Directory of Railroad Properties Properties in the Colorado Register of Historic Properties, Fourth Edition, Updated through September 30, 2006

From introduction: "Railroads played a major role in the settlement and growth of Colorado following the beginning of the 1859 gold rush. The heart of the Colorado railroad story centers on laying rails to the mines of the Rocky Mountains. Supply and shipping centers, agriculture and the tourist industry all followed the railroads to the mines. The story is complex, covering many different lines and regions, two distinctly different track gauges, transfers of ownerships, bankruptcies, engineering challenges, and of course, mountain passes, river valleys and awe-inspiring scenery. In Colorado’s mountainous west, the beginning of the twentieth century signaled the end of the boom period for many mining districts. Railroad managers increasingly consolidated and abandoned routes to focus on the profitable mining and smelting centers. Narrow gauge tracks, once dominate throughout the state’s mountainous region, steadily gave way to standard gauge replacement. First generation depots and other trackside structures were often replaced by larger and improved facilities along profitable routes. Similar structures were moved, sold or simply left to deteriorate along abandoned lines. Bridges were recycled, rails removed for scrap, and ties left to return to the soil. Tourists sought out Colorado mountain railroads for their spectacular scenery and equally spectacular engineering. The Georgetown Loop, the Animas River canyon, and the Royal Gorge became early favorites with rail travelers. Railroad managers promoted the scenic aspects of their routes to supplement freight traffic and local passenger business. The eastern plains and western valleys became a growing source of railroad traffic and revenue as agriculture rose to pass mining as the state’s major economic activity. Fruit from the western slope, wheat and corn from the plains, sugar beets from the northeast and southeast, melons from the lower Arkansas River, potatoes and beans from the San Luis Valley, and livestock from across the state filled rail cars every fall... The properties featured in this directory are listed in either the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties or the National Register of Historic Places. Some properties are individually listed and others are listed as part of larger historic districts." Funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Directory of Railroad Properties Properties in the Colorado Register of Historic Properties, Fourth Edition, Updated through September 30, 2006

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