745) HM
Hardscrabble's rugged cliffs are perfect bighorn sheep habitat — wild, rocky, and open. Against the steep canyon walls, their brown coats blend into the vegetation and rocks. Scan the hillsides closely for their white rump patches or listen . . . — — Map (db m153186)
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