DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

ALBERT B. FALL, Secretary

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director 

Bulletin 707

GUIDEBOOK

OF THE

WESTERN UNITED STATES

PART E. THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE 

WESTERN ROUTE

BY

MARIUS R. CAMPBELL

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1922
<-. > ^/

*\ ' "- \

^%VhtU 

Era. ^

Cenozoic (recent life).

.Mesozoic (intermediate 

life).

Paleozoic 

(old life).

P r o t erozoic 

(primordial 

life).

,., . PBINCIPAL DIVISIONS OF GEOLOGIC TIME.° f\ 1 l A ^ ' ft [ { C Q ...._...

l V*

Period.

Quaternary.

Tertiary.

Cretaceous.

Jurassic.

Triassic.

Carboniferous.

Devonian.

Silurian.

Ordovician.

Cambrian.

AlgonMan.

Archean.

Epoch.

Recent. 

Pleistocene 

(Great 

Ice Age).

Pliocene. 

Miocene. 

Oligocene. 

Eocene.

<»)

(»)

(")

Permian. 

Pennsylvanian. 

Miss i s s i ppian.

(»)

(»)

(»>

<»)

(»)

Crystalline 

 ttflK ..

 L«JJ^

Characteristic life.

"Age of man." Animals and plants of 

modern types.

"Age of mammals." Possible first appearance of man. Rise and development of 

highest orders of plants.

"Age of reptiles." Rise and culmination 

of huge land reptiles (dinosaurs), of shellfish with complexly partitioned coiled 

shells (ammonites), and of great flying 

reptiles. First appearance of birds and 

mammals (in Jurassic); of cycads, an 

order of palmlike plants (in Triassic); 

and of angiospermous plants, among 

which are palms and hardwood trees 

(in Cretaceous).

"Age of amphibians." Dominance of club 

mosses (lycopods) and plants of horsetail 

and fern types. Primitive flowering 

plants and earliest cone-bearing trees. 

Beginnings of backboned land animals 

(land vertebrates). Insects. Animals 

with nautilus-like coiled shells (ammonites) and sharks abundant.

"Age of fishes." Shellfish (mollusks) also 

abundant. Rise of amphibians andland 

plants.

Shell-forming sea animals dominant, especially those related to the nautilus (cephalopods). Rise and culmination of the 

marine animals sometimes known as sea 

lilies (crinoids) and of giant scorpionlike crustaceans (eurypterids). Rise of 

fishes and of reef-building corals.

Shell-forming sea animals, especially cephalopods and mollusk-oke brachiopods, 

abundant. Culmination of the buglike 

marine crustaceans known as trilobites. 

First trace of insect life.

Trilobites and brachiopods most characteristic animals . Seaweeds ( algae) abundant. No trace of land animals found.

First life that has left distinct record. 

Crustaceans, brachiopods, and seaweeds.

^Jo fossils fpundy . .

Duration, according to various 

estimates.

Millions of years. 

Ito5.

4 to 10.

17 to 25.

50+.

a The geologic record consists mainly of sedimentary beds beds deposited in water. Over large areas

siiuwu auuvt; m o aepaiaLeu uy £VA;ii4LiiJt;uLkiuiiM»tict>-« i*it»b JD^LUV «LI v»v

or widespread uplifts or depres^onsjofjS^ea/th'jsgrf^e.J ** J *..* 

6 Epoch names omitted; in less common use than those given.
CONTENTS.

 Page.

Preface, by George Otis Smith _ __ _ ix

Introduction_ _ __ _____________ 1

Denver, Colo _____________________________;_____ 3

One-day trips from Denver__ _ ______-___ _ 7

Continental Divide at Corona in Rollins Pass_____________ 7

Georgetown and Mount McClellan____________________ 1.3

South Platte Canyon_____ ________________________ 18

Other trips of interest_ _ _ _: _ __ 21

Main line of railroad from Denver to Colorado Springs___________ 22

One-day trips from Colorado Springs __ _ __ 35

Manitou and the Garden of the Gods_ _____________ 35

Pikes Peak_____________ _______ ___________ 38

Cripple Creek by way of the " Short Line "___ _ _________ 46

South Cheyenne Canyon __ ________________ 48

Main line of railroad from Colorado Springs to Canon City________ 53

One-day trip from Canon City to the top of the Royal Gorge________ 72

Main line of railroad from Canon City to Salidal' __ ____ _____ 73

Main line of railroad from Salida to Malta _ ____ 90

Leadville loop ____________ ____________________ 104

Main line of railroad from Malta to Grand Junction________________ 109

Narrow-gage line from Salida to Montrose _ ________ 158

Standard-gage line from Montrose to Grand Junction___________ 179

Main line of railroad from Grand Junction to Salt Lake City_______ 185

One-day trips from Salt Lake City ___ 244

Saltair bathing beach ________ _ 244

Parleys Canyon and Park City _ __ _____________ 245

Bingham, the great copper camp_____________________ 251

Index______________ ___________ 261

ni
ILLUSTEATIONS.

ROUTE MAP.

For the convenience of the traveler the sheets of the route map are so folded and placed 

that he can. unfold them one by one and keep each one in, view while he is reading the text 

relating to it. A reference in parentheses is given in the text at each point where a new 

sheet should be unfolded.

Page. 

SHEET 1. Denver to Husted, Colo___ __ ______ ______ 32

2. Edgerton to Parkdale, Colo______________________ 84

3. Echo to Pine Creek and Doyle, Colo________________ 100 

" 4. Granite to Spruce Creek, Colo_____________________ 134

5. Shoshone to De Beque, Colo_____________________ 150

6. Parlin to Roubideau, Colo______________________ 182

7. Escalante and Akin, Colo., to Cisco, Utah_____________ 198

8. Whitehouse to Cedar, Utah_____________________ 210

9. Verde to. Mapleton, Utah_______________________ 232

10. Springville to Salt Lake City, Utah_________._______ 244

PLATES.

PLATE I. Relief map of Colorado and part of Utah, showing main lines 

of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad and areas 

covered by sheets of route map______ ___ 2

II. State Capitol, Denver______________________ 6

III. A, Wheat field in Clear Creek valley; B, Mountain front on

the "Moffat road"______________________ 7

IV. A, Tunnels on the "Moffat road"; B, State flower of

Colorado____________________________. _. 10

V. James Peak __________________________ 11

VI. " Mother Grundy "___..________.._____________ 14

VII. Narrows of Clear Creek canyon________________ 15

VIII. Silver Plume ____________________________ 18

I.. Mount McClellan_________________________ 19

X. Platte Canyon __________________________ 20

XL A, Castle Rock; B, Dome Rock, Platte Canyon_______ 21

XII. A, Result of a recent forest fire; B, Result of an old forest

fire ________________________________ 28

XIII. A, Marking merchantable timber; B, Engelmann spruce__ 29

XIV. A, A forest nursery; B, Old charcoal kilns; (7, Yellow pine__ 30

XV. A, A place for artificial reforestation; B, Fire-lookout station__________________^_____________ 31

XVI. A, " Elephant Rock "; B, Palmer Lake ___________ 32

XVII. A, B, Capped pinnacles in Monument Park; C, The " Major

Domo," Glen Eyrie _______________________ 33

XVIII. Pikes Peak___.________________________ 34

XIX. Gateway to the Garden of the Gods___________ 35

XX. A, The " Siamese Twins "; B, " Balanced Rock "______ 36

IV
ILLUSTRATIONS. V

Page. 

PLATE XXI. Gateway and spires of the Garden of the Gods-_____ _ 37

XXII. Geologic map of Manitou and Garden of the Gods «__ 38

XXIII. Williams Canyon, Manitou _______ _________ 40

XXIV. A, Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountain peneplain; B, Ute

Pass_____________________ ________ 41

XXV. A, Point Sublime; B, Devils Slide_______________ 46

XXVI. Silver Cascade_________1________________ 47 

XXVII. A, The old and the new in railroading; B, Cathedral Rocks__ 48 

XXVIII. A, Bull Hill, Cripple Creek district; B, Anaconda and Mary

McKinney mines_________________________ 49

XXIX. Pillars of Hercules_______________________ 50

XXX. Seven Falls ___________________________ 51

XXXI. Map showing Denver & Rio Grande Railroad as originally

planned ______ ___ ___ _________ 56

XXXII. A, An armored dinosaur (Stegosaurus) ; B, Triceratops, the

last of the dinosaurs______________ __ 70

XXXIII. A, Dinosaur tracks; B, Portal of the Royal Gorge____ 71

XXXIV. A, Top of the Royal Gorge; B, Rim of the Royal Gorge___ 72

XXXV. Skyline Drive, Canon City____________________ 73

XXXVI. A, Massive walls of the Royal Gorge; B, Lodgepole pine

forest; C, Grand canyon of the Arkansas _ 76

XXXVII. View looking down into the Royal Gorge_________ 77

XXXVIII. Hanging Bridge, Royal Gorge__________________ 78

XXXIX. Upper end of the Royal Gorge________________ 79 

XL. A, Grand canyon of the Arkansas below Texas Creek; B,

Tunnel on Rainbow Highway_________________ 80 

XLI. A, Gold dredging; B, Rainbow Highway___________ 81 

XLII. A, Summer home in a national forest; B, Game in the

national forest _____________ _____ 82 

XLIII. Howard and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains-___ 83 

XLIV. Salida and the valley of the Arkansas_____________ 90 

XLV. A, Summit of the Sawatch Range west of Salida; J3, Cirque

on a mountain side______________________ 92 

XLVI. Mount Princeton___________:_____________ 93 

XLVII. A, Natural granite monument; B, Potholes in granite

boulders_____________________________ 98 

XLVIII. Mount Elbert and Mount Massive________________ 99 

XLIX. Carbonate Hill, Leadville____________________ 104 

L. A, The patient burro; B, Tunnels in Eagle River canyon; C,

Earth erosion columns____________________ 105 

LI. Ar Wild animals in a national forest; B, Stocking a stream

with fish in a national forest__________________ 112

LII. Map of Homestake Glacier, Colo________________ 116

LIII. Mount of the Holy Cross_____________________ 116

LIV. Mines in Eagle River canyon________._________ 117

LV. A, Roches moutonne'es; B, Eagle River canyon______ 118

LVI. A, Eagle Valley near Edwards; B, Recent volcano in Eagle

Valley; C, Edge of recent lava flow 119 

LVII. A, Mountain sheep; B, Upper end of canyon of Colorado

River___________I__________________ 132

LVIII. Canyon of Colorado River__________________ 133

LIX. Lower part of canyon of Colorado River- _______ 136

LX. Glenwood Springs _________________________ 137
VI ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

PLATE LXI. Hanging Lake____________________:______ 138 

LXII. A, Grand Hogback; B, Palm-leaf fan grown in Colorado__ 139 

LXIII. Grand Valley cliffs _______________________ 148 

LXIV. A, Bare hills opposite De Beque; B, Stock fenced in a national forest____________________________ 149

LXV. A, Nature's lacelik'e sculpture; B, Palisade Canyon at Cameo- 152 

LXVI. High Line diversion dam in Palisade Canyon. ^______ 153 

LXVII. Colorado River valley below Palisade____________ 156 

LXVIII. Little Book Cliffs at Palisade_________________ 157 

LXIX. A, Marshall Pass; B, Ouray Peak_______________ 162 

LXX. A, Spires of volcanic rock near Sapinero; B, Intricate erosion of volcanic rock; C, Sheep in the Gunnison country 163 

LXXI. A, B, Black Canyon of the Gunnison from above; C, Rough

water in Black Canyon____________________ 172

LXXII. Upper part of Black Canyon__________________ 173 

LXXIII. Curecanti Needle _________________________ 174 

LXXIV. Gunnison tunnel of the United States Reclamation Service: 

A, Diversion dam; B, Interior of tunnel; C, West portal 

of tunnel____________ ________________ 175

LXXV. A, Uncompahgre Valley in its native state; B, The same

valley irrigated --»- 178 

LXXVI. A, Canyon between Delta and Grand Junction; B, Brilliantly 

colored spur of the canyon wall; C, Cross-bedded sandstone _ _ ________ __ 179

LXXVII. A, Two crops on irrigated ground; B, Method of irrigating

orchards ____________________________ 188

LXXVIII. A column of sandstone in the Colorado National Monument 189 

LXXIX. Ruby Canyon____________________________ 194 

LXXX. A, Overhanging walls of Ruby Canyon; B, Thick coal bed;

C, Colorado-Utah State line__________________ 195 

LXXXI. State flower of Utah_______________________ 196 

LXXXII. A, Plateau near Moab; B, Shale badlands at foot of Book

Cliffs; C, Gunnison Butte___________________ 197

LXXXIII. Green River__'_________________________ 204

LXXXIV. Apple trees in bloom______________________ 205

LXXXV. Beckwith Plateau__________________________ 210

LXXXVI. A, Band of sheep; B, Coke ovens at Sunnyside; C, Cliffs

above Helper_______ ______ _____ 211 

LXXXVII. A, Inclined normal fault; B, Vertical normal fault; C, Castle

Gate, side view _ ____ 216

LXXXVIII. Castle Gate ___________________ . __ _ 217

LXXXIX. A, Bonneville shore line; B, Hydroelectric plant of the

Strawberry Valley reclamation project__ _____ 228 

XC. Timpanogos Peak__________________________ 229

XCI. Wasatch Mountains________________________ 238

XCII. A, State capitol of Utah; B, Eagle Gate and Lion and Beehive houses of Brigham Young____:_ _____ 239

XCIII. Temple Square ____ _ _ __ 242

XCIV. A, Sea Gull Monument; B, Bathing in Great Salt Lake 243 

XCV. A, Bingham Canyon; B, Bingham mine of Utah Copper Co__ 254 

XCVI. A, Magna mill of the Utah Copper Co.; B, Bonneville shore

line on Wasatch Mountains 255
ILLUSTRATIONS. VII

FIGURES.

Page.

FIGUEE 1. Map of Colorado and part of Utah, showing areas covered by 

United States Geological Survey topographic maps and 

geologic folios__ __ ________ ____ xr

2. Dakota hogback and mountain front north of Plainview, as

seen from the " Moffat road "__________________ 8

3. Arch of the Front Range restored __ _ ____ 9

4. Diagrams showing effect of stream and glacial erosion___ 11

5. Dakota hogback south of South Platte River_________ 19

6. Section at mouth of Platte Canyon_______________ 25

7. Castle Rock from the north____________________ 26

8. Sketch section through Palmer Lake, showing fault______ 32

9. Section at Pikeview, showing the fault that separates the rocks

of the plains from those of the mountains___________ 33

10. Section through Garden of the Gods_______________ 37

11. Profile section through Pikes Peak and Cascade, showing the 

relation of the mountain peak to the lower land (peneplain) 

on either side_________________________ 44

12. Sections showing supposed outline of the Cripple Creek volcano _______________________________ 50

13. Section showing fault at foot of Cheyenne Mountain______ 53

14. State of Jefferson, as it was proposed in 1858________ 63

15. Sandstone bed at base of coal-bearing formation at crossing of

Arkansas River near mouth of Oil Creek___________ 70

16. Section from Canon City to Parkdale, showing former extent 

of the Dakota and Morrison formations and the pinching out 

westward of the lower formations - ___________ 80

17. Cross section of the Sangre de Cristo Range and the valley on 

its east side, at Pleasanton, showing the anticline of the mountain and the syncline on the east________________ 85

18. Lava-capped hill south of Howard______________ 86

19. Section of the Sangre de Cristo Range and the valley on its

east side, through. Hunts Peak and Howard__________ 88

20. Ideal section from Sawatch Range to Brown Canyon, showing the deep gravel filling in the old channel of the Arkansas _________________________________ 92

21. Sketch map of Brown Canyon, showing its relation to the

granite and the gravel______________________ 92

22. Mount Yale from Nathrop_____________________ 94

23. Great cirque on Mount Harvard _______________ 99

24. Mountain peaks of Sawatch Range at the head of Lake Creek,

as seen from milepost 265____________________ 103

25. The Mosquito Range as seen from milepost 269, at the mouth of

Iowa Gulch________________ ___________ 103

26. Mineral production of Lake County from 1877 to 1918, inclusive_________ ___ __________ ______ 107

27. Section through some of the workings at Leadville, showing the

relation of the ore to the limestone, porphyry, and quartzite_ 108

28. Section across Eagle Park, showing the thin cap of quartzite 

on- the west and the same bed dipping into the base of the 

slope on the east_________-.______ - 114

29. Meanders of Eagle River in Eagle Park near Deen _ 114

30. Sketch map showing old and new moraines above Minturn__ 120
VIII ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. 

. Anticline and syncline ______ __ __ 121

32. Sketch section across the syncline at Wolcott on a line from

east to west__ _ _ _ 124

33. Canyon cut by Eagle River through west rim of the syncline,

as seen from Wolcott ____________________ 127

34. Section across canyon of Colorado River at Shoshone____ 135

35. Top of red sandstone (Triassic) forming crest of hill below

South Canon Coal Co.'s coal tipple _ ____ 139

36. Section through Grand Hogback at Newcastle _____ 140

37. Section across Uinta Basin from Newcastle to Palisade___ 148

38. Relation of oil, gas, and water to an anticline _ 150

39. Map of High Line reclamation project__________L___ 153

40. Formation of a rock terrace___________________ 159

41. Formation of a gravel terrace___________________ 160

42. Alluvial fans in Poncha Canyon _ _ ____ 161

43. Overturned eastern rim of the syncline at Crookton____ 167

44. Section through Tomichi Dome, showing the great mass of 

crystalline rock that has forced its way upward, while in 

a molten condition, through the older granite and sedimentary rocks ___ __ __ _____________ 168

45. Section showing the effect of hard and soft rocks on the form

of a canyon 170

46. Section across Black Canyon at Cimarron_-__________ 175

47. Rocks forming the canyon wall near Bridgeport-:______ 182

48. Sketch section across the valley at Fruita, Colo_ _______ 185

49. Method of measuring the flow of a river at a cable station 189

50. Short fold in massive sandstone opposite Ruby siding, below

Mack_________________________________ 192

51. Different types of anticlines ___________________ 192

52. Angular profiles of the Plateau province____________ 198

53. Mountains carved from a laccolith- _____________ 199

54. Projecting point of the lower salients of the Book Cliffs__ 200

55. Profile of front of Beckwith Plateau_______________ 209

56. Terraces at head of Grassy Creek valley___________ 211

57. Geologic section at Castlegate__________________ 215

58. Sketch section at Gilluly, showing relation of the northwarddipping red Wasatch to the white Green River formation__ 221

59. Map of Strawberry Valley reclamation project________ 225

60. Map of Lake Bonneville_________:___________ 228

61. Provo and Bonneville lake terraces at the Narrows of Jordan

Valley __________!___________________ 235

62. Fluctuation in level of Great Salt Lake from 1850 to 1914_ 245

63. Map showing old trails for Oregon and California______ 249
PREFACE.

By GEORGE OTIS SMITH.

The United States of America comprise an area so vast in extent 

and so diverse in natural features as well as in characters due to 

human agency that the American citizen who knows thoroughly his 

own country must have traveled widely and observed wisely. To 

" know America first" is a patriotic obligation, but to meet this obligation the railroad traveler needs to have his eyes directed toward 

the more important or essential things within his field of vision and 

then to have much that he sees explained by what is unseen in the 

swift passage of the train. Indeed, many things that attract his 

attention are inexplicable except as the story of the past is available 

to enable him to interpret the present. Herein lie the value and the 

charm of history, whether human or geologic.

The present stimulus given to travel in the home country will 

encourage many thousands of Americans to study geography at first 

hand. To make this study most profitable the traveler needs a 

handbook that will answer the questions that come to his mind so 

readily along the way. Furthermore, the aim of such a guide should 

be to stimulate the eye in the selection of the essentials in the scene 

that so rapidly unfolds itself in the crossing of the continent. In 

recognition of the opportunity to render1 service of this kind to an 

unusually large number of American citizens, as well as to visitors 

from other countries, the United States Geological Survey has published a series of guidebooks 1 covering four of the older railroad 

routes west of the Mississippi. The present volume is an addition 

to this series and covers one of the finest scenic routes of the continent.

These books are educational in purpose, but the method adopted is 

to entertain the traveler by making more interesting what he sees 

from the car window. The plan of the series is to present authoritative information that may enable the reader to realize adequately the

1 Guidebook of the western United States: Part A, The Northern Pacific 

Route, with a side trip to Yellowstone Park (Bulletin 611); Part B, The Overland Route, with a side trip to Yellowstone Park (Bulletin 612); Part C, The 

Santa Fe Route, with a side trip to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado (Bulletin 

613) ; Part D, The Shasta Route and Coast Line (Bulletin 614). These bulletins are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C., at 

50 cents a copy.

IX
X PREFACE.

<*

scenic and material resources of the region he is traversing, to comprehend correctly the basis of its development, and above all to 

appreciate keenly the real value of the country he looks out upon, 

not as so many square miles of territory represented on the map in a 

railroad folder by meaningless spaces, but rather as land real estate, 

if you please varying widely in present appearance because differing largely in its history, and characterized by even greater variation 

in values because possessing diversified natural resources. One 

region may be such as to afford a livelihood for only a pastoral 

people; another may present opportunity for intensive agriculture; 

still another may contain hidden stores of mineral wealth that may 

attract large industrial development; and, taken together, these 

varied resources afford the promise of long-continued prosperity for 

this or that State.

