A railroad’s arrival in Pueblo 150 years ago had far-reaching consequences for Colorado and the West

A railroad’s arrival in Pueblo 150 years ago had far-reaching consequences for Colorado and the West

A locomotive on the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad in southern Colorado is pictured in this 1880s photograph. (Courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections, MCC-3176)They had started west from Las Animas in late summer 1875, led by teams of “tie men” who ascended the Arkansas River into the Rockies to harvest timber for wooden crossties, which were floated downriver and stockpiled along the surveyed route. ← Feb. 19–25 Feb. 2…

Arrival of railroad had consequences for Colorado, the West

En route to the Pacific, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway broke a monopoly that had outraged southern Colorado. Continue reading…