A Historic Resource Survey Of 100 Sites In La Plata County ...

A Historic Resource Survey

Of

100 Sites In

La Plata County, Colorado

2010

State Historical Fund Project Number 2008-01-012

Deliverable No. 7

Prepared for the La Plata County Planning Department

La Plata City in the late 1800s Denver Public Library Collection

San Juan Mountains Association and Cultural Resource Planning

Volume 1


Of

100 Sites In


And

Volume 2

Pioneers, Prospectors and Trout A Historic Context

For


By

Jill Seyfarth

And

Ruth Lambert, Ph.D.

January, 2010

State Historical Fund Project Number 2008-01-012

Prepared for the La Plata County Planning Department


Of 100 Sites in La Plata County, Colorado

2010

Prepared for:

La Plata County Planning Department

1099 East 2nd

Avenue

Durango, Colorado 81301

(970) 382-6264

As part of

Project Number 2008-01-012

Deliverable Number 7

Prepared by: Jill Seyfarth

Cultural Resource Planning

PO Box 295


(970) 247-5893

With contributions from

Ruth Lambert, PhD.

San Juan Mountains Association

PO Box 2261


January 2010

Project-Related Staff

La Plata County Commissioners

Kellie Hotter

Joelle Riddle

Wally White

La Plata County Planning Department

Erick Aune, Department Director

Juanita Sauvage, Planner II, Project Manager

La Plata County GIS Department

Allen Andrews, Department Director

Rob Bergstrom, Supervisor

Linda Moore

La Plata County Historic Preservation Review Committee

R. Michael Bell

Dr. Andrew Gulliford

Dr. Duane A. Smith

This survey project is sponsored by La Plata County and is partially funded by a grant

from the Colorado State Historical Fund (Project Number 2008-01-012). The opinions

expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the staff of

the Colorado State Historical Fund.

Acknowledgements

We thank all who helped with this project. Our sincere appreciation goes to the property

owners who shared their stories, time and allowed our visits to their properties. This

project benefited by their interest and knowledge.

Thank you to the staffs of the project partners. At the State Historical Fund, our thanks to

Elizabeth Blackwell and Chris Geddes. The La Plata County staff assisted us in many

aspects of the project. Our thanks to La Plata County Commissioners Kellie Hotter,

Joelle Riddle and Wally White; La Plata County Planning Department staff Erick

Aune-Department Director, Juanita Sauvage, Cindy Simpson, and Wendy Klemm; the

GIS Department staff Allen Andrews- Department Director, Rob Bergstrom, Linda

Moore and Shelly Theroux. Also at the County, we thank Lorreta Cochran, Sam Creacy,

Danielle Lorrigan, and Julie Pickett. This project also benefited by the review of the

Historic Preservation Review Committee. Our thanks to Dr. Andrew Gulliford,

Committee Chairman, and members R. Michael Bell and Dr. Duane A. Smith. At the La

Plata County Historical Society‟s Animas Museum, we thank Robert McDaniel-Director,

and Bobbie Hamilton, and Jan Postler. For the San Juan Mountains Association, our

thanks to Susan Bryson-Executive Director.

This project benefited from the interest, knowledge, and assistance of many county

residents. We thank Jean Campion, Ann Felty, Jim Frahm, Pat and Lila Greer, Faye

McIntyre, Evan Parry, Laurell Penwell, Bud Poe, Art Sanchez, Emma Shock, Gesi and

Andrew Shroger , Frank Shry, Dennis Siebel, Bruce Spinning, Kathy Szelag, Brent

Walker, and Dottie and Dave Warlick.

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1

Purpose

Funding Source

Project Summary

Project Area .................................................................................................................. 2

General Area Description and Survey Area Boundaries

Legal Description

Research Design and Methods ...................................................................................... 4

Objectives

File Search

Survey Methods

Historic Context ............................................................................................................ 9

Survey Results ............................................................................................................. 13

Summary of Sites Surveyed

National and/or State Register Eligibility

Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 62

Bibliography ................................................................................................................ 65

Appendix ...................................................................................................................... 67

Sample of Reconnaissance Survey Form

Survey Log-List of All Properties Surveyed Organized by State Site Number

Survey Log-List of All Properties Surveyed Organized by Address

Volume 2-Detailed Context

Pioneers, Prospectors and Trout: A Historic Context for La Plata County

List of Figures

Figure 1 Location of La Plata County in Colorado ................................................ 1

Figure 2 Survey area....................................................................................... end of report

List of Tables

Table 1 USGS Quads Covering La Plata County ..................................................... 2

Table 2 La Plata County Properties Listed on State or National Registers ........... 5

Table 3 Towns, Settlements, Abandoned Settlements and Cemeteries .................. 6

Table 4 Population of La Plata County From 1880 to 1960 ................................... 11

Table 5 Sites in the Survey Organized by Type ....................................................... 13

List of Photographs

Photograph 1 Aspaas Farm ........................................................................................ 15

Photograph 2 Hotter Ranch ........................................................................................ 16

Photograph 3 Lechner Brothers Ranch ..................................................................... 17

Photograph 4 Barns at the Huntington Ranch ......................................................... 18

Photograph 5 Ludwig Ranch Building ...................................................................... 19

Photograph 6 Ludwig Ranch Building ...................................................................... 19

Photograph 7 Feller Farm ........................................................................................... 20

Photograph 8 Hott Ranch ........................................................................................... 21

Photograph 9 Hott Ranch Barn.................................................................................. 21

Photograph 10 Kelley Ranch ...................................................................................... 22

Photograph 11 Buchanan Farm ................................................................................. 23

Photograph 12 Kikel Ranch Building ........................................................................ 24

Photograph 13 Kikel Ranch Building ........................................................................ 24

Photograph 14 Rockwood School ............................................................................... 25

Photograph 15 Lower Spring Creek School .............................................................. 26

Photograph 16 Rockvale School ................................................................................. 27

List of Photographs Continued

Photograph 17 Waters Cabin ..................................................................................... 28

Photograph 18 Wright Fuel Company Coal Loader ................................................ 29

Photograph 19 Wright Fuel Company Coal Loader ................................................ 29

Photograph 20 Government Camp Cabin ................................................................. 31

Photograph 21 CCC Picnic Shelter ............................................................................ 32

Photograph 22 Farmington Branch Railroad Water Tank ..................................... 33

Photograph 23 La Boca Trestle .................................................................................. 34

Photograph 24 La Boca Trestle .................................................................................. 34

Photograph 25 Farmington Branch Railroad Trestle .............................................. 35

Photograph 26 Abeyta Dance Hall ............................................................................. 36

Photograph 27 Tiffany Mercantile ............................................................................. 37

Photograph 28 Allison Gas Station ............................................................................ 38

Photograph 29 Tiffany Warehouse ............................................................................ 39

Photograph 30 Turkey Packer’s Co-op ..................................................................... 40

Photograph 31 Main House at Teelawuket Ranch ................................................... 41

Photograph 32 Guest Cabin at Teelawuket Ranch .................................................. 41

Photograph 33 Florida Grange #306 Modern Photo ................................................ 43

Photograph 34 Florida Grange #306 Historic Photo ................................................ 43

Photograph 35 Electra Lake Sporting Club .............................................................. 44

Photograph 36 Electra Lake Sporting Club – interior............................................. 44

Photograph 37 Searcy Cabin ...................................................................................... 46

Photograph 38 Haukeness Cabin ............................................................................... 47

Photograph 39 Gem Village Rock Club..................................................................... 48

Photograph 40 St Paul’s Catholic Church ................................................................ 49

Photograph 41 Bates Homestead Cabin .................................................................... 50

Photograph 42 Tiffany Catholic Church ................................................................... 51

Photograph 43 St Patrick’s Catholic Church ........................................................... 53

Photograph 44 Dimacali .............................................................................................. 54

Photograph 45 Davies .................................................................................................. 55

Photograph 46 Oldfield Early Settlement Cabin ...................................................... 56

Photograph 47 White Hafling House ......................................................................... 57

Photograph 48 Historic Hafling House ...................................................................... 57

La Plata County Survey SJMA and CRP Page 1

Introduction

Purpose

This survey project is intended to provide the beginning of a database of historic sites in

La Plata County. The survey data will assist La Plata County in land planning activities

and will provide new information for property owners and researchers regarding La Plata

County‟s cultural resources.

Funding Source

This survey project is sponsored by La Plata County and is partially funded by a grant

from the Colorado State Historical Fund (Project Number 2008-01-012). The opinions

expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the staff of

the Colorado State Historical Fund.

Project Summary

The project consists of a reconnaissance level survey of La Plata County‟s privately

owned lands in unincorporated areas and an intensive survey of 100 resources located in

La Plata County. The sites were selected from a database of over 1600 properties with

structures that are known to be more than 50 years old. The selection process is detailed

in the reconnaissance survey discussion provided later in this report.

The La Plata County Planning Department supervised and coordinated the project under

the direction of Juanita Sauvage, Planner II. The La Plata County GIS Department

provided maps. The San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA), represented by Cultural

Programs Director Ruth Lambert PhD. and Cultural Resource Planning (CRP), Jill

Seyfarth, Principal, contracted with La Plata County in May of 2008 and completed the

project in July of 2009. Fieldwork occurred between May 23, 2008 and June 30, 2009.

The survey followed the guidelines of the Colorado Historical Society Office of

Archaeology and Historic Preservation‟s Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Manual.

Figure 1. La Plata County’s Location in Colorado


Project Area

General Area Description and Survey Area Boundaries

The resources included in this survey are located throughout La Plata County. The

County‟s topography is variable with elevations ranging from about 5,800 feet in the

river valleys to over 13,000 feet in the La Plata Mountains and over 14,000 feet in the

San Juan Mountains. The average annual precipitation in the county from 1892 to 1956

was 18.98 inches with precipitation fluctuating from heavy summer rains, to dry summers

with heavy snow fall in the winter. The growing season also varies widely depending on

elevation and topographic location, but an average frost free growing season is in the

100-120 day range.

Four major drainages run roughly north-south from the mountainous terrain in the

northern 1/3 to 2/3 of the county. The drainages from east to west are the Pine or Los

Pinos, the Florida, the Animas and the La Plata. The first three drainages originate in the

San Juan Mountains. The La Plata River drains the La Plata Mountains.

Legal Description

The survey was located within La Plata County on unincorporated, privately owned

lands. The county encompasses 1,690 square miles or 1,081,616 acres. Of that total,

444,678 acres are publicly owned lands. Three incorporated communities are located in

the county. They are Durango, Bayfield, and Ignacio. The reconnaissance phase of the

survey covered all of the unincorporated, privately owned lands in the county that were

visible from a public road. In some cases, property owners volunteered to take the

surveyors to sites not visible from the public roads. The intensive survey recorded 100

selected sites identified during the reconnaissance survey.

Sites surveyed during the intensive survey phase of the project ranged from less than a

quarter of an acre to about 12 acres in size. Most of the sites were less than 2 acres in

size. The approximate total of surveyed area is 150 acres. Since the survey is spread

across La Plata County, the legal description of the four corners of the county are

provided here. They are T39N, R6W at the northeast corner, T32N, R6W at the southeast

corner, T32N, R 14W at the southwest corner and T39N, R10W at the northwest corner.

U.S.G.S. Topographic Quadrangles that cover the county are listed in the following table.

All are 7.5 minute.

Table 1. USGS Quads Covering La Plata County

ALLISON 1975

TIFFANY 1968

IGNACIO 1968

BONDAD HILL 1968

LONG MTN 1968

LONETREE CANYON 1984

PARGIN MTN 1968

BAYFIELD 1968

GEM VILLAGE 1968


LOMA LINDA 1968

BASIN MTN 1968

BALDY MTN 1964

PINKERTON MESA 1968

REDMESA 1968

RED HORSE GULCH 1966

KLINE 1968

MORMON RESERVOIR 1968

TRAIL CANYON 1966

HESPERUS 1963

THOMPSON PARK 1963

LA PLATA 1963

A map of the county, showing land ownership and townships, ranges and sections is

illustrated in Figure 2 and is attached to the end of this report.


Research Design and Methods

Objectives

Three objectives were identified for this survey. They are:

To identify historic resources in La Plata County;

To document 100 of the identified properties; and

To provide a preliminary evaluation of eligibility for the Local, State or National

Register of Historic Places.

File Search

Mary Sullivan of the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation created a digital

database of all site data in La Plata County available at the Colorado Historical Society.

She completed this work in June of 2008. Ms Sullivan also provided a database print out

including 2,397 entries. Of this total, 1,745 site forms addressed historic buildings located

in Durango. A review and tally of the sites by general historic theme indicates housing

and community development-related sites are the most prolifically represented, followed

in frequency by ranching and farming, transportation (including wagon and toll roads as

well as railroads), mining, logging and federal government projects. Another mixed

theme of art and expressionism combined with aspen art was well represented in the

survey database as were marked or scarred trees often associated with Ute activities.