Items of interest in civic development or references to significant 

epochs in the record of discovery and settlement may be interspersed 

with explanations of mountain and valley or statements of geologic 

history. In a broad way the story of the West is a unit, and every 

chapter should be told in order to meet fully the needs of the tourist 

who aims to understand all that he sees. To such a traveler-reader 

this series of guidebooks is addressed.

To this interpretation of our own country the United States Geological Survey brings the accumulated data of decades of pioneering 

investigation, and the present contribution is only one type of return 

to the public which has supported this scientific work under the 

Federal Government a by-product of research.

In the preparation of the description of the country traversed by 

the Denver & Rio Grande Western Route the geographic and geologic 

information already published as well as unpublished material in 

the possession of the Geological Survey has been utilized, but to 

supplement this material Mr. Campbell made a field examination of 

the entire route in 1915-1916. Information has been furnished by 

others, to whom credit is given in the text. Cooperation has been 

rendered by the United States Forest Service and the United States 

Reclamation Service, railroad officials and other citizens have 

generally given their aid, and other members of the Survey have 

freely cooperated in the work. For the purpose of furnishing the 

traveler with a graphic presentation of each part of his route, the 

accompanying maps, 10 sheets in all, have been prepared, with a 

degree of accuracy probably never before attained in a guidebook 

and their arrangement has been planned to meet the convenience of 

the reader. The special topographic surveys necessary to complete 

these maps of the route were made by W. 0. Tufts,
bvTW (fDUCHESNE

/ ^^V-» V>J=-pRICE RIVER 

 N^^ 1 ^f^~"~"~1

rr-.--.] GUNNISON (

FIGURE 1. Map of Colorado and part of Utah, showing areas covered by United States Geologica

quadrangular or irregular areas marked in heavy gothic letters have been mapped, and the ar

also been described in geologic folios.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE I

RELIEF MAP OF COLORADO AND UTAH

Showing main lines of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad and areas covered by sheets of route map

50 0 50 100_________150 Miles
GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 

PART E. THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE.

By MARIUS R. CAMPBELL.

. ' INTRODUCTION.

The traveler who crosses the United States from east to west passes 

over many belts of country, which are different in types of surface 

features, such as plains, plateaus, and mountains; in climate, especially in amount of rainfall; and in the occupations of the inhabitants, which are largely determined by their environment. He is 

likely to be more or less familiar with the eastern part of the country, 

which will therefore not be described here, but as soon as he crosses 

Missouri River, either at Kansas City or at Omaha, he enters a 

region that may be to him almost entirely unknown. In this region 

he grows accustomed rather slowly to the sight of the level, unbroken 

stretches of the vast plains that extend from Missouri River to 

the foot of the Rocky Mountains, but at last he becomes reconciled 

to the treeless landscape and begins to enjoy the freedom of the apparently boundless plain- below and the limitless expanse of sky 

above. He may have expected to see traces of what was once called 

" The Great American Desert," but the region so named was long 

ago proved to be a desert only in the imagination of some of the 

early explorers. As he goes westward, however, he observes that 

the crops decrease in abundance and that the density of the population decreases correspondingly, but that the country is nowhere 

free from signs of habitation. In years of drought the plains become parched and brown, but even then they do not resemble the 

true deserts that lie west of the Rocky Mountains.

In Denver the traveler is still on the plains, but he is so close to 

their western edge and so near to the commanding peaks of the 

Rocky Mountains that he naturally regards Denver as a mountain 

city. He should rather regard it as the gateway to the mountains, 

for he will find that it is the natural entrance to much of this 

interesting region and that it enjoys the advantages of both the agricultural resources and transportation facilities of the plains and the 

mineral wealth and scenic beauty of the mountains.

l
2 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The great sprawling ranges of the " Rockies " west of Denver constitute one of the most formidable barriers to travel between the 

East and the West. These mountains extend from the Arctic Circle 

across Canada and the United States as far south as Santa Fe. In 

the latitude of Denver the mountainous belt is only about 80 miles 

wide, but the ranges are rugged and the principal peaks are high, 

some of them rising more than 14,000 feet above sea level. Mountains of this height that can be seen from the level of the sea are 

very imposing, but these0 mountains stand upon a broad platform 

that is itself 6,000 to 10,000 feet high, and they are consequently 

less impressive, for their height above their bases is scarcely more 

than a mile.

The route of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad across 

the mountains of Colorado and the plateaus and deserts of Utah, 

shown in Plate I, is particularly noted for the variety of its scenery, 

as it traverses a region that presents an almost bewildering display 

of nature's handiwork. In this display the canyons cut by the 

streams and now followed by the railroad are perhaps the most 

wonderful features, for they give a very vivid impression of the 

great activity of the processes going on around us all the time and 

of the vast amount of excavation that has been done by the streams. 

Mining is the principal industry in the mountains, and in his journey westward from Denver the traveler has opportunity to see or to 

visit some of the best-known mining camps in this country. Many 

of these camps are of recent development, but some date back to the 

time when gold was first discovered in the West, and about them 

still cling the glamour and the romance of that time, when law was 

unknown and fortunes were made or lost in a single day.

West of the Rocky Mountains, extending to the west face of the 

Wasatch Range, lies what is generally known as the Plateau Province, called by Powell the "Canyon Lands" a region of high 

plateaus and deep canyons, which in this respect has no peer in the 

world. In this region there are few mountain peaks, and the prevailing type of upland is the plateau with nearly level top and 

steep or even vertical sides. The slopes in these dry lands are generally angular; they have not the smooth, flowing curves of those 

in more humid regions. In the plateaus streams have carved 

deep canyons, the most remarkable of which, the Grand Canyon of 

the Colorado, reaches in its deepest part a depth of 6,000 feet. 

The entire surf ace of the country is so intricately seamed with canyons that it can be crossed only at certain places and even there only 

with great difficulty. The precipitation in the region is very small, 

probably not more than 5 or 6 inches in a year on the lower lands, 

so that these lands are veritable deserts. They can be successfully 

cultivated by irrigation, however, and much money h,as been spent
DENVER & EIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE 3

by private irrigators and irrigation companies and oy the Government in carrying the waters of the rivers onto the thirsty land. 

The climate at the lower levels is generally mild, and where the 

lands have been thus watered crops of various kinds, including 

fruits, are raised in abundance. Agriculture and coal mining are 

the principal industries, but they are restricted to certain tracts 

near the railroads.

Beyond the Wasatch Mountains lies what is known as the Great 

Basin, which stretches westward from them farther than the eye 

can see. This is really an immense surface basin, rimmed about by 

higher land that prevents the streams within it from reaching the 

ocean. If the rainfall were heavy the streams would find outlets, 

but as it is only a few inches a year the evaporation equals the rainfall and the region is a desert; so little water is available that enough 

can not be had for irrigation except near its margin and in small 

areas where the conditions are exceptional. Near the border of 

the basin there are a few fresh-water lakes, but most of the lakes 

within it are salty, like Great Salt Lake, which the traveler will see 

at the western terminus of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. In the interior of the Great Basin there were once many 

lakes, but they dried up ages ago, leaving their bottoms snow-white 

with deposits of soda, borax, and common salt. The principal occupation in this region is metal mining, and the mines are in the 

isolated mountain ranges that corrugate the floor of the basin and 

break the monotony of its surface.

West of the Great Basin are the Sierra Nevada and the great interior valley and coastal features of California.

DENVER, COLO.

The traveler who is unfamiliar with the West will find much to 

interest him in and about Denver. The city has sprung up in a 

short time; it is, indeed, but little more than 50 years old. Its population, according to the census of 1920, was 256,491. The traveler 

who may have thought of Denver as a city in the center of a great 

mountainous empire may be disappointed in finding, when he arrives 

there, that it is a city on the plains, 15 or 16 miles east of the foothills and 50 to 60 miles east of the Continental Divide, or the main 

crest of the Rocky Mountains. (See Route map, sheet 1, p. 32.)

Although it is on the plains, Denver, in common with many towns 

in and near the mountains, owes its first settlement to the discovery 

of gold, which was found in the sand of Cherry Creek by a band of 

prospectors who were bound to the mountain region. The sand 

was not commercially productive, but the camp established for the 

purpose of working it has grown and is to-day a fine city with
4 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN" UNITED STATES.

broad streets, great manufacturing plants, large stores, numerous 

business blocks, commodious hotels and residences, and beautiful 

boulevards and parks.

The exploration that led to the founding of the city of Denver, 

like those that led to the founding of many other cities, is shrouded 

more or less in mystery. Gold was certainly the lure that brought 

the explorers here, but when and where gold was first discovered in 

what is now Colorado -are not certainly known. There are many 

legends that the precious metal was found in the foothills and the 

mountains of Colorado prior to 1850, but most of these legends are 

vague and unreliable. What appears to be the first authentic account of an exploration in this vicinity is a story that a party of 

Cherokee Indians, in the spring of 1849, went to the Pacific coast by 

way of the old trail up the Arkansas Valley across the Squirrel 

Creek divide (just east of Palmer Lake), and down Cherry Creek 

to the South Platte at the site of the present city of Denver. The 

story goes that the Indians found some gold in the Rocky Mountains 

but not enough to deter them from continuing their trip to California. When they reached the coast 4 they did not find gold as 

abundantly as they had expected, so they returned to Georgia fully , convinced that there were opportunities in the Rocky Mountains just 

as promising as they had seen in California.

In 1858 the Cherokees again organized a gold-seeking expedition, 

which was joined by many white men. This party, which was known 

as the Green Russell party, went to Cherry Creek, where the Indians 

had found some gold on their previous visit. They prospected along 

Cherry Creek and South Platte River, and many people flocked to 

their camp. Little gold was found, but the camp persisted, and several settlements sprang up on or near the site later occupied by the 

city of Denver. The first town established in this vicinity was on 

South Platte River 6 miles above the mouth of Cherry Creek. It 

was called Montana and consisted of about twenty log cabins, but 

it did not survive a year. The first town on the actual site of Denver 

was called St. Charles. It was organized September 24, 1858, and, 

like most towns of this period, it existed at first only on paper; it 

was not until October that the first structure was erected. This structure consisted of a few logs piled up and surmounted with a wagon 

cover, and this was probably the first building on the site of Denver. 

About the middle of October Georgians established a town on the 

west side of Cherry Creek which they called Auraria, after a small 

mining town in Georgia.

The town of St. Charles made no progress until the 17th of November, when Gen. William Larimer and Richard E. Whitsett arrived there and rechristened it Denver City, in honor of Gen. J. W. 

Denver, the governor of the Territory of Kansas, which then in-
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 5

eluded that part of the present State of Colorado which lies east of 

the crest of the Rocky Mountains. The first house in Denver is said 

to have been erected by Gen. Larimer on the banks of Cherry Creek, 

between what are now Blake and Wazee streets. The towns of Montana and Auraria soon disappeared or were swallowed up by the more 

rapidly growing " City of Denver," as it was known in the early days.

Denver, though not a mining city, has long been the financial and 

distributing center of an immense mining region, including the Rocky 

Mountains from northern Wyoming to southern New Mexico. It has 

become also a great railroad center, partly because it is a center of 

distribution and partly because most tourists making a trip to the 

Far West desire to pass through or stop in this flourishing city. 

The city has the wonderful health-giving climate of the mountain 

region, and many who have found the humid, heavy atmosphere of 

the East depressing have each year sought and been benefited by the 

dry, exhilarating, and rarefied air of Colorado.

Denver is now the metropolis of the Rocky Mountain region. It is 

noted for its broad, clean streets, its handsome residences, and the 

beauty and number of its public parks. Grass and trees are not natural to Denver, so the people there take the greatest interest in them 

and are willing to spend time and money freely for a beautiful lawn 

and a growth of trees. Farther east, where such things are abundant, 

they are not prized so highly and are generally neglected, so that 

they do not grow in the perfection that they attain in the semiarid 

region, where irrigation is possible.

One of the best known of Denver's parks is the Capitol Grounds 

and Civic Center, shown in part in Plate II. The Civic Center 

has recently been acquired by the city and made into a beautiful 

park. The largest of Denver's playgrounds is City Park, which 

contains 320 acres and has been beautified by trees, flowers, lakes, and 

fountains until it is the equal of almost any other artificial park in 

the country. In it is a zoological garden and a museum of natural 

history. Washington Park also is becoming one of the beauty spots 

of the city. Cheesman Park is noted for the magnificent view of the 

mountains which may be had from its pavilion. Here on a clear day 

the traveler may obtain a sweeping view of the great Front Range 

from Longs Peak, 60 miles away on the north, to Pikes Peak, 80 

miles to the southwest. To assist the traveler to recognize the more 

prominent peaks a brass plate, upon which are engraved the names 

of the peaks and the lines of sight pointing toward them, has there 

been set on a pedestal. This diagram, together with a fairly good 

map of the State, enables one to place accurately all the more striking mountain features in the vicinity. 

80697° 22 2
6 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Another excellent vantage point from which to view the mountains 

is the dome of the Capitol (PI. II). This fine building, which is 

constructed of native granite and marble, stands on a commanding 

terrace facing the west. The dome is 276 feet high, and from its 

balcony on a clear day a vast extent of the mountain front may be 

seen.

Fronting the Capitol is the Public Library and the United States 

Mint, both constructed of Colorado granite and both massive buildings, which serve as a fitting setting for the State Capitol. The 

library is interesting as a piece of Grecian architecture and the mint 

as the place of manufacture and the storage of vast sums of Government coin. The new Federal post office, a beautiful building, 

which occupies an entire city block, is built of Colorado marble. 

This stone is just becoming well known and is being used in many 

parts of the country, notably in the new Lincoln Memorial in 

Washington, D. C. It is taken from quarries about 40 miles south 

of Gleriwood Springs. Another public building that attracts attention is the great auditorium, built to accommodate the Democratic 

national convention of 1908. It seats 12,000 persons and contains 

one of the finest theaters in the United States, seating 3,500 persons.

Denver is an active industrial city, and its manufacturing plants 

make many and various articles ranging from railroad cars to 

radium salts. Perhaps the most interesting plant to the average 

traveler is the smelter for the reduction of the ores of the precious 

metals. A description of a smelter is given on pages 252-254. There 

are also brick and clay works, railroad shops, and other works.

Denver is noted for the excellence of its public schools and for 

the beauty and serviceableness of its school buildings. It is a center 

of higher education also, for the State University is at Boulder, 

less than 20 miles northwest of the city; the State School of Mines 

is at Golden, 16 miles west of it; and Denver University is in the 

city.

The residential part of the city is very attractive. The houses are 

substantial and are surrounded by velvety lawns diversified and 

beautified by flowers and shrubs. No frame buildings can be erected 

within the city limits.

Although the extremes of temperature at Denver are rather great, 

the summer temperatures reaching 95° F. or more and winter temperatures touching the zero point, the climate is not hard to bear, 

for the air is so dry that the extremes of either summer or winter are 

not felt as they are in a more humid climate. According to seven 

years' records of the Weather Bureau the mean annual precipitation 

is 13.7 inches and the mean annual temperature is 50°. The dryness 

of the air may be better appreciated by comparing it with that of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

STATE CAPITOL, DENVER.

This building, of Colorado gray granite, stands on a terrace overlooking the business part of ttie cit

It is surrounded by a wide stretch of lawn that includes the Civic Center and the grounds of the pu
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN- 707 PLATE III

A. WHEAT FIELD IN CLEAR CREEK VALLEY.

Water has transformed Clear Creek valley from a barren waste to rich agricultural land. 

Photograph by L. C. McChire, Denver; furnished by the Colorado & Sou them Railway.

 JB. MOUNTAIN FRONT ON THE " MOFFAT ROAD."

The Denver & Salt Lake Railroad, in climbing the steep mountain front, tunnels through great 

slabs of dark-red sandstone upturned against the mountains. Between tunnels the traveler 

may obtain views of the plains stretching away to the east, farther than the eye can see, and 

of the low ridges that skirt the mountain at his feet. Photograph copyrighted by L. C. 

McClure, Denver; furnished by the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE.

the Atlantic coast, where the mean annual precipitation is 45 to 50 

inches.

The description of the scenery along the line of the Denver & Eio 

Grande Western Railroad begins on page 22.

ONE-DAY TRIPS FROM DENVER.

As most of the westbound travelers who pass through Denver stop 

over a few hours or a few days, it is desirable to call their attention 

to many side trips that may be made in one day by trolley, railroad 

train, or automobile.

Most people are attracted by the mountains, and the excursions 

that are generally of the greatest interest are those made into their 

narrow canyons or over their snowy summits. Not only are the 

mountain trips enjoyable on account of the scenery, but they enable 

the traveler to have the pleasure of tramping over snow banks under 

the hot rays of a midsummer sun, to see something of the mines 

of gold and silver and other metals that have made this region 

famous, and to behold the magnificent exposures of rock along the 

canyon walls and in the highest peaks and thus to learn some of 

nature's hidden mysteries regarding the earth upon which he lives.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AT CORONA IN BOLLINS PASS.

Corona is reached by the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad, or " Moffat 

road," as it is generally called. It is the objective point of most 

travelers who wish to enjoy the pleasure of snowballing on a hot 

summer day and of experiencing the sensation of standing on the 

backbone of the continent. Qn leaving Denver for this trip the 

traveler sees first the fine irrigated farms of Clear Creek valley 

(see PI. Ill, A) and then the upturned beds of sandstone and shale 

which carry the coal of the Denver Basin. These rocks, which are 

called by geologists the Laramie formation, are of Cretaceous age, 

and their position in the geologic column is shown on page n. No 

coal i>eds can be seen from this railroad, but a few miles to the north 

there are extensive mines.1

*Coal has been rained in Colorado 

continuously since 1864, 12 years before the Territory became a State. 

One of the first fields to be developed 

was that of Boulder County, which 

lies in the northern part of what geologists call the Denver Basin. This 

basin, though not a surface basin, is 

so called because the beds of rock in 

it dip toward and under the city from 

all directions, so that any one bed of 

rock, if it could be followed below the

surface, would be found to have the 

form of an irregular basin. The western rim of the basin is formed of the 

rock beds that are upturned along the 

mountain front in the vicinity of Morrison, Golden, and Boulder, but the 

eastern rim is not conspicuous, as the 

beds dip very gently westward toward 

the center of the basin.

The coal is contained in sandstone 

and shale of Cretaceous age (Laramie 

formation) and probably underlies
8 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

At the loop which the railroad makes before it climbs the eastern 

front of the mountains there is exposed a dark shale (Benton shale 

or lower part of the Colorado group), which lies near the base of the 

Upper Cretaceous series. At Plainview the road cuts through a 

hogback 2 formed of the upturned edge of the underlying Dakota 

sandstone and shows some of the variegated sandstone and shale of 

the Morrison formation, which lies directly below the Dakota sandFIGURE 2. Dakota, hogback and mountain front north of Plainview, as seen from the 

" Moffat road." The dash line indicates the boundary between, the Morrison formation 

and the Carboniferous sandstone.

stone, or toward the mountains. The succession of rocks in the hogback and the mountain front is shown in figure 2. Beyond the 

valley formed in the soft rocks of the Morrison formation the red 

sandstone (Fountain formation) lies upturned against the mountain 

front in great triangular slabs like the teeth of a gigantic saw. 

(See PI. Ill, B.) The railroad in climbing the mountain front 

pierces the projecting points of this hard layer by many short tunDenver itself, but here it is so far 

below the surface that it has been 

reached in only the deepest drillings. 

The coal is mined from slopes which 

go down on the outcrop of the coal 

bed or from shafts which are sunk 

nearer the center of the basin and 

which reach the coal at different 

depths.

The coal is what is now generally 

called subbituminous, a rank which is 

below that of the bituminous coals of 

the East. It is frequently called 

" black lignite," because of its color 

and because it has some of the properties of a lignite, or woody coal. The 

subbituminous coal does not soil the 

hands and is a desirable domestic fuel, 

but upon exposure to the weather it

breaks up or " slacks " the lumps fall 

to pieces and the coal becomes a heap 

of fine fragments. It contains a much 

higher percentage of water than the 

eastern coals, and this gives it a much 

lower fuel value. Notwithstanding 

these defects, subbituminous coal is 

extensively mined and finds a ready 

market throughout the Denver region. 

2 A name applied in the Rocky Mountain region to a sharp-crested ridge 

formed by a hard bed of rock that dips 

rather steeply downward. One of the 

best examples of this kind of surface 

feature can be seen at Canon City, 

where the Skyline Drive follows the 

sharp crest of a hogback of Dakota 

sandstone for miles, as shown in PI. 

XXXV (p. 73).
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 9

nels, and the traveler has ample opportunity to study its characteristics as the train turns and twists around the ravines or dives headlong through the rocky tunnels. (See PI. IV, A). This red sandstone is tilted up against the gneiss (pronounced nice) or granitelike rock that forms the bulk of the Front Eange.

When these beds of sandstone were formed they consisted of horizontal layers of sand, which were laid down along the shore of a 

body of water, just as sand accumulates to-day along the shore of 

the ocean or of a large lake. The rocks upon which the sand rested 

were granite and gneiss, from which some of it was derived, and the 

sand lapped onto the shore irregularly, some beds extending much 

farther inland than others, the distance inland reached by them at 

one place or another depending on the form of the surface and the 

height of the water. Finally, after the entire region had been covMIDDLE PARK

Horizontal scale

FIQDRB 3. Arch of the Front Eange restored. After Lee.

ered by layers that eventually became sandstone, shale, and limestone, 

the region on the west was lifted up hundreds or perhaps thousands 

of feet, and the red sand, which had hardened into sandstone, was 

bent upward in a great arch that may have extended entirely over 

the present Front Range. The streams probably cut away the upper 

part of this arch almost as fast as the land was raised, so that the 

mountains may never have been much higher than they are to-day. 

