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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- Canton Cafe.
- Long view down a snowpacked street and snow melt. Canton Cafe. Written on back, "Mrs. Kieth."
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- Cascade Creek (near Durango, Colo.)
- Photograph of Cascade Creek near Durango, Colorado.
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- Cascade Falls near Durango, Colo.
- Cascade Falls near Durango, Colorado. Hans Will owned Richey's in Durango, Colorado.
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- Chief Buckskin Charlie, Durango, Colorado.
- Antique postcard with pink border, oriented vertically with the standing image of Chief Buckskin Charlie framed by an ornamental border in the top right.
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- Chimney Rock, Famous Landmark on Highway U.S. 160, San Juan Basin, Colo.
- Distant view of Chimney Rock, between Pagosa Springs and Bayfield/Durango on U.S. Highway160. COrrespondence on back and postmarked on August 3, 1956 to Mr. and Mrs. T. Tomlinson in Ft. Worth, Texas from Tony.
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- Churches of Durango
- Photos of seven churches in Durango: Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, etc. Some appear to be colored over [writing on back] addressed to Miss Kate Madden Norwood Ohio two postmarks and a one cent stamp.
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- City of Durango, Colorado
- Sepia aerial photograph of the City of Durango, Colorado, featuring the Animas River and the downtown area.
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- City of Durango, Colorado.
- Aerial view overlooking Durango next to the Animas River which is at the bottom left of the photo with a bridge suspended over the water.
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- Club House at Lake Electra
- The stone "club house" at Electra Lake, c. 1936 sitting in water, mountains in the background.
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- Colo. New Mexico Fair. Camera Store Durango, Colo.
- Two different photographs of men riding cattle. The photo on the left shows a man sitting (more or less) backward on a steer or bull, and the photo on the right shows a man riding a steer or bull.
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- Colorado Avia. Corp. Airplane Piloted by W. M. Ainslee
- Black and white photo of an airplane (single-engine bi-wing) either in take-off or landing on a grass field. Hills, cliffs, trees, and bushes are visible in the background.
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- Columbine Guest Ranch (Durango, Colo.)
- Picture of Columbine Guest Ranch, Durango, Colorado taken from across the street