La Plata County maintains a local register of historically important sites. The local La

Plata County Historic Register properties listed as of June 2008 are:

Bayfield Town Hall

Florida Mesa Church and Cemetery

La Boca Ranch

Old Fort Lewis

McDonald Ranch

The local register is relatively new and so far includes representation of ranching and

farming, the old Fort Lewis military post, Indian School and public school, a community

building and a rural church.

La Plata County has seven farms that have been recognized by the State‟s Centennial

Farms program. Centennial Farms have been in the same family for over 100 years as

operating farms. The La Plata County farms are:

Frank Wommer Farm established 1878 closest town is Bayfield

Ed Wommer Farm established 1883 closest town is Bayfield

Eppich Ranch established 1887 closest town is Mancos

Edward Pedwell Farm established 1896 closest town is Durango

Steward Ranch established 1897 closest town is Durango

Crawford Ranch established 1898 closest town is Hesperus

Wilmer Farm established 1901 closest town in Bayfield

La Plata County has a mix of historic and prehistoric sites listed on the State and National

Registers of Historic Places. They are listed in the following table.


Table 2. La Plata County Properties Listed on the State or National Register of Historic

Places

Site Number Name State or National Description/Location

Register or Both 5LP.1254 Zabel Canyon Indian Ruins/ National San Juan National Forest

Spring Creek Archaeological State

District

5LP.4991 Darkmold Site State Durango vicinity

5LP.1434 Durango Rock Shelters Archaeology Site National Durango vicinity

State

5LP.4223 Talus Village Archaeological Site State Animas Valley

5LP.305/5MT.4342 Ute Mtn Ute/Mancos Canyon National Redmesa

Archaeological District State

5LP.1146 Colorado Ute Power Plant National Durango

5LP.3443 Durango High School National Durango

State

5LP. 304 Durango Main Avenue Historic District National Durango

State

5LP.1411 East Third Avenue Residential National Durango

Historic District State

5LP.1336 Ochsner Hospital National Durango

State

5LP.1210 Rochester Hotel National Durango

State

5LP.303 Newman Block National Durango

State

5LP.1411.56 Smiley Junior High School National Durango

State

5LP.3864 Florida River Bridge (Railroad) State Between Durango and

Bayfield

5LP.4872 Kerr House State Animas Valley north of

Durango

5LP.5094 Rader House State Animas Valley north of

Durango

The Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (5LP.302/5SA.14) is a National Historic Landmark that is

also listed on the National and State Registers.

A National Historic Trail is located within La Plata County. It is the Old Spanish Trail, which coincides

with the route of Dominguez and Escalante in 1776.

The Registers and listings reflect the commercial development of Durango, the farms in

the prosperous Animas Valley in the early 1880s, the Denver and Rio Grand Railroad

route between Durango and Bayfield and the archaeological legacy within the county.


Survey Methods

The project consisted of a reconnaissance phase to review potentially significant historic

sites and an intensive survey phase to record 100 sites. The reconnaissance survey took

place between May and September of 2008. The goal of the reconnaissance survey was to

understand the general distribution, location, nature and condition of the historic

resources within the project area. The information gathered during the reconnaissance

would help define the appropriate sites for the selective survey of 100 sites and would

provide basic information on the remaining, non-surveyed sites for the La Plata County

Planning Department.

The La Plata County Assessor‟s Office and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Department provided GIS data regarding the age and location of buildings and structures

within the County. The GIS Department created a database of all privately owned parcels

containing structures or buildings constructed prior to 1960. These 1,658 parcels were

included in the reconnaissance survey.

La Plata County has a number of very small towns, settlements and formerly occupied

communities which were also considered in the field review, as were the known historic

cemeteries within the County. The settlements and cemeteries are listed in Table 3.

Table 3. Towns, Settlements, Abandoned Settlements and Cemeteries Considered

During the Reconnaissance Survey

Towns/Settlements:

Red Mesa Falfa Marvel Vallecito

Kline La Posta Tiffany Gem Village

Hesperus Mayday Oxford Columbus

Allison La Plata City Breen Tuckerville

Hermosa Parrott City1 Bondad

Cemeteries :

Breen La Posta Tiffany Ignacio East

Hesperus Crestview Marvel Ignacio West

Bayfield Ouray Memorial La Boca Allison

Hay Gulch Hermosa Florida Red Mesa

The reconnaissance included all of the designated county roads, public roads and public

highways. Jill Seyfarth of CRP and Ruth Lambert of SJMA conducted the surveys by

driving over 1,000 miles of roads. Each property was reviewed to identify and document

the location, date, general integrity, and associated historic theme for each resource. The

reconnaissance covered all public roads in La Plata County to identify any parcels with

historic structures or buildings that were not included in the database. New forms were

completed for newly discovered resources.

1 Parrot City was viewed from a distance but was not accessible—it is not located on a public road.

Tuckerville was not visited because it was located entirely on USFS property which was out of the scope of

this project.


A one page data form was devised to provide location, date, general integrity, and

historic theme information for each resource. A digital image of each parcel was inserted

into the form. The forms will be provided to La Plata County. A sample reconnaissance

form is provided in the Appendix.

A single form with a summary of the reconnaissance information was included for each

townsite, settlement, or cemetery. Digital images were also taken of these resources.

The reconnaissance survey results guided the selection of resources for the intensive site

survey. Criteria for selection included the willingness of property owners to allow access

to the site, the integrity of the structures and the relative importance of the historic

theme(s) associated with the site. Efforts were made to record a widespread

representative sample of the historic themes in La Plata County.

The intensive survey followed the guidelines of the Colorado Historical Society Office of

Archaeology and Historic Preservation‟s Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Manual.

Each building was described, photographed, researched, and mapped. Sites were recorded

on Colorado Historical Society Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Architectural

Inventory forms (#1403). USGS topographic maps and aerial photographs were used to

define the project area.

Photographs illustrating all sides of the building were taken when possible. All

photographs are black and white, four by six inch prints from digital files and are printed

on either Fuji Color Crystal Archive or true black and white paper. Photographs were

labeled using archivally acceptable acid-free foil-backed labels containing site number,

location, date the photograph was taken, direction of photo, exposure name, and the SHF

project number.

Images are stored on portable memory devices (either CDs or memory sticks) and

accompanied by a photo log and will be filed at the La Plata County Planning

Department and the La Plata County Historical Society Animas Museum. Photographs

were sleeved as specified by the Colorado Historical Society.

USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle maps were used to locate the survey areas. UTM data was

produced via a Garmin WAAS-enabled GPS Unit, and verified through the software

program TOPO 2! -National Geographic Society.

Jill Seyfarth of CRP and Ruth Lambert of SJMA conducted the field survey and research.

Field survey work occurred between September 2008 and June 2009. Research took place

concurrently.

Research was primarily conducted in Durango, Colorado, at the Animas Museum, which

is the local repository of the La Plata County Historical Society. Other institutional

sources included the public libraries in Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio and the Center of

Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College. Additional information came from the Denver


Public Library Western History Collection. Essential documents included many regional,

informally published works from volunteer groups including the Reunion Committee of

Southwestern La Plata County, the Tiffany-Allison History Group, the Views Through

Time project at the Bayfield Public Library and the formally published Pioneers of the

San Juan Country- a four volume effort completed mostly in the 1940s by the local

chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Paul O‟Rourke‟s Frontier in

Transition, A History of Southwestern Colorado (1980) provided additional historical

background. The bibliography section of this report includes title and publication

information for these and other sources. A major source of data came from the property

owners themselves, as many of the recorded sites are home to multiple generations of the

same family. The research was supplemented by interviews with long time residents who

graciously spent time explaining their lives to a couple of curious surveyors.

Architectural classifications were applied using the lexicon provided by the Colorado

Historical Society‟s survey manual and guidance from the Society‟s A Guide to Colorado

Architecture. Terms from the manual‟s various lexicons were used whenever required.

Construction dates were determined primarily using the La Plata County Assessors

Records, archives at the Animas Museum, newspaper reports and historic photographs.

This survey was oriented toward documenting above ground structures and buildings. As

a result, archaeological considerations were of low priority. The principals, however, are

both trained field archaeologists and used their field survey skills in understanding sites

with partially standing structures or buildings.


Historic Context

This survey is one aspect of a larger project that includes the development of an

expanded historic context for La Plata County. That historic context is a companion

document to this survey report and can be found as a separate volume. A very brief

summary follows.

Historic Development

Southwest Colorado has a rich and longstanding cultural tradition. The remains of people

attributed to Archaic (7500 B.C.-500B.C.), Basketmaker (500 B.C.-750 B.C.) and Pueblo

periods have all been identified in the area, followed by settlement by Utes, Europeans

and Asians.

Archaeological studies theorize that the first Utes to migrate into the Mesa Verde region

may have arrived as early as 1100, but the archaeological evidence is so scant that much

more work needs to be done in this area before any definitive statements can be made.2

More traditional theories propose that the Utes were in the area by 1500. We know from

historical accounts that the Utes occupied the region by the beginning of European

exploration into the area.

The region lured many explorers in search of gold, silver and other opportunities for

wealth. In 1776, Fathers Dominguez and Escalante traversed the area in search of a route

from Santa Fe to the California missions. Much of their route later became the Old

Spanish Trail, which was used between 1830 and 1840 by Santa Fe traders on their way

to California.

The area was part of Mexico until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican

War in 1848. As part of the Treaty, Mexico ceded its northern holdings, including much

of what was to become Colorado. Explorers in search of gold and silver began to come

to the area, but their efforts were considerably diminished in the 1860s by the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the United States Government negotiated a series of agreements with

the Utes to further Federal control of lucrative minerals located on Ute land, and to open

land to new settlement. The miners returned to Southwestern Colorado and were soon

followed by farmers and ranchers who settled at lower elevations to the south of the

mountains and provided supplies to the bustling new mining settlements.

In 1874, the Brunot Agreement with the Utes opened land to non-natives. An Indian

Agency was located in the southeast area of La Plata County in 1877-1878 at a site that

eventually became the Town of Ignacio. The Southern Ute Tribe has subsequently

developed administrative offices and community facilities for the tribe in Ignacio.

As white settlers traveled into and across traditional Native American lands, fear of

escalating conflicts with the Utes resulted in the establishment of Camp Lewis at the

2 Lipe, William; Varien, Mark; Wilshusen, Richard. Colorado Prehistory: A Context for the Southern

Colorado River Basin. Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists: Denver, 1999. Page 354.


present day site of Pagosa Springs in 1878, which moved in 1880 to a site along the La

Plata River and south of present day Hesperus, Colorado. Fort Lewis operated for ten

years and was converted into an Indian school and then into a public high school. It

eventually became a junior college and moved to Durango in 1956.

Mining, farming and ranching characterized early La Plata County. The arrival of the

Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1881 and it‟s subsequent connection to Silverton in

1882 brought accelerated and intensive change by providing easy (for the times)

transportation and freighting, as well as access to the outside world. The Railroad also

invested capital and created the City of Durango. The Railroad was instrumental in

establishing a smelter in Durango, almost guarantying a prosperous community. A

second railroad, the Rio Grande Southern, arrived in 1890, providing connections to the

mines around Rico and Telluride. In 1905, the Denver and Rio Grande added a

Farmington branch connecting Durango to Farmington, New Mexico.

By 1892, the railroad operations, coal mining, agriculture and the smelter were major

county industries, followed by lumber and the precious metal mining in the La Plata

Mountains. Homesteading expanded after 1899 when unallotted Ute lands were opened

to white settlement in an area known as the Ute Strip.

The opening of the Ute Strip inspired Mormon settlers and others to establish townsites

on the west side of the county, and attracted new farmers. The towns of Kline, Redmesa

and Marvel were thriving on the west side of the County by 1916. The east end of the

Strip inspired farmers and land speculators who carved new towns along the railroad out

of their homesteads. Tiffany, Allison, Oxford (first known as Grommet) and Falfa

(formerly called Griffith) were four such towns. The remaining unallotted and unsettled

lands were returned to the Utes in 1934.

The Utes weathered severe restrictions to their territory which was reduced between 1870

and 1900 to allotted lands and tribally owned property. In spite of Federal Government

attempts to turn them into agrarian people, the nomadic Utes have maintained ties to their

culture and have built wealth and land holdings over time. They have persevered and the

Southern Utes have developed a community centered around Ignacio.

White settlement first occurred in the lush river drainages of the Animas, Pine and La

Plata Rivers. The earliest settlers were able to legally file a homestead claim in 1874,

after the Brunot Agreement was completed with the Utes. Cattle operations were already

herding livestock over the large expanse of public lands before the increasing numbers of

homesteaders and farmers started building fences. The San Juan National Forest Reserve

was created in 1905, placing more than 3.7 million acres under conservation programs.

Conflict between sheep and cattle raisers over the remaining public land, the conservation

programs and the growing lines of fencing all led to a change from open range

management to development of ranches.