T*he work of the streams has been continued until all of the upper 

part of the sandstone arch has been removed, as shown in figure 3, 

and only the sharp upturn on the flanks, which can be seen so well 

from the " Mdffat road," has been preserved.

The train climbs steadily, affording here and there beautiful views 

far out over the plains to the east, and finally, when nearly above 

Eldorado Springs, it turns suddenly to the left and enters a tunnel 

that leads through the heart of the mountains. Beyond this tunnel 

the roadbed is in granite,3 and the banding of this rock gives little

"Wherever the crystalline rocks of 

the mountains are referred to in this 

guide they are called granite, though 

they really consist of granite, gneiss, 

and schist. In some places' the rock 

may be entirely granite, and in others 

it may be gneiss or schist; but at 

many places these three kinds of rock 

are intimately mixed, showing that

they may be different forms of the 

same rock.

G. P. Merrill describes gneiss (A 

treatise on rocks, rock weathering, 

and soils, pp. 142-145, New York, 1906) 

as follows:

" The composition of the gneisses 

is essentially the same as that of 

the granites, from which they differ
10 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

indication of the real structure of the mountain range. The streams 

have cut deep canyons, and many interesting views may be seen on 

the right of the train as it passes from branch to branch of South 

Boulder Creek, here crossing a canyon on a high trestle and there 

plunging into the darkness of a tunnel through a spur. Where 

South Boulder Creek is first seen it lies far below the level of the 

road, but its bed slopes steeply headward and is finally crossed by 

the railroad well above the sharp canyon, which represents the latest 

period of stream cutting in this region. If the trip is made in July 

the traveler may have the pleasure of seeing in the foothills acres 

of the beautiful Rocky Mountain columbine (PI. IV, #), which has 

been adopted as the floral emblem of Colorado. The plant grows 

about 3 feet high, and each stalk bears a number of delicate lavendertinted blossoms which become white as the season advances.

The first large village above the point where the railroad crosses 

South Boulder Creek is Rollinsville. Here the traveler sees no suggestions of mining, but if he could follow for a distance of 4 miles the 

road that climbs the hill on the north (right) he would find himself 

in a district that furnishes the metal for the filaments of most of 

the incandescent electric bulbs made in this country. This metaj 

is tungsten, and a small percentage of it is contained in the steel 

from which most of the modern -machine tools are made.

only in structure and origin. * * * 

Structurally the gneisses are holocrystalline [entirely crystalline] granular rocks, as are the granites, but differ in that the various constituents 

are arranged in approximately parallel 

bands or layers. * * *

"In width and texture these bands 

vary indefinitely. It is common to 

find bands of coarsely crystalline 

quartz several inches in width, alternating with others of feldspar, or feldspar, quartz, and mica, or hornblende. 

A lenticular structure is common, produced by lens-shaped aggregates of 

quartz or feldspar, about and around 

which are bent the hornblende or 

mica laminae [layers]. The rocks 

vary from finely and evenly fissile 

through all grades of coarseness and 

become at times so massive as .to be 

indistinguishable in the hand specimens from granites. * * *

" The origin of gneisses * * * is 

in many cases somewhat obscure, the 

banded or foliated structure being considered by some as representing the

original bedding of the sediments, the 

different bands representing layers of 

varying composition. This structure 

is now, however, considered to be due 

to mechanical causes and in no way 

dependent upon original stratification. 

The name, as commonly used, is made 

to include rocks of widely different 

structure, which are beyond doubt in 

part sedimentary and in part eruptive 

but in all cases altered from their 

original conditions.

" This alteration * * * has been 

brought about not by heat and crystallization alone, but in many cases by 

processes of squeezing, crumpling, and 

folding- so complex as almost to warrant the application of the term kneading. * * *

" In the present state of our knowledge it is in most cases impossible to 

separate what may be true metamorphosed sedimentary gneisses from those 

in which the foliated or banded structure is in no way connected with bedding and which may or may not be 

altered eruptives."
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A. TUNNELS ON THE "MOFFAT ROAD."

Tunnel succeeds tunnel in rapid succession on this railroad as it 

climbs the Front Range above Plainview. Photograph by 

L. C. McClure, Denver; furnished by the Denver & Salt 

Lake Railroad.

The R

mid

blooblue

furn
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

JAMES PEAK.

This peak (1.3,261) feet) is one of the hi^h points of the Continental Divide, a few miles south of C

pass under it. Note the great amphitheater (cirque) which an ancient glacier has cut in the fo

of the summit as shown in the distance. Photograph copyrighted by L. C. McClure, Denver; f
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 11

A few miles below Tolland the valley changes from a rocky V-- 

shaped ravine to a broad valley having a U -shaped cross section. The 

meaning of such a change is shown in figure 4. The mountain valley 

shown in figure 4, A, has been carved only by the stream which occupies it. The walls slope gradually from the ridge on either side to 

the stream in its bottom, and the form of a section of such a valley, 

if cut directly across, would be a flat V. If after its excavation by 

the stream this same valley had been occupied by a glacier the ice 

would have ground away the projecting spurs on its sides and left 

it in the form, shown in figure 4, B. The cross section of a valley is 

a nearly infallible indication whether the valley has been carved by 

running water alone or has been modified by ice. Thus the change 

from a V shape to a U shape a few miles below Tolland marks the 

point of farthest extension of the old glacier that had its source near 

the summit of James Peak and filled this valley with ice to a depth

FIGURE 4. Diagrams showing effect of stream and glacial erosion. A, V-shaped valley 

cut by running water; B,, same valley after it has been occupied by a glacier and 

reduced to a broad, flat U in cross section.

of many hundreds of feet if not a thousand feet. Usually the foot 

of a glacier of this magnitude is marked by a terminal moraine 

a ridge of loose material carried down by the ice but if such a 

moraine was ever built in this locality it has been washed away by 

the stream swollen with the waters of the melting ice.

Although the valley at Tolland and for some distance above that 

place is broad and the slopes are smooth, it soon terminates abruptly 

at the foot of the Continental Divide, and no railroad can ascend it 

much farther and succeed in crossing the range. Consequently the 

engineers were forced to turn aside from what seems to be an easy 

pathway up the valley and construct the road to the summit in a 

roundabout way by scaling the valley walls. The train makes this 

climb with many turns and twists, and the traveler is generally 

deeply impressed with the care and precision with which the engineers fitted the roadbed to the mountain slopes. To the railroad 

engineer no slopes are too steep for railroad construction, provided 

he can find ground sufficiently level to enable the road to curve
12 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

around and double back upon itself, thus zigzagging its way up the 

mountain slope. The train climbs steadily upward, and one by one 

the ridges that from below seemed to be of great height are surmounted and they are found to be only low spurs of the still higher 

mountains above.

As the train nears the summit and encircles the little pond called 

Yankee Doodle Lake, the traveler may see some of the effects, other 

than the rounding of valleys, that the old glaciers have produced on 

the mountain scenery. In the canyons below, where the ice moved 

down in a great stream from the heights above, its effect was to 

smooth and round the slopes and to do away with much of the 

ruggedness that must have marked these canyons before they were 

occupied by the ice. Near the summit the ice scooped out in the side 

of the mountain great amphitheaters, called cirques, making the 

tops much more rugged than they were before. The circular depression that holds Yankee Doodle Lake is such a cirque, and all the vast 

rock slopes above the lake have been steepened by undercutting by 

the ice. Other cirques (such as those shown in PI. V) may be seen 

in the mountains; indeed, the entire front above this place, up which 

the railroad finds its way to the summit, consists of the walls of 

cirques that have united. The steepness of this slope is due almost 

entirely to the action of ice. In places the road is constructed along 

the upper edge of one of these great cirque walls, and the traveler 

may look down on the right nearly 1,000 feet into the cirque below. 

Although the cliff has an appreciable slope, it appears to be vertical 

especially when viewed from the moving train.

At last the traveler reaches the summit, at Corona, 11,6&0 feet 

above the level of the sea, but the great snowsheds through which the 

train passes have prevented him from getting a fair view of the 

mountain summit. As soon as the train stops at Corona he may pass 

from the confinement of the snowshed and enjoy to the utmost the 

boundless space of the mountain top. On the crest in any direction 

there are peaks higher than Corona, the most prominent being James 

Peak (13,260 feet) on the south and Longs Peak (14,255 feet) on the 

north, but they can be seen from only a few points. On the west 

the traveler can look down on the billowy surface of Middle Park, 

one of the surface basins in the midst of the mountains; and on the 

east he can look over the wide expanse of spur and ravine up which 

the train has so laboriously climbed.

The railroad beyond Corona descends the fairly smooth western 

slope of the Front Range by many loops and turns until it reaches 

the floor of Middle Park. It crosses this immense basin in the heart 

of the mountains, cuts through the Gore or Park Range beyond in a 

deep, rugged canyon, and then continues westward across the great 

plateau country of northwestern Colorado. The plateau contains
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. ' 13

one of the great coal fields of the State, which has only recently been 

developed. The coal is better than that of the Denver Basin, and 

much of it finds a ready market in the towns on the plains between 

Denver and Omaha.

GEORGETOWN AND MOUNT McCLELLAN.

The journey to Georgetown is made on a narrow-gage line of 

the Colorado & Southern Railway and is confined entirely to the 

valley of Clear Creek, which joins South Platte River about 6 miles 

north of the Union Station in Denver. From Denver to Golden 

the general course of the road is up the broad, flat valley, which is 

irrigated by water taken from the creek higher up. This valley is 

highly cultivated, and many fields of grain (see PI. Ill, A, p. 7) 

may be seen from the train. Near the mountains! the bottom of the 

valley is composed largely of gravel and boulders brought down by 

the creek in times of flood, and crops grown on such soil are scanty 

even where water for irrigation is abundant.

Just below Golden (named in honor of Tom Golden, one of the 

pioneers of this region) the valley narrows and is flanked oji either 

side by flat-topped hills, or mesas,* as they are generally called in the 

Southwest, about 400 feet high. These mesas are remnants of a once 

extensive plain formed at this level by streams that planed off the 

inequalities of the land. Where the beds of rock are horizontal, 

as they are about Denver, the surface of the plain corresponds to 

the bedding of the rocks, but where the rocks are upturned on the 

.flank of the mountain, as they are at Golden, they were planed off 

just the same. After the streams had reduced the soft rocks to a 

relatively smooth surface a great flood of lava that was ejected from 

some vent in the mountains rolled out over the plain and spread for 

a distance of many miles. When this mass of lava cooled and became 

consolidated it formed a rock called basalt, which is harder than the 

soft sandstone and shale upon which it rests, and for that reason it 

served as a protecting cap when the region was uplifted and streams 

began to cut the rocks away. Most of the basalt is now gone, and 

the parts seen from the train are doubtless mere fragments of a once 

extensive and continuous sheet. The rocks upon which the lava was 

spread are the Denver and Arapahoe formations, of Tertiary age, 

and the Laramie formation, of Cretaceous age.

Behind these mesas, which are outliers or foothills of the mountains, is a beautiful valley, which has been eroded in the upturned 

edges of the softer and lower formations. These rocks can not be 

seen distinctly from the train, but in near-by localities they are well 

exposed as they bend upward and rest upon the granite that forms

4 Flat-topped hills are named mesas because of their resemblance to a table 

(Spanish mesa, pronounced may'sa).
14 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

the mountain mass. In this valley is Golden, which for a time was 

the Territorial capital. Here is the Colorado ^School of Mines, some 

of the buildings of which may be seen on the left. Here are also 

smelters and mills for reducing the ores mined farther up the creek.

Immediately on leaving Golden the train plunges into the narrow, 

tortuous canyon which Clear Creek has cut into the uplifted granite 

mass. When boarding the train at Denver the traveler may have 

wondered why this road was ever built narrow gage (3 feet), or, 

even if so built, why it was not changed years ago to the standard 

gage, but when he sees this canyon he no longer questions the wisdom 

of the builders of the road in adopting the narrow gage nor that of 

the management in retaining it. He soon realizes that only a single 

narrow-gage line could have turned and twisted its way through 

the canyon and that the change to standard gage would mean the 

building of extensive tunnels and many bridges. The little narrowgage line, on the contrary, as shown in Plates VI and VII, winds 

around every bend of the creek and every projecting spur of the 

mountain and required almost no cutting of the solid rock.

Although the canyon nearly everywhere has precipitous walls, it 

varies greatly in width. At some places, as shown in Plate VII, it is 

merely a cleft sufficient to accommodate the stream that carved it; at 

others it is so broad that the stream has built flood plains upon which 

the railroad has little difficulty in finding its way. The cutting power 

of the stream has been nearly uniform throughout, but the resultant 

form of the canyon depends largely upon the resisting power of the 

rock through which it has been cut. Thus, where the granite is exceedingly massive that is, without joints or fissures of any kind to 

weaken its resistance the stream has not greatly widened its gorge, 

but where the rocks are seamed with innumerable joints, or where 

they have been so much squeezed as to form schists, the stream.has 

cut out a wide canyon.

The rock in which the canyon is cut is generally called granite, 

but some of it is banded and is properly called gneiss. (See footnote on pp. 9-10.) The bands of the gneiss show great contortions, 

which are the result of movements in the rocky crust of the earth. 

The gneiss is also seamed with dikes (rocky material that was once 

melted in the earth's interior and forced into fissures of the rock) 

and veins (mineral matter deposited from waters circulating through 

fissures in the rock) of great variety of color and texture. In places 

the rocks are nearly black with the mineral called hornblende; in 

other places they are composed largely of white or pink feldspar or 

are gray granites.

At Forks Creek the canyon divides, and the railroad branch to the 

right runs to Central City and Blackhawk, two of the most important and oldest gold-mining centers of Colorado. Central City
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE VI

"MOTHER GRUNDY."

"Mother Grundy" from her position overlooking Clear Creek keeps a sharp lookout on all 

travelers. The massive Granite and the torliious stream are well shown in this picture. 

Photograph by L. C. McClure, Denver; furnished hy the Colorado & Southern Railway.
r. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE VII

NARROWS OF CLEAR CHEEK CANYON.

In places the gorge is so narrow and the bends are so abrupt that both the stream and the railroad 

seem to disappear in some rocky cavern, but 011 founding the bend they may be seen pursuing their tortuous course hemmed in by vertical or overhanging cliffs several hundred feet 

high. Photograph by L. C. McGlure, Denver; furnished by the Colorado & Southern Railway.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 15

was built near the spot where, in 1859, John H. Gregory made the 

second great discovery of gold in this region.5

A few miles above Forks Creek the canyon becomes less rugged. 

The first level bottom land the traveler has seen since leaving Golden 

is occupied by the town of Idaho Springs (altitude 7,556 feet), which 

is noted both as a pleasure resort and as a mining center. The waters 

are mild solutions of carbonate and sulphate of soda, and have tem8 This discovery is described as follows by E. S. Bastin:

In romantic interest and as a record 

of human achievement in the face of 

great difficulties the story of the discovery and early development of the 

mineral wealth of this region can 

hardly be surpassed by any other 

chapter in the history of the "winning of the West." A decade after 

the historic "rush" of the fortyniners to California a second great 

westward movement of gold seekers 

from the Eastern States was started 

by the discovery of gold in alluring 

quantities near the present sites of 

Idaho Springs and Central City. 

It was first found in gravel on the outskirts of the town of Idaho Springs 

by George A. Jackson, early in 1859. 

A few months later the rich outcroppings of a gold vein were discovered 

on the present site of Central City by 

John H. Gregory. These two' discoveries precipitated a stampede of prospectors, and within a few weeks many 

of the richer veins of the region had 

been discovered and many new deposits of gold-bearing gravel located. 

This discovery began an era of mining development that led to the foundation and early growth of Denver 

and of the State of Colorado. Up to 

the end of. the year 1918 there had 

been added to the world's supply of the 

precious metal from the counties of 

Gilpin and Clear Creek alone approximately $175,000,000. Although the 

period of m'aximum production was between the years 1870 and 1900, the 

two counties still produce annually 

metals to the value of more than 

$1,000,000.

The gold-bearing gravel was small 

in quantity and was worked out

mainly in the early years of mining. 

Since then the gold has been taken 

mainly from veins. Most of the veins 

are steeply inclined and traverse schist, 

gneiss, and granite, with which are 

associated dikes and irregular masses 

of younger intrusive rocks the "porphyries" of the miners. The deepest 

workings are those of the California 

mine at Central City, whose shaft 

descends 2,250 feet down a steeply 

inclined vein. A few of the veins are 

traceable on the surface continuously 

for more than a mile, and most of 

them are between 1 and 5 feet wide. 

The principal metals won from the 

ores are gold and silver, but copper, 

lead, and recently zinc have also been 

obtained. From a few of the veins 

near Central City pitchblende or 

uraninite, one of the minerals from 

which radium is obtained, has been 

mined, and this is the only locality 

in the United States and one of the 

few in the world at which the mineral 

is found in commercial quantities.

The ores are believed by geologists 

to have been deposited by hot solutions given off from buried masses of 

slowly cooling "porphyry." The hot 

waters at Idaho Springs have possibly a similar origin, though their'mineral content is probably much less 

than that of the waters which originally brought up the gold and silver 

from lower levels.

(See Spurr, J. E., and Garrey, G. H., 

Economic geology of the Georgetown 

quadrangle, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Prof. Paper 63, 1908; Bastin, E. S., 

and Hill, J. M., Economic geology of 

Gilpin County and adjacent parts of 

Clear Creek and Boulder counties, 

Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 

94, 1917.)
16 GUIDEBOOK OF-THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

peratures ranging from 75° to 120° F. Hotels and bathhouses make 

the place very attractive to the traveler who can spend a few days 

in the bracing atmosphere of this mountain resort.

The first really noteworthy discovery of gold in Colorado is commemorated by a monument at the mouth of Chicago Gulchi, a canyon 

entering that of Clear Creek from the left of the railroad nearly 

opposite the station at Idaho Springs. This discovery was made by 

George A. Jackson in January, 1859. When winter was over Jackson returned to the mountains and on May 7 began placer mining 

on Jackson Bar.

One of the most notable achievements of mining engineering in 

this region is the Argo (formerly Newhouse) tunnel, whose large 

waste dumps may be seen in the eastern part of Idaho Springs. This 

tunnel extends northward for 5 miles to a point beneath the town 

of Central City. It cuts many of the veins far below the surface, 

draining the upper workings and facilitating deep mining. Much 

ore is brought from the Central City district to Idaho Springs 

through this tunnel, and mining at or below its level has shown that 

rich gold ore persists in many of the veins at very great depths.

In the vicinity of Idaho Springs the canyon, although wider than 

it is in the neighborhood of Forks Creek, is still narrow and the 

walls are studded with jagged or loose rock as they were left by the 

cutting of the stream and the action of the weather, but from a 

point a few miles above the town to the crest of the range the canyon 

bottoms are broad and the slopes are generally smooth and round, 

so that a cross section of the valley resembles in shape the letter U. 

This form of valley (shown in fig. 4, p. 11) is due to the scouring 

action of a glacier that originated near the summit of the range and 

flowed down the canyon to a point where the ice melted faster than 

it was supplied from above and where the forward movement of the 

glacier consequently stopped. Although all this happened ages and 

ages ago, the surface features above and below this point still present 

a striking contrast, for the work of the glacier has not yet been 

obliterated by weathering. The end of the glacier, which was only 

a few miles above Idaho Springs, is also marked by a moraine a 

great accumulation of rounded and scratched boulders that were 

brought down by the ice and dumped at its lower end.

Both active and abandoned mines and many prospects may be seen 

on almost every slope of the canyon wall above Idaho Springs. In 

Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, as in most old mining regions, only 

a small proportion of the mines are in operation at any one time. 

Some of those that are not operated are " dead " that is, their ore 

bodies have been entirely worked out but many are idle only temporarily because of inefficient management or insufficient funds with
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 17

which to make further explorations for new ore bodies. Few veins 

are rich through their entire extent, and one company may exhaust its resources in exploring lean parts and its successor may 

continue the exploration for only a short distance and strike rich ore.

A number of the mines that are now idle, especially those near 

Lawson, Empire Station, Georgetown, and Silver Plume, were 

worked mainly for silver and have produced fabulously rich ore. 

Its unusual richness was caused by a process termed " downward 

enrichment," by which the silver in the upper parts of the veins was 

dissolved by surface waters and redeposited farther down in the 

earth. The ores so enriched do not persist to great depths, and on 

their exhaustion the mines working them are forced to shut down, 

for the unenriched ore below is too lean to be mined at a profit.

At Georgetown the train begins to climb the well-known " Loop " 

by which the railroad loops back over itself in ascending the steep 

mountain side. Above the Loop lies Silver Plume, shown in Plate 

VIII, which has been one of the most active mining camps in the 

State. It is reported that more than $29,000,000 in silver has been 

taken from the mountain north of the town.6

The traveler's interest in the things he sees above Silver Plume Oa 

centers mainly in the engineering feat of scaling the steep mountain 

side and in the fine views he obtains during the ascent. After

"According to Bastin, the discovery 

of a gold-bearing vein near the present 

site of Central City by J. H. Gregory in 

1859 stimulated prospecting throughout the drainage basin of Clear 

Creek, and many such veins were discovered. One of the most productive 

of these veins was discovered by 

George Griffith in the vicinity of Elizabethtown (now Georgetown) on 

August 1, 1859. In 1860 there was 

considerable excitement around Empire, but most of it was due to the discovery of rich placer gravel. The first 

valuable deposit of silver ore discovered (in September, 1864) was the 

Belmont lode, in Mount McClellan. 

