Bob Pierce Collection
These images are from the Bob Pierce Photo Collection. Bob worked for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad for nearly 48 years as a supervisory agent, stationed at the railroad offices in Salida, Colorado.
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- Plane Crash Aftermath
- The 1919 July 4th Airshow in Salida, Colorado featured a spectacular crash by pilot Harry B. Crewdson. The Salida Mail reported: 'Eight thousand people shuddered with horror when Harry B. Crewdson, descending with his biplane from a thrilling flight on July 4, crashed to earth, the machine a crunching, splintered wreck buried beneath a cloud of dust.' Crewdson flew 'to within 1,000 feet off the ground, swept over the fairgrounds in a large circle and was preparing to ascend again when his engine stopped. He signaled to his mechanics that he was having trouble and would have to descend. He swept again over the track and decided to land outside the grounds but the engine took hold again and he soared over to the aviation field. His engine was working again as he neared the earth and he intended to come within a few feet of the ground, elevate the nose of the plane and ascend to a great height to complete the stunts. At that moment, his engine commenced missing and his elevator refused to work. He saw that he must descend and he looked for a favorable place, while he unstrapped himself from the machine to prepare for an accident. The wheels of the plane touched the ground, the right wing tilted to one side and swept the ground, wheeling the plane round until it faced in the opposite direction, while the nose of the engine plowed into the earth. The propeller blades snapped like matches and the plane crashed about him like a falling building.' This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Rail Lines and Encampment
- An unidentified railway with a small encampment nearby. This could possibly be in the Tennessee Pass, Colorado area. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Railroad Workers at the Freight House
- This is a photograph of 5 railroad workers and one woman at the Denver and Rio Grande freight house in Salida, Colorado. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Railroad Workers at the Freight House
- A photograph of railroad workers at the Denver and Rio Grande freight house in Salida, Colorado. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Red Sublett on Topsy
- A postcard of rodeo star Red Sublett being bucked around by Topsy. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Reno Arena for the Jim Jeffries - Jack Johnson Boxing Match
- A photograph of the outdoor arena in Reno, Nevada, which hosted the James Jeffries and Jack Johnson boxing match. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Reno Arena for the Jim Jeffries - Jack Johnson Boxing Match
- A photograph of the outdoor arena in Reno, Nevada, which hosted the James Jeffries and Jack Johnson boxing match. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Reno Arena for the Jim Jeffries - Jack Johnson Boxing Match
- A photograph of the outdoor arena in Reno, Nevada, which hosted the James Jeffries and Jack Johnson boxing match. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Rose and Thelma at Valley View Hot Springs
- Rose and Thelma posing at Valley View Hot Springs, Colorado. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Ruth Roach
- Cowgirl Ruth Roach poses with her horse. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Ruth as Revolutionary Patriot
- Ruth poses in colonial costume. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.
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- Salida Train Wreck
- About a mile and a half west of Salida, the two engines of Passenger Train No. 16 were wrecked due to a rail washout on the line. The washout extended for about a hundred yards and the first engine fell in and buried itself, followed by the second engine, which rammed against it. Before the wreck, Engineer Reardon averted disaster when he noticed a cautionary headlight given off by a neighboring switch engine. Using his ‘customary Safety First caution’, he slowed the train down from 40 mph to around 10, saving passenger lives. Unfortunately, there was one fatality. Fireman John Mangan was killed when the coal car crushed him and a steam pipe scalded him to death. This image is from the Bob Pierce Collection.