Miners had flocked to the La Plata Mountains in the 1870s, when early strikes raised

hopes of wealth. The La Plata mining districts produced some silver and lead, but was


never a prominent producer. A large gold strike in the 1930s brought one last flush of

prosperity to the La Platas. The region never enjoyed access from a railroad and the

small, isolated mining camps that had been established near the mines faded away.

Urban development and the major local industry-smelting fueled a healthy market for

coal and coke. The primary market for coal and coke was within the region and consisted

of the smelters, the trains and domestic use. The last coke using smelter closed in 1930,

and the coal industry faltered in the wake of the burgeoning oil and gas market.

By 1920, the initial flurry of homesteading or setting up a business had defined the

character and location of the major urban and rural communities in La Plata. Rural school

houses dotted the country, the grange system was thriving in rural areas and telephone

service connected most of the county.

The Depression of the 1930s devastated La Plata County, but was somewhat assuaged by

the prolific New Deal programs and the federal support of operations on the county‟s

extensive federal land holdings (about 40 percent of the county). Vallecito Reservoir was

constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation between 1938 and1941, employing enrollees at

the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp to assist with clearing brush and building

roads. Two other CCC camps were located in the county. Works Progress Administration

and Public Works Administration funded projects were mostly located in Durango, with

some additional projects at the Fort Lewis College Campus near Hesperus. The National

Youth Administration oversaw projects in Durango and the Rural Electrification

Administration funded the expansion of electrical power lines to rural areas.

Other federal involvement occurred during and after World War II when Durango was

the home of a radioactive ore processing site; after the war Durango became a center of

vanadium production plant.

La Plata County enjoyed continuous growth. The population figures in Table 4 show the

five fold increase between 1880 and 1890 when the trains arrived. A more modest but

still remarkable 27% increase occurs from 1890 to 1900 and continues at a very healthy

rate after the opening of the Ute Strip into the 1910s. The table also shows the

distribution of people in La Plata County. In the 1890 census about half of the County‟s

population lived in Durango, but the county population remained more rural until some

time in the 1950s.

Table 4. Population of La Plata County From 1880 to 1960 Per U.S. Census Data

Year County Durango Bayfield Ignacio Colorado

1880 1,110 194,327

1890 5,509 2,726 412,198

1900 7,016 3,317 541,483

1910 10,812 4,686 227 799,044

1920 11,218 4,116 267 290 939,191

1930 12,975 5,400 277 464 1,035,791


Table 4. Population Figures continued

1940 15,494 5,887 372 555 1,123,296

1950 14,880 7,489 335 526 1,325,089

1960 19,225 10,530 322 609 1,753,947

Curiously the county grew during the economically depressed 1930s and experienced it‟s

only population decrease after World War II. The 1950s saw an onslaught of energy

companies and their employees create an energy boom that far exceeded the “excitement”

of the early mining days. In 1956, 16 major oil production firms had offices in La Plata

County. Over 800 new homes were built between 1955 and 1960.

The influx of newcomers in the 1950s, bringing new ideas and further reducing the

county‟s isolation, had a familiar pattern of exponential growth in social and cultural

activities and services, harkening back to the heady first years of the coming of the

railroad into the region.

The petroleum boom was one of the many economic and social changes after World War

II. Fort Lewis College moved to Durango in 1956, expanding its offerings and attracting

a new generation of educators. A new community hospital district was formed, providing

an alternative to Mercy Hospital which also expanded and remodeled in the 1950s. After

a very lengthy process, the state-mandated public schools consolidation was completed

and all rural one-room school houses were closed in favor of larger regional elementary

schools. Junior high and high schools were located in Ignacio, Bayfield and Durango.

Government agencies employed a growing number of specialists.

Americans enjoyed new prosperity and with it came more leisure time with an emphasis

on outdoor recreation. No longer attracted by the opportunities to live off the land, new

post-war pioneers came to mine La Plata County‟s recreational and scenic opportunities.

Tourism, which has always had a presence in the county, became a major component of

the local economy. Tourism brought scattered vacation and second homes, mirroring a

nationwide trend. The surge from the cities to the suburbs took on its own character in La

Plata County, where people with no interest in farming or ranching sought acreage in the

country. Ranchers and farmers found themselves with a new opportunity to sell off parts

of their land to these new settlers and long held land ownership patterns began to change.

Modern county residents grapple with the legacy of these themes. New land uses and

land patterns affect the historic agrarian uses and the landscape. Highways have replaced

the railroad, and tourism and the gas production are now the major industries intertwined

with an extensive federal administration presence.


Survey Results

Three objectives were identified for this survey. They are:

To identify historic resources in La Plata County;

To document 100 of the identified properties; and

To provide a preliminary evaluation of eligibility for the Local, State or National

Register of Historic Places.

Summary of Sites Surveyed

All of the selected 100 buildings and structures were identified and documented. All of

the recorded sites were determined eligible for the local, La Plata County Historic

Register. Tables enumerating each site and indicating site name, site number and the

site‟s eligibility for a State or National Register listing are included in the Appendix. The

survey did not identify any potential historic districts.

The sites represent a wide range of historic themes, time periods and geographic locations

within La Plata County, as summarized in the following table.

Table 5. Sites in the Survey Organized by Type

Site Type Number of Sites Surveyed

Agriculture (1874-1920)

Ranching or Farming 37

Grange 2

Related Industries 2

Mining (1874-1945)

Coal 2

Precious Metal 4

Community Development (1890-1950)

School 9

Church 6

Commercial Building 7

Community Building 2

Residence 8

Hospital 1

Telephone Exchange 1

Post Office 2

Recreation 2

Sporting Club 3

Transportation and Roads (1874-1920s)

Stage Road 1

Railroads 3

Auto Roads 1

Tourism (1874-1950) 5

Federal Government (1930s-1940s)) 2

Total 100


Three historic themes-- timber, oil and gas, and radioactive ore mining--- were not

represented in the survey because representative sites were not identified on privately

owned lands outside of incorporated city limits. Timber-related sites, primarily sawmills,

have previously been recorded in the County on public lands and in the Durango City

limits. The oil and gas industry located their related offices in Durango, which was not

included in this survey. Extant gas well structures from before 1960 were not identified.

Radioactive ores were processed at smelters which were located in the Durango city

limits and were eliminated as part of a superfund EPA clean up activity in 1987-1988.

Most uranium mining occurred outside of La Plata County, but remains of mines have

been documented on the San Juan National Forest.

The surveyed sites ranged from the earliest homesteads of 1874 to 1960, which extends

one year into the standard fifty-year minimum age criteria for considering historic sites.

Three sites were recorded that had previously received site numbers but had either

outdated or insufficient survey data. The three sites are 5LP1275, The Columbine Ranger

Station; 5LP2144, the Wommer Centennial Farm; and 5LP6978, the Wilmer Centennial

Farm.

The survey area also encompassed the full geographic range of the county. La Plata

County is traversed by four major drainages as described on Page 2. The surveyed sites

are located along all of the four major drainages.

National and/or State Register Eligibility

All of the sites recorded in this survey are considered eligible for the local, La Plata

County Historic Register. In Colorado, any property that is eligible for listing on the

National Register is also eligible for the State Register. Determination of eligibility for

National and/or State Registers was discussed with the Colorado Historical Society Staff.

A brief summary of the State and/or National Register eligible sites follows. Detailed

information is provided on each site on their individual site forms which are available at

the La Plata County Planning Department and the Colorado Historical Society.

Farms, Ranches and Agricultural-Related Properties

National Register Eligible

Nine of the recorded farms were considered eligible for the National Register (and

therefore also for the State Register). They are all significant under National Register

Criterion A in the area of Agriculture. The farming and ranching properties listed below

are excellent examples of historical farming and ranching practices in La Plata County.

Each site has maintained its historic integrity in that a large percentage of the original

historic structures and buildings remain with minimal alterations, and each site still has

the historic layout in effect when farming and/or ranching took place on the property. In

many cases, the properties are still being used as farms and ranches. Most of these sites

are owned and operated by multiple generations of the same family.


Photograph 1 The Aspaas Farm.

17238 State Highway 140, Hesperus area

5LP8867

Period of significance 1891-1959

The property is still in the Aspaas family. Farming occurred from about 1891 to at least

into the 1970s. The original log bank barn and sheds are on the property. The relocation

of military officers‟ quarters from nearby Fort Lewis in about 1891, and its re-use as the

main farmhouse, illustrates the continued innovation and adaptation of uses and buildings

typical of early farms in La Plata County. The period of significance represents the time

from the establishment of the house to 1959 in accordance with the National Register 50

year age guideline, covering the first three generations of Aspaas family members

farming on the property. The only major alteration is the application of asbestos shingle

siding to the house, which occurred during the period of significance. The National

Register staff at the Colorado Historical Society has indicated that they would need more

data to support the determination of eligibility for this property.


Photograph 2 The Hotter Ranch

47632 North US Highway 550.

5LP8859


The property has been in the Hotter family since 1905. The ranch layout and uses are

intact and illustrate the essential activities in a summer range camp, including bunkhouse,

main house, milk house, sheds, small barn and corrals. The property is still a summer

range camp. The period of significance reflects the period that the ranch has been

operated as summer range by the Hotter family, ending in 1959 to meet the National

Register 50 year guideline. The major changes to the buildings include the metal roof on

the main ranch house and the collapse of the large barn, neither of which significantly

alter the overall historic setting. The barn collapsed under an unusually heavy snowfall in

the winter of 2007-2008. It is located at the corner of the livestock corrals and remains

there in ruins. A newer garage (ca 1970s) is located at the back of the property where it

does not detract from the historic integrity. The National Register staff at the Colorado

Historical Society has indicated they are uncertain as to whether this property is eligible

for the national register. The staff should be consulted before pursuing National Register

designation.


Photograph 3 The Lechner Brothers Ranch

42335 North US Highway 550

5LP 8860


The Lechner Brothers Ranch looks much as it did in full operation. It started out as a year

round operation but was transitioned into a summer range in 1958. The Ranch includes

the ranch house, outbuildings and a barn. All were built before 1920. One “new”

structure, the cold storage dugout was constructed in the 1930s. The ranch house had an

addition in the 1920s and a new metal roof in about 1955. The Lechner family still owns

the property. They scaled back their ranching operations in the 1980s but have

maintained the property. The period of significance represents years of operation ending

in 1959 to meet the National Register 50 year guideline.


Photograph 4 Barns at the Huntington Ranch

8796 CR 120, Hesperus area

5LP 8873


The Huntington Ranch has been in the Huntington family since its inception. Buildings

and/or structures constructed during each generation of the family‟s occupation illustrate

farming and ranching activities specific to their time. Some of the structures are

deteriorating because the farming practice associated with them is no longer in use, but

their form and function are clearly evident. The Huntington Ranch is one of two ranches

in La Plata County to have former officers quarters (ca 1881) moved onto the property

from Fort Lewis for use as the ranch house. The house has received some alterations

typical of the adaptive nature of farmers retrofitting a building to their needs. The period

of significance reflects the Huntington‟s operation of the ranch and ends in 1959 to meet

the National Register 50 year eligibility guidelines. The property is still actively ranched

and farmed by the Huntingtons. The National Register Staff at the Colorado

Historical Society has indicated that they believe more data is needed before they could

make an determination of eligibility.


Photographs 5 and 6 of the main barn and the adobe and frame blacksmith shop on the

Ludwig Ranch

9002 CR 501, Bayfield

5LP 8900


The winter home and headquarters for the Ludwig Ranch is still in the Ludwig family.

The Ludwigs were among the first ranchers in the Pine River Valley to raise Herefords.

The Ludwigs are known for their registered Herefords, and their ranch includes various

buildings and structures illustrating early farming and ranching practices in the area. The

site includes a potato cellar where potatoes were brought down and stored from fields at

the summer range. An adobe brick blacksmith shop illustrates early construction

techniques. The period of significance reflects the Ludwig‟s operation of the ranch and

ends in 1959 to meet the National Register 50 year eligibility guideline.


Photograph 7 Feller Farm

7292 CR 203, Durango

5LP 8894


This farm retains more of the original buildings and original farm layout than any other

property in the historically agricultural Animas Valley, which had the first farms in La

Plata County (1874). Since 1948, the farms on the west side of this valley have been

subdivided and in-filled with new residential development. This property was one of the

first to be farmed and passed through a series of owners between 1874 and 1945. The

Feller family farmed the property from 1946 up into the 1990s. The period of

significance reflects the period when the land was farmed and the extant buildings were

in use, and ends in 1959 to meet the National Register 50 year eligibility guideline. The

farmhouse has minimal alterations and has retained much of its original material. Five of

the outbuildings were clad in stucco during the period of significance. Two of these were

built after 1948 and may have been originally constructed with stucco cladding.