Thus, as early as 1864 all the territory that the traveler will see on his 

trip to Mount McClellaji was prospected in a crude way and to a certain 

extent developed. The development of 

mines, however, was greatly handicapped by the lack of means of transportation, both for bringing in supplies and for sending out the products 

of the mines. This lack was supplied

to a great extent in 1870 by the building of what is known as the Georgetown branch of the Colorado &, Southern Railway from Denver to Golden, 

but it was not until 1877 that this linereached Georgetown, and it was several years later before it reached Silver Plume.

Clear Creek County, of which Georgetown is the county seat, reached the 

peak of its metal production in 1894, 

since which time its output has been 

steadily declining until in 1914 it was 

worth only $884,615. In the next year 

the district began to feel the" effect of 

the European war, and the value of its 

output of metals jumped to $1,124,225. 

In 1917 its metal output was valued 

at $1,631,219, in 1918 at $1,126,440, in 

1919 at $644,332, and in 1920 at 

$526,369.

8a Since the description of the trip to 

Mount McClellan was written the line 

has been abandoned, and the traveler 

will have no opportunity to reach the 

summit of the mountain except by private conveyance.
18 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

zigzagging back and forth up the steep side of the valley the train 

passes around a point and runs up another valley to its head and 

then, after making several switchbacks, finds its way to the summit 

of Mount McClellan. The view from this point is shown in Plate 

IX. Mount McClellan is not on the Continental Divide but on a 

high spur that branches off from it toward the east. The water that 

falls on both sides of this peak finds its way into Clear Creek and 

eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico, but that which falls on different sides, of Grays and Torrys peaks,7 which are on the Continental Divide, runs into streams that flow in diverse directions, 

part of it reaching the Gulf of Mexico and part of it the Pacific 

Ocean. These peaks are all more than 14,000 feet in altitude and 

are prominent features that may be seen toward the west, but they 

do not appear to stand so high above their surroundings as Pikes 

Peak and some other well-known mountain summits.

The slope on the east side of Mount McClellan is smooth and 

gentle, but that on the west side is precipitous, because the snow and 

ice that long ago lay on the west side, under the shadow of the 

towering summits of Grays and Torrys peaks', were more protected 

from the sun and wind than those on the east side, and consequently, 

during the great ice age, an enormous glacier lay in the angle 

between Mount McClellan and Grays Peak and cut out a great 

amphitheater in the rocks, which, because of its circular form, is 

called by geologists a cirque. If the traveler standing on the ragged 

crest of this old cirque and looking down 2,500 feet into it has a vivid 

imagination, he may still see the great glacier that once filled it and 

flowed down the valley nearly to Idaho Springs.

The route followed by the traveler throughout this trip is practically parallel with a high-tension electric transmission line of the 

Colorado Power Co. The power is developed at a large hydroelectric 

plant on Colorado Elver above Glenwood Springs and is carried to 

most of the mining camps in the mountains, crossing the Continental 

Divide three times and finally descending on the east to Georgetown, 

Idaho Springs, and Denver. The line may be distinguished by the 

high steel towers and the strip of cleared land along its right of way.

SOUTH PLATTE CANYON.

The canyon of South Platte River southwest of Denver offers many 

attractions to visitors from other parts of the world. There are no 

regular one-day excursions to this part of the mountains, but the 

train service on the narrow-gage Colorado & Southern Eailway is 

so arranged that the traveler may easily visit such parts of the 

canyon as he deems most interesting and return to Denver the same 

day. If he is content with seeing the lower part of the canyon only

1 The altitude of Grays Peak is 14,341 feet; Evans Peak, 14,260 feet; Torrys 

Peak, 14,336 feet; and Mount McClellan, 14,007 feet.
U. S. OEOLOr.ICAT, SURVEY 

SIIA I;K PUIMK.

The once flourishing raining camp of Silver Plume lies in a deep canyon that heads in the Continen

more thai) $29,000,000 in silver. The grade up the canyon is so steep that the narrow-gage ro

The railroad to Mount McClellan formerly zigzagged up the slope on the left. Photograph by L. Railway.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

MOUNT McCLELLAN.

Summi

or .,.., Georg

lit of Mount McClellun (on the right), 14,007 feet above sea level, and Grays and Torrys peaks on th

eirque about 2,500 feet deep in front of these peaks. This cirque was largely excavated by a gl

orgetown. Photograph furnished by the Argentine & Grays Peak Railroad.
DENVER & BIO GEANDE WESTEE.N ROUTE. 19

he should go to the village of South Platte, 29 miles from Denver, 

but should he wish to see all its more rugged parts he should go as 

far as Estabrook, 52 miles distant. Many persons go to resorts farther up the canyon, even as far as Grant (66 miles), but this upper 

part of the canyon is not so rugged it lacks the features that give 

to the lower part its peculiar charm. Those who go to the upper 

part do so on account of the fishing, which is reported to be unusually good.

On leaving the Union Station in Denver, the railway crosses South 

Platte River and runs up on the west side of the stream to the mountain front. At Sheridan Junction a branch line turns to the west 

(right) to Morrison, which is in the same valley as that in which 

Golden is situated. A mile up this line and on the main terrace that 

borders the river valley is Fort Logan, the largest military post in

FIGURE 5. Dakota hogback south of South Platte Elver, looking south. Note the castAvard dip of the sandstone forming the hogback and also that of the red sandstone 

nearer the mountains. Settling reservoir of Denver waterworks in the middle 

distance.

Colorado. The train passes some fine country places and goes through 

large areas of irrigated lands in a high state of cultivation.

At a siding called Willard, 17 miles from Denver, the traveler 

may see on his right a sharp-crested ridge, which is formed by the 

upturned edge of the Dakota sandstone, the same rock that forms 

the sharp hogback at Plainview, on the " Moffat road." At first this 

ridge seems to stretch along, the entire mountain front, and from the 

river bottom it appears almost as large as the mountains themselves, 

but on nearer approach it dwindles into comparative insignificance. 

The railway runs nearly parallel with this ridge for some distance, 

and then in following the river valley it turns more toward the west 

and cuts through it directly toward the mountains. The Dakota hogback on the south side of the river, as well as the outcrop of1 lower 

red sandstones, is shown in figure 5,
20 -GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The reservoirs of the Denver waterworks, in which all sediment is 

allowed to settle before the water is turned into the city mains, are 

at Willard. The reservoirs are tastefully arranged and beautified 

with flowers, so that they make a very pleasing appearance. After 

passing the settling reservoirs beds of red sandstone similar to those 

which make so striking an appearance in the Garden of the Gods, 

near Manitou, may be seen across the river, dipping away from the 

mountains at an angle of about 70°. Most of the beds of rock on the 

mountain front have similar dips, showing that at the time the 

mountains were uplifted the beds of sedimentary rock were bent up 

in a great fold, the upper part of which has been worn away, leaving only the suggestion of the upfold in the steeply inclined beds. 

Before the train reaches the mountains the great steel pipe that 

carries the Denver city water may be seen at several places on the 

right, where it spans the ravines on steel bridges.

Just above Waterton the train enters the mountains by a canyon 

cut in the hard granite. Here the city water main passes over the 

railway and then plunges into a tunnel through a projecting spur. 

A large flume carrying water for irrigation may also be seen on the 

opposite side of the river, and it passes through the same spur that 

is pierced by the water main.

The canyon which the train is now following is narrow and tortuous, and its walls are generally rough and precipitous. It extends 

to the town of South Platte, at the junction of the two forks of the 

river. The course of the city water main on the opposite side of the 

stream may be f olloAved by the white telephone poles up to the head 

gate. The canyon above this place differs in width in different localities. In some places it has a flood plain, but in others (as shown 

in PI. X) it is so narrow that there is room only for the narrowgage (3-foot) railroad beside the river, and this road has to curve as 

sharply as the stream.

The one feature that differentiates this canyon from others in the 

mountain region is the great number of trees that dot the rocky 

slopes on both its sides, but more particularly on the southern. The 

soft verdure of the evergreen trees relieves the ruggedness and the 

barrenness of the rocky walls, giving the canyon a picturesqueness 

seldom seen in other canyons of this region. Pine and spruce are 

the most common trees, but here and there stand groups of aspen, 

with their ever-moving leaves, which in summer give a softness to 

the slopes and in autumn add a blaze of glory to the somber canyon 

walls.

South Platte is at the junction of the South and North forks of 

the river. South Fork, which is much the larger stream, drains
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE X

; ' ' '"^r'.g\~ ''

PLATTK CANYON.

Narrow part of Platte Canyon, where even a narrow-gage railroad can hardly find a foothold. 

Photograph by L. G. McClure, Denver; furnished by the Colorado & Southern Railway.
tT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XI

A. CASTLE ROCK.

A well-known landmark about 300 feet high, 33 miles south of Denver. It was first noted and 

named by the Long expedition in 1820. The cap rock, 60 or 70 feet thick, is made up of 

boulders of vari 

because it is ha

arious sizes cemented together (conglomerate) and stands out prominently 

harder than the underlying rock. Photograph by L. C. McClure, Denver.

B. DOME HOCK, PLATTE CANYON.

This picture illustrates the manner in which even the most massive granite may yield to the 

action of the weather. It peels oif in successive curved layers much like the layers of an 

onion, leaving round or dome-shaped masses of rock which stand out in striking contrast to 

the towers and pinnacles that generally occur on the walls of the canyon. Photograph by 

L. C. McClure, Denver; furnished by the Colorado & Southern Railway.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 21

nearly all of South Park and furnishes most of the water for the 

city's use. In the early autumn, when the snow has disappeared 

from the mountain tops, these streams are scarcely able to supply 

the city's needs. To remedy this deficiency a dam has been built some 

distance up South Fork valley to impound the water and hold it 

until needed. This dam has produced a fine body of water known 

as Cheesman Lake.

From South Platte the traveler may easily return to Denver, or 

if he chooses to go farther he can continue his journey up the canyon, 

which in some places takes on the aspect of a common mountain 

valley and in others is bounded by rocky walls several hundred feet 

high and so steep that they appear to be vertical. The massive 

granite, on weathering, tends to peel off like the layers of an onion, 

leaving a curved surface, in places like that of a great dome. (See 

PI. XI, B.) Such a feature is well shown on a large scale at the 

station of Dome Kock. Where the granite is traversed by many 

fissures or joints it is so easily broken down that few ledges can be 

seen, and the surface is covered with a mantle of finely broken rock.

The roughest part of the canyon above South Platte lies between 

Cliff and Estabrook, where the gneiss is again exposed and makes a 

narrow, rugged defile. This canyon, like the pne below it, has 

several aspects, which depend upon the character of the rock and 

upon the position of the joints.

OTHEB TRIPS OF INTEREST.

The 70-mile circle trip through the Denver Mountain Park covers 

the most remarkable municipally owned park in the world. Within 

an hour's ride from Denver are the foothills of the park, backed by 

the towering peaks of the Continental Divide, with wild flowers, 

whispering pines, and singing torrents. The park includes a game 

sanctuary for buffalo, deer, and other Rocky Mountain animals, a 

free automobile camp, shelter houses, camping facilities, and hotels. 

The body of Col. W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill), the noted scout and 

plainsman, rests on Lookout Mountain.

Many other beautiful and interesting drives may be made from 

Denver, and many railroad trips may be made that will well repay 

the traveler for the time spent, but some of these would consume more 

than one day and will therefore not be mentioned. One exception 

worth noting, however, is a trip to the Rocky Mountain National 

Park, which lies just back of Estes Park and includes Longs Peak. 

This park should be visited by all who delight in rugged mountain 

scenery.

80697° 22 3
22 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Denver.

Elevation 5,191 feet. 

Population 256.491.8

MAIN LINE OF RAILROAD FROM DENVER TO 

COLORADO SPRINGS.

Soon after leaving the Union Station at Denver, on the main line 

of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, the train crosses 

Cherry Creek near the place where Gen. Larimer built the first 

house, in 1858. As this creek heads out on the 

plains it is intermittent in its flow; in dry seasons 

jj^le or no water runs in it at the surface, 

' but when

" cloudbursts " occur on its upper course a tremendous volume of water comes down, engulfing everything in its way. 

Such a catastrophe occurred in May, 1864, when great damage was 

done. Recently the channel of the creek, where it passes through 

the city, has been cemented, so as to prevent the loose sandy soil 

from washing away, and a boulevard bordered by trees has been 

constructed along it, giving its banks here the appearance of a park.

The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad traverses the manufacturing part 'of Denver, and at Burnham, 2 miles out from the 

city, it passes the shops of the railroad system. About half a mile 

beyond the shops is the interesting though unpretentious laboratory 

building erected by the National Radium Institute for experimental 

work in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Mines to 

devise a cheaper method of extracting radium salts from the ores 

found in Colorado. This work has been accomplished, and the plant 

has now passed into the hands of a private company to continue the 

work of extracting radium.9

A short distance farther along South Platte River may be seen on 

the west (right), and the railroad runs up its valley for a distance of 

about 15 miles. The valley is well irrigated and contains many fine 

farms and country places. Loretto Academy stands out clear and 

distinct as one of the landmarks of the upland on the farther side 

of the river. Fort Logan, just beyond, is a regimental Army post 

established about 25 years ago.

8 The figures given for population 

throughout this book are those of the 

United States census for 1920; for 

places that were not incorporated the 

figures given represent the population 

of the election precinct, township, or 

other similar unit; such figures are 

marked with an asterisk (*).

8 The National Radium Institute 

was organized by Dr. Howard A. 

Kelly, of Baltimore, and Dr. James 

Douglas, ot New York, not for private gain but for the purpose primarily of studying the curative properties of radium and secondarily to 

show that radium can be produced 

here at a much lower cost than abroad. 

When the institute was organized 

radium was selling for as much as 

$120,000 a gram. As Congress had 

failed to reserve for public use the 

land containing radium ores or to foster the development of the radium 

industry in this country, the National 

Radium Institute undertook to provide 

the ways and means for experimental 

work to determine whether or not the 

ores could be reduced at a smaller
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 23

Population 1,636. 

Denver 10 miles.

Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe (a-rap'a-hoe) County, 

so named from a tribe of Indians that formerly inhabited this part 

of the country. It stands in the midst of a rich agriLittleton. cultural district and has become popular as the 

Elevation 5,372 feet, suburban home of many of Denver's business men. 

Near Littleton are the W. F. Kendrick pheasantries, 

which are said to be the largest game preserve in the 

world. Here all kinds of wild fowl are raised, and golden pheasants 

may be seen wandering by the roadside like chickens on an ordinary 

farm.

A short distance beyond Littleton the traveler may obtain a charming view on the right, across the broad, well-tilled valley of the 

South Platte, studded with clumps of cottonwood trees, to the Front 

Range, towering in the distance. Wolhurst, a fine country place 

built by the late United States Senator Edward Wolcott, is farther 

along on the right, just beyond milepost 13. After the death of 

Senator Wolcott the-place was purchased by the noted mining man 

the late Thomas F. Walsh. It is now occupied as a country home by 

one of Denver's richest citizens.

At the small station of Acequia the railroad crosses the High Line 

Canal, one of those great irrigating ditches that are characteristic 

of the semiarid regions, which takes water from the South Platte and 

carries it far to the northeast, irrigating at least 100,000 acres of 

land that would otherwise be arid and unprofitable. The railroad 

follows the valley of South Platte River to a point a little beyond 

milepost 15, where it leaves the main valley and turns to the south 

(left) up Plum Creek. This creek also flows in a broad, flat valley, 

and the traveler, unless he observes closely, may not realize that the 

railroad has turned from the main valley into that of a tributary.

Near milepost 15 the entrance to South Platte Canyon may be 

seen in the mountain front, on the right. Here, in 1820, the exploring expedition of Maj. Long first came to the mountains, although 

it had traveled from the north for many miles in front of and nearly

cost than abroad and thus to place 

radium within the reach of hospitals 

throughout the country.

The Bureau of Mines had already 

reached the conclusion that such a reduction in cost was possible, and an 

agreement was reached by which the 

bureau was to cooperate with the institute for the benefit of the people. 

The institute leased claims in Paradox 

Valley, in southwestern Colorado, and 

the Bureau of Mines mined the ore 

and shipped it to Denver for treatment

by the bureau. The work has been 

successful, and the bureau has patented a process by which radium was 

produced at a cost of about $40,000 

per gram, or one-third its selling price. 

This patent may be used free of charge 

by anyone who cares to use it for the 

benefit of the American people.

All this valuable work has been 

done in the unpretentious plant at 

Denver. For further information the 

reader is referred to Bureau of Mines 

Bulletin 104.
24 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEKN UNITED STATES.

parallel with them. The men were eager to climb the mountains, 

explore their wonderful peaks and valleys, and see the country that 

lay beyond, but a few days of hard climbing up the rocky slopes 

satisfied them that they could not reach the summit of the range 

in a short time and that mountain climbing was not so easy as it 

appeared from a distance; so they were content to proceed southward along nearly the route that is now followed by the Denver & 

Rio Grande Western Railroad. The entrance to the canyon may be 

seen from the train, but, owing to its many bends, the canyon does 

not appear to be an open cut through the mountain front.

In many places at the foot of the mountains the steeply dipping 

sandstone forms sharp hogbacks, which may be seen from the moving train, and, as the sandstone is mostly red, the traveler will soon 

learn to associate red sandstone and hogbacks with the foothills of 

the mountain front. These beds are very prominent near the mouth 

of Plum Creek and may be seen to good advantage from milepost 17, 

about. 1^ miles up the creek.

The scenery of the lower part of the valley of Plum Creek is 

smooth and uninteresting. The surface is a rolling upland, which 

can not be irrigated from the South Platte because it lies too high 

above that river, and it consequently appears ra'ther barren to those 

who are accustomed to a more humid climate. The only railroad 

station in this part of the valley is Louviers, which is merely a shipping point for the DuPont Powder Co., whose plant for the manufacture of high explosives is on the west (right) of the track.

Above Louviers Plum Creek swings eastward, and it is bordered 

on its east side by bluffs and mesas of white sandstone.10 Although

10 All the rock seen near the railroad 

track from Denver to a point beyond 

Palmer Lake is composed of fragments 

derived from the decomposition of the 

granite and gneiss of the mountains. 

This material, which consists mostly 

of quartz and feldspar, is known to 

geologists as arkose. The formation 

is called the Dawson arkose, and it is 

of the same geologic age as the formations about Denver' that have been 

called the Denver and Arapahoe formations. Richardson, in the Castle 

Rock folio (No. 198) of the Geologic 

Atlas of the United States, describes 

the rock as follows:

"The Dawson arkose, derived from 

the Pikes Peak granite and associated 

rocks, was laid down under various 

continental conditions, chiefly as wash 

and fluviatile [stream] deposits accompanied by local ponding. During the 

accumulation of the arkose this region 

may be conceived of as a piedmont 

[foot of the mountain] area having a 

moist and temperate climate, an area 

in which the vegetation was characterized by the presence of many fig trees, 

palms, magnolias, poplars, willows, 

oaks, maples, etc., and which was occupied by Triceratops (huge threehorned dinosaurs), crocodiles, turtles, 

and other reptiles and by primitive 

mammals."

In other words, the material derived 

from the mountains was carried out on 

a nearly flat surface and deposited by 

the streams in much the same way as 

the streams of to-day are carrying the 

waste of the mountain rocks and 

spreading it over the low parts of the 

plains.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 25

but a short distance. from the upturned rocks along the mountain

front, these sandstones lie practically horizontal,

Louviers. ft ^&c^. Wnjcj1 mdjcates that they are near the middle

Elevation 5,675 feet. Of the great downfold of the rocks east of the

Denver 21 miles. -r> , -n -n- n ^ ,1 ^ ?

trout Range, figure 6 represents the edges ot 

the upturned rock beds as they would appear if they had been cut by 

a giant knife at right angles to the trend of the mountain range.

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, which has been on the 

east (left) side of the train since it left Denver, passes over the Denver

& Rio Grande Western Railroad at the town of 

Sedalia. Sedalia. The upland on the east is here nearer the 

Elevation 5,835 feet, track than it is farther north, and it stands out as 

Denver^m^s* a Plateau witn a ^P or even vertical front. . Some

of these steep slopes are merely projecting points of 

the highland, but others are parts of hills that have been isolated from

o 1.000 2.000 3,000 4.000 s,ooo Feet 

FIGURE 6. Section at moutti of Platte Canyon.

it by the cutting of the streams. Such isolated remnants of a once extensive plateau are very conspicuous on the west (right) of the road. 

A hill of this kind in the East would not be called by any special name, 

but in the West, and especially in the Southwest, a flat-topped hill is 

almost universally called by the Spanish name mesa, meaning table. 

Near Sedalia are the forks of Plum Creek, one of which comes from 

the south and the other from the east. The one that comes from the 

south offers the more direct course for the railroad, but the one that 

comes from the east is the longer and has the better grade, so it was 

selected, even though its course is more roundabout.

The most prominent of the mesas is Castle Rock, which may be seen 

far ahead on the right soon after the train passes Sedalia. When 

first seen it is so far away that it seems to be only a small hill, but 

as the train proceeds it becomes more conspicuous, until at a siding 

called Plateau it appears on the right as a very prominent conical
26 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN" UNITED STATES.

hill surmounted by a thick, square block of rock. This mesa was first 

mentioned in the report of the exploration of Maj. Long, in 1820, and 

on account of its resemblance to an old ruin was called Castle Rock. 

As the train approaches milepost 32 the traveler may see that the 

railroad is built around the foot of Castle Rock mesa, which is about 

300 feet high and has a cap rock 60 or 70 feet thick. 

