The Rio Grande’s La Veta Pass Route - Stephen Rasmussen - Evergreen Press

National Archives - www. .gov

Denver Public Library - www.

Del Norte Museum - Del Norte, Co.

Denver & Rio Grande Museum - 20 N. Broadway, Monte Vista Co.

Fort Garland Museum - Fort Garland, Co.

Monte Vista Historical Society - Monte Vista Co.

The National Archives

Monte Vista Historical Society

Denver & Rio Grande Historical Foundation

Ron Artencio Collection

Matt Cutter Collection

Shank Family Collection

DeLorme Topo Mapping Software

( 75 miles, east on US-160 to Alamosa then south on 285 )

( 105 miles west on US-160 )

( 155 miles, north to Salida then east to Canyon City )

( 205 Miles located west out of Denver, east on US-160 to Monte Vista, north on US-285 , continue

straight on US-24 to State-91 through Leadville to US-70 EAST, Through Eisenhower Tunnel to

Silver Plume )

( 490 miles, west on US-160, into Arizona through the Four Corners, south on US-89, EITHER

right on state 64 to the Grand Canyon OR continue south on US-89 to Flagstaff, west on US-40

20,000 years ago - End of ice-age

20-10,000 years ago - First Indian seasonal inhabitants.

1500’s -Spanish Explorers

1850’s -Spanish towns started

186X -U.S. gains ownership of the southwest U.S. including this area of Colorado

1870 -The start of the Narrow Gauge Railroad era begins with their push into the Colorado Mountains

Denver & Rio Grande Railway was charted

1871 -First D&RG Ry rails were laid

1872 -Rail line reached Colorado Springs

1873 -Financial Panic caused the construction to stop for 3 years

1876 - Colorado becomes a state - The Centennial State

1876 -Construction restarted, Pueblo and La Veta City were reached

1877 -Denver & Rio Grande Railway enters the valley over 9,400 ft. La Veta Pass and stops for the season at

Garland City - Towns along the railway begin to spring up, Alamosa being the largest.

1878 -Alamosa is reached, Out of Alamosa rail lines construction moves south toward Santa Fe and west

towards Durango and Silverton

1880 - To service Creeds Mines the track construction proceeds west across the valley towards South Fork and

Wagon Wheel Gap

1881 - Valley towns of Del Norte and South Fork are reached by rail

Conversion of the Denver to Pueblo rail line to 3 rail allowing standard gauge trains is started

1883 - End-of Rail at Wagon-Wheel-Gap is reached on July 6

1887 - Conversion of the Pueblo to Alamosa track to three-rail standard gauge is started

1891 - David Moffat organizes the Rio Grande Gunnison Railroad to connect Wagon Wheel Gap to Creede,

within two months the 11-mile line is completed

1892 - The Creede branch was sold to the D&RG Ry.

1892 - June,5 - Fire rampages through Creede

1899 - Nov.12 - La Veta Pass is converted to standard gauge -

Top portion is realigned and old narrow gauge section is utilized as a road

18?? - Narrow Gauge Line from Antonito to Santa Fe is completed

18?? - Narrow Gauge Line north from Alamosa to Salida is completed

18?? - The Southern San Luis Valley Railroad starts construction to connect Blanca south towards Taos, New Mexico

18?? - Loosing Federal price support of silver prices the market price of silver drops drastically.

1901 - The Wagon-Wheel-Gap Route was converted to three-rail standard gauge

1901 - The east-west Valley Line is all standard gauge

190? - The Wagon-Wheel-Gap Route narrow gauge rail was removed

194? - Narrow Gauge Line from Antonito to Santa Fe is removed

19?? - San Luis Central Railroad constructs line from Sugar Junction to the town of Center

1956 - Dec, 26 Last Steam out of Creede Engine 1151

1985 - Last D&RGW RR train out of Creede - Line Falls Quiet

1999 - Denver & Rio Grande Ry Historical Foundation purchases line

2001 - Line is cleared and open for maintenance equipment