Volume 1: Early Durango
These postcards depict the early days of Durango, Colorado. According to The City of Durango, the town was created by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Company in September 1880 as a location for smelters to work the silver and gold being mined nearby. Durango’s more moderate climate at an elevation of 6,512 feet above sea level, a steady water supply from the Animas River, and the availability of coal made it a good choice. The city was named after Durango, Mexico, supposedly because the territorial governor at the time thought the geography was similar. (source)
Pages
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- Durango (Colo.)
- Color photos of the M.E. South Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, and the Episcopal Church in Durango.
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- Durango (Colo.)
- Three photos: Durango High School, Park School, Whittier School, drawing on top left of Minerva, goddess of schoolmasters, a drawing on top right of an open book at the base of mountains.
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- Durango (Colo.)
- Aerial view photo of downtown Durango; billowing smoke drifting in the background, mesas in background have patches of snow.
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- Durango (Colo.) Panoramic View
- Panels 3 & 4 of the panorama view of early Durango, Colorado with view of the Animas River.
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- Durango (Colo.) Public Library
- Photo of the two-story Durango public library building. Two small trees are in front of the building, behind and on the right there is another structure that resembles a church.
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- Durango (Colo.) Rio Grande Southern Engine #20
- Photograph of Rio Grande Southern Engine #20 sitting on the roundhouse bridge in the Durango, Colorado Station.
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- Durango (Colo.), 1948
- Photograph of a train sitting in the Durango railroad terminal with railroad workers on the tracks. Several people are standing and walking on the station platform to the right of the card.
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- Durango (Colo.), 434 Sixth Street
- Black and white photograph of a house in winter, marked 1910 on the front, and noted on the back to be 434 Sixth Street, Durango, Colorado.
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- Durango (Colo.), July 1912
- Picture of a couple with their children on horses outside of shop on Main Street in Durango, Colorado in July of 1912.
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- Durango (Colo.), Looking Southeast
- Panorama photograph of Durango, Colorado, looking southeast. The mesa is seen in the middle left.
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- Durango - 1930
- Main Street Durango, 1930, looking north on Main Avenue.
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- Durango - Alamosa Narrow Gauge Passenger
- Actual photographic print of the Durango - Alamosa narrow gauge passenger train moving and pulling three passenger cars, exhaust is coming out of locomotive which says "Rio Grande 489."