Castle Rock. This mesa is shown in Plate XI, J., and in figure 7. 

Elevation 6,218 feet. The lower part of the mesa is composed of soft, friable beds of the Dawson arkose, but the cap rock is 

a coarse conglomerate of pebbles and boulders of 

crystalline rocks of all sorts that have been washed out from the 

mountains and of a volcanic rock (rhyolite) which caps also some of 

the adjacent mesas. These materials were washed out of the mountains by streams of water and dropped as sheets of gravel and boulders upon the surface of the land. The county seat of Douglas

Population 461. 

Denver 33 miles.

FIGURE 7. Castle Rock from the north.

County, named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas, stands at the base 

of the mesa and bears the name Castle Rock. It was formerly noted 

for its stone quarries, the remains of which still disfigure the mesas, 

but the increasing use of cement in construction work has so depressed the market for ordinary building stone that the quarrying 

industry has nearly disappeared. Samples of the stone may be seen 

in the Douglas County High School building, on the right as the 

train enters the town, and in the station building of the Denver & 

Rio Grande Western Railroad.11 This stone was once molten lava

"According to Richardson the rhyolite is said to have been first quarried 

about 1876, and it is reported that up 

to 1914 about 30,000 carloads had been 

marketed. The stone has been extensively used for building in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, where it has 

given general satisfaction. The quarries, to which railroad spurs have been 

constructed, are near the town of

Castle Rock. The stone is readily 

accessible, is easily worked, is of pleasing gray to pinkish color, stands the 

weather well, and is sufficiently strong 

for ordinary purposes, although the 

more porous varieties are not adapted 

for use where great strength is desired. 

In recent years the production of this 

stone has fallen off because of the competition of other building materials.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 27

that was poured out as a thin sheet over the surface of the» country, 

after the Dawson arkose was deposited but before the coarse materials of the Castle Rock conglomerate were spread over the plain.

In following the valley of Plum Creek from Sedalia to Castle 

Rock the railroad swings far to the east of a direct line from Denver to Colorado Springs. After passing Castle Rock it turns back 

toward the mountains, its course being nearly due south to Palmer 

Lake, and the prolongation of this course would lead almost directly 

to Pikes Peak. This majestic mountain is too nearly straight ahead, 

to be visible at many points, but here and there as the train swings 

around some of the numerous curves it may be seen in the distance 

towering far above the surrounding summits.

To those accustomed to the more humid regions of the East, with 

their dense cover of vegetation, the open spaces of the West, the red 

rocks, and the strong yellow light of the plains are here the most 

striking features. The wonderful color effects of this region are 

beautifully expressed by Helen Hunt Jackson, Colorado's most gifted 

author:

Colorado is a symphony in yellow and red. And as soon as I had said the 

words, the colors and shapes in which I knew them seemed instantly to he 

arranged in my thoughts; places miles apart began to knit themselves together into a concerted and related succession; spots and tints I had only 

vaguely recognized became distinct and significant, each in its order and 

force; and more and more as I looked from the plains to the mountains and 

from the mountains to the plains, and stood in the great places crowded with 

gay and fantastic rocks, all the time bearing in mind this phrase, it grew to 

seem true and complete and inevitable.

Mesas composed of white arkosic sandstone are seen on both sides 

of the railroad, but one on the right, 2 or 3 miles beyond Castle Rock, 

is the most prominent. This mesa, which is known as Dawson Butte, 

furnished the geologic name of the formation the Dawson arkose. 

Just beyond milepost 37 there appears, seemingly from behind this 

mesa but in reality far beyond it, a jagged mass of red granite, 

which towers 1,000 feet above the general level of the Front Range 

plateau. This rugged mountain, known as Devils Head, is utilized 

by the Forest Service as a lookout station for the detection of forest 

fires. (See PI. XV, #, p. 31.) On its lonely summit is stationed, 

throughout the summer, an observer whose duty it is to scan continually the surrounding mountain region for forest fires, and if he 

discovers one to notify at once, by telephone, the superintendent of 

the Pike National Forest, so that all the rangers can be called together to fight the fire. A more extended description of what the 

Government is attempting to do for the conservation of the forests is 

given below by Smith Riley, former district forester.12

" Colorado lies in the zone of slight 

precipitation and hence of irrigation,

and the supply of water for this purpose comes from the mountains, where
28 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Above Dawson Butte the railroad continues up the valley of East

Plum Creek, winding around a projecting spur of the plateau on the

east to the village of Larkspur, from which a stage

Larkspur. jjne rung ^0 tne resorts in Perry Park, 4 miles to the

Elevation 6,668 feet. west. This is a natural parklike area at the foot of

Denver 43 miles. . * the mountains, made picturesque by natural monuthe moisture falls as snow during the 

winter. The presence of trees controls and prolongs this stream flow by 

preventing erosion and retarding the 

melting of snow in the spring and 

early summer.

The forest on the mountains is composed of many different species of 

trees, and the range in elevation of 

these species is controlled largely by 

moisture and1 temperature. The pinon 

or nut pine and cedar trees are found 

near the plains or in the zone of smallest precipitation. Above this zone, as 

the precipitation increases, is that of 

the western yellow pine (PI. XIV, C) 

and Douglas fir, with blue spruce on 

small tracts. Above the zone of yellow pine is the zone of lodgepole pine 

(PI. XXXVI, B, p. 76) and above this, 

extending to timber line, is the zone 

in which Engelmann spruce (PI. XIII, 

B) and alpine fir are intermixed. 

Throughout the zones of yellow and 

lodgepole pine and even in that of 

Engelmann spruce quaking aspen occurs in abundance. This tree, which 

presents a wonderful richness of autumnal coloring, has a marked tendency to seed quickly areas that have 

been severely burned. A°s it grows 

rapidly it soon forms a cover and acts 

as a " nurse tree," under which conifers that require more moisture start 

to grow and ultimately take possession 

of the area and kill out the aspen. 

Several varieties of cottonwood are 

found in the moist stream bottoms, in 

the zones of the yellow pine and pinon, 

and out on the plains.

One of the white or five-needle pines 

grows on exposed slopes high in the 

zone of the yellow pine. This tree, 

which is called limber pine, has little 

commercial value but is very picturesque because of its gray-green 

foliage and whitish bark. Its paleyellow cones are larger than those of 

any of the other pines in this region, 

and many of the trees are distorted1 

into curious and picturesque shapes 

by the severe climatic conditions under which they grow.

In the zone of the lodgepole pine 

and on the more exposed ridges there 

is another five-needle pine called bristlecone or sugar pine. This tree derives its names from the recurved 

prickles or thorns at the extremity of 

the cone scales, and from the exudations of resin on the surface of the 

needles or leaves, which when dry look 

very much like particles of sugar.

To maintain a cover for an even 

stream flow and protect the supply of 

timber all the more extensive drainage 

basins of the United States have been 

included in national forests. There 

are seventeen such forests in Colorado, 

comprising over 13,000,000 acres of 

mountainous country.

A forest, which is based upon natural subdivisions and administrative 

lines, contains from 400,000 to 1,600,000 

acres and is in charge of a forest 

supervisor and a corps of assistants. 

Every forest is further divided into 

ranger districts, each containing from 

50,000 to 200,000 acres. Such districts 

are in charge of rangers, who police 

them and look after all business pertaining to the national forest.

The Pike National Forest includes 

the mountains west of Denver and 

Colorado Springs. It includes most of 

the drainage basins from which Denver, Colorado Springs, and many 

smaller towns, having altogether a 

population of about 350,000, derive 

their domestic water supply. In addi-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XII

A. RESULT OF A RECENT FOHKST FUSE.

Scarred and blackened tree trunks and half-burned logs mark the path of a recent, fire through 

the national forest. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.

S. RESULT OF AN OLD FOREST FIRE. 

An old " burn " in a national national forest. forest. Its pathway is marked by the white skeletons of the dead 

trees, which are ready to fall in a hopeless tangle when struck by a hard wind. Photograph 

by the U. S. Forest Service.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

A. MARKING MERCHANTABLE TIMBER.

Marking trees in midwinter for a national-forest timber sale. Photograph 

by the U. S. Forest Service.

A typica
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 29

ments of tilted and highly colored sandstone. Although less known 

than the Garden of the Gods, near Manitou, it is similar in general 

appearance and by many is regarded as fully equal to it in natural 

beauty. In these castellated rocks those who have a vivid imagination can see mystic monuments and towers, battlemented walls, 

minarets and steeples, and the remains of vast cities that still reflect

tion to this supply its streams furnish 

water for irrigating 400,000 acres of 

rich agricultural land at the foot of 

the mountains.

The region now included in this forest furnished an immense amount of 

timber during the early development 

of local industries, about 500,000,000 

feet b. m. having been cut prior to its 

establishment as a national forest. In 

the mountains farther west, particularly at Howard, travelers may notice 

rows of domelike structures looking 

like large beehives of the old-fashioned 

wicker type. (See PI. XIV, B.) These 

are charcoal kilns. They represent all 

that is left of the charcoal industry, 

which, before coke was available, furnished fuel for smelters, greatly to 

the detriment of the timber stands of 

the regions.

In Gilpin County considerable areas 

of forest land were practically denuded, 

for trees of all sizes and even stumps 

were removed and utilized. This cutting was followed, from time to time, 

by fires which fed upon the " slash " 

left on the cut-over areas and killed 

the remaining trees. The bare hills 

then permitted a rapid run-off of water after heavy rains, which caused 

considerable destructive erosion. Similar conditions mark other parts of 

the Pike National Forest, but erosion 

has not cut so deeply into the slopes, 

and owing to generally favorable conditions, many areas have naturally 

become reforested.

In the early days all ranch buildings were constructed of logs, and 

even furniture was made by the settlers. The trees also furnished the 

entire supply of fuel. In many localities they serve the same purposes today the ranchers and new settlers

put up their own buildings of logs obtained from the national forest under 

free-use permits, or established ranchers can purchase at a low price, equal 

to the cost of administering the sale.

From 1875 to 1895 most of the railroads of the mountain region were 

built, and practically all construction 

was done with local timber. Most of 

the cutting was done by small operators, with sawmills of 6,000 to 10,000 

feet b. m. daily capacity, who would 

locate or purchase a small tract of 

timber land and then cut not only that 

but the timber on adjoining Government land. The operators of that day 

paid little or no stumpage for their 

timber and cut only that which was 

the most easily obtained or which was 

best suited to their purpose.

Since 1905, when the forests came 

under the jurisdiction of the Forest 

Service, the Government's timber has 

been sold to private purchasers at fair 

rates of stumpage, and cutting has 

been restricted to trees whose removal 

would benefit the remaining stand. 

The stumpage price charged in each 

sale is the difference between the market price of the product and the estimated cost of production plus a liberal allowance for profit to the operator.

The amount of timber cut in the Pike 

National Forest for the year ending 

June 30, 1921, was 3,420,000 feet b. m., 

for which $4,960 was paid the Government for stumpage. In addition, about 

1,000,000 feet b. m., mainly of dead 

material, was granted free to settlers 

and miners for their own use.

The area of the Pike National Forest is 1,256,112 acres, of which 162,956 

acres is patented or privately owned, 

and 108,000 acres is above timber line.
30 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

in the massiveness of their ruins some of their former grandeur. 

To the geologist these buttes and plateaus are also the ruins of a 

former age, but instead of being carved by man and representing 

cities that have passed away they were carved by water and wind 

from an older and higher land surface that carried its own particular types of plants and animals and that had a climate which may 

have been very different from the climate of to-day. Compared with 

these remnants of this old land surface the most ancient ruined 

cities are as the works of yesterday.

Larkspur Butte on the east and Raspberry Butte on the west are 

small remnants of this old surface. Beyond them the upland has 

been cut away, leaving a rather broad valley in which stands' the

The present stand of timber in the 

forest is estimated to be 1,100,000,000 

feet b. m., of which 620,000,000 feet 

b. m. is considered to be in commercial 

stands and 480,000,000 feet b. m. in 

protection stands.

The following list gives the species 

in the order of their abundance in the 

present merchantable stands, the 

names in parentheses being those often 

used by local timbermen: Engelmann 

spruce (white spruce), yellow pine 

(immature timber is called blackjack), 

Douglas fir (red spruce), lodgepole 

pine, white pine, limber pine (white 

pine or plnon), bristlecone pine (sugar 

pine or pinon), alpine fir (white fir), 

white fir (balsam or black balsam), 

Colorado blue spruce (water spruce), 

and aspen (quaking asp). Of these, 

Douglas fir is the most valuable for 

railroad ties and lumber for other purposes, and yellow pine second.

When an application for a timber 

sale is received by the Forest Service 

it is first necessary to determine 

whether the timber applied for should 

be sold. Where dead timber is available and will answer the purpose its 

use is encouraged. The object of cutting green timber is to improve the 

stand by the removal of the mature 

and defective trees, which are growing very slowly, and to thin crowded 

groups of trees, leaving a stand of 

younger thrifty saplings and poles 

with plenty of growing space and permitting young trees to come in wherever there is not already a sufficient 

stand. In order to improve the stand 

and keep it in the best of condition 

for future growth it is necessary to 

base the time and method of cutting 

on the needs of the forest rather than 

on the desire of the operators. In 

the slow-growing stands of this forest 

it will generally be from 30 to 50 years 

or more after the first cutting before 

the area should be cut over again.

In a Forest 'Service timber sale 

each green tree to be cut is designated by blazing and stamping it with 

a " U. S." stamp. This marking is 

necessary in order that the trees which 

are to form the basis of the future 

stand will not be destroyed. (See PI. 

XIII, A.) After the marked trees 

are cut and skidded or hauled to a 

central point, the material is scaled 

or measured by a forest ranger and 

there sawed into lumber by a small 

mill. Contracts for the sale of green 

timber provide for the disposal of the 

brush and debris resulting from the 

cutting. Where there is a serious 

menace of fire the purchaser is required to pile the brush and burn it 

when there is no danger of the fire 

spreading. Where the danger from 

fire is not so great, or where some 

protection of the soil is needed to induce reproduction, the purchaser is 

required to trim the tops and scatter 

the brush so that it will lie close to 

the ground, where it will absorb moisture and decay rapidly. The proper
U. S, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XIV

A: A FOREST NURSERY.

The Monument nursery of llie U. S. Forest Service, in which young trees are grown from lie 

seed. This nursery contains 1,729,000 seedlings arid 810,000 transplants,, which later will 

be used for reforesting some of l,he burned-over areas. Photograph by the U. S. Forest 

Service.

B. OLD CHARCOAL KILNS.

Into such kilns as these much of the forest of the Rocky Mountains has disappeared. The 

charcoal which it made was used before coke became available for smelting ores. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.

C. YELLOW PINE.

Typical stand of yellow pine in the Pike National Forest.

Service.

Photograph by the U. S. Forest
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XV

A. A PLACE FOR ARTIFICIAL REFORESTATION.

A tract on the mountain back of Palmer Lake burned so severely that artificial reforestation is 

necessary. The mountain top here is almost a perfect plain (a peneplain). Pikes Peak, in the 

distance, rises nearly a mile above its surface. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.

B. FIRE-LOOKOUT STATION.

On Devils Head Mountain, in the Pike National Forest. The observer stationed here is on 

the lookout for all forest fires occurring in an area of 600,000 acres. In case of fire he notifies 

by telephone the superintendent at Denver and the local forest rangers, who at once endeavor 

to put out the fire before it spreads and destroys valuable timber. Photograph by the U. S. 

Forest Service.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 31

hamlet of Greenland. After passing this village the train turns more

toward the southwest and pursues a direct course

Greenland. toward the low gap which separates the headwaters

Elevation 8,919 feet. of East plum Qreek Qn th north f thoge 

Denver 47 miles.

of Monument Creek on the south. This gap is at 

the foot of the mountains and is marked by Palmer Lake, the highest

point on the line between Denver and Pueblo. This 

Palmer Lake. Isike and its relation to the mountain front are well 

Elevation 7,237 feet, shown in Plate XVI, B. The lake and town were

Population 160. j j: n T> i J.T n . Denver 52 miles. named ior uen. Jralmer, the organizer, nrst president, and inspiring genius of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Railroad. A more extended account of Gen. Palmer and his

disposal of brush is the most necessary measure for the protection of a 

cut-over forest from fire.

In the early days of settlement in 

this country the forest suffered considerably from fires. (See PI. XII, 

A and B.) The present fire-fighting 

methods and organization were unheard of. In 1869 a fire started by 

hunters on Pikes Peak is said to have 

burned intermittently for eight 

months and to have covered many 

thousands of acres, though there were 

several times during this period when 

a small crew of men could have extinguished it. Similar fires covered 

about 250,000 acres in the Pike National Forest, and of this area 60,000 

acres is not restocking but must be 

reforested.

While visiting Colorado Springs the 

traveler will notice burned-over areas 

on- the slopes of Pikes Peak. Several 

cities and towns procure their water 

supply from the slopes of this mountain, so it is of great importance that 

the forest growth be extended and 

maintained. An agreement has been 

entered into between the Forest Service and the cities of Colorado Springs, 

Manitou, and Cascade that the service 

shall reforest these slopes as rapidly 

as the funds available will permit. 

Already about $100,000 has been expended in this work, and complete 

plans have been formulated for its 

continuation until tree growth has been 

established upon the entire area suited

to the purpose. In making the trip 

to Pikes Peak over the automobile 

highway the traveler passes through 

several of these plantations.

In order to accomplish this planting 

a nursery has been established just 

west of the town of Monument (PL 

XIV, A). At the present time over 

1,500,000 tree seedlings and 600,000 

transplanted trees are growing in this 

nursery. These trees will be planted 

in the mountains when they are two 

to three years old at a distance, of 

6 to 8 feet apart. During 1920 the 

area thus reforested comprised 738 

acres and the planting required 570,000 

trees.

Forest fires still cause great destruction in the national forest. (See 

Pis. XII, A, B, and XV, A.) The possibility of fires in the Pike National 

Forest is great, because eight railroads traverse it, 5,000 people live in 

it, and 250,000 tourists seek recreation within its borders. On the summit of Devils Head Mountain the Forest Service has established a fire-lookout station (PI. XV, B), at which an 

officer is detailed to watch for fires 

during spring, summer, and! autumn. 

This officer is in direct communication 

by telephone with the supervisor's office in Denver and with the rangers 

whose districts he overlooks. As soon 

as a fire is discovered he gives its 

location promptly and accurately so 

that the rangers can start with men, 

tools, and supplies to fight it.
32 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

work will be found on pages 54r-60. The town of Palmer Lake is composed largely of cottages for summer guests who come here for health 

and recreation. The railroad station is 1,957 feet higher than Denver 

and 1,248 feet higher than Colorado Springs. Glen Park, an assembly ground modeled after the famous Chautauqua of New York, is 

about a mile from the station. The mountain front west of the lake 

rises abruptly, as shown in Plate XVI, 5, to a height of 1,800 feet 

above the level of the lake. The summer cottages nestle in the ravines at the- base of the mountain and afford the inhabitants the advantages and attractions of both the plains and the mountains.

The mountain front rises abruptly from the plain without foothills of any kind. The reason for the absence of foothills is that 

the rocks of the plains, when they were bent by the upthrust of the 

mountains, could not stand the strain to which they were subjected, 

and in many places they broke and the lower crystalline rocks of the

FIGURE 8. Sketch section through Palmer Lake, showing fault. The granite on the 

west has moved up (see PI. LXXXVII, p. 216) with, reference to the rocks of the 

plains.

mountains were forced up into direct contact with the broken edges 

of the soft, flat-lying rocks of the plains, forming what is called a 

fault. The positions of the rocks and their relations are shown in 

figure 8. The effect of this fault has been much the same as that of 

the small faults shown in Plate LXXXVII, A and B (p. 216).

From Palmer Lake to Colorado Springs the railroad extends down 

the valley of Monument Creek, so named from the pinnacles and 

columns of white sandstone (Dawson arkose) that are left by the 

irregular weathering of prominent outcrops. The 

first conspicuous example is on the east (left) of 

the road, where a mass of the sandstone has 

weathered into a form resembling an elephant. 

(See PL XVI, A.) On account of this resemblance it is generally known as "The Elephant." The valley immediately south of Palmer Lake is narrow, but in a short distance 

it swings to the east and at the village of Monument is broad, irrigated, and well farmed.

The next station on the railroad is Edgerton (see sheet 2, p. 84), 

which is the point of departure for those who wish to visit Monument

Monument.

Elevation 6,972 feet. 

Population 192. 

Denver 56 miles.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 1

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OP 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist 

M. E. CAMPBELL, Geologist

C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer 

A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

B 

C

D,

D,

G

I

J,

M

N

EXPLANATION

Gravel on mesas and terraces

Conglomerate deposited by streams 

(Castle Rock conglomerate)

Arkosic (fragments of granite)

conglomerate (Dawson arkose) 

Near Denver the beds equivalent to the Dawson

arkose are divided into two formations:

Shale and sand (andesitic) 

(Denver formation)

Conglomerate, sandstone, and sbale 

(Arapahoe formation)

Sandstone and shale with coal beds 

(Laramie formation)

Thickness 

in feet

Age 

Pleistocene

Tertiary (Olijocene) 300 

2.000

Tertiary (Eocene)

800±

700

1.200

Dark marine shale with sandstone ' Fox Hills sandstone ! 

at top (Montana group) 1 Pierre shale VUpper Cretaceous

Dark marine shale and limestone 

(Colorado group)

Two beds of sandstone j Dakota sandstone 

separated by shale | Purgatoire formation

Red and green shale and sandstone 

(Morrison formation)

White and red sandstone, redj Lykins formation 

shale and gypsum at top ] Lyons sandstone

Mainly white arkosic sandstone (Fountain formation)

Lower Cretaceous 

Cretaceous ?