Photograph 8 Hott Ranch and Photograph 9 Hott Barn

7934 Highway 151, Ignacio

5LP8931

Period of Significance 1909- 1959

The Hott family has owned and operated this ranch since the purchase of the ranch land

in 1908 from the Mason brothers who originally obtained the land with the opening of the

Ute Strip in 1899. Robert Powell Hott Sr. constructed the house in 1908/1909 and began

cattle ranching on the land. In 1914/1915 the historic barn was constructed to support

ranch operations. Sandstone blocks for the house and barn were quarried to the north

along Devil Creek, which runs through the ranch property. In 1915 Mr. Hott purchased a

thirty-two volt battery operated power plant to furnish electricity for his ranch. Until

1941, when the Rural Electrification Association lines reached the area, the Hott plant

was the only one in the county east of Durango. The ranch originally totaled 570 acres

and today is over 320 acres. The ranch has been in operation since its founding and is

still owned by the Hott family. The period of significance extends from the construction

of the ranch house and when the land was farmed and the extant buildings were in use,

ending in 1959 to meet the National Register 50 year eligibility guidelines.

The ranch includes all elements of a working operation including a barn and livestock

pens and corrals, hay sheds, and other associated outbuildings. The original landscape is

intact including the apple orchard, and shade trees. The property is also eligible under

Criterion C in the area of Architecture for the mixed style ranch house. The architectural

details illustrate elements of several styles including a front gable bungalow form; the

original windows typical of a Craftsman style; the front porch architectural details

suggesting Classic Revival influences; and the scalloped shingles on the gable ends and

dormer suggesting Late Victorian architectural details.

h


Photograph 10 Kelley Ranch


5LP8916

Period of Significance 1909 - 1959

The Kelley Ranch was the original pioneer home of the Charles Waldner family, an early

German immigrant family and one of the first settlers in the upper Florida River Valley.

The family settled in the area by 1909 and constructed the historic ranch buildings

including this log and board and batten cabin, a barn and milk shed. The ranch remained

in the Waldner family until it was sold to the Kelley family in 1930. The property has

been a working ranch for about 100 years and is a good example of pioneer settlement

and agriculture in the high mountain environment of La Plata County. The period of

significance extends from the cabin construction to 1959 to meet the National Register 50

year guidelines.


Photograph 11 Buchanan Farm

367 CR 202, Hermosa

5LP8896

Period of Significance 1891 - 1959

Constructed by a Silverton brewery owner named Charles Fischer and later owned by

prominent Animas Valley residents Edgar and Nettie Buchanan, the house was

constructed in 1891 and operated as a farm for over fifty years. The National Register

staff at the Colorado Historical Society has determined that the property is eligible under

Criterion A in the area of Agriculture. The staff believes the range and types of

agricultural outbuildings helps convey the agricultural activity (farming and fruit

orchards) of the complex and that the roadside stand is a tangible link to that truck farm/

produce history of the complex. The Staff also determined that the property has good

integrity in terms of location, setting, feeling, and association because of the arrangement

and condition of the outbuildings on the 19.5 acre parcel. The house has also undergone

some changes, primarily the metal replacement roof and the metal siding below the porch

but the house is a good example of the Queen Anne Style. The period of significance

extends from the house‟s 1891 construction to 1959 to meet the National Register 50 year

guidelines.


State Register Eligible

Photographs 12 Kikel Ranch Barn and 13Granary on the right with the farmhouse in the

background.

966 CR 127, Durango

5LP 8884

Period of Significance 1925-1959

The Kikel Ranch is eligible for the State Register under Criterion A in the area of

Agriculture. It is a very good example of historical farming and ranching practices in La

Plata County, but has a greater extent of alterations than the properties deemed eligible

for the National Register. It still maintains a strong historic integrity. The Kikels were

early homesteaders in the Ridges Basin and became one of the three largest land owners

in the Basin by buying other homesteads to add to their original lands. This ranch was

purchased by Joe and Mary Kikel in the 1920s. They built the brick house on the property

in 1933 to replace a wood frame house that burned down. The house has been altered

significantly in the past 20 years, but the remaining buildings and structures on the

property have maintained their historic integrity. The Kikel‟s grandson now ranches on

the property. The period of significance reflects the Kikel‟s operation of the ranch and

ends in 1959 to meet the standard 50 year age guideline.


Rural Schoolhouse Properties


The following schools are significant within the historic contexts and associated property

types defined in the “Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Listing”

prepared by the Colorado Historical Society in 1999. Each of these schools has historic

integrity. They are truly snapshots of the past.

Photograph 14 Rockwood School

1018 CR 200, Rockwood

5LP8863

Period of Significance 1905-1950 for Criterion A and 1905 for Criterion C

The Rockwood School served the children on the farms and ranches near the small

settlement of Rockwood. It closed in 1950 with the consolidation of rural schools into the

Durango Public School District. The Rockwood schoolhouse is significant under

Criterion A in the area of Education because it clearly portrays the circumstances of a

rural education in a one room schoolhouse in the period between 1905 and 1950. The

school‟s historic setting remains, complete with the square school yard, the boys and girls

outhouses and a teacherage. It is significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture

because it is a very good example of the typical one-story, frame, one-room school house

exhibiting typical features such as a rectangular floor plan, a simple gable roof and bell

tower and evenly spaced double hung windows on the south and west sides.


Photograph 15 Lower Spring Creek School

No address, located approximately one mile south of 5733 CR 321, Ignacio area

5LP8933

Period of Significance 1908

The Lower Spring Creek School was founded to provide classes for rural children living

on surrounding farms and ranches after the opening of the Ute Strip area to non-Indian

settlers. The school is believed to have operated from about 1908 to 1949 when the rural

school was closed and consolidated with the Ignacio Public School District Number 11.

The stucco clad one room school has a hip roof and front gable porch. The original bead

board walls and ceiling, oak hardwood floor, and the teacher‟s book/cloak room remain.

It is eligible under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. The size, roof configuration,

window placement, and intact interior features make it a good example of the typical one-

story, frame, one room school house. This photo was taken near the completion of a

restoration project on the school.


Photograph 16 Rockvale School


5LP8866


The Rockvale School replaced a nearby log school known as the Hay Gulch School. It is

located on land donated by Hay Gulch landowner Andy Tipotsch. The Rockvale School

had a maximum attendance of about 40 kids and was open until 1948, when the school

kids were bused to an elementary school located on the Fort Lewis College Campus south

of Hesperus. The property was rehabilitated into a residence in about 2000.

The schoolhouse is significant under Criterion A in the area of Education because it

portrays the circumstances of a rural education in a one room schoolhouse in the period

between 1905 and 1948 as seen in the square school yard and the flag pole on the

property. It is significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture because it is a very

good example of the typical one-story school house in Colorado including such features

as a rectangular plan, one room, one story, hipped roof form, and evenly spaced double

hung sash windows placed on two sides of the building.

As part of the building‟s rehabilitation in 2000, the rear, or north, side of the building was

altered to install a gable. The alteration is on a secondary façade, does not obscure the

original proportions of the hipped roof and does not detract from the overall character of

the structure.


Mining Related Properties


A miners cabin and the Wright Coal Loader are included in this category.

Photograph 17 Waters Cabin


5LP8868


Very little is known about this cabin, but long time property owners in the area believe it

might have been the site of the post office. The property was once part of the La Plata

Placer mining claim and that the claim was subdivided in 1964. The property is eligible

under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a good example of a typical, simple

miners cabin.


Photograph 18 Wright Fuel Company Coal Loader, and Photograph 19 Drive through

lane at the bottom of the Coal Loader


5LP8885


The coal loader is associated with two adjacent mines Wright Mine #1 (which operated

1955-1961) and Wright Mine #2 (which operated 1941-1955). Two brothers, Glen and

Columbus Wright, and a third relative, Clifford Wright, (who all came from near by

Dove Creek, Colorado) leased the mine from the original property owner, the Huntington


family. The mines produced 10,605 and 34,024 short tons respectively for the Wright

Fuel Company. The Huntingtons subdivided five acres (containing the coal loader) to sell

to the current owners who purchased the property in 1991 and built their house on the site

in 1995. The coal loader and associated weigh station have remained unaltered and

protected by the current owners.

The property is eligible for the National Register under Criterion C in the area of

Engineering because it is an excellent example of the process used to bring coal from the

mine to the consumer. Coal mining was a dominant industry in Colorado, particularly in

La Plata County, yet very few examples survive of historic coal activities. The Mining

Industry in Colorado Multiple Property Documentation Form (revised July 2008) on file

at the Colorado Historical Society notes that, in general, intact historic coal mining-

related structures and machinery are uncommon in Colorado and the remaining such

structures are important representations of mining engineering and technology. The

documentation form also emphasizes that under Criterion C the resources of significance

“should clearly represent small to moderately sized operations, which were important

because they constituted much of Colorado‟s coal mining industry”. The period of

significance represents the best available date for construction of the coal loader.


Federal Government-Related


Photograph 20 Government Camp Cabin

187 Vallecito Drive, Vallecito area

5LP8858


The house was built as part of the “Government Camp” for the Pine River Project, which

was administered by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers

between August 1936 and October 1941. The Project constructed Vallecito Dam to

manage the flow of the Pine River partly for local irrigation needs and partly to address

Ute water claims based on the Hunt Treaty of 1868 and ratified by a Federal Court

decision in 1930. The Camp contained about 15 houses that were home to the “white

collar” administrators and engineers for the project. The camp was vacated in 1941 when

the reservoir was filled and the La Plata County Assessor‟s data show the property

leaving federal administration, and entering the tax rolls in 1942.This cabin is eligible for

the National Register under Criterion A in the area of Politics/Government, as a good

representation of Federal Government activity in La Plata County. It is significant as the

best remaining example with the greatest historic integrity of the houses that were built in

the camp. Unlike many of the other houses in the former camp, the resource has minimal

exterior alteration and possesses sufficient physical integrity to convey its significance in

terms of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The

period of significance reflects the time the house was occupied during the construction of

the Dam.


Photograph 21 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Picnic Shelter

5LP8940, Durango

Fort Lewis College Campus

Period of Significance 1935-1936 for Criterion A; 1936 for Criterion C

This picnic shelter was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of

a multi-year project to create a „metropolitan park‟ on the mesa above Durango. The

park project included transplanting trees, constructing picnic areas and building roads and

trails using local materials. The building is a rectangular sandstone shelter constructed of

large dressed sandstone blocks with a roof system of peeled logs, trusses and braces.

The original wood shingled wood roof is visible under the modern brown metal roof and

a rustic wood sign reads: “CCC 1936 Picnic Shelter”. The shelter is eligible for the

National Register under Criterion A in the area of Politics/Government for the use of

New Deal funding as a means to provide work for locals needing employment and skills

under the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) program from 1933 to 1941. The shelter is

eligible under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a good example of New Deal era

Rustic architecture, exhibiting such typical elements as native stone, low profile roofline,

stone chimney, peeled log trusses, and wood bracing. The period of significance for

Criterion A reflects the period the CCC was involved with this construction project. The

period of significance under Criterion C is the date the shelter was completed.


Transportation Related


Photograph 22 Farmington Branch Railroad Water Tank

No address-located east of US Highway 160 and about 1 mile north of the Colorado-New

Mexico boundary

5LP8886


The Farmington Branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) was

constructed in 1905 as a standard gauge line and was converted to narrow gauge in 1923

to be compatible with the San Juan Extension of the D&RG. The line operated until

August of 1968. By 1971, the entire line from Chama to Durango to Farmington had been

removed by scrappers, but this tank survived. The water tank is eligible for the National

Register under Criterion A in the area of Transportation for its association with the

operation of the Farmington Branch of the Denver and Rio Grand Railroad (D&RG). The

D&RG was the dominant railroad company in southwestern Colorado and an important

railroad company in Colorado. The tank is the only remaining one on the route of the

Farmington Branch and is one of only a few structures on the branch to have survived to

the present. The relationship between the tank and the railroad is clear as the leveled

railroad grade is clearly evident. The period of significance represents the time the tank

provided water for the railroad route, ending in 1959 to meet the National Register fifty

year requirement.


Photograph 23 and Photograph 24 La Boca Railroad Trestle

No address – located east of U.S. Highway 172 on La Boca Ranch Road, Ignacio area


The La Boca Railroad Trestle is a steel Pratt Through Truss structure constructed across

the Pine River at the historic La Boca railroad station. The structure measures about 120

feet in length and consists of the bridge and a 30 foot long approach span. The

substructure consists of stone piers and abutments; the floor system is constructed of steel

stringer beams, steel joists and a deck of railroad ties. The original rails have been

removed and length-wise planks of varying sizes have been placed on the ties to allow

vehicles to drive over the bridge. The approach span has an open deck with closed steel

sides. At the east end of the bridge, the Denver & Rio Grande Scenic Route logo appears

on the left side of the bridge. On the right side,“Pine River 418. 62” is stamped,

indicating the mileage from Denver.

The bridge has had no alterations to its major substructure, roadbed, and superstructure.

