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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- Vagabond Motel - Durango, Colorado
- Vegabond Motel - Durango, Colorado Postcard. 2180 Main Avenue on U.S. Highway 550 Durango, Colorado. Colored picture.
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- Vallecito Dam (Colo.)
- View of a structure on top of the dam, with two vehicles in front, several people standing in front of a white building on the right in the background is a pine covered hill. May be the earth dam in the foreground.
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- Vallecito Dam (Colo.)
- Photo of water flowing out of the dam over the spillway. Writing on back states, "New channel of the river before the spillway" and "Real Photo Vallecito Dam 1939."
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- Vallecito Dam (Colo.), August, 1939
- Original photograph of the mouth of the spillway under construction at the Vallecito Dam, August, 1939.
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- Vallecito Dam diversion channel
- View of water flowing over the diversion channel from Vallecito Reservoir.
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- Vallecito Dam diversion channel (near Durango, Colo.)
- Photo of the diversion channel used during the construction of the Vallecito Dam. The water flows underneath a bridge built out of logs. Mountains are seen in the background.
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- Vallecito Dam on the Pine River North of Bayfield in the San Juan Basin, Colo.
- Hand painted color aerial picture of the lake and Vallecito Dam, surrounded by a forest of trees. The text reads, "The Vallecito Dam impounds the flood waters of the Pine River for irrigation but also offers a fine lake surrounded by pine clad hills with excellent fishing and summer cottages."
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- Vallecito Reservoir (near Durango, Colo.)
- Black and white photograph with an aerial view of Vallecito Reservoir surrounded by pine covered hills and snow capped mountains in the distance.
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- Valley Ranch Winter Scene near Durango, Colo.
- Distant view of snow covered ranch in a valley. A road runs through the valley, snow covered mountains are seen in the background. Card is addressed to Mr. Ernest Henderson, Star Route, Tonapah, Arizona.
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- Valley farm land near Durango, Colo.
- A view of farm land in a valley near Durango, Colorado.
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- Valley of the Rio de los Animas, Durango, Colo.
- Photograph of the Animas River flowing through the Animas Valley near Durango, Colorado.
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- Vanadium Plant (Durango, Colo.)
- Photograph of the Vanadium Plant, Durango, Colorado.