1,000

800

200

Carboniferous 

 - (Permian (?) and 2,825 

Pennsylvanian)

Millsap limestone

U 

X

Limestone and;

cfuartzite 1 Manitou limestone

I Sawatch sandstone

Granite

Y Lava flows (basalt and rhyolite)

Carboniferous 

(Miss-issippian)

Ordovician 

Cambrian

Pre-Cambrian

Tertiary

250

--- Fault

105 so' COLORADO

39

Scale 500,000 

Approximately 8 miles to 1 inch

0 5 10 Mih i i ii'i

i i

10 15 Kilometen

Elevations in feet above mean sea level

The distances from Denver. Colorado, are shown every 10 miles. 

The crossties on [he railroads are spaced I mile apart.

ft9.Het abiding bit R. W. Berry

105 30' Sheet No. 2

 139
XT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XVI

A, "ELEPHANT RUCK."

Just after passing Palmer Lake the guide on the train will call attention to the "Elephant," 

one of the grotesque remnants of the Dawson arkose which has weathered into a form 

resembling an elephant. Photograph by O. B. Richardson.

B. PALMER LAKE.

On a hot day in summer one of the most refreshing sights between Denver and Colorado 

Springs is the little sheet of water known as Palmer Lake. It lies on the divide between the 

Arkansas and the PI a lie and also at the foot of the Front Range, which shows on the right. 

Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CAPPED PINNACLES IN MONUMENT PARK.

On some of the sandstone pinnacles weathering has gone so far that the columns are nearly cut through; in 

will he accomplished, but others will be developed as the cliff is slowly worn back. Photographs b

Jackson.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 33

Park, 2 miles to the west, near the foot of the mountains. This

park is also noted for the fantastic forms assumed

Edgerton. ^ ^ rocks as they are cut away by the elements.

Elevation 6,417 feet. ^ few Of the coiumns in which iron oxide has

Denver 66 miles. .

cemented certain layers, terming a cap that protects the layers below from rapid decay, are shown in Plate XVII, 

A and B.

In its course down Monument Valley the railroad is built on the 

Dawson arkose, but the lower part of that formation is composed of 

sandstone that decays easily, and the rocks do not form buttes or 

mesas. Near Pikeview the arkose is cut through, 

i eview. an(j ^e Laramjej or underlying formation, is exPosed> Its outcr°P is n°t conspicuous in the valley, 

but it forms a line of white sandstone cliffs that may 

be seen for a long distance to the east (left). This formation is the 

same as that which carries coal northwest of Denver, and were 

overlying formations removed it would be possible to walk on

FIGURE 9. Section at Pikeview, showing the fault that separates the rocks of the plains 

from those of the mountains.

this sandstone continuously from Pikeview to Denver. It also 

carries coal beds in the Monument Creek valley, and the principal 

business at Pikeview is mining coal. The coal is mined by a shaft 

about 250 feet deep, but a short distance to the south it comes to the 

surface. It is of low rank and slacks or falls to pieces quickly when 

exposed to the atmosphere. As it comes from the mine it carries a 

large percentage of water, which makes its heating power low, but 

despite its inferior rank it competes as a domestic fuel with coals 

which are of a higher rank but which have to be shipped a much 

greater distance. Pikeview was so named on account of the magnificent view that may be had here of Pikes Peak, about 10 miles distant 

(PL XVIII). On a clear day the smoke of ascending trains can be 

clearly distinguished, and even part of the " Cogwheel Road " to the 

summit can be seen.

The position of the coal-bearing rocks beneath the surface, as well 

as the relation of the rocks of the plains to those of the mountain on 

the west, is illustrated in figure 9, which shows that in the uplift of 

the mountains the rocks have broken and those of the mountains have 

moved up with relation to those of the plains.
34 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN" UNITED STATES.

Below Pike view the valley is cut in soft shale (the Pierre) and for 

that reason it is broad and shallow, and the mountains rise majestically a short distance to the west. Colorado 

Colorado Springs. Springs is at the point where Monument Creek joins 

Elevation 5,989 feet. Fountain Creek, or Fontaine qui Bouille (bubbling

Population 30,105. , ... ' is A J u AU i? u Denver 75 miles. fountain), as it was first named by the Jb rench 

explorers, and the railroad runs directly down the 

valley to that city. Colorado Springs is the most noted health resort 

in Colorado and, indeed, in the entire Rocky Mountain region. It 

was organized by Gen. William J. Palmer as a model city on July 

31, 1871, the same year that the first railroad the Denver & Bio 

Grande, then a narrow-gage line was built into the valley. It has 

far outgrown the ideas of its founder, however, and has become the 

great tourist center of the mountain region as well as an attractive 

residence city, a railroad point of considerable importance, and the 

site of Colorado College.

The name Colorado Springs is somewhat of a misnomer, for there 

are no large springs in the city, but it is closely connected by steam 

railway and by trolley with Manitou, which has springs of different 

kinds that have a world-wide reputation. Despite its clean, wide 

streets and its wealth of green lawns and shrubs and trees Colorado 

Springs offers little of special interest to the tourist, but it is a stopping place from which other and more interesting localities may be 

visited and a gateway to the attractive features of the mountains. 

It is built on the edge of the plains, which sweep away eastward 

farther than the eye can see. Few travelers who visit Colorado 

Springs think of the plains as worthy of their attention or as having 

any beauty that is at all comparable with the beauty of the mountains, but Helen Hunt Jackson, who is buried here in Evergreen 

Cemetery, saw beauty in all the landscapes, and she likens the plains 

about Colorado Springs to the wide expanse of the sea, ever changing, yet always the same.

Between it [Colorado Springs] and the morning sun and between it and the 

far southern horizon stretch plains that have all the beauty of the sea added 

to the beauty of the plains. Like the sea they are ever changing in color, and 

seem illimitable in distance. But they are full of tender undulations and 

curves, which never vary except by light and shade. They are threaded here 

and there by narrow creeks whose course is revealed by slender winding lines 

of cottonwood trees, dark green in summer, and in winter of a soft, clear gray, 

more beautiful still. They are broken here and there by sudden rises of tablelands, sometimes abrupt, sharp-sided, and rocky, looking like huge castles or 

lines of fortifications; sometimes soft, moundlike, and imperceptibly widening, 

like a second narrow tier of plain overlying the first.

The continuation of the description of the country along the main 

line of the railroad will be found on page 53.
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

PIKES PEAK.

Pikes Peak is the dominating feature of the landscape about Colorado Springs. This view of the mounta

and the long southern spur of the mountain up which the cogwheel road finds its way to the top. Th

graph by L. C. McCIure, Denver.
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GATEWAY TO THE GARDEN OF THE G

Nature has here carved an appropriate gateway to the land of wonders that lies immediately beyond. 

brilliant summit of Pikes Peak, which looms up in the distance. Photograph by L. C. McClure, Denve
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 35

ONE-DAY TRIPS FROM COLORADO SPRINGS.

As most travelers on the Denver & Kio Grande Western Eailroad 

stop here to sample the mineral waters of Manitou and to explore the 

peaks and canyons of the near-by mountains, the more interesting 

side trips that may be made in a single day will be described.

MANITOU AND THE GARDEN OF THE GODS.

The place that is first visited by most travelers stopping at Colorado Springs is Manitou, 6 miles to the west, at the foot of Pikes 

Peak. In order to reach Manitou from Colorado Springs the 

traveler must pass through the historic town of Colorado City, which 

sprang into existence as a result of the rush of gold seekers to the 

Pikes Peak region in 1859. A cluster of log cabins was built at 

the base of the peak, but no gold was found. In 1862 Colorado City 

again came into prominence, when the second legislative assembly 

of the Territory convened there, but after a four-day session it 

adjourned to Denver, the real capital of the State. It is said that 

the building in which the meeting was held is still standing but in 

a much dilapidated condition. In 1910 Colorado City had a population of 4,333; since then it has been consolidated with Colorado 

Springs. In the palmy days of the Cripple Creek camp it had 

four cyanide plants 13 in. operation treating the ores, but with the 

decline of that camp the mills have been allowed to fall into decay. 

At the present time only one of them is in operation.

The town of Manitou has a permanent population (1920) of 1,357, 

but during the summer it has many times that number. It was 

originally called Villa La Font, but this name was later changed to 

Manitou, which is the Indian name for the Great Spirit. It is said 

that the Indians were familiar with the springs before the advent 

of the white man, and that they believed that the bubbling was 

caused by the breath of the Great Spirit. In Manitou there are 

16 springs whose waters differ widely in the composition and quantity of the mineral matter they contain. Some of the waters are 

strongly impregnated with soda, others with iron and magnesia, 

and some contain, it is said, lithia, lime, sulphur, potash, and other

13 The cyanide process of treating 

gold ores was discovered in 1890 and 

is now used all over the world. It 

is best adapted to free-milling ores, 

especially after the bulk of the gold 

has been removed by amalgamation. 

The ore is first broken and ground as 

fine as flour. It is then carried to 

great vats, where the gold is dissolved by a weak solution of cyanide

of potassium. After standing for 

several days the solution containing 

the gold is passed over zinc turnings, 

which precipitate the gold with other 

metals as a black slime. Similar results may be obtained by electrolysis 

except that the gold is obtained in a 

purer form on lead plates. The slime 

or lead plates are then treated to separate the gold from the baser metals.
36 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEBN UNITED STATES.

minerals.14 The principal springs are known as the Soda, Ute 

Iron, Ute Chief, .Navajo, Geyser, Mansions, .Soda-Iron, Twin Shoshone, Minnehaha, Magnetic, and Magnesia.

The second most attractive natural feature of the region is the 

Garden of the Gods, which can easily be reached from Manitou or 

from the trolley line that connects Manitou and Colorado Springs. 

This interesting bit of wonderland is now a part of the Colorado 

Springs park system, to which it was transferred in 1909 by the 

heirs of the late Charles. Elliott Per kins with the stipulation that 

it should be forever kept open and free to the world.

There are two entrances to the Garden of the Gods, but the traveler 

should by all means approach it from the lower entrance, the one 

nearest Colorado Springs, for he will there get his first view of it 

through the celebrated " Gateway," which is in itself one of its most 

striking features. Plate XIX shows the great upstanding ledge of 

red sandstone in which the "Gateway" has been cut by a small 

stream. The view here shown is not that which the traveler will get 

from the main road but is one he could get by climbing and walking 

a little distance to the north before reaching the deep cut. The white 

rock in the foreground is a thick bed of gypsum, which contrasts 

strongly with the deep-red sandstone beyond.

After passing through the " Gateway " the traveler will find himself in a wonderful array of tall spires of red and white sandstone 

and of many fantastic forms, which have been produced by the slow 

weathering of the massive rock. These features are shown in Plates 

XX and XXI. The rocks of the Garden of the Gods are of the same 

general character as the upturned red sandstones between Denver and 

Colorado Springs, but the forms are larger and more picturesque here 

than they are at any other place on the mountain front. These great 

natural monuments look as if they had been pushed up from below the 

surface by some giant force, but they are really mere remnants of 

great masses of red and mottled rock that were long ago tilted up

"An analysis of Manitou table water, made by the Bureau of Chemistry 

of the Department of Agriculture, is

as follows: 

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO.) _ 47.2

Iron and aluminum

(Fe+Al) _ 1.8

Manganese (Mn) 1.7

Calcium (Ca) __ _ 457.9

Magnesium (Mg) _ 79. 2

Sodium (Na) _ _ _ 551.0

Potassium (K) _ _ 71.3

Lithium (Li) ___ _ .23

Ammonium (NBU)__ .05

. Parts per million. 

Oxygen to form mangano-manganic oxide 

(Mn8O<) _ - 0.7

Bicarbonate radicle 

(HC03 ) - 2,664.6

Sulphate radicle ( SO*) _ 219. 2

Chlorine (Cl) - 250.0

Bromine (Br)_ _ Small amount.

(B0a )_ ___ -, - Faint trace.

4, 344. 88

The water is supersaturated with

carbon dioxide (C0»).
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XX

A. THE "SIAMESE TWINS.

The "Siamese Twins" are still apparently bound together by solid rock, but close inspection 

shows a crack along which tho weather is slowly accomplishing its work of destruction. A 

few grains of sand may be loosened and blown away each day, and this process repeated 

almost indefinitely will finally sever the connection and then the columns will stand separate 

and distinct. Pholo^raph by L. C. McClnre, Denver: furnished by the Denver & Bio 

Grantle Western Railroad.

B. "BALANCED ROCK."

This strange monument of nature's handiwork attracts the attention of most travelers. It 

was once doubtless connected with the pedestal on which it stands, but a soft layer near the 

bol loin has been worn away until the mass seems to be ready to tumble at any moment. The 

red sandstone contains many pebbles and might properly be called a conglomerate. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GATEWAY AND SPIRES OF THE GARDEN OF 

On approaching this wonderland through the gateway shown in Plato XIX the traveler is confronted w

as shown in this view. These monuments have been carved by the wind and weather from great begraph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN" ROUTE. 37

on end and then were partly removed by the dissolving action of the 

atmosphere. This is a slow process, but it is always in operation, 

and each day a few grains of sand are loosened and carried away. 

Under this constant attack new and picturesque forms are being 

produced and the old pinnacles and towers are being worn away. 

All these interesting monuments of the activity of weathering processes will at some time be worn down to the level of the plain, but 

that time will be so far in the future that the loss of the monuments 

need not give much concern to the present generation.

The great ledges that give to the Garden of the Gods its picturesqueness extend to the north and are again strikingly exposed in 

Glen Eyrie, which for a long time was the chosen home of Gen. 

Palmer. Plate XVII, C (p. 33), shows one of the more striking rocks 

in this well-known glen.15

15 The rocks in and about the Garden 

of the Gods and Glen Eyrie are more 

fully described by Prof. George I. Finlay as follows:

Few regions in the United States 

offer so much to the traveler and to 

the student of rocks as the '^country 

about Colorado Springs. 'The Rocky 

Mountains here meet the Great Plains 

with a bold front. At some places, 

owing to faults or breaks in the beds 

of rock, the old, strong granite of the 

mountains stands in direct contact with 

the young, weak rocks of the plains;

under the waters of shallow seas that 

from time to time invaded this part of 

the continent. Such seas were extensions of the Gulf of Mexico or were 

connected with the oceans that surrounded the continent. At one time, 

in the Cretaceous period, the Gulf of 

Mexico and the Arctic Ocean were connected by a sea that extended across 

North America. The continent was 

then reduced to a number of islands, 

many of which were nearly continental 

in size. The shallow water between 

them became the settling ground for

NM j, i B

5000feet above sea level /

FIGURE 10. Section through Garden of the Gods. The spires and walls of the gateway 

are carved in the upstanding block of sandstone, and this block is separated from the 

rocks on both, sides by faults. For explanation of letters see Plate XXII.

at others, as at Manitou and in the 

Garden of the Gods, the sedimentary 

beds are upturned in a narrow belt 

that offers the traveler an unusual opportunity to examine and study them. 

The layers of rock that compose the 

foothills and plains are like books on 

a shelf which have fallen over toward 

one end, so that most of them lie at 

low angles, although a few are nearly 

vertical. (See fig. 10.)

These rocks lie in distinct layers 

because most of them were laid down 

80697° 22 4

the sand, mud, and gravel which the 

streams brought down from these great 

islands. Along the shores the waves 

were cutting away the land and reducing it to mud and sand, and strong 

currents were carrying these materials 

widely over the sea floor. After this 

condition had prevailed for a long 

time the continent was uplifted and 

was restored to something like its old 

outline. During these changes sand 

was consolidated into sandstone, mud 

into shale, and gravel into conglomer-
38 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

PIKES PEAK.

Manitou is the place from which the start is made on the Cogwheel 

Road for the ascent of Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak, the highest mountain in this part of the system (14,109 feet), was named for its discoverer, Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike, who was commissioned by President Jefferson to explore certain parts of the western country acquired from France by the treaty of Paris, signed April 30, 1803, 

and generally known as the Louisiana Purchase. Pike had already

ate, all being cemented and welded together by the great weight of the layers above. In the sea limy shells accumulated in great beds and were in 

large part ground up by the waves and 

reduced to fine particles, which were 

cemented together by a part of their 

lime carbonate into beds of limestones. 

These several kinds of rock shale, 

sandstone, conglomerate, and limestone are the sedimentary beds which 

are so well represented near Colorado 

Springs, where their total thickness is 

over 10,000 feet. These beds of rock 

were not originally vertical or inclined 

but lay horizontal, and it was the uplift of the mountains, which occurred 

long after they had been formed, that 

disturbed them. Their edges are now 

exposed all the way from Manitou to 

Austin Bluff, east qf Pikeview. The 

oldest of these beds are those which 

lie upon the granite of the mountains; 

the youngest are those which are exposed in Austin Bluff and beyond; and 

the beds of intermediate age are those 

in the Garden of the Gods.

The formations into which the sedimentary rocks of the Colorado Springs 

region are grouped by geologists and 

the names of the geologic periods in 

which they belong, as determined by 

the study of their fossils, are shown 

on sheet 2 (opposite p. 84) and in the 

general section on page n. The term 

formation is generally applied to a 

distinctive bed or a series of distinctive beds of rock, such as sandstone, 

shale, or limestone, that were formed 

continuously or in close succession during a certain period of geologic time, 

or to a group of beds that are of 

about the same geologic age. It

is thus frequently applied to such 

an assemblage of beds as may be 

grouped together as a unit for convenience in mapping. The deposits 

made in a single geologic epoch or 

period are usually represented by several formations. In this region the 

Upper Cretaceous epoch, for instance, 

is represented by eight formations, 

though other periods are each represented by only one formation. Between the Manitou limestone and the 

shale at the base, of the Fountain formation there are no representatives 

of the rocks that were formed elsewhere during the Silurian and Devonian periods. Nor is there any rock 

to represent the earliest division of 

the Carboniferous period. The absence of these beds means either that 

during these long periods of time the 

Colorado Springs region was dry land, 

upon which no material was being deposited, or that the rocks then deposited there were later worn away. 

Between the Lykins and the Morrison 

formations no representative is found 

of the Triassic period, whose rocks 

constitute another of the geologic systems.

Not all the sedimentary rocks of the 

Colorado Springs region were laid 

down on the sea floor. The Dawson 

arkose, for instance, at the top of the 

column, was spread out on the land 

by the many eastward-flowing streams, 

which brought quantities of disintegrated granite and gravel down from 

high lands on the west. As these 

streams shifted from side to side over 

the country they spread gravel somewhat evenly over the slope until they 

had thus deposited considerably more
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXII

OoxLtxmr interval 50 ±eet, 

1922

EXPLANATION

Gravel on mesas 

and terraces

Fox Hills sandstone 

and Pierre shale

Colorado group

Pleistocene 

and Tertiary

,' Upper Cretaceous

; Dakota sandstone j

\ Purgatoire formation Lower Cretaceous

Morrison formation

Lykins formation 

Lyons sandstone

Cretaceous ?

^ Carboniferous 

}" (Permian ? and 

_) Pennsylvanian)

\j Millsap limestone (^ Carboniferous 

', I Mississippian)

Fremont limestone "", Harding- sandstone ^Ordovician

Manitou limestone j

Sawatch sandstone Cambrian 

Granite Pre-Cambrian 

Fault

GEOLOGIC MAP OF MANITOU AND THE GAKDEN OF THE GODS,

COLORADO

By G. I. Finlay
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 39

made a trip to the source of the Mississippi when he was directed to 

explore what was then known as the " Southwest." He and his 

party left Missouri in July, 1806, and went across the country to 

the Arkansas and up that valley to the site of J*ueblo. At the mouth

than a thousand feet of coarse material. The Fountain formation is similar to the Dawson arkose, and much of 

it was no doubt similarly deposited. 

The Lykins formation is made up of 

beds which were laid down in landlocked bodies of water in a region 

that had an arid climate. The Laramie formation is made up of beds of 

sandstone and shale between which 

there are layers of coal that represent accumulations of vegetal matter 

in swamps. When a tree dies in the 

forest it quickly decays, but when it 

falls into a pond of. water, as in a 

swamp, the water protects it in a 

great measure from decay, so that its 

carbon is stored up and accumulates 

as coal.

Colorado Springs is built on the 

nearly horizontal Pierre shale. The 

road from Colorado Springs to Manitou leaves this shale just west of 

Colorado City and in the succeeding 

3 miles crosses the steeply upturned 

beds of the Cretaceous formations. 

Beyond Quarry Spur it passes over 

the Fountain beds, which underlie 

Manitou. These relations will be understood from a study of the map 

shown in Plate XXII and the cross 

section forming figure 10.

On leaving Manitou a walk of less 

than a mile up Ute Pass as far as 

Rainbow Falls takes one past the 

sedimentary rocks into the granite. 

On either hand, resting on the granite, 

are the lowest white layers of the 

Sawatch sandstone, of Cambrian age, 

the oldest sedimentary rock in this 

region. The contact between the 

granite and the sandstone is everywhere so remarkably even as to indicate clearly that before the sand 

which formed the sandstone was deposited the granite had been worn 

down to a smooth surface or a nearly 

perfect plain. About 50 feet above

the granite the dove-colored Manitou 

limestone (Ordovician), over 200 feet 

thick, succeeds the sandstone and 

forms the bulk of the ridge between 

Ute Pass and Williams Canyon. In 

Williams Canyon (PI. XXIII) the 

walls are composed of the same two 

formations, overlying the granite.