The original rails were removed when the rail line was abandoned in the 1968 and the

structure became a vehicular crossing. The open land surrounding the structure (the La

Boca Ranch Land Trust and the undeveloped Southern Ute Lands) helps to retain the

sense of early railroad travel through this isolated part of La Plata County. The original

railroad grade is faintly visible to the east of the bridge. On the west, the grade passes

through the historic La Boca station area and is visible beyond to the northwest. The

historic trading post and footings of the original railroad water tower are identifiable on

the La Boca Ranch. The trestle is associated with the development of rail related

transportation and the Denver & Rio Grande route between Durango and Alamosa and it

meets the eligibility requirements for Criterion A. The trestle also meets the Criterion C

requirements as it is an unaltered example of the engineering technology associated with

the development of the Pratt Truss Bridge. The period of significance is the establishment

of the railroad line in La Plata County and ends with the 50 year time period to meet the

National Register guideline.



Photograph 25 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Trestle – Farmington Branch

No address – located at Trestle Lane, Durango

5LP8911

Period of Significance: 1905-1959

The bridge was constructed in 1905 as part of the Farmington Branch of the Denver &

Rio Grande Railroad to access the coal deposits around Durango and Hesperus. With the

intent to provide coal to a broad southwestern market, the rail line was built at standard

gauge, the only broad gauge in the area. Service began in 1905 and the branch became

locally known as the “Red Apple Line” due to the main produce hauled, although the

intent of the line was to haul coal. Because the line was standard gauge and the eastern

line of the D&RG was narrow gauge, a three rail system was built from Carbon Junction

into Durango. The two lines met at the Junction, and rails were switched to allow trains

to continue into town. However, the transfer and switching of rails and cars was never

convenient. In 1923, the D &RG replaced the standard gauge with narrow gauge. The

line continued to operate until August 1968 and the tracks were dismantled in 1970. This

trestle is one of two remaining bridges on the Farmington Branch line. The trestle is

eligible for the State Register under Criterion A as an example of early transportation in

southwestern Colorado; it is also eligible under Criterion C for Engineering. It is

ineligible for the National Register due to construction adjacent to the bridge.


Community Development Related

Photograph 26 Abeyta Dance Hall

138 CR 321, Tiffany

5LP 8913


The Abeyta Dance Hall is located on the main route in the historic townsite of Tiffany.

The hall is eligible in the area of Ethnic Heritage and Social History under Criterion A

because it was an important meeting place for Hispanos. In addition to a dance hall, past

uses are reported to be a Hispano labor hall, a mortuary, and a jail. Research is on-going

for possible associations with the Sociedad Proteccion Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos

(SPMDTU), a Hispano secular fraternal organization first established in the San Luis

Valley and reported to have been active in Ignacio in 1902.

The exact date of construction of the dance hall is not known, but it operated from at least

1928 when the hall was the temporary location for Catholic Church services until Iglesia

de San Antonio (the Tiffany Catholic Church) was completed in 1928. The Abeyta

family ownership and the chosen name of the church, suggest that the Hispano population

was extensive in Tiffany.

The dance hall is constructed of adobe bricks that are supported by upright milled wood

boards. Earthen stucco has been plastered over the bricks. It is eligible under Criterion C

in the area of Architecture for its Territorial Adobe construction materials and retains

characteristic elements such as a front facing linear plan, gable roof, stone foundation,

and plaster over adobe bricks. The period of significance is the date the structure is

known to have operated to the 50 year time period established under the National

Register guidelines.


Photograph 27 Tiffany Mercantile

397 CR 321, Tiffany

5LP8917

Period of Significance 1907 -1959 for Criterion A and 1907 for Criterion C

The Tiffany Mercantile was established in about 1907 to serve the young railroad town of

Tiffany. The mercantile provided basic provisions for the community and housed the

Tiffany post office from establishment until its closure in 1954. Constructed adjacent to

both the Denver & Rio Grande rail line and the stockyards, the mercantile defined the

western edge of the main street. The store is a one story false front commercial store,

typical of the early 1900s commercial stores. The store front includes a recessed central

entrance flanked by display windows, a door transom and original turned spindle posts

supporting the porch. The Mercantile is eligible in the area of Commerce and

Politics/Government under Criterion A because it was important to local business and

community life and was the location of the post office. The store is also eligible under

Criterion C as a good, unaltered, example of an early twentieth century commercial store.

The store‟s rural setting is uncommon in La Plata County. The period of significance for

the property is the reported construction date and ends with the time period according to

the National Register guidelines.


Photograph 28 Allison Gas Station

2600 CR 329, Allison

5LP8918

Period of Significance: 1925-1959 for Criterion A and 1925 for Criterion C

The Allison Gas Station was in operation from the mid 1920s and was locally known as

“Hiveley‟s Station”. In the 1940s and 1950s the station was operated by Walter Black as

the Bay Gas Station. The station is situated at the west entrance to the town of Allison

along the historic main route. The gas station is eligible under Criterion A in the area of

Commerce because it is an example of early 20th

century commerce in the town of

Allison. The gas station operated to provide motor supplies and gasoline during early

automobile travel in the southeastern corner of the county. The station reflects the

changing modes of transportation from railroad to a combination of railroad and

vehicular travel. It continued to operate through the 1950s as the only local source of

gasoline for several miles. The property is eligible under Criterion C as a good example

of the „house with canopy gas station‟ form. It has a small rectangular office with a roof

extending over the driveway. The roof is supported by two square posts and the building

is sited diagonally at the corner of the main street through Allison and the road along the

railroad tracks. The period of significance for Criterion A is the estimated construction

of the station and ends in 1959 to meet the fifty year National Register age guidelines.

The period of significance for Criterion C is the estimated date of construction.


Photograph 29 Tiffany Warehouse

346 CR 321, Tiffany

5LP8938


The warehouse is associated with early commercial activities in the town of Tiffany. It

was constructed about 1932 and is reported to have been a storage location for the

Tiffany Mercantile located across the street. The warehouse also provided storage

facilities for hay and grain for the stock and the railroad shipping operations located near

the structure that were active from 1914 until the end of freight services along the

railroad in 1968. Those operations were two of the major business in Tiffany. The

warehouse is a frame structure clad with corrugated tin sheets. It is unaltered. The

original store scales and price lists are still inside. The warehouse is eligible under

Criterion A in the area of Commerce as an example of commerce in the town of Tiffany.

The warehouse was associated with the Tiffany Mercantile and the railroad stock

operations until freight service was abandoned in 1968.


Photograph 30 Turkey Packer’s Co-op

2800 CR 329, Allison

5LP8928


The Allison Turkey Packer‟s Co-op was originally a railroad warehouse constructed in

1881. In the 1930s, the warehouse was acquired by the Turkey Packers Co-op, an

agricultural cooperative venture that raised and shipped turkeys to the East. The co-op

was founded to provide income for farm families during the Depression. This operation

included transport of turkeys grown on local farms and ranches to the co-op where they

were packed (some live) for shipment to the east on the railroad. The turkey operations

were most active during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when as many as 13

railroad carloads of turkeys were shipped out during the holidays. The turkey operations

continued during the Depression and throughout World War II. After that, the price of

turkeys dropped, health standards changed and the turkey business was discontinued. The

property is eligible under Criterion A in the area of Commerce as an example of rural

cooperative commerce. Although other crops were directly sold by families for income,

the turkey operations were organized as a cooperative with officers and a business

structure. In addition, the sale of turkeys to the co-op provided local residents with some

livelihood during the Depression and helped to sustain their community of Allison.

Participation in the co-op was widespread among Allison‟s rural families.


Entertainment/Recreation Related


Photographs 31 and 32 Main House and Guest Cabin at Teelawuket Ranch

23490 CR 501, Vallecito area

5LP8853


Teelawuket was originally homesteaded as the Graham Homestead in 1886 by brothers

Charles C. and Joseph H. Graham. The Grahams built the small log homestead cabin that

remains on the property. The ranch was sold to “Coal Oil” John(ny) Kirkpatrick in 1894.

Kirkpatrick, who had made a fortune in the oil business, loved to entertain, and ran in

powerful circles. He imported Swedish builders to construct the grand main house in

1895. Constructed of massive hand hewn log timbers-some up to 32 feet long and

placed on a local stone foundation, the two story log house is in the center of the

complex. Kirkpatrick installed a bell tuned to b-flat to call guests to meals and he ran

2,000 Herefords on the property. He also built the barn, cabins, the cook house and

gathering room, and had hot and cold running water. Prominent guests included Durango

newspaper editor David Day, locally prominent businessmen Thomas Graden and George

White, and General U.S.Hollister who wrote a piece that ended up in Womans Magazine

and was reprinted on December 31, 1905 in Day‟s Durango Herald Democrat

newspaper. Kirkpatrick coined the name Teelawuket for his ranch. Kirkpatrick sold the

property to Pete Scott, a sheep man from Aztec, New Mexico, in 1917. Scott raised sheep

and cattle and hosted paying guests. In 1921 in an agreement with H.C. Pollock, Scott

developed a boys‟ camp on the property. H.C. was a dentist from St. Louis, Missouri

who partnered with two other St. Louis dentists (C.C. Howard, Leo M. Shanley) to buy

the place from Scott in 1926 and to run “Rancho Mesa Verde”, a boys camp that had two

locations—at Teelawuket and at a location about 60 miles south near Allison, Colorado.

That year the camps received a three page write up in the St.Louis Globe Democrat and

brought customers from throughout the country. Local cowboy Fred Fraham, who had


worked for the Scotts, stayed with the ranch and worked at the boys‟ camp and the

subsequent guest ranch. Additional cabins and “the Hogan”, a gathering place and game

room for the campers, were built at this time. Just as they had since 1881, guests would

arrive in Ignacio on the train and be transported to the remote ranch in wagons or on

horseback. In later years, guests came by car. H.C. and his son, Carlyle, were the

managing partners until 1953, when the place was sold to William Y. Penn. The Penns

operated a guest ranch in the 1950s and early 1960s. Many of their guests left their

signatures with their hometowns (representing a wide spectrum of the United States and

Canada) and years visited on the walls of the old reception building (now the tool shed).

The Penn‟s brochure prominently featured the 7TX brand and advertised that the rates

were on the “American (Wife‟s vacation) Plan”. The brochure also touted “60 cycle AC

electric current”. Penn‟s son sold off the lower 2/3 of the acreage to William L. Audis

and Don L. McClure in 1965. Audis and McClure enjoyed a brief partnership while

running the Ranch as the “Ride and Reel” Guest Ranch. In their 1967 brochure, a double

room cost $18-20, while a private cabin rented at $40/night. Audis and McLure sold the

property to the Graham family (no relation to the original homesteading Graham), the

current owners, who had been frequent visitors to the Guest Ranch.

Teelawuket Ranch meets the National Register Criterion A in the area of

Entertainment/Recreation because of its very clear association with the development of a

successful dude ranch and recreation retreat. The Ranch has been used for recreation and

entertainment since 1895 and except for the homestead cabin (which was adapted for use

as a guest cabin), all of the extant facilities were built to that end. Patrons came from

throughout the country to this facility that still has the many features specific to a guest

ranch including cabins and a main house, the kitchen and main dining hall, a recreation

center, a barn, a laundry room, and a bell tuned to b-flat to call guests to dinner. The

period of significance for Criterion represents the period the Ranch operated for

recreation and entertainment, ending with the National Register 50 year age standard.

The resource possesses sufficient physical integrity to convey its significance in terms of

location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The

spectacular mountain valley setting of the ranch, surrounded by unaltered open land,

dominates the area. The original buildings and the original layout of the site remains

with a cluster of cabins and the kitchen/dining area located together and a few recreation

buildings, such as the Hogan and the barn, located slightly farther away. The originally

constructed main house is relatively unaltered, but a large addition on the east side of the

hosue was removed in 2008. This addition is visible in historic photographs as a gable

roofed board and batten one story structure that was clearly built at a different time than

the original main house. The other major known structural alteration was the removal of

side gables from the east and west sides of the barn and the new bell tower moved to a

new location. The current owners have undertaken rehabilitation projects and have

maintained most of the original windows, doors and other character defining features of

the buildings and structures. When replacement materials were used (primarily roofing

and siding) the new materials are appropriate and compatible. The metal roofs on most

of the buildings replaced metal roofs that were applied during the period of significance

as part of ongoing maintenance of the dude ranch.


Historic Photo source: Animas Museum Collection. Photo Date Unknown

Photographs 33 and 34 Florida Grange #306, modern and historic

656 State Highway 172, Durango

5LP8862


Of the sixteen granges established in the county the Florida Grange is one of five active

remaining grange halls. The Florida Grange was established on November 22, 1916.

E.E. Schalles was the first ward master. In 1951, the current building replaced the old

hall. The Florida Grange is still active, hosting community and agricultural related

activities. The period of significance represents the period the property has functioned as

a grange, with the ending date meeting the National Register‟s registration requirements

for the resource to be at least fifty years old. The property is eligible under Criterion A in

the area of Entertainment/Recreation because it is an example of social aspects of the

agricultural population of La Plata County. Granges provided social and educational

activities and the Florida Grange continues to do so today. The National Register Staff of

the Colorado Historical Society believes the property is eligible for the state register but

is undecided about whether the property is eligible for the National Register.


