Nina Heald Webber Southwest Colorado Postcards

A collection of several thousand postcards offering the tourist perspective of Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Mesa Verde, Mancos, Cortez, the Million Dollar Highway, and other areas in the Four Corners region from 1890s through the 1950s. The physical postcards are housed in the archive of the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College.

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)
Volume 2: Later Durango and Local Narrow Gauge Railroads
The town of Durango was created by Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Company to process ore from the mines in nearby towns and the railroad has been a significant factor in the town from 1882 until now. According to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, providing a scenic ride through the majestic San Juan Mountains for passengers was an important part of the train’s purpose from the start, along with hauling hauling gold and silver ore to the smelters. That continues to this day with over 200,000 passengers riding each year. (source) Durango is more than the train and tourism. Natural resources, food and beverage manufacturing, and lifestyle firms are key industries in La Plata County. (source) Durango is also home to Fort Lewis College. Originally an Army post and then later a boarding school for Native American students. Formed in 1911, Fort Lewis College moved to its current location on the mesa above town in 1956. “The Fort,” as it is locally known, is Colorado’s public liberal arts institution with close to 3,500 students who can choose from numerous majors. FLC embraces its responsibility to provide educational opportunities to the nation’s Native American and Indigenous students. Fort Lewis is particularly known for the success of its cycling teams that have accumulated over 20 national championships and was the top Division I team in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011. (source) A diversified economy in Durango is also flourishing. Durango is an immensely popular tourist destination, and consistently ranks as one of the “best places to live” in the United States. Many cite the spectacular natural resources surrounding the town and which provide incredible year-round outdoor recreation opportunities such as cycling, skiing, river rafting, fishing, hiking, and more.
Volume 3: Mesa Verde/ Aztec Ruins
According to the U.S. National Park Service, Mesa Verde National Park features 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 spectacular cliff dwellings. The name is Spanish for “Green Table,” and the area was inhabited by the Ancestral Pueblo people from AD 600 to 1300, over 700 years. (source) Mesa Verde, as well as nearby Aztec Ruins National Monument located in Aztec, New Mexico, are an important link to the Native American past of the region and provide significant economic stimulus, with well over half a million people visiting each year. (source)
Volume 4: Silverton & Animas Canyon
Silverton, Colorado, is a National Historic Landmark nestled in the high San Juan mountains. According to the Town of Silverton, it became a center for the many regional silver and gold mining camps in 1874. The town has a rowdy “Old West” past that its residents are happy to say hasn’t entirely left. Silverton is found along the San Juan Skyway, which includes the “Million Dollar Highway,” supposedly one of the most dangerous roads in the U.S. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway travels to Durango except in the winter when the risk of avalanches is too great. At an elevation of 9,318 feet, tourists visit Silverton for year-round outdoor activities and to experience a bit of an old mining town. (source)
Volume 5: Telluride/ Ouray/ Ophir
These mountain towns are gems in Southwest Colorado. Telluride and tiny Ophir are in San Miguel County, and Ouray, not far away if unimproved roads aren’t a barrier, is located in Ouray County. Telluride is the most populous (about two thousand residents) and best known of the three, home to a famous ski resort, many well-known music festivals, and exclusive luxury homes. Telluride’s colorful history as a hard-rock mining town where gold, silver, and tellurium were extracted beginning in 1878 changed dramatically in the 1970s when the Telluride Ski Resort opened. Telluride’s elevation is 8,750 feet above sea level, a bit higher than Ouray’s 7,792. (source) Fewer than 1,000 people call Ouray home, but each year many thousands of tourists visit the charming village, nicknamed the “Switzerland of America.” Like most mountain towns in the region, Ouray was founded on mining (gold, in this case), made accessible by the railroad, and popular with visitors. (source) Ophir, Colorado, is the highest in elevation of these three towns at 9,695 feet. Gold was discovered in 1875, and the town was founded in 1881, but the mines decreased until there was only one resident in 1970! Telluride’s popularity in recent has allowed a few hundred residents to call Ophir home. (source)
Volume 6: Other Southwest Colorado Areas
From Montrose to Cortez to Pagosa Springs, southwest Colorado includes many towns with interesting history, significant natural and cultural resources, and other facets that have been pictured on postcards.