The Cave of the Winds, in the Manitou limestone, compares favorably 

with the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky 

and the Luray Caverns of Virginia, 

though it is by no means so large. 

The limestone in which the cave has 

been excavated was honeycombed by 

the solvent action of rain water, 

which sank into it along cracks and 

passed through it in small streams. 

Later the streams left the caverns 

which they had made, and the dissolved lime carbonate in the water 

that dripped from the cracks in the 

roofs of the cavern produced icicleshaped forms known as stalactites. 

Water dropping on the floors of the 

caves similarly built up stalagmites. 

Queens Canyon, 3 miles north of Colorado City, is in the same formation.

East of Manitou and north of the 

railroad track there are fine exposures 

of the Fountain formation, which 

stretches over to the Garden of the 

Gods. The red rock series made up 

of the Fountain formation, the Lyons 

sandstone, and the Lykins formation 

is about 5,000 feet thick. Near 

Manitou the Fountain beds dip 11° 

E. In the Garden of the Gods they 

were tilted until they stand vertical, 

and in the intervening ground they 

stand at intermediate angles. (See 

fig. 10.) Interesting erosion forms 

may be seen in the Fountain formation in Mushroom Park and just west 

of the great masses of Lyons sandstone in the -Garden of the Gods. 

Some of these forms rise 200 or 250 

feet above the adjacent ground.
40 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

of Purgatory Creek he caught sight of Pikes Peak, far to the north. 

Pike, in his journal, calls it the " Grand Peak." He was fired with

Just to the east of the» gateway to 

the Garden of the Gods the gypsum 

layer of the Lykins formation is prominent. (See PL XIX.) This gypsum 

undoubtedly crystallized out of a landlocked body of sea water which had 

been reduced by evaporation in an 

arid climate to a state of supersaturation. Gypsum, a mineral so soft 

that it can be scratched by the finger 

nail, is used in making wall plaster 

and as a fertilizer. The Morrison formation, which is made up chiefly of 

maroon and green limy shale, is best 

seen near Colorado City in the railroad cut just east of Quarry Spur. 

This formation, which generally extends along the Rocky Mountain 

Front, has yielded many bones of 

huge reptiles, such as the Ceratopsia. 

One skeleton was found in the Garden 

of the Gods. This is the same band 

of rock in which remarkable reptilian' 

remains were found west of Denver 

and north of Canon City. (See PI. 

XXXII, B, p. 70.)

To observe the outcrops of the formations of Cretaceous age as high 

in the column as the Niobrara formation it is necessary to leave the railroad track just west of Colorado City 

and climb about 100 feet to the level 

of the gravel bench. These outcrops 

form perfectly straight hogback ridges 

between Fountain Creek and Bear 

Creek, and the beds in them stand 

nearly vertical. The western hogback 

is made up of Dakota sandstone and 

the Lower Cretaceous rocks that are 

associated with it. The eastern hogback carries along its crest the sandstone member of the Carlile formation 

and the overlying Niobrara limestone, 

which are also well exposed.

The traveler should visit the mesa, 

the large mass of gravel overlying the 

Pierre shale in the V between Monument and Fountain creeks. This is 

but one of many remnants, all sloping

away from the mountains at much the 

same height, of a great deposit of 

gravel which has been cut through by 

such streams as Fountain Creek. One 

who restores in his mind's eye from 

mesa to mesa the gravel plain represented by the surface of these remnants can get an idea of the former 

extent of this stream-laid gravel, 

which was spread out by streams 

flowing from the mountains, and can 

understand the mode of formation of 

the Dawson arkose, which was similarly laid down millions of years 

earlier than this gravel.

To the south the ragged crest of 

Cheyenne Mountain rises more than 

2,000 feet above the sedimentary beds 

at its eastern base. This sudden 

change in the surface features is due 

to the different rate of weathering of 

the sedimentary beds and the great 

granite mass, which was upraised 

along the Ute Pass fault for more 

than a mile and at the same time 

thrust forward about 4 miles. By this 

faulting movement the sedimentary 

rocks between Manitou and the southern end of Cheyenne Mountain were 

sheared off as shown in figure 13 

(p. 53). The detached masses of sedimentary rock that once lay upon the 

upthrown block of granite were carried up with it and were long ago 

worn away and lost by erosion'. Plate 

XXIV, B, and figure 13 show the Ute 

Pass depression, which marks the 

fault-line break where it continues 

northwestward through the granite of 

the Front Range. This is the greatest 

fault or dislocation of the rocks in 

the Colorado Springs region. As these 

faulting movements took place in 

geologically recent time the Rocky 

Mountains, which were brought into 

being by them, are therefore recent 

features in the geologic sense. They 

were probably raised up after the 

deposition of the Dawson arkose.
IT. S. flEOI.OOICAL SURVEY BULLETIN' 707 PLATE XXIII

WILLIAMS CANYON, MANITOU.

The rugged scenery ahont Manitou is well illustrated by the view, which also shows the good roads 

that make all the interesting places accessible. Photograph by L. C. McC.lure, Denver.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN' 707 PLATE XXIV

A. PIKES PEAK AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PENEPLAIN.

The appearance of Pikes Peak depends largely upon the point of view and the setting. From 

Colorado Springs il seems to be ft mass of mountains piled one above another until it culminates in the main peak. Viewed from Uie north, as in this picliire, it is clearly a single mountain mass standing on a plain (Rocky Mountain peneplain) left by the erosion of the surrounding rocks. The plain has an elevation of about 9,200 feet, and this peak rises nearly 4,800 

feet above it. Photograph by G. H. Richardson.

B. UTE PASS.

This view is taken from a point near the falls, looking south to Manitou, which may be seen in 

the distance. Above the fine automobile road over which the traveler passes on his way to 

the summit of Pikes Peak are beds of quartzite (hardened sandstone) resting direclly on the 

granite. This unusual contact is nol due to a fault but to the fact that the sand was deposited 

on the granite surface which then formed the floor of the sea. Photograph furnished by the 

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 41

the ambition to climb it, so he started off from his camp at the site 

of Pueblo, on Arkansas River, supposing that he could easily reach 

its summit and return in the course of a few days. He was not 

accustomed to the clear air of the mountains and did not realize that 

the peak was 45 miles distant in an air line and about 9,500 feet 

above him. The party traveled directly toward the peak, and finally, 

on November 27, 1806, after great hardships, they reached the summit of the plateau, at an altitude of probably 9,000 feet, far south of 

the peak. The mountain was covered with snow, and they saw that 

they were but little more than halfway to the top. As they were 

not prepared for such cold weather, they suffered severely and concluded that it was then impossible to reach the summit. They returned as they came and then pursued their way up the river toward 

the site of Canon City.

The first person to climb to the summit of Pikes Peak was Dr. 

Edwin James, botanist, geologist, and surgeon of Maj. Long's expedition, in 1820.19 On account of this ascent Maj. Long named the 

mountain James Peak, and it was called by this name for a number 

of years. Eventually, however, the name of its discoverer, Pike, 

was given to the mountain, and it is now firmly fixed as the most 

appropriate one that could have been chosen.

Pikes Peak stands at an altitude of 14,109 feet, or more than 1£ 

miles (7,920 feet) above Colorado Springs. Its summit may be 

reached by the Manitou & Pikes Peak Railway, better known as the 

Cogwheel Road, or by automobile over the road recently completed 

from Cascade to the top. The first part of the Cogwheel route

"The Long expedition came to this 

region over practically the same route 

that the traveler on the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western has followed south 

from Denver. Maj. Long camped at 

the mouth of Monument Creek (Colorado Springs) to allow Dr. James an 

opportunity to climb the mountain 

called by Pike the " Grand Peak." On 

July 13, 1820, Dr. James and two companions started for the mountain. 

After dining at the "boiling spring" 

(Soda Spring at Manitou) they began 

the ascent of the mountain, taking 

wit&them only a single blanket. They 

camped on their way up, probably 

before they got to the timber line, and 

spent a very uncomfortable night. 

After much hard climbing the party 

reached the summit about 4 o'clock in

the afternoon. In their descent they 

lost their way and were obliged to 

spend another night on the mountain 

side without food or blankets. On the 

morning of July 15 they continued 

their descent to the boiling spring, 

where Dr. James entered the following note in his journal:

" A large and much frequented road 

passes the springs and enters the 

mountains, running to the north of the 

peak. It is traveled principally by 

the bisons; sometimes also by the 

Indians, who penetrate here to the 

Columbia."

Evidently Ute Pass was used as a 

thoroughfare long before the white 

man was familiar with the region. 

The geologic cause of this low pass is 

stated on page 40.
42 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

through Engelmann Canyon, which is nearly filled with large granite 

boulders, is very picturesque. The small stream tumbles over the 

great blocks of rock in continuous cascades, and overhead and around 

is the deep green of the native forest. Near the upper end of the 

canyon is the intake of the main that supplies Colorado Springs and 

Manitou with pure, cold mountain water. The water supply of 

these towns is derived not only from this particular valley but is 

gathered by a system of tunnels and canals from a number of rocky 

basins whose natural outlet is to the west.

After passing through the rough part of Engelmann Canyon the 

road emerges onto a comparatively level terrace of the mountain 

side at an elevation of about 9,000 feet. On this terrace the ancient 

glaciers that came down from the high peak above dumped great 

Quantities of loose fragments of rock in ridges that are called moraines. The ice has disappeared, but the moraines still testify to the 

existence and the extent of the ice. The most conspicuous moraine 

to be seen from the Cogwheel Eoad is that which encircles and 

holds in place Lake Moraine, on the left. The moraine had formerly 

been breached by a stream, but it has been artificially restored to its 

original condition, and it now holds a lake of considerable size.

The surface of the mountain above timber line consists of granite, 

which is bare except where it is covered by snow. After circling 

around a long spur that projects to the south the train arrives at 

the summit. On the east are Colorado Springs and Manitou, which 

look like small villages or gardens spread at the foot of the mountain, and still farther east are the plains, which stretch like a carpet 

as far as the eye can see. On the west and southwest the mountains 

roll like the billows of the sea far into the hazy distance. The 

Sangre de Cristo and the great Sawatch ranges tower like giant 

rollers high above the others, as if the sea had been consolidated at 

the very moment of its greatest agitation. On the north is the 

Eampart or Front Eange, but in this direction, instead of rugged 

mountains, one sees only a gently undulating plateau, which from 

this great height looks much like the plains on the east except that 

it is dark with a growth of evergreen trees.

To the traveler who is unfamiliar with high altitudes one of the 

most striking features here is the effect of weathering on the rocks. 

The summit and the slope on the southwest side for some distance 

down are covered with blocks of granite that have been broken from 

the massive rock that forms the top of the mountain. The rocks 

on the summits of all high peaks are broken and thrown down in 

the same way, evidently through the rigors of the climate in such 

high and exposed places. The warm rays of the sun during the
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 43

day expand the rocks and melt some of the snow, and the water so 

formed sinks down in cracks and crevices and during the ensuing 

night freezes. The expansion and contraction of the rocks due to 

changes in temperature and the freezing of water in joints and 

fissures soon break to pieces even the most massive granite, as shown 

on the summit of the peak.

The first railroad that was projected up Pikes Peak was an ordinary steam road. It was planned to follow a circuitous route with 

a maximum gradient of 250 feet to the mile and to reach the summit 

in a distance of 30 miles. Construction was started in 1884, and 

about 8 miles was graded when the scheme failed through lack of 

financial support. Surveys for the present road were begun in 1888, 

and the golden spike was driven on October 20,1890. The maximum 

gradient of this road is 1,320 feet to the mile, and the length is 9 

miles.

The automobile road reaches the same point on the summit that is 

reached by the Cogwheel Eoad. The length of the road is 18 miles; 

its average grade is 370 feet to the mile, and its maximum grade is 

554 feet. The view from the automobile road is even more impressive 

than that from the Cogwheel Road, for, owing to the numerous 

bends, the traveler can see the ever-widening landscape on all sides. 

The route passes through Manitou and up the narrow defile of Ute 

Pass, at first over the edges of the east ward-dipping quartzite and 

then over the underlying granite. The road as well as the contact 

between the quartzite above and the granite below is well shown in 

Plate XXIV, B. At the village of Cascade the new road turns and 

climbs the west wall of the canyon, and as it rounds the point directly 

above Cascade the traveler can look down the pass to Manitou, far 

in the distance. The road follows Cascade Creek for some distance 

in a canyon hemmed in by granite walls, but these grow less and less 

steep as the automobile moves on until finally the road passes by a 

gentle grade from the head of the valley to the divi.de between Cascade and Catamount creeks. At this height, about 9,250 feet, the 

traveler gets a wide view, particularly to the north, and he may note 

that the sky line, as shown in Plates XV, J., and XXIV, J., is as level 

as that of the plain about Colorado Springs, except that here and 

there low knobs rise island-like above the level surface, and far away 

in the hazy distance he can just make out the blue outline of Tarry all 

and Mosquito ranges. Could the traveler, however, cross the apparently level plain at which he is looking he would find that it is 

smooth only in appearance from a distance, for it is really cut up 

into numerous ravines much like the one followed by the automobile 

road. Another feature which the traveler will probably notice on the
SW. 

Pikes Peak

FIGURE 11. Profile section through Pikes Peak and Cascade, showing the relation of the mounta
1 DENVER & RIOr GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 45

the uplift came. At that time, owing to the fact that the rocks of 

Pikes Peak are more resistant than those of other parts of the region, 

the mountain stood nearly 5,000 feet above the surface of the plain, 

just as to-day it stands nearly 5,000 feet above the surface of the 

plateau.

From the plateau the slopes of the mountain above appear to be 

unscalable by a road, and it is only by constant turning and looping 

back upon itself that the road finally reaches what appears from 

below to be the summit but what is really a long spur of the mountain that branches off to the northwest. The northern slope of 

this spur, up which the traveler came, is very steep, but the opposite 

slope is so gentle that it scarcely can be considered mountainous. 

The difference in the appearance of the two slopes is well shown at 

a place called " the Bottomless Pit." Here the traveler may stand 

in his automobile and gaze down on the north into a jagged pit about 

1,700 feet deep, whereas on the other side the slope is very gentle. 

As the rocks are the same on both sides of the ridge there must be 

some cause other than rock texture for this great difference in appearance. Geologists recognize that the steep, jagged slopes on 

the north side are the result of the action of moving ice, but the 

traveler may inquire: Where is the ice? The climate here is now so 

mild that practically all the snow which falls in the winter is melted 

away during the succeeding summer, but ages ago the climate of 

all the United States was much more severe than it is to-day, and 

large glaciers were formed on almost every mountain peak. The 

most favorable place for the snow to accumulate was on the north 

and east sides, for it was not blown away by gales coming from the 

west, and it was protected from the heat of the sun more than it 

would have been on the other sides. Thus the glaciers were restricted to the north and east sides, or at least they were more numerous and larger there than they were on the other sides.

In that far-off time fairly large glaciers lay on the side of Pikes 

Peak, and they gouged out great amphitheaters or cirques, as they 

are generally called, in the mountain side. In this manner the 

original more gentle slope was converted to nearly vertical walls. 

I'he rocky material that was removed from these cirques was carried 

down by the glacier and deposited at its extremity as a ridge or moraine or was washed down Fountain Creek. If the traveler wishes to 

see how steep are the cliffs produced by a glacier he has only to walk 

to the end of the Cogwheel Road and look down a thousand feet or 

so into the rocky basin that the ice has cut.
46 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

CRIPPLE CREEK BY WAY OF THE "SHORT LINE." 18a

The trip from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek over the " Short 

Line" affords the traveler an opportunity to see some fine and extremely diverse mountain scenery and to visit one of the active goldmining districts of Colorado.

The route extends directly west from Colorado Springs, past some 

of the big mills that were built to reduce the Cripple Creek ores, and 

then passes Up along the right side of Bear Creek canyon. Here the 

sedimentary rocks are upturned so steeply that they stand on edge 

and make great hogbacks across the country. (See p. 40.) The 

train passes the limy outcrop of the Niobrara and then goes through a 

projecting point of the Dakota sandstone. Just beyond this ledge 

the railroad crosses Bear Creek canyon and swings back on the other 

side. At the point where it crosses the canyon the Dakota sandstone abuts "end on" against the granite of the mountain. Such a 

contact is not normal, and it means that the two diverse kinds of 

rocks were brought into contact by a great break, or, as the geologists 

call it, a fault, in the rocky crust of the earth, the granite having been 

thrust up out of place until it rested against the broken edges of the 

beds of sandstone. This fault is the one that separates the granite 

from the red sandstone a few rods below the station of the Cogwheel 

Road in Manitou, and its course is marked by Ute Pass, which it produced and through which the Midland Terminal Railway (formerly 

the Colorado Midland) finds a way to Woodland Park. South of 

Bear Creek the fault is marked by the base of the mountain, and to it 

is due the abrupt change from steep mountain slope above to flatlying plain below.

The " Short Line " climbs the mountain front, gradually attaining higher and higher altitudes, until it rounds Point Sublime, from 

which the traveler can look down nearly a thousand feet into North 

Cheyenne Canyon. The view from this point is shown in Plate 

XXV, A. Beyond this point the railway winds in a serpentine 

course around spurs and ravines as it adjusts its course to the contour 

of the slopes. But here and there a mountain spur is so large or so 

rugged that the cost of grading- the roadbed around it would be 

very great, so the train plunges through the spur by a tunnel that 

reaches its very core, and in some places it crosses on high trestles 

rushing torrents that cascade down the steep granite walls, as shown 

in Plate XXVI. In this manner the train circles around the slopes

16a At the time this guidebook goes 

to press the Cripple Creek Short Line 

is not in operation, no trains having 

been run on it for two years. It is 

hoped, however, that operation will be

resumed and that the traveler will have 

the opportunity of taking the trip here 

'described. Otherwise his best substitute is a trip by automobile to this 

world-renowned camp.
IT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXV

A. POINT SUBLIME.

The Cripple Creek Short Line, after climbing Ihe east front of (he mountain to an elevation of 

1,000 feet, turns abruptly into North Cheyenne Canyon. From this turn, called Point 

Sublime, the traveler may look down nearly 1,000 feet into the rocky canyon and far out over 

the wide expanse of plains to the oust. Photograph by L, C. McClure, Denver; furnished by 

the Cripple Crock Short Lino.

JJ. DKVILS SLIDE.

The Cripple Creek Short Line curves around the heads of ravines, tunnels through the projecting spurs, and passes great bare rounded granite masses that have received fanciful 

names. The domelike mass shown in this vie ... ~... 

furnished by the Cripple Creek Short Line.

is known as the Devils Slide. Photograph
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXVI

SILVER CA.SCADK.

When this photograph was taken but little water was (lowing over the rocks, but earlier in the 

season, when the snow on the mountain is melting, the water leaps from ledge to ledge and 

slides down the rocky slopes in sheets of lacy foam. The smooth, round slopes and mountain 

tops show clearly how readily the most massive granite softens and decays. Photograph 

by L. G. McClure, Denver; furnished by the Cripple Creek Short Line.
DENVER & EIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 47

of North Cheyenne Canyon far above the rugged scenic part and then 

tunnels through the dividing ridge and circles around the slopes of 

South Cheyenne Canyon, all the time climbing so as to cross the 

divide at its head.

In this long climb the traveler may obtain many beautiful views 

of rugged mountain slopes covered with a stately forest of evergreen 

trees, of foamy cascades that plunge down gulches and ravines, of 

great bare rock slopes, such as the one shown in Plate XXV, #, and 

of far-off Colorado Springs, spread out on the level prairie like a 

miniature garden.

The crest is passed at the station of Summit (altitude 9,913 feet), 

and the train then begins the descent of the west side. This side is 

much less steep than the one up which the train has laboriously 

climbed, and along it the roadbed winds about from one valley to 

another as it crosses the headwaters of a number of mountain 

streams. Many of the valleys of these streams contain ranches, but 

some are mere gorges in the rugged granite, such as is shown in 

Plate XXVII, B.

The train finally arrives at Goldfield Junction, in the midst of 

some of the largest gold mines of the Goldfield district (PL XXVIII, 

A). If the traveler wishes to see the big mines and mills to the best 

advantage he should here transfer to the " High Line " trolley, which 

carries him around mountain tops, among mines, mills, and dump 

heaps of waste rock, and finally lands him in the once famous town of 

Cripple Creek, the center of one of the best-known mining districts 

in Colorado. Eeturning he can see most of the low-lying part of the 

Cripple Creek district from the steam cars, especially the great mines 

at Victor and Goldfield. The district was prospected at several 

periods, but it was not until the autumn of 1890 that Robert Womack 

discovered gold in place at what is now the Gold King mine, or in 

the flank of Poverty Gulch, just southeast of the town of Cripple 

Creek. Since then the district has produced more than $300,000,000 

in gold, and its present yield is about $350,000 a month. A more 

detailed account of the discovery, development, and present condition of the district is given below by F. L. Ransome.17 Further 

information concerning the district is given in the Geological Survey's Professional Paper 54.

"The Cripple Creek district is one 

of the most interesting, productive, 

and thoroughly studied gold districts 

in the United States. The historic 

rush of prospectors to Pikes Peak in 

1859, with its well-known slogan of 

" Pikes Peak or bust," resulted in no 

important discoveries and is signify

cant rather because it was the first determined attack upon the wilderness 

than because it had any direct connection with the history of Cripple Creek. 

It was not until 1874 that the region 

adjacent to Cripple Creek began to attract the attention of prospectors. 

The report that gold bad been found
48 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEKN UNITED STATES.

SOUTH CHEYENNE CANYON.

