History of the Railroads

The railroads were life changing across North America in the early to mid 1800s. They connected regions and towns, improved accessibility to the trade of goods and raw materials, and also enabled everyday citizens to travel more quickly and further than ever before. In Colorado, railways emerged with the Colorado Gold Rush and silver mining boom which sparked a new wave of settlers and commercial enterprises.

The transformation and impact of travel by locomotive was particularly evident in Park County in towns such as Como which acted as a main depot for the Denver, South Park, & Pacific (DSP&P) railroad. As railroads vastly improved the efficiency of local mining endeavors, they also shaped the landscape and the demographics of towns. Many communities experienced economic boom during this time period. However, the lifespan of the railways were short. For this reason, the lasting prosperity of the towns and those settlers dependent on railway traffic was greatly limited