Ute Arrival
After the Puebloan culture had disappeared, the area appears to be relatively unoccupied. The Utes came as early as the 13th or 14th Century with a nomadic hunting and gathering lifestyle. During the 17th and 18th Centuries the Utes were introduced to the horse. This led to them becoming traders and raiders.
Gold Discovered
In 1860 Charles Baker and a prospecting party found gold in the Mountains around Silverton. Some of these individuals moved south into the Animas Valley. The Utes were confined to reservations in southern Colorado and northern Utah after the Brunot Treaty of 1873. This opened up the mountains for increased mineral prospecting, mining, and settlement. Mining communities were founded in the mountains creating a market for agricultural products, livestock, timber and other goods. Animas City (north Durango area) was settled in the late 1870’s to facilitate this market.
Durango is Born
Rail officials drew up plans to have a city at a railhead to transport goods to the mountain silver and gold mining communities. Durango was founded in 1880. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1881 opened the door for moving goods to and ore from the mining communities. The city immediately became populated and 134 businesses opened. One of these was the Durango Record newspaper. Caroline Romney, who ran the paper, championed the description of Durango as “the new wonder of the Southwest”. When the Durango to Silverton branch was completed in 1882, the area flourished even more. Durango’s original wood buildings were largely destroyed by a fire in 1889. Rebuilding was accomplished using stone and brick. Trimble Hot Springs built its first hotel. The Strater Hotel opened a few years later and it remains sporting the finest of Victorian style appointments.
Metal Markets Shrink
Early in the 20th Century, the market for silver and gold dwindled as many loads were mined out. Mining dramatically reduced and this shifted the economy of Durango to agriculture, ranching, and logging. Tourism is one of the primary industries of modern day Durango. In fact, it dates back to the turn of the 20th Century. The San Juan National Forest was created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. In 1888 the cliff palace at Mesa Verde was discovered and in 1906 the creation of the Mesa Verde National Park further stimulated tourism to the area. Scenery in Durango, the Animas Valley, and surrounding areas proved a real draw.
Recovery From The Great Depression and WWII
The Great Depression and WWII slowed growth. By 1950 and years to follow, the town again had an economic boom. Fort Lewis College was founded in Hesperus as a two year agricultural program. In 1956 it was moved to its current location on a mesa overlooking the city and expanded to a four year liberal arts school as it continues today. In 1965 the Purgatory Ski Resort opened making the area a winter sports haven for many.
Today
Durango has become a popular tourist area for those who enjoy the outdoors. The same steam engines that served to supply mining communities in the 19th Century run today as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The railroad now carries tourists through the back county along the Animas River between the two cities. This is a favorite activity for tourists. In the summer, Durango hosts the annual Music in the Mountains music festival. It features performances by many of the world’s finest classical musicians. Historic Downtown Durango is home to the train station, the Strater Hotel, the General Palmer Hotel, a broad range of quality traditional and ethnic restaurants, specialty shops and stores, many original Victorian homes. Walking down Main Street is a tourist’s dream.