Photograph 35 Electra Lake Sporting Clubhouse

Photograph 36 Electra Lake Sporting Clubhouse- Interior Main Dining Room

141 Electra East Road, Durango

5LP8906

Period of Significance 1929 – 1959 for Criterion A; 1929 for Criterion C

The Electra Lake Sporting Clubhouse was constructed in 1929 under the direction of the

Electra Lake Sporting Club Members. The recreational organization was incorporated in

1910 to enjoy the newly created Electra Lake. Since its founding, the clubhouse has been

a focal area for the members. The clubhouse was designed by Denver architect Eugene


Groves (1882-1967) with the construction contract awarded to member Dudley Ewing.

The clubhouse is located on a rock island at the south end of Electra Lake, just north of

the dam and is reached via a wooden pedestrian bridge. The clubhouse is supported by

masonry piers and large logs and there are a series of porches on the south and east sides

and large windows on the west and north sides to enjoy the views of the lake. The

clubhouse has a mix of stylistic elements, including a stepped stone parapet, wood log

siding, transom windows and a stone arch at the entrance. These elements suggest a series

of modifications during the period of significance. The interior is unique in that it was

designed to represent an overturned boat. The ceiling is poured concrete with decorative

iron pieces. The elongated oval forms the basic design of the structure that is the dining

room/recreation room. The interior displays Grove‟s creative work with poured and

reinforced concrete. The Clubhouse is eligible under Criterion A in the area of

Entertainment/Recreation for its association with the recreational activities at Electra

Lake. The structure is also eligible under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a

representative work of a master because it incorporates Eugene Groves‟ innovative use of

concrete and his adaptation of elements of various styles. His expertise in the use of

poured, cast and reinforced concrete has been creatively used in the design of the

Clubhouse, particularly the main interior public space. The period of significance reflects

the construction of the Clubhouse and ends in 1959 to meet the National Register 50 year

eligibility guidelines.


Photograph 43 Searcy Cabin


5LP8908

Period of Significance 1912 – 1959

This cabin was constructed in 1876 and functioned as a stage stop on the Animas Canyon

Toll Road. After Electra Lake was constructed, the building was moved to its current

location above the lake in 1912 to become a recreational cabin for a locally prominent

individual, Judge William Searcy. Judge Searcy took extraordinary care in the structure‟s

move. He had it disassembled by Japanese laborers and all of the logs numbered with

Japanese characters. It was floated to the southwestern portion of the lake and

reassembled by the workers.

This building is a 1 ½ story log cabin that faces northeast toward Electra Lake. The cabin

roof is a side gable with shed extensions on the north for the front porch, and on the south

for living area. The original cabin (excluding the rear addition), was constructed of full

axe hewn square notched logs. The diameters of the logs are approximately 12 inches. At

the rear of the cabin, concrete block addition has been erected.

A comparison of the pre-1912 photos and later photos indicate that minor changes were

made after it was reassembled in its current location. Subsequent to 1912, minimal

changes have included the addition of a dormer and porch on the north elevation, and a

block addition to the south (rear) elevation. The dormer and front porch were added soon

after 1912 and the block addition was added about 1931. Overall the building retains

integrity from its 1876 existence and its later life in the current location. The cabin

continues to be a summer residence.

The cabin is eligible in the area of Entertainment/Recreation under Criterion A for its

association with recreational activities at Electra Lake. The period of significance begins

with the reassembly of the cabin at its present location and ends in 1959 to meet the 50

year National Register eligibility guidelines.


Photograph 38 Haukeness Cabin


5LP5907


The Haukeness Cabin is an early recreational cabin owned by members of the Electra

Lake Sporting Club. The cabin is located on „Ochsner Point” a picturesque area on the

east shore of the lake. The cabin is one of the first residences at the lake and dates to

1910. The 1 ½ story cabin has a board and batten exterior with original hewn logs visible

on a part of the north façade. A concrete block addition has been constructed on the lake

side of the cabin and there are two original boat houses to the north and south of the

cabin.

The cabin is eligible in the area of Entertainment/Recreation under Criterion A for its

association with early recreational activities at Electra Lake. The cabin setting, materials,

and location reflect the serene mountain environment.


Photograph 39 Gem Village Rock Club

39640 E. U.S. Highway 160, Gem Village

5LP 8925


The Gem Village Rock Club was constructed on land first platted as part of the Morse

Subdivision for the purposes of establishing a colony of gem crafters and kindred

artisans. The area was named Gem Village to reflect these interests. As interest in rocks

and minerals grew, several local residents banded together to form a club and build a

clubhouse to further their interests. In May 1954, 16 local people met and formed the

Navajo Trails Gem and Mineral Club. The land was provided by a member and other

members donated materials and their labor to construct the clubhouse. The Rock Club

meetings were held in the building for 33 years and the club hosted annual Rock Shows.

After 34 years the club was disbanded in 1988, when there were 10 members remaining,

ranging in age from 73 to 102 years.

The Rock Club is constructed of full horizontal logs that are at least 12” in diameter. The

logs are saddle notched and chinked with concrete mortar. The building is a front gable

with a corrugated tin roof. There is a large exterior chimney on the east wall that

incorporates numerous rock specimens collected by members. Shortly after construction

of the main portion of the building, an east shed addition was constructed to house artisan

stalls for demonstrations and sales of rocks and minerals to tourists. The rear kitchen

addition was added in about 1957 to provide kitchen facilities and indoor plumbing.

The Rock Club is eligible in the area of Entertainment/ Recreation under Criterion A for

its association with the recreational activities of the Navajo Trails Gem and Mineral Club

and their efforts to promote rock and mineral related recreational activities, collection,

and appreciation. The period of significance begins with the construction date of the

clubhouse and ends in 1959 to meet the National Register 50 year eligibility guidelines.


Architecturally Significant Properties

These properties are good examples of specific architectural styles or building

techniques, and have had minimal alterations. Each building meets National Register

Criterion C in the area of Architecture.


Photograph 40 St Paul’s Catholic Church

22974 State Highway 140, Hesperus

5LP8872


The St. Paul‟s Catholic Church was built by coal miners who lived in the area. It took

five years to complete the building (1904-1909). Church services were conducted once a

month by Father Duffy from St. Columba Church in Durango. The building is no longer

a functioning church, although pews remain inside. With its pointed arched windows,

decorative brackets and steeply pitched roof this simple building is significant in

Architecture as a good example of the local interpretation of the Gothic Revival Style.

The period of significance is the construction date.


Photograph 41 Bates Homestead Cabin

No number on CR 138, La Plata County, south of Marvel

5L8887


This is a one story homestead “picket house” It was constructed of locally cut juniper

trees (mostly trunks) that are set vertically and coated with a mortar mix of local mud,

called “chico”. Some of the trunks are partially hewn. This house has chicken wire

applied to the pickets to help hold the mortar. Horizontal wood lathes are also on parts of

the house. The lathes would have helped keep the chicken wire in place.

The cabin is the only remaining picket house in “Picnic Flats” an area said to have been

named after cattlemen who could not agree on the ownership of a stray calf that was

found in the area, so they butchered the animal and barbequed it at a “picnic” there. Most

people moved into the area in the 1910s and 1920s with a maximum population of about

30 families. Rob Bates arrived some time after 1912. The Bates family built this cabin

and soon rented the place out, eventually selling the cabin to Oscar and Elizabeth Bell

who added a second room. The Bells sold to Jim and Ada Eldridge in 1934. They and

their family remained in the area, raising wheat, corn and pinto beans and cattle. The

house is now owned by Ruby Eldridge Briggs and her husband Don Briggs. Ruby is a

grand daughter of Jim and Ada Eldridge.

Very few changes have occurred to the house. It has a metal roof that was probably

installed within the last 30 years. The property is eligible in the area of Architecture

because it is an excellent example of early homestead construction using local materials.

It is the only known surviving example of this type of construction which was once

prolific on homesteads in the arid portions of La Plata County. Local materials, including

the mortar made from mud on the site and tree trunks from local timber constitute the

house. The period of significance is the construction date.


Photograph 42 Tiffany Catholic Church (Iglesia de San Antonio)

236 CR 321, Tiffany

5LP8912


The Tiffany Catholic Church was established to serve the community of Tiffany that was

platted in 1909. Originally established as an 1881 railroad siding for the Durango & Rio

Grande Railroad line between Alamosa and Durango, the area attracted new residents

after the opening of the area to non-Indian settlement in 1899. The church is located one

block north of the original Main Street. New Catholic residents met temporarily in the

Hispano owned Abeyta Dance Hall, until the church was completed in 1928. The church

was operated as a mission church from Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Durango and

was serviced by a visiting pastor. The church operated until 1972 when the services for

the parishioners were transferred to St. Ignacius in Ignacio, approximately 6 miles to the

west.

The Tiffany Catholic Church retains characteristic elements of a Territorial Adobe Style

building. It has thick adobe brick wall construction covered with stucco plaster, the roof

is a pitched front gable and it has the original pointed lancet three lite windows over the

front entrance and the side windows. There are decorative brackets on the gable ends and

the front entrance is recessed. The construction indicates that local materials and labor

were used to build the church. There is a front plaque on the church that reads “Iglesia de


San Antonio 1928 O.P.A.D.” The property is surrounded by a modern four foot chain

link fence. There is a modern white metal gate with cross to access the property. A

metal sign on the gate reads “Iglesia de San Antonio”.

The building is eligible under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a good example

of a Territorial Adobe building, popular with Hispano groups in early 20th

century

communities. As first described in “The Culebra River Villages of Costilla County,

Colorado Multiple Property Documentation” (2000), Catholic Churches in Hispano

villages (or those with large Hispano groups), were often built with these attributes and

incorporated some gothic stylistic elements. This form has since been named Territorial

Adobe. The Tiffany church represents an adaptation of these construction and stylistic

elements using local materials and labor. The period of significance is the construction

date.


Photograph 43 St. Patrick’s Catholic Church

No address –near intersection of CR329 and railroad grade in Allison

5LP 8936

Period of Significance: 1925

St. Patrick‟s Catholic Church was constructed by local Allison Catholics on land donated

by the Degani Family. The church is constructed of locally made adobe bricks and

plastered with a distinctive troweled texture. All of the original arched multi-lite wood

windows are present under the protective board covers. The Church was completed in

1925 and in January 1926, the first marriage took place between John Degani and Mary

Procarione, both from prominent local families. The Church held services until the 1960s

and is no longer used. The church is eligible under Criterion C in the area of Architecture

as a good example of a Territorial Adobe building. The church retains all the

characteristics of the type including adobe construction, a pitched front gable roof, about

12 inch thick adobe walls, stone foundation and a distinctive local stucco texture. The

period of significance is the construction date.


Photograph 44 Dimacali House


5LP 8893


Cyrus Lattin purchased the property from E.E. Jenkins in 1921 and constructed the house.

The house is eligible as an example of the Rustic Architectural Style. Distinctive

characteristics of this style include the log construction, stone chimney, tapered cobble

porch supports and peeled log balustrade. High artistic values are evident in the cobbled

porch and chimney, and the distinctive glazed batten front door with iron strap hinges.

The period of significance represents the construction date of 1927. The National

Register staff at the Colorado Historical Society has determined that this property is one

of the better examples of Rustic style architecture exhibiting many of the typical

elements. Except for the metal roof material, the building retains sufficient physical

integrity to convey its significance in terms of location, setting, design, materials,

workmanship, feeling, and association. The National Register staff at the Colorado

Historical Society has determined that with the cross-gabled roof, the metal roof is not as

obvious as it would be on a hipped or side-gabled roof and the property is eligible for the

National Register.


Photograph 45 Davies House

170 CR 123, Hesperus

5LP 8882


The house was constructed in 1922 by Swedish mason, A.J. “Jake” Laxman, using

locally available stone. Fred Paulek, who owns a nearby building constructed by Laxman,

noted that his buildings are usually two courses thick and originally used local mud

mortar, with a concrete mortar applied to the exterior course. The National Register staff

at the Colorado Historical Society has determined that this house is notable for its stone

work and is eligible for the National Register as an excellent example of an accomplished

local mason employing local materials.



Photograph 46 Oldfield Early Settlement Cabin

1390 CR 110 Western La Plata County

5L8877


George and Sophia Oldfield made a homestead claim on this property and lived briefly in

a tent while they built their first house in 1913. Their second house was this log cabin

which was built in 1927. A neighbor, Ed Miller, helped saw the logs that were taken from

nearby timber. When the Oldfields moved into this new home, there were six children

ranging in age from a few months to 15 years. Soon after moving in, lumber from an

abandoned nearby homestead was used to add a kitchen, bedroom and second floor. The

children grew up in this home until, in 1949, George and Sophia built a new home on the

property.

George and Sophia‟s grandson, Dale Horvath, and his wife Frances Greer Horvath, now

live on the homestead, representing the third generation of Oldfields on the property.

In 1993 the cabin was moved about 150 feet south of its original location (but still on the

same parcel of land) to make room for a new house for the Horvaths. When the cabin was

moved, the kitchen and bedroom wing was removed leaving the original smaller

configuration.

