End of the Line
During the early 1900s, mining traffic dwindled as many mines struggled and closed. Consequently, the railroad business also declined. The railroads were an industry that were pivitol to sustaining mining operations. Soon, railroad companies began abandoning many routes and pulling up their rail lines.[1] Small towns like Como that had been bustling hubs of commerce due to the railroad saw their populations slowly diminish. In 1909, Como endured a major fire that destroyed many buildings including the railroad offices. Instead of rebuilding, Union Pacific moved all the operations and employees to Denver. Another cave-in occurred in 1910 at the Alpine Tunnel, leading it to permanently close, creating another blow to the economy of the town. As time passed there were fewer and fewer open routes and trains that passed through. Many employees were transferred or furloughed. Many of the existing businesses were forced to close. Como’s population continued its steady decline and in 1926 the railroad reduced its southwest route that linked Como with Fairplay and Alma.[2]
With the railroads, the tourism industry also dried up. Advancements in automobiles, including the rise of bus routes and leisure travel by car, further cut into the railway’s importance. With so many of the rail lines gone, and new highways being built, trucking became the prevalent means to transport goods. Automobiles became the preferred method of travel, and the federal government began investing more and more money into improvements of highways after 1916.[3] An abandonment request by the railroads was approved in 1936, and the last passenger train departed Como on April 10, 1937.[4] The Como Roundhouse was permanently shut down and the tracks pulled up in 1938. By 1950, the town’s population was down to thirty-nine residents.[5]
Modes of transportation have historically changed with the development of human civilization and technology. Just as we saw the rise of the wheel or the wagon, so did we see the rise of mechanical transportation such as the railroad. Railroads were a driving force in the mining industry in Park County and gave rise to many others. However, just as we saw with earlier modes of transportation, the railroads were also replaced by newer and more efficient technologies. Abandoned lines strewn across the land now reverberate prosperities past, but we must acknowledge the industry’s grand influence on the adolescence of Park County.