Like so many other mountain towns, Durango, Colorado, sprang up because of the railroads and their mining interests. Nestled in the western San Juan Mountains on the Animas River (the River of Souls), the area was occupied for more than a thousand years, first by the Ancestral Puebloan people and later by the nomadic Ute people. Spanish and Mexican expeditions reached the area in the 1600s and 1700s respectively. But by the 1860s, numerous American miners had invaded the area which was rich in gold and silver deposits, and soon afterward, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Company quietly began buying up parcels of land in the Animas River valley. In September of 1880, the city was officially founded, and the narrow gauge railroad made its first trip north into the mountains the following year. It has been running ever since.
The railroad of course was our primary reason for being there. We awoke bright and early to chase it up to Silverton, a journey of about 50 miles but also some 3,000 feet in elevation. We visited the depot quickly....
...while the passengers and crew were boarding...
...and we were delighted to find "Whinney and Friends," another piece of terrific Colorado public art by Joyce Parkerson out in front of the depot.
My sister and I heard the whistle blow shortly thereafter, so we dashed for the car to watch the train steam through downtown Durango...
And then up the incredibly beautiful Animas River valley on US 550, the San Juan Scenic Byway...
After rounding this curve, the train passed under the highway, and the tracks split from the road to follow the course of the river. The drive however, even minus the vintage steam engine, continued to be spectacular. "Scenic" is an understatement. Every turn in the road brought new and breathtaking vistas.
Silverton, CO, (elevation 9,308 ft) as the name suggests was a silver mining boom town. Established initially as a camp in the 1870s, the arrival of the railroad in 1881 brought droves of miners from the eastern United States as well as from all over Europe. At its height, the town's population swelled to around 1500, but these days, only about 500 people live there, many of whom head south to Durango for the winters.
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| Silverton, CO, and the Animas River as seen from the road above |
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| Greene Street, the main street in downtown Silverton |
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| The Grand Imperial Hotel, founded in 1882 |
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| Pretty reflection, but we opted to skip the bugs |
We reached Silverton just ahead of the train which stops for about 2 hours to let the passengers explore town and have lunch. This also gives the railroad crew time to turn the train and bring on additional coal and water before heading back to Durango. Since we were tourists, too, we grabbed a bite to eat, and then had a look in the various shops along Greene Street. There were a number of places selling Native art and jewelry, so we happily perused them all. My favorite was Indian Plaza---the owner Molly was very happy to chat with us and answer our questions. And her shop was full of beautiful things...
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| Navajo rug and baskets |
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| An Acoma pot with shelves full of glorious pottery lurking in the background |
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| Another Acoma piece |
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| A Cochiti bowl |
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| Navajo rugs |
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| I came home with this gorgeous Zuni pendant by E. C. Kallestewa |
After a few pleasant hours exploring, we heard the train blow its whistle, signaling passengers that it was time to leave.
The train headed back south to Durango while we turned north onto the Million Dollar Highway toward Ouray. More spectacular mountain scenery to come!