This log cabin is eligible in the area of Architecture as a very good example of local

construction methods and materials used for shelter on homestead and early settlement

properties in La Plata County. The trees cut either on or near the property and prepared

by the homesteader and a neighbor illustrate resourceful use of local available materials.

Although the cabin has been moved, it is still located on the original homestead parcel

and within the area where houses for this homestead have been built in the past. The

period of significance is the construction date.


Photograph 47 White House 2009 and Photograph 48 Hafling House 1921

White Hafling House

2266 CR220, Durango

5LP8910


This was the home of the Charles Hafling family, an early German immigrant family

prominent in La Plata County. They acquired their farm land at the opening of the Ute

Strip in 1899. According to the original family records, the historic Hafling house was

constructed in 1920 from a 1918 Sears house kit that arrived on the railroad at the Falfa

railroad stop approximately one mile to the east. The home is reported to be the first to

have indoor plumbing and electricity in the immediate area. The residence retains the

classic architectural elements of the Foursquare building form. The house is a square

two-story with a hipped roof and a full width hipped roof front porch supported by square

posts. The exterior is simple with eave brackets. A 1921 photo shows the Hafling family

on the porch of the house and indicates that only the porch balustrade has been changed

on the front of the house. The house remained in the Hafling family into the 1950s when

it was sold. The current owners have constructed a rear addition to the house that is

harmonious with, but distinct from, the original structure. With the exception of the rear

addition, the interior of the house has under gone very few changes and the original

materials have been carefully restored.

Due to the size of the rear addition, the Colorado Historical Society National Register

Staff believe that there is insufficient integrity for listing on the National Register.

However, the residence is believed to be eligible for the State Register under Criterion C

for the distinctive characteristics associated with the Foursquare building form. The

period of significance is the date of construction.


Recommendations The rich and varied historic resources in La Plata County offer great opportunities for

locals and visitors to enhance our understanding of our heritage and to preserve the

important physical legacy of our past. The following recommendations include

suggestions for next steps to use the information gathered in this report. Additional

opportunities are also identified

Next steps

Follow up with property owners

The 100 sites identified in this survey all qualify for the local La Plata County historic

register. Forty three sites were also identified as eligible for either the state or national

registers of historic places. A systematic follow up contact to the owners of these

properties, providing a copy of the survey form for the property and explaining the

register process, would be a logical next step in the program.

Follow up for the general public

The general public could also be informed through outreach materials, including the

website development that is already underway and development of interpretive materials.

The information included in this survey project should be incorporated into the County‟s

Comprehensive Planning efforts and land use policies.

Active follow up could include the development of thematic history programs as a way to

unify and strengthen community ties across this very diverse county. Common county-

wide themes include:

Common themes

Schools

Cemeteries

Granges

Barns

Churches

Homesteading families

Interpretation

Opportunities to present the historic survey information are only limited by imagination

and capacity. Successful interpretive programs could include:

Web site

Road signs or pull offs along roads and at entries to historic towns or sites such as

Mayday, Marvel and Allison

Driving tours in electronic and paper formats

Books, pamphlets and publications on general La Plata County history or on

specific topics within the County, such as rural schools, cemeteries, mining sites.


Interpretation projects should also consider the diverse audience in the County.

Bicyclists, campers, hikers, hunters and farmers each have different ways of accessing

cultural sites. A mountain bike itinerary along a section of an abandoned railroad grade

might inspire a historic bicycle tour, for instance, while a farmer would like to know

more about the historic Blue Horizon Mill.

The agricultural heritage of the county provides an opportunity to acquaint newer county

residents with county history. Interpretive projects can be developed to partner with

existing organizations that are based on rural life. Examples include Grange activities,

Future Farmers of America, 4 H, and county farmers markets. Programs that partner with

school districts can be developed to introduce „city kids‟ to their rural neighbors through

field trips.

The most successful interpretive programs evolve from an overall interpretive plan with

goals and proposed projects. An interpretive plan can also identify logical partnerships.

Local potential partnerships include heritage tourism efforts developed by the Southwest

Colorado Travel Region, the Fort Lewis College Office of Community Services which

completes numerous preservation projects in Southwest Colorado, or the La Plata County

Historical Society who serve as a focal point for local historians and preservationists.

Further Research-special topics

The survey data provides several areas where addition information could be collected to

build on existing information. The topics below offer opportunities for a rich history and

the involvement of county residents in their history. Some research topics include the

following.

1) The survey revealed an incredible wealth and variety of barns in the county that should

be documented.

Colorado has a Centennial Farms program that recognizes multiple generations of

families running the same farm, regardless of the historic integrity of the property. La

Plata County might consider creating a similar ”honor roll” program for its many family

run farms that do not have historically significant buildings, but have been farming the

same land for 100 years.

2) Most of the surviving mining structures in La Plata County fall under the classification

of historical archaeology (no standing structures) and were not surveyed as part of this

project. A survey of mining claims would add significantly to our understanding of our

mining heritage.

3) The survey also identified several rural schools across the county. Building on the

survey information and previous historical research on Florida Mesa and the

southwestern part of the county, a comprehensive inventory and history of county schools


could be undertaken. All remaining schools could be located and documented. In

addition, former teachers and students can be interviewed.

4) During the survey, numerous interesting stories were shared with the consultants.

These stories and histories should be recorded before they are lost. An oral history

project could be developed to collect this information. Southwestern La Plata County has

collected histories in the past and their efforts could be used as a model. On-going

gatherings established in the Hesperus area (“Hesperus History Nights”) and the

Sunnyside Memories event are important and they are good opportunities for long-time

county residents to share information with more recent residents. These efforts could be

expanded to include other areas of the county. County sponsorship could provide a

coordinating role. The La Plata County Historical Society would be a good partner in this

effort.

5) The survey information suggests a rich history at small settlements and townsites

across the county. More information should be collected for Allison, Tiffany and La

Posta. Existing historical information for La Boca could be expanded. Histories for

these places will be lost if it not collected in the near future.

6) The survey information indicates that early county residents were immigrants from

many places. Survey information from the southern part of the county suggests a strong

Hispano contribution to the county‟s history. Additional information should be collected

to fully understand and acknowledge these influences in La Boca, Ignacio, Tiffany,

Allison, and particularly at La Posta.


Bibliography

Animas Museum photograph collection and topical files. Animas Museum. Durango,

Colorado.

Associated Cultural Resource Experts. Highways to the Sky: A Context and History of

Colorado’s Highways System. Denver, Colorado: Colorado Department of

Transportation, 2002.

Bayfield Public Library. “Bayfield Views Through Time”. Bayfield, Colorado: Bayfield

Public Library, 2000.

Brown, Robert L. An Empire of Silver. Denver, Colorado: Sundance Publications, Ltd.,

1984.

Bureau of Business Research. Local Area Statistics, La Plata County Colorado. Boulder,

Colorado: University of Colorado, 1961.

Colorado State Business Directories Denver, Colorado :Gazetteer Publishing Company,

1874-1920.

Colorado State Grange. Colorado State Grange History. Denver, Colorado: Colorado

State Grange, 1975.

Colorado State Planning Commission. Year Book of the State of Colorado 1941-1956.

Denver, Colorado: The Bradford Robinson Printing Company. 1941-1956.

Cook, George, Dell McCoy and Russ Collman. The RGS Story in 11 Volumes. Denver,

Colorado: Sundance Books, 2001.

Doggett, Suzanne and Holly Wilson. “Rural School Buildings in Colorado: National

Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form.” Colorado

Historical Society. 1999.

Fell, Jay and Eric Twitty. “The Mining Industry in Colorado; National Register of

Historic Places Multiple Property Submission”. Washington, D.C.; Department of

the Interior, 2006, Revised 2008.

Fort Lewis Mesa Reunion Committee for 1991. “History of Southwestern La Plata

County, Colorado.” 1991. Manuscript on file at the Durango Public Library.

Fraser, Clayton B. “Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948. National Register Multiple

Property Documentation Form”. Washington, DC: Department of the Interior,

1997.

Gilpin, Dennis. Animas La Plata Project Volume V. Phoenix, Arizona: SWCA, 2007.

Gomez, Arthur R. Quest For the Golden Circle, The Four Corners and the Metropolitan

West. Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1991.

Husband, Michael B. Colorado Plateau County Historic Context. Denver: Colorado

Historical Society, 1984.

John, Laddie. A Brief History of Bayfield and the Pine River Valley 1877-2007. Bayfield,

Colorado: Self-Published, 2007.

Lipe, William; Varien, Mark; Wilshusen, Richard. Colorado Prehistory: A Context for

the Southern Colorado River Basin. Colorado Council of Professional

Archaeologists: Denver, 1999.

O‟Rourke, Paul M. Frontiers in Transition: A History of Southwestern Colorado. Bureau

of Land Management: Denver, Colorado, 1982.

Pearce, Sarah J. and Wilson, Merrill A. A Guide to Colorado Architecture Second


Edition. Colorado Historical Society: Denver, Colorado, 2003.

Spining, Bruce. Clapboards, School Boards and Blackboards. Durango, Colorado:Self

published by the author, 1993.

Thompson, Gregory Coyne. Southern Ute Lands, 1848-1899: The Creation of A

Reservation. Occasional Papers of the Center of Southwest Studies No. 1, Fort

Lewis College, Durango. 1972.

Warlick, Dottie. Vallecito Country. Montrose, Colorado: Western Reflections Publishing

Company, 2003.


Appendix

Sample Reconnaissance Survey Form

Survey Log-List of All Properties Surveyed Organized by State Site Number

Survey Log-List of All Properties Surveyed Organized by Address


La Plata County Historic Reconnaissance Survey

Address: Photo No:

Comments to help locate the property:

Owner‟s Name:

Assessors Construction Date:

Assessors Parcel Number:

Field Observations

Location verified? ___ Building/Complex Type:_____________________

Comments on location:

Construction Type/material___________________________________________

Historic Theme(s):__________________________________________________

Integrity:

Condition of Materials ______________________________________

Building form is intact?______________________________________

Clear representation of a theme?_______________________________

Setting is authentic or appropriate______________________________

Priority for recording (scale of 1 = most important to 3 = least important) ________

Any reason to record other than its historic theme? _____________________________

Surveyor: JS RL

Date:

Digital photograph printed here

La Plata County Survey SJMA and CRP List of All Properties

Appendix Table 1.

A List of All Properties Surveyed Organized by State Site Number

Note-These sites are all considered eligible for the La Plata County Historic Property Register. A = Criterion A and C= Criterion C.

