History

The last stop on my historical tour of Colorado was actually across the border in Folsom, New Mexico (pop. 75).  In 1895, Folsom had the largest stockyards north of Ft. Worth.  These days, Ghosttowns.com lists the community as a “semi-ghost town.”

There isn’t much to it, just a small community on the plains of eastern New Mexico.  But at its center stands this delightful block of abandoned turn-of-the-century stores.  No trains… but I could see this on my layout nonetheless!

Down in Antonito, Colorado is the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railway, which runs on narrow gauge track originally laid in 1880 by the Denver & Rio Grande.  These days, it runs from Antonito to Chama, New Mexico, 65 miles to the south.

Across the street, unused cars and another locomotive (#495) were on display, giving me plenty to photograph.  Someday, I hope to use these photos to scratchbuild models of what I’ve seen.

Next on my tour of Colorado’s railroad history was Alamosa, an old railroad town in the San Luis Valley, which Wiki calls “the highest general agricultural land in the United States [and] the largest intermountain valley in the world…”  Alamosa was built in a single day in 1878 when the D&RG railroad brought in all the buildings by rail.  The original depot still stands (above).

I knew nothing about Alamosa when I arrived, finding much of the town run down, shadowed by an enormous abandonewd factory.  But at the center of town (as I looked for a place to eat lunch) I discovered a railroad.  The Rio Grand Scenic Railroad hauls passngers over the original standard-gauge rails of the D&RG– over the La Veta Pass and down to Antonio where it meets the Cumbres & Toltec.  The yard boasts rolling stock from the 1930s and 1950s, as well as an operational 2-8-0 steam locomotive, another 2-6-0 that’s been torn down for refurbishing, and a 2-8-0 that rests (apparently abandoned) at the edge of town.

The second stop on my mini-tour of Colorado’s railroads was the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.  Based in downtown Durango, just around the corner from my hotel, the D&S yard was in full operation during my visit (even though the trains weren’t running that day).

Despite incredible challenges, from deadly flu epidemics and fires to economic scrises and government interference, the railroad has remained in operation for almost 130 years.  It boasts a stable of operating 1920s-era steam locomotives and a yard full of old rolling stock, some dating from the 1880s.  No wonder it’s designated a National Historic Landmark!

My trip to Colorado last week had certain other benefits: it’s home to a lot of history, especially railroad history, which I love. 

As I drove through the town of South Fork, I stumbled upon this old wooden water tower that belonged to the Denver & Rio Grand Western Railway– a Utah and Colorado-based railway that lasted from its founding in 1870 until its merger with Southern Pacific in 1972.  The water tower bears the logo: D&RGWRR, Royal Gorge Route Scenic Line.

Across the highway stood an old baggage car once belonging to the Seaboard Coast Line, which served the southeastern U.S. from 1967 to 1983.  Inexplicably this car was hooked to an old switching locomotive from the Amalgamated Sugar Company of Nampa, Idaho.  The locomotive is a GE 44-ton diesel-powered switcher, which was manufactured from 1940-1956.  Notes I found on the internet suggest that the loco may have been manufactured in 1942 for D&RGW and purchased by Amalgamated Sugar for use at its Brighton plant– and may be one of the oldest D&RGW loco still in existence.  It’s just sitting alongside the road, apparently abandoned and uncared for.

(Wiki photo: Wounded Knee encampment in a 1913 reenactment.)

Today marks the 108th anniversary of the death of Sitting Bull, Chief and Holy Man of the Lakota Sioux.  He was killed when police attempted to arrest him because of fears he might support the Ghost Dance spiritual movement that was then sweeping the Native American landscape.

After the death of Sitting Bull, Big Foot, chief of a nearby band of Sioux that practiced the Ghost Dance, fled in fear with a small band of followers hoping to find refuge for the winter.  The 7th Cavalry– the same unit slaughtered when they fought the Sioux at Little Big Horn in 1876– intercepted Big Foot and accepted the group’s surrender.  On December 29, 1890, in a struggle over one of the rifles, the Army opened fire with Hotchkiss cannons and killed most of the Sioux as well as 25 of their own men.  (The representation of this incident shown in the movie “Hidalgo” comes very close to eyewitness accounts contained in Dee Brown’s book, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.)

Beginning today, reports the Salt Lake Tribune, ten riders on horseback from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will honor history by following Chief Big Foot’s path from Sitting Bull’s cabin to Wounded Knee.  The annual event began in 1986, and represents “a way of renewing, if you will, cultural values,” says tribal chairman Ron His Horse Is Thunder, a descendent of Sitting Bull.

Here’s a cool Thanksgiving Trivia quiz.  Why is a male turkey referred to as a “Tom”?  See question #30.

Here’s another.  What country eats the most turkey per capita?  (You’d think it would be the U.S. or Canada, right?)

And yet another.  Why don’t people generally eat turkey eggs?

Have fun, and have a great Thanksgiving!  (Do your patriotic duty and eat to excess.)