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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- 1910 Flood (Durango, CO)
- 1910 flood in Durango, Colorado. Shows washed-out railroad bridge.
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- 1911 Flood (Durango, CO)
- Flood of 1911, Durango, Colorado. Shows houses and trees surrounded by water.
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- 1912 Durango Flood
- A view of the flooded Krider residence near 15th Street on 2nd Avenue in Durango, Colorado.
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- 1916 Blizzard Durango, CO. Shoveling Sidewalk
- Black and white winter picture of three men with shovels, standing in front of high snow bank. A dog is on the left hand side.
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- 1930's Photo of Big Snow Banks on the Streets of Durango
- Photograph postcard showing high snowbanks piled up on Main Street in Durango
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- 478 D&RGW Durango, CO San Juan Express 7-18-1947
- Black and white photograph of a train and railroad tracks.
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- A Bad Spill, Durango Fair and Roundup (CO)
- Photograph of three men racing on horseback, one of whom has fallen in front of his horse.
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- A Photograph of the Famous "Moving Mountain"
- A black and white photograph of the famous "Moving Mountain" in Durango, Colorado. What looks to be gravel or other rock material seems to be falling off the mountain. A small amount of snow is visible on the mountain.
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- A. N. Knight's Ranch (Animas Valley, CO)
- Distant view of A. N. Knight's ranch situated in the Animas Valley.
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- After the Flood - 9-12-1907
- A blurry sepia photograph of the aftermath of a flood in Durango in 1907. Two men wearing suits pose with the rubble.
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- Airplane on College Mesa (Durango, CO)
- About seven men pushing a Curtiss Pusher Model D aero plane on a mesa in the Durango, Colorado area. Spectators are in the background. Possibly piloted by Ralph E. McMillen, who flew a Curtiss Pusher at the Colorado-New Mexico Fair in 1913.
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- Airplane on College Mesa (Durango, CO)
- Photo of a crowd of people surrounding a Curtiss Pusher Model D airplane in a field on the mesa, most likely where Fort Lewis College is now situated in Durango, Colorado. Visible to the north in the background are mountains and the Animas Valley. Possibly piloted by Ralph E. McMillen, who flew a Curtiss Pusher at the Colorado-New Mexico Fair in 1913.