Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot

The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot meets Criterion A for its role in the development of rail transportation in southwestern Colorado and for its contributions to the continuing economic development in Alamosa and the San Luis Valley from 1908 to 1943. Twentieth-century Alamosa was the rail hub in that part of the state where the narrow gauge and standard gauge lines converged. The depot was an important transfer point for passengers, mail and freight. While this depot was not associated with the early development of Alamosa and the railroad, it does represent the continuation of that transportation history and the 20th-century development and prosperity that the railroad brought to Alamosa and the San Luis Valley.

The town of Alamosa was founded in 1877 when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad purchased 1,608 acres of land on the west bank of the Rio Grande River. By 1877 the end of the railroad line reached Garland City east of Alamosa. Work on the line to Alamosa began at the end of 1877 and on July 4, 1878, it arrived in Alamosa.

Among the first rail shipments to Alamosa were several dismantled buildings from the town of Garland. The railroad provided the opportunity for citizens to leave Garland following the violence and brawling that occurred there on New Year's Eve in 1877 when five men were shot in a saloon. The event was known as "Garland's Bloody Monday". The buildings moved to Alamosa included the Occidental Hotel, the Broadwell House and the Gem Saloon. The railroad also prompted businesses to move their headquarters to Alamosa. The Barlow and Sanderson Stagecoach company located their terminal there so passengers could board stages to Del Norte, west of Alamosa and north to Lake City. The railroad workers were now headquartered in Alamosa as were a great number of wagon freight companies. The railroad brought the residents of the southwest region many of the comforts of life that were unavailable before-- at a reasonable price. The railroad also brought adventurers and tourists to see the surrounding countryside. There was a daily passenger train to Alamosa which also hauled huge amounts of freight for transfer to points east and west.

The arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad established Alamosa's future as the railroad center in southwest Colorado. Alamosa was the railroad's division point to towns further west and south into New Mexico. The depot and rail yards were the center of activity for the Rio Grande's narrow-gauge lines. In the late 1870s, the main line extended from Alamosa to Durango, and the narrow-gauge line was completed north of Durango to the mining town of Silverton in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. Lumber from southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico and agricultural produce and livestock kept the railroad lines through Alamosa lively.

The sawmills in Cortez, Durango, Juanita, and Chama, New Mexico sent a constant stream of lumber to Alamosa by narrow gauge for interchange to standard gauge and shipment to other areas of Colorado and beyond.

With the increase of mining activity in southwestern Colorado in the 1880s and 1890s, a growing amount of heavy mining equipment came through Alamosa where it was transferred to narrow-gauge or wagons bound for the San Juan Mountain mining camps and towns such as Summitville, Lake City, Silverton, Howardsville and Ouray. Due to the heavy amount of rail traffic into Alamosa it developed extensive railroad yards with a large roundhouse and shops for repairs and rebuilding of equipment. At the turn of the century there were public events held at the roundhouse. The railroad employees had a band and a baseball team.

On Christmas day in 1907, a fire destroyed the frame of Alamosa Depot and in the following year, a new brick building was constructed. It was suitable for a mainline railroad and a major junction. The new building was beautiful and functional. Through the 1930s the depot was also the Denver and Rio Grande's division headquarters.

Alamosa continued to be a busy railroad center during World War II and the following decade was dominated by local agricultural produce and livestock. Potatoes were the primary crop in the San Luis Valley. Flour mills were constructed in Alamosa to process wheat which was grown extensively across the valley. The land was equally productive for sheep raising and lamb feeding. All were shipped in great numbers through Alamosa. Agriculture became the mainstay of the San Luis Valley and resulted in good economic times in Alamosa.
With a decrease in rail transportation for passengers or freight, the Denver and Rio Grande Depot in Alamosa was closed in the 1950s and sold to Alamosa County in 1961. The activity that once was the scene at the depot has now ceased. There had been morning and evening passenger train arrivals and departures with ticket agents selling accommodations in all four directions. Milk and cream cans were shuffled about, baggage was loaded and transferred along with the ever-present mail sacks.

The depot came under the care of the Board of Alamosa County Commissioners and was used for offices for public health, civil defense, and the Chamber of Commerce. Throughout the 1970s, the depot was also a stopping point for buses. The building is currently occupied by the Alamosa County Department of Social Services and Colorado State University Extension Service.