Durango

Durango & Silverton Narow Gauge Railroad, Train Station

 

Born in the wake of Colorado's gold and silver rush, Durango was established in the fall of 1880, when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad decided to build a track to Silverton and established Durango as the hub of its rail system to trasport ore from the mountains to smelters in Durango.

The railroad company first wanted to locate its roundhouse and station in Animas City, now a portion of northern Durango, and asked the Animas City town fathers to donate the land for a depot. But the proud little town refused and the angry railroad company headed south to create a new town of its own, adding controversy to Durango's birth.

Will Rogers once said of Durango, Colorado, "It's out of the way, and glad of it." And glad it is. Our small western city, tucked away in a horseshoe of the San Juan Mountains in the southwestern corner of the state, has been the gateway to southwestern Colorado's riches for more than 100 years. Indians and fur traders, miners and prospectors, ranchers and railroad engineers alike, have passed through Durango on their way to seek their fortunes. Many of them found that Durango itself was the treasure they sought.

Historic Strater Hotel in Main Street Durango.

Durango - It’s where ranches, rolling hills, breathtaking beauty and a storytelling river harken back to the days when people had the time, and took the time, to slow down and simply visit. .Main Street ia sa very beautiful street with houses from the turn of the century and lots of shops & restaurants. Railroad fans can go from here with a nostalgia train to Silverton.

Durango-Silverton Train

Silverton

related topics & articles:
COLORADO Portal

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Durango Train
Durango Tourism Office