Site Number

Historic Site Name, if any

Address Local Register

State Register

National Register

Eligible? Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

5LP1275 Columbine Ranger Station

Purgatory at Durango Mtn Resort

Y

5LP2144 Frank Wommer Ranch 6601 CR 501 Bayfield Y

5LP6978 Wilmer Farm 955 CR 501 Bayfield Y

5LP8853 Teelawuket 23490 CR 501 Bayfield Y A A

5LP8854 17399 CR 501 Bayfield Y

5LP8855 Keyser Cabin 72 West Grimes Creek Road Bayfield

Y

5LP8856 Dial Cabin 14805 CR 501 Bayfield Y

5LP8857 Smoak Cabin 14200 CR 501 Bayfield Y

5LP8858 Government Camp 187 Vallecito Drive Bayfield Y A A

5LP8859 Hotter Ranch 47632 North US Hway 550 Durango

Y A A*

5LP8860 Lechner Brothers Ranch

42335 North US Hwy 550 Durango

Y A A

5LP8861 Ostwald Homestead 2480 CR 536 Bayfield Y

5LP8862 Florida Grange 656 State Highway 172 Durango

Y A A*

5LP8863 Rockwood School 1018 CR 200 Durango Y A,C A,C

5LP8864 Anesi Ranch no address assigned/CR 250/Durango

Y

5LP8865 LDS Church 353 CR 122 Kline Y

5LP8866 Rockvale School 8165 CR 120 Hesperus Y A,C A,C

5LP8867 Aspaas Farm 17238 Colo State Hwy 140 Hesperus

Y A A*

5LP8868 Waters 8307 CR 124 Hesperus Y C C

5LP8869 Barlow 8327 CR 124 Hesperus Y

5LP8870 August Eckburg house 8316 CR 124 Hesperus Y


Site Number



State Register

National Register

5LP8871 Hesperus Schoolhouse 22974 State Highway 140 Y

5LP8872 St Paul's Church 22974 State Highway 140 Y C C

5LP8873 Huntington Ranch 8796 CR 120 Hesperus Y A A*

5LP8874 Little Property 4317 CR 124 Hesperus Y

5LP8875 Hesperus Coal 23119 CR 124 Hesperus Y

5LP8876 Center School 9998 CR 141 Durango Y

5LP8877 Oldfield Cabin 1390 CR 110 Hesperus Y C

5LP8878 Long Hollow Milling Co. 4044 Colo.State Hwy 140 Hesperus

Y

5LP8879 Smith House 134 CR 133 A Hesperus Y

5LP8880 Rockwood House 968 CR 200 Durango Y

5LP8881 Rockwood House 976 CR 200 Durango Y

5LP8882 Davies House 170 CR 123 Hesperus Y C C

5LP8883 Willim Paulek House 11442 CR 120 Hesperus Y

5LP8884 Kikel Ranch 966 CR 127 Hesperus Y A*

5LP8885 Wright Coal Loader 2541 CR 120 Hesperus Y C C

5LP8886 Farmington Extension RR Tank

1 Grey Snake Road Durango

Y A A

5LP8887 Bates Homestead No address assigned/CR 138/Marvel

Y C C

5LP8888 Shipley 39827 East US Highway 160 Bayfield

Y

5LP8889 Animas Valley Grange 7271 CR 203 Durango Y

5LP8890 Brockish House 5004 CR 203 Durango Y

5LP8891 Logan Farm 4622 CR 203 Durango Y

5LP8892 5326 CR 203 Durango Y

5LP8893 Dimacali 2565 CR 203 Durango Y C C

5LP8894 Fuller Farm 7292 CR 203 Durango Y A A

5LP8895 Home Ranch 3606 CR 203 Durango Y

5LP8896 Buchanan Farm 367 CR 202 Durango Y A A

5LP8897 Waterfall Ranch 4166 CR 203 Durango Y

5LP8898 Smith House 7943 CR 203 Durango Y

5LP8899 Home Place 589 High Llama Lane Durango

Y

5LP8900 Ludwig Ranch 9002 CR 521 Bayfield Y A A


5LP8902 Robbins Hospital 4215 CR 216 Bayfield Y


Site Number



State Register

National Register

5LP8903 Lissner School 934 CR 243 Y

5LP8904 Forrest Groves Camp 80 Forrest Groves Lane Durango

Y

5LP8905 Swift Homestead No address- east of CR 501 Bayfield

Y

5LP8906 Electra Clubhouse 141 Electra E. Road Durango

Y A,C A,C

5LP8907 A.P. Root Cabin 419 Electra E. Road Durango

Y A A

5LP8908 Searcy Cabin 950 Electra West Road Durango

Y A A

5LP8909 Bondad Store 173 CR 213 Durango Y A C

5LP8910 Hafling House 2266 CR 220 Durango Y C

5LP8911 D&RG Trestle Trestle Lane Y A, C

5LP8912 Tiffany Church 236 CR 321 Ignacio Y C C

5LP8913 Abeyta Dance Hall 138 CR 321 Ignacio Y A,C A,C

5LP8914 Mason School 6698 Hwy 151 Ignacio Y

5LP8915 Pine River Stage Stop No address- east of CR 502 Bayfield

Y

5LP8916 Kelley Ranch 5283 CR 243 Bayfield Y A A

5LP8917 Tiffany Merc. Store 397 CR 321 Ignacio Y A,C A,C

5LP8918 Allison Gas Station 2600 CR 329 Ignacio Y A,C A,C

5LP8919 Community Church 2724 CR 329 Ignacio Y

5LP8920 Allison School 2740 CR 329 Ignacio Y

5LP8921 Allison Telephone Exch.

2611 CR 329 Y

5LP8922 Allison P.O. 2600 CR 329 Ignacio Y

5LP8923 Oxford House 7874 Hwy 172 Durango Y

5LP8924 La Posta School 5917 CR 213 Durango Y

5LP8925 The Rock Club 39668 Hwy 160 Bayfield Y A A*

5LP8926 39693 Hwy 160 Bayfield Y

5LP8927 Pine River Heritage Soc.

39961 Hwy 160 Bayfield Y

5LP8928 Allison Turkey Plant 2600 CR 329 Ignacio Y A A

5LP8929 849 CR 213 Y

5LP8930 La Boca Trestle No address- La Boca Ranch Road

Y A,C A,C


Site Number



State Register

National Register

5LP8931 Hott Ranch 7148 Hwy 151 Ignacio Y A,C A,C

5LP8932 Olbert Farm 6731 Hwy 172 Durango Y

5LP8933 Lower Spring Creek School

No address- CR 321 Ignacio Y C C

5LP8934 Rowe Barn 130 CR 207 Durango Y

5LP8935 Edgemont Ranch 5960 CR 234 Durango Y

5LP8936 Allison Catholic Church 2566 CR 329 Ignacio Y C C

5LP8937 Helen's Store 9669 CR 240 Durango Y

5LP8938 Tiffany Warehouse 346 CR 321 Y A A

5LP8939 Power Co. House-Electra Lake

240 Electra East Road Y

5LP8940 CCC 1936 Picnic Shelter

No address-Fort Lewis College Campus

Y A,C A,C

5LP8943 Everett House 2939 CR 526 Bayfield Y


5LP8945 4055 CR 501 Byfield Y

5LP8946 Bukovec Farm 186 CR 226 Durango Y

5LP8947 Monteith Farm 672 CR 230 Durango Y

5LP8948 Wride Farm 110 CR230 Durango Y

5LP8949 Florida Presbyterian 1024 CR 230 Durango Y

5LP8950 Sackett Homestead 34624 US Highway 550 Durango

Y

5LP8951 Barr House 22 CR 202 Durango Y

National Register Staff at the Colorado State Historical Society have additional questions on this determination

A= Criterion A C= Criterion C D= Criterion D E=Criterion E (State)


Appendix Table 2. Survey Log and List of All Properties Surveyed Organized by Resource Address

Notes-These sites are all considered eligible for the local La Plata County Historic Property Register. A = Criterion A and C= Criterion C.

Address Site

Number Historic Site Name Local

Register Eligible?

State Register Eligibility Criteria

National Register Eligibility Criteria

1390 CR 110 Hesperus 5LP8877 Oldfield Cabin Y C*

8165 CR 120 Hesperus 5LP8866 Rockvale School Y A,C A,C

8796 CR 120 Hesperus 5LP8873 Huntington Ranch Y A A*

11442 CR 120 Hesperus 5LP8883 Willim Paulek House Y

2541 CR 120 Hesperus 5LP8885 Wright Coal Loader Y C C

353 CR 122 Kline 5LP8865 LDS Church Y

170 CR 123 Hesperus 5LP8882 Davies House Y C C

4317 CR 124 Hesperus 5LP8874 Little Property Y

8307 CR 124 Hesperus 5LP8868 Waters Y C C

8316 CR 124 Hesperus 5LP8870 August Eckburg house Y

8327 CR 124 Hesperus 5LP8869 Barlow Y

23119 CR 124 Hesperus 5LP8875 Hesperus Coal Y

966 CR 127 Hesperus 5LP8884 Kikel Ranch Y A*

134 CR 133 A Hesperus 5LP8879 Smith House Y

CR 138/No address assigned//Marvel

5LP8887 Bates Homestead Y C C

9998 CR 141 Durango 5LP8876 Center School Y

968 CR 200 Durango 5LP8880 Rockwood House Y

976 CR 200 Durango 5LP8881 Rockwood House Y

1018 CR 200 Durango 5LP8863 Rockwood School Y A,C A,C

22 CR 202 Durango 5LP8951 Barr House Y

367 CR 202 Durango 5LP8896 Buchanan Farm Y A A

2565 CR 203 Durango 5LP8893 Dimacali Y C C

3606 CR 203 Durango 5LP8895 Home Ranch Y

4166 CR 203 Durango 5LP8897 Waterfall Ranch Y

4622 CR 203 Durango 5LP8891 Logan Farm Y

5004 CR 203 Durango 5LP8890 Brockish House Y

5326 CR 203 Durango 5LP8892 Y

7271 CR 203 Durango 5LP8889 Animas Valley Grange Y

7292 CR 203 Durango 5LP8894 Fuller Farm Y A A

7943 CR 203 Durango 5LP8898 Smith House Y


Address Site Number

Historic Site Name Local Register Eligible?



103 CR207 Durango 5LP8934 Rowe Barn Y

173 CR213 Durango 5LP8909 Bondad Store Y A,C A,C

849 CR 213 Durango 5LP8929 Y

5917 CR 213 Durango 5LP8924 La Posta School Y

4215 CR 216 Bayfield 5LP8902 Robbins Hospital Y

5273 CR 216 Bayfield 5LP8901 Y

2266 CR220 Durango 5LP8910 Hafling House Y C

186 CR 226 Durango 5LP8946 Bukovec Farm Y

110 CR 230 Durango 5LP8948 Wride Farm Y

672 CR 230 Durango 5LP8947 Monteith Farm Y

1024 CR 230 Durango 5LP8949 Florida Presbyterian Y

5960 CR 234 Durango 5LP8935 Edgemont Ranch Y

9669 CR 240 Durango 5LP8937 Helen's Store Y

934 CR 243 Bayfield 5LP8903 Lissner School Y

5983 CR 243 Bayfield 5LP8916 Waldner Ranch Y A A

138 CR 321 Ignacio 5LP8913 Abeyta Dance Hall Y A,C A,C

236 CR 321 Ignacio 5LP8912 Tiffany Church Y C C

346 CR 321 Ignacio 5LP8938 Tiffany Warehouse Y A A

397 CR 321 Ignacio 5LP8917 Tiffany Mercantile Y A,C A,C

CR 321/no address assigned 5LP8933 Lower Spring Creek School

Y C C

2566 CR 329 Ignacio 5LP8936 Allison Catholic Church Y C C

2600 CR 329 Ignacio 5LP8918 Allison Gas Station Y A,C A,C

2600 CR 329 Ignacio 5LP8922 Allison Post Office Y

2600 CR 329 Ignacio 5LP8928 Allison Turkey Plant Y A A

2611 CR 329 Ignacio 5LP8921 Allison Telephone Exchange

Y

2724 CR 329 Ignacio 5LP8919 Community Church Y

2740 CR 329 Ignacio 5LP8920 Allison School Y

CR 250/no address assigned/Durango

5LP8864 Anesi Ranch Y

955 CR 501 Bayfield 5LP6978 Wilmer Farm Y

4055 CR 501 Byfield 5LP8945 Y

6601 CR 501 Bayfield 5LP2144 Frank Wommer Ranch Y

14200 CR 501 Bayfield 5LP8857 Smoak Cabin Y


Address Site Number




14805 CR 501 Bayfield 5LP8856 Dial Cabin Y


23490 CR 501 Bayfield 5LP8853 Teelawuket Y A A

CR501/no address assigned Bayfield

5LP8905 Swift Homestead Y

CR502/no address assigned Bayfield

5LP8915 Pine River Stage Stop Y


9002 CR 521 Bayfield 5LP8900 Ludwig Ranch Y A A

2939 CR 526 Bayfield 5LP8943 Everett House Y

2480 CR 536 Bayfield 5LP8861 Ostwald Homestead Y

141 Electra E. Road Durango

5LP8906 Electra Lake Sporting Club

Y A,C A,C


5LP8939 Power Company House

Y


5LP8907 A.P. Root Cabin Y A A

950 Electra W. Road Durango

5LP8908 Searcy Cabin Y A A

80 Forrest Groves Lane Durango

5LP8904 Forrest Groves Camp Y

Fort Lewis Campus Durango 5LP8940 CCC 1936 Picnic Shelter

Y A,C A,C

1 Grey Snake Road Durango

5LP8886 Farmington Extension RR Tank

Y A A

589 High Llama Lane Durango

5LP8899 Y

La Boca Ranch Road 5LP8930 D & RG Railroad Trestle

Y A,C A,C

4044 State Hwy 140 Hesperus

5LP8878 Long Hollow Milling Co. Y A A

1723 State Hwy 140 Hesperus

5LP8867 Aspaas Farm Y A A*

22974 State Highway 140 Hesperus

5LP8871 Hesperus Schoolhouse Y


Address Site Number




22974 State Highway 140 Hesperus

5LP8872 St Paul's Church Y C C

6698 State Highway 151 Ignacio

5LP8914 Mason School Y C

7148 State Highway 151 Ignacio

5LP8931 Hott Ranch Y A,C A,C

656 State Highway 172 Durango

5LP8862 Florida Grange Y A A*


5LP8932 Olbert Farm Y


5LP8923 Y

Trestle Lane Durango 5LP8911 Farmington Branch RR Trestle

Y A,C

39668 US Highway 160 Bayfield

5LP8925 Rock Club Y A A*


5LP8926 Y


5LP8888 Y


5LP 8927 Pine River Heritage Society

Y

34624 US Hwy 550 North Durango

5LP8950 Sackett Homestead Y


5LP8860 Lechner Brothers Ranch

Y A A


5LP8859 Hotter Ranch Y A A*

187 Vallecito Drive Bayfield 5LP8858 Government Camp Y A A

72 West Grimes Creek Road Bayfield

5LP8855 Y

Purgatory at Durango Mtn Resort

5LP1275 Columbine Guard Station

Y

A= Criterion A;C= Criterion C;D= Criterion D;E= Criterion E (State) * National Register Staff at the Colorado Historical Society have additional questions concerning this determination.

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