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 Highschool Basketball Team
- Picture of Durango Basketball team with ball reading D.H.S. 11-12.
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- Durango Main Street (Durango, Colo.)
- Longshot looking north on Main Street, Durango, Colorado. Trolley is center, heading towards camera. Buildings, shops, power lines and poles line the streets. Pictured: Strater Hotel on left, S.M. Biggs Furniture Store, Fritz & Good [full sign not visible] Wallpaper Paints and Glass, and Buckeye Papers and Bind [full sign not visible] on right.
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- Durango Parade (Durango, Colo.)
- Durango Parade - fair 1916. Shows Red Cross and nurses with World War I soldier marching on Main St. in front of Graden Mercantile Co.
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- Durango Parks
- Picture of The Durango parks, with the South Park in the Upper Left Corner, Two Pictures of the Third Avenue Park, Upper Right and Lower Left, and the North Side Park in the lower left.
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- Durango Plant American Smelting & Refining Co., Durango, Colo.
- The Durango plant of the American Smelting & Refining Co.
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- Durango Public Library (Durango, Colo.)
- Hand colored photograph of front view of the two-story Durango Public Library building.
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- Durango Railroad Station Durango, Colo.
- Photograph of narrow gauge engine #485 (head on shot) sitting beside the Durango Railroad station. A man is walking beside the engine, and several people are seen on the platform and beside the train tracks.
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- Durango Schools - Park, High School and Whittier
- Durango Schools - Park, High School, and Whittier.
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- Durango Smelter (Durango, Colo.)
- Hand-colored photo of Durango Smelter, Durango, Colorado.
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- Durango Smelter, Durango, Colo.
- A view of smelter buildings etc., with Smelter Mountain sloping up to the left, in Durango, Colorado.
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- Durango Train Station, Durango, Colo.
- Large gathering of people at the train station. train is on left with three people standing on the train's observation platform, a sign saying "La Plata County contingent" is visible next to the station, written on the back is "WW1, Durango and France."
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- Durango and Animas River Valley, Colo.
- Photograph of Durango, the Animas River and the Animas Valley around Durango. Dated 6-4-47, addressed to Mr. Charles F. Ivins, 8 Morris Street, Merchantville, NJ. "Beautiful scenery. Wonderful pictures, if they turn out. Stew."