One of the most romantic as well as most beautiful places in the 

region about Colorado Springs is South Cheyenne Canyon, immortalized by Helen Hunt Jackson and for some years the resting place 

of her body.

This beautiful canyon lies 3 miles southwest of Colorado Springs 

and can easily be reached by trolley or private conveyance. The

near Mount Pisgah drew a number of 

men to that locality. A few loose 

fragments of ore were picked up on 

the surface, >and the Mount Pisgah 

mining district was organized, but as 

no valuable deposits were uncovered 

the district was gradually deserted. 

There was a brief renewal of activity 

in 1884, caused by the reported discovery of rich placer deposits near 

Mount Pisgah, but the supposed discovery appears to have been fraudulent, and the grassy hills of the Cripple Creek region, now thoroughly 

discredited in the eyes of mining men, 

were given over to the grazing of cattle. For a long time the only habitation in the region was the log house 

of Bennett & Myers's v Broken Box 

ranch, which still stands in the southern part of the town of Cripple Creek. 

A few prospectors continued to work 

In the district and met with some success, but the event that was destined 

to transform a lonely cattle ranch 

into one of the greatest gold-producing 

districts of the world was the discovery by W. S. Stratton, on the Fourth 

of July, 1891, of the Independence vein, 

on what is now the site of Victor.

Notwithstanding the fact that many 

mining men of capital and experience 

looked askance at what they regarded 

as another Cripple Creek bubble, the 

development of the district was extraordinarily rapid. Before the opening 

of the spring of 1892 the hills swarmed 

with prospectors, and on February 26 

the town of Cripple Creek was incorporated. The main route into the 

district at this time was from the 

north, by wagon road from Florissant.

In the autumn of 1893 the list of 

producing mines included the Blue

Bird, C. 0. D., Dead Pine, Doctor, 

Eclipse, Elkton, Gold Dollar, Granite, 

Ingham, Logan, Mary McKinney, 

Moose, Morning Glory, Portland, 

Raven, Stratton's Independence, 

Strong, Tornado, Zenobia, and many 

other well-known properties. (See PI. 

XXVIII, B.)

The Colorado Midland Railway (now 

the Midland Terminal), which connects Cripple Creek with Colorado 

Springs by way of Divide, was completed December 16, 1893, and the 

Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad 

was opened to traffic July 2, 1894.

The year 1894 is memorable on account of a strike, during which the 

miners resorted to arms, property was 

destroyed, and lives were lost. In 

spite of these disturbances the development of the district made notable 

strides, and the Independence mine in 

particular, which at this time was only 

70 feet deep, revealed bodies of ore 

that were the marvel of the camp.

In 1895 the Portland mine had 

reached a depth of 600 feet and the 

Independence a depth of 470 feet. The 

Independence was the most profitable 

mine in the district, and Stratton, 

now a rich man, began to buy outlying property. Considerable excitement was caused by the discovery of 

the remarkably rich ore shoots in the 

Moose, Raven, and Doctor mines on 

Raven Hill. About this time several 

of the mines reached water and had 

to begin pumping.

During the next few years the number of producing mines continued to 

increase, and in 1900 the district made 

its maximum output, $18,000,000. The 

Victor and Isabella mines were highly 

productive up to 1898 and 1900, re-
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXVII

THE OLD AND THE NEW IN RAILROADING.

That the term '" baby railroad," applied in derision to the Denver & Rio Grande when it was 

first, put in operation, was not inappropriate is shown by a comparison of the first locomotive 

used on the road with a standard freight locomotive of the present day. Photographs on the 

same scale furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.

CATHEDRAL ROCKS.

Curious forms which the granite assumes in weathering are shown in the Cathedral Rocks, 

which the train passes a short distance west of the summit. These forms are produced by the 

scaling (exfoliation) of the granite in curved layers resembling the layers on aii onion. 

Photograph furnished by the Cripple Creek Short Line.
IT. S. GEOMO.irAL SCRVKY BCLLKTIN 707 PLATE XXVIIf

A. BULL HILL, CRIPPLE CRKliK DISTRICT

This view in the heart of the district shows how thorough y tho rocks near the surface have 

been prospected for gold. Most of the prospects have yielded little or no return, but 

some have been developed into large mines. Photograph furnished by the Cripple Creek 

Short Line.

B. ANACONDA AND MARY McKlNNEY MINES.

There is scarcely room between the mine dumps for the towns in the Cripple Creek district. 

Photograph furnished by the Cripple Creek Short Line.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 49

canyon (see PL XXIX) is attractive not only on account of the 

beauty of its magnificent granite walls a miniature Yosemite but 

also because the cut in the massive granite is the enduring record of 

events that took place long before the white man saw this country 

and in all probability before man existed on the globe. All the 

mountains, hills, valleys, and plains constitute records of similar 

events, but here the record is so clear and distinct that anyone may 

decipher it after he has had a slight training in the alphabet Nature

uses.

spectively, and shipped large quantities of very rich ore. Four long 

drainage tunnels, the Chicago, Good 

Will, Ophelia, and Standard, were begun about this time. Another notable 

event of the year 1900 was the sale 

of Stratton's Independence, the most 

famous mine in the district, to the 

Venture Corporation (Ltd.), of London, for $10,000,000.

In 1901 the Colorado Springs & 

Cripple Creek District Railway 

("Short Line") was built into the 

district. About this time many of the 

larger mines, having worked down to 

the water surface determined by the 

outflow through the Standard tunnel, 

were again compelled to seek deeper 

drainage. A drainage commission was 

formed, subscriptions were collected, 

and in 1903 the El Paso tunnel was 

begun. Connection was made with the 

El Paso mine, under Beacon Hill, in 

the autumn of the same year.

Early in 1903 a strike was ordered 

by the-Western Federation of Miners 

in all mines shipping ore to certain 

reduction works in Colorado City, and 

for about two years the district was 

the scene of many deeds of violence.

With the deepening of the mines the 

El Paso drainage tunnel became inadequate, and in May, 1907, the Roosevelt tunnel was started from Cripple 

Creek canyon, about 5 miles below the 

town, at an elevation of 8,033 feet 

above sea level, or 750 feet below the 

El Paso tunnel. This tunnel reached 

the porous volcanic rocks and began 

to drain the mines about the end of 

1910.

The Cripple Creek hills lie near the 

eastern border of a lofty and deeply 

dissected plateau, which slopes gently 

westward for 40 miles from the 

southern end of the Colorado Range, 

dominated by Pikes Peak, to the relatively low hills connecting the Mosquito and Sangre de Cristo ranges. 

The prevailing rocks of this plateau 

are granites, gneisses, and schists. 

During Tertiary time volcanic eruptions broke through these ancient rocks 

at several points and piled tuffs, breccias, and lavas above the uneven surface of the plateau. The eruptive 

rocks of the Cripple Creek district are 

the products of one of the smaller isolated volcanic vents of this period, a 

vent that erupted phonolite, a kind of 

rock that does not occur elsewhere in 

this general region. The most abundant products of the Cripple Creek volcano now preserved are tuffs and 

breccias, which cover a rudely elliptical area in the center of the district 

about 5 miles long from northwest to 

southeast and about 3 miles wide. The 

main breccia mass fills what once must 

have been a steep-walled chasm of profound depth. From the Conundrum 

mine, on the western slope of Gold 

Hill, to Stratton's Independence mine, 

on the south slope of Battle Mountain, 

the old granite walls plunge steeply 

down, with slopes which range in general from 70° to vertical and which in 

places actually overhang the breccia. 

This entire southwest contact represents a part of the wall of the great 

pit formed by the volcanic explosions 

that produced the breccia. In most of
50 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

South Cheyenne Canyon and the form of the mountains in this 

part of the State indicate to the geologist, as already explained, that 

at a time long, long ago this part of the earth's crust was much nearer 

sea level than it is now. The mountains of Colorado were not then the 

magnificent spectacles they are to-day but were more like the Appalachians. Pikes Peak of that time was probably not more than 

5,000 or 6,000 feet above sea level, and the plains reached back many.

the other parts of the contact the 

walls are also steep. The general conclusion reached is that a tremendous 

volcanic explosion blew a great hole 

in the older rocks of the plateau. This 

hole was subsequently filled, perhaps 

partly with the fragments produced by 

the first explosion, including bits of 

granite and schist and pieces of the 

trees that were growing on the plateau

groups of closely spaced narrow fissures (sheeted zones) and are partly 

distributed more or less irregularly 

through masses of altered granite near 

fissures. Neither form of deposit is 

conspicuous at the surface, and only 

experienced prospectors would have 

found them. The gold is present 

chiefly in the pale brass-yellow mineral calaverite, a combination of gold

ggi^^g?^

Feet

NNE

FIGURE 12. Sections showing supposed outline of the Cripple Creek volcano.

at that time. To these materials were 

added, probably by later eruptions and 

explosions, fragments of phonolite and 

related igneous rocks. Finally, as 

shown in figure 12, a volcanic cone, 

consisting chiefly of fragments of rock 

was built up above the breccia-filled 

abyss.

After the eruptions had ceased the 

rocks adjusted themselves to the new 

conditions. Cracks were formed in 

them and in these cracks the gold ores 

were deposited by hot solutions that 

rose from deep volcanic sources. Rain 

and streams gradually wore away the 

cone and exposed the veins thus 

formed, which the keen eyes of prospectors afterward detected.

The gold ores of Cripple Creek occur partly as narrow veins or as

and tellurium, associated with quartz 

and purple fluorite. Native gold is 

rare, except in the upper oxidized 

parts of the veins. The ores average 

from 1 to 2 ounces of gold ($20 to $40) 

a ton, but the gold content varies 

widely, and comparatively small bodies 

of very much richer ore have been 

mined.

In this district, as in most others, 

the ore is not uniformly distributed 

along the veins but is limited to what 

are known as shoots and occurs particularly where veins cross one another. Some of these shoots, such as 

the one found in the Cresson mine a 

few years ago, have been extraordinarily rich, but the larger mines, 

like the well-known Portland, depend 

mainly upon large shoots of ore of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN* 707 PLATE XXIX

PILLARS OF HEHCULKS.

South Cheyenne Canyon is a miniature Yosemite with massive granite walls rising to a height 

of 700 or 800 feet. This view shows the road leading up 1o the Seven Fulls and to the 

original grave of Helen Hunt Jackson. Here and there the rocky walls are relieved by the soft 

foliage of trees that grow in clefts in the rocks, and the rippling stream wanders along beneath 

a tangle of shrubs and creeping vines. Photograph furnished by the Cheyenne Canyon & 

Seven Falls Development Co.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN' 707 PLATE XXX

SEVEN FALLS.

South Cheyenne Canyon ends abruptly at the Seven Falls, as shown in this view. The reason 

for the deep cutting up to this point is the presence of a zone of crushed rock, which is shown 

on the left. The stream comes in from another direction where the granite is massive and has 

made little headway in cutting a canyon. Eventually it will wear away the hard granite, and 

then the Seven Falls will become a series of cascades or rapids. Photograph furnished by the 

Cheyenne Canyon iff- Seven Falls Development Co.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 51

miles into what is now the heart of the mountains, with isolated low 

ranges here and there projecting above their even surface. Then 

came a great uplift which finally raised the mountains to'their present 

positions. On this uplifted mass of rock the streams, on account of 

their increased slope, were very active and at once began to cut deep 

trenches; these in time were widened where the rocks were soft, and 

finally all the higher land on the plains was cut away, but in the

comparatively low grade. The great 

number of veins and the ever-present 

possibility, of finding a rich shoot at 

some hitherto overlooked junction of 

inconspicuous fissures has made the 

district a favorite field for lessees, and 

many prizes have been won by men 

working small blocks of ground leased 

from their owners. The great Independence mine, which made a fortune 

for Stratton and whose history constitutes one of the romances of mining, 

is now worked entirely by the leasing 

system.

The production of the Cripple Creek 

district is shown by the following 

table, compiled by Charles W. Henderson, of the Geological Survey:

Gold and silver produced in the Cripple Creek district, Colo., 1891-1920.

Year.

1891.....................................

1892.....................................

1893.....................................

1894 .....................................

1895.....................................

1896.....................................

1897.....................................

1898.....................................

1899.....................................

1900.....................................

1901.....................................

1902.....................................

1903.....................................

1904.....................................

1905.....................................

1906.....................................

1907.....................................

1908.....................................

1909.....................................

1910.....................................

1911.....................................

1912.....................................

1913.....................................

1914.....................................

1915.....................................

1916.....................................

1917. ....v:......... .....................

1918. ....................................

1919 .....................................

1920.....................................

Ore 

(short 

tons).

597,819 

716, 358 

702,069 

451,082 

601, 173 

575, 670 

688, 941 

756,900 

849, 172 

917, 406 

939, 423 

948, 062 

945,820 

1,084,656 

936,326 

775,986 

448,618

Lode gold 

(value).

81,930 

557,851 

2,021.088 

2,618,388 

6,166,144 

7,413,493 

10,131,855 

13,507,349 

16,058,564 

18,149,645 

17,234,294 

16,932,416 

11,840,272 

14,456,536 

 15,641,754 

13,930,526 

10,370,284 

13,031,917 

11,466,227 

11,002,253 

10,562,653 

11,008,362 

10,905,003 

11,996,116 

13,683,494 

12,119,550 

10,394,847 

8,119,747 

5,827,816 

4,323,998

311,474,372

Silver.

Quantity 

(fine 

ounces).

5,680 

25,335 

68,428 

63,617 

59,879 

67,799 

82,299 

80, 792 

89,560 

62, 780 

41,605 

47,817 

56,951 

67,943 

51,630 

52,270 

63,204 

54,263 

57,783 

66,117 

71,349 

89,056 

87, 767 

79,804 

64,568 

50,665 

35,442 

33,789

1,678,192

Value.

84,430 

15,961 

44, 478 

43,260 

35,927 

40,001 

49,379 

50,091 

53,736 

33,273 

22,467 

27,734 

34, 740 

46,201 

34,076 

27, 703 

32,866 

29,302 

30,625 

40,662 

43,095 

49,248 

44, 498 

52,511 

53,204 

50,665 

39,695 

36,830

1,066,658

Total 

value.

81,930 

557,851 

2,025,518 

2,634,349 

6,210,622 

7,456,753 

10,167,782 

13,547,350 

16,107,943 

18,199,736 

17,288,030 

16,965,689 

11,862,739 

14,484,270 

15,676,494 

13,976,727 

10,404,360 

13,059,620 

11,499,093 

11,031,555 

10,593,278 

11,049,024 

10,948,098 

12,045,364 

13,727,992 

12,172,061 

10,448,051 

8,170,412 

5,867,511 

4,360,828

312,541,030

Formerly a considerable part of the 

ore from the district was sent directly 

to the smelters at Pueblo and Denver, 

but about 96 per cent is now treated 

in mills in the district, chiefly near 

the town of Victor or in mills near 

Colorado Springs. The common practice has been roasting and cyanidation, but in the modern Victor mill 

of the Portland Gold Mining Co. concentration is effected by flotation and 

the concentrates are treated by the 

cyanide process.
52 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

hard rocks of the mountains the streams have succeeded in cutting 

back only a short distance and have formed canyons like that of 

South Cheyenne. At some places in South Cheyenne Canyon this 

backward cutting has proceeded rapidly because the granite is shattered, but at the Seven Falls the joints and fissuresi in the rock extend to one side, as shown in Plate XXX, whereas the stream tumbles 

over a wall of the most massive rock imaginable, and the canyon ends 

so abruptly that it seems almost as if it had been the work of 

man. If the rock were not of this character the stream would probably have cut considerably farther back, and in that event the Seven 

Falls would probably have been replaced by a series of cascades. In 

time this cutting will doubtless be accomplished, for the stream is 

always at work it knows no cessation from its labors and, although 

the work of cutting the granite is extremely slow when compared with 

human standards, it is continuous, and if conditions remain the same 

as they are to-day the canyon will be cut far back into the mountain, 

until, in even more remote time, the mountains themselves may be 

worn down and a plain may be found where now we have our grandest scenery. The regularity and smoothness of the walls of South 

Cheyenne Canyon are due largely to the massiveness' of the granite 

in which the canyon is carved.

The traveler should climb to the top of the falls, where he can obtain a much better idea of the magnitude of the gorge, and then he 

will doubtless be impelled to climb still higher, to Inspiration Point, 

which is said to be the spot most beloved by Helen Hunt Jackson, 

the place where she wrote many of her most noted works of fiction. 

One can hardly imagine a more inspiring sight than that of Colorado 

Springs and the broad stretch of plain seen from this point; and 

here, amid the grandeur of the mountains, the romantic imagination 

of so ardent a lover of nature would readily be quickened into new 

life. She pays this tribute to Inspiration Point:

Beautiful cradle of peace! There are some spots on earth which seem to 

have a strong personality about them a charm and a spell far beyond anything which mere material nature, however lovely, can exert; a charm which 

charms like the beauty of a human face; and a spell which lasts like the 

bond of a human relation. In such spots we can live alone without being 

lonely. We go away from them with the same sort of sorrow with which we 

part from friends, and we recall their looks with the yearning tenderness with 

which we look on the photographs of beloved absent faces.

Although Helen Hunt Jackson died in California, her last request 

was that her body be brought back and laid to rest in this spot on 

Cheyenne Mountain that she so dearly loved and that the place be 

marked only by the boulders which nature had provided. This was 

done, and many thousand travelers still visit the grave annually 

and pay tribute to the gifted author,'though her body now lies in 

Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 53

If the traveler returns from the canyon late in the afternoon he 

may see some of the beauty of the plains as it appeared to her poetic 

imagination:

Between the pines and the firs are wonderful vistas of the radiant plain. 

Each glimpse is a picture in itself now an open space of clear sunny distance; 

now a belt of cottonwood trees making a dark-green oasis in the yellow distance ; now the majestic bluffs, looking still more castle-like, framed in the dark 

foreground lines of pine boughs. We are in shadow. The sun has set for us; 

but it is yet early afternoon on the plain and it is brilliant with sun. * * * 

The brilliance slowly fades, and the lower sunset light casts soft shadows on 

every mound and hill and hollow. The whole plain seems dimpling with 

shadows; each instant they deepen and move eastward; first revealing and then 

slowly hiding each rise and fall in the vast surface. Away in the east, sharply 

against the sky, lines of rocky bluffs gleam white as city walls; close at the 

base of the mountain the foothills seem multiplied and transfigured into countless velvet mounds. The horizon line seems to curve more and more, as if 

somehow -the twilight were folding the world up for the night, and we were on 

some outside shore watching it.

MAIN LINE OF RAILROAD FROM COLORADO SPRINGS

TO CANON CITY.

On leaving Colorado Springs the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad follows down the valley of Fountain Creek, which is irrigated and under intensive cultivation. For a number of miles Cheyenne Mountain is the most conspicuous object on the west (right), 

and the abruptness with which the mountain ends and the plains 

begin is striking. As explained before, this abrupt junction of plain 

and mountain is due to a great fault, which bounds the mountain

w. e.,

Cheyenne Mtn.

O.AND KG.W.R.R.

SMiles

FIGURE 13. Section showing fault at foot of Cheyenne Mountain.

on the east and brings its hard rocks into contact with the soft,- 

flat-lying rocks of the plains. (See fig. 13.) Consequently there are 

no hard sandstones to form foothills, as there are about Manitou and 

many other places along the Front Range.

The railroad continues its southerly course down Fountain Creek, 

and the traveler whose destination is the Pacific coast or some intermediate point is apparently getting no nearer his destination than 

he was at Denver or Colorado Springs. He may have wondered why 

it is that the Denver & Rio Grande Western, an important link in one 

80697° 22 5
54 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

of the great transcontinental railway systems, should, after starting 

from Denver, go due south 119 miles, to Pueblo, before attempting 

to cross the mountain range in a westerly direction. It is generally 

assumed that the road was built southward in order to reach the 

valley of the Arkansas and that this valley affords the best route 

through the mountains. This can hardly have been the reason for the 

southward extension, however, for other roads cross north of Pueblo 

and Canon City, and hence there must have been some other reason 

for the course pursued by this road. The explanation of this southerly 

course is bound up in the general railroad history of this mountainous 

region, a brief account of which is given in the footnote below.18

18 Considerable difficulty was experienced in the early days of Colorado in getting moneyed men interested in the construction of railroads 

in or across the mountains, but by the 

persistent efforts of those who had 

become identified with the movement 

to develop the natural resources of 

the State capital was obtained and 

the building of railroads was begun.

The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad 

was incorporated October 27, 1870. 

The leading spirit in the organization 

and building of the road was Gen. 

William J. Palmer, a Philadelphian 

by birth, who had received his early 

railroad training on the Pennsylvania 

Railroad under the presidency of J. 

Edgar Thompson. He served with 

distinction in the Civil War and 

earned the rank of brigadier general 

in the Army of the Tennessee under 

Gen. George H. Thomas. Upon the 

conclusion of the war he became managing director of the Kansas Pacific 

Railroad and was placed in charge of 

the construction of the last division, 

extending from Kit Carson to Denver. Here he accomplished the almost impossible task of building 150 

miles of railroad in the same number of days without having materials 

of any kind to begin with. It is 

doubtful if this record in railroad construction has ever been equaled. When 

this road was completed, Gen. Palmer 

became interested in the mountain 

region of Colorado and, like the true 

empire builder that he was, foresaw

wonderful possibilities in creating a 

system of transportation that should 

cover the entire region. In speaking 

of him, William J. Beyers, founder and 

for a long time editor of the Rocky 

Mountain News, says:

"The Denver & Rio Grande.Railroad, with its numerous branches in 

the mountains, was Gen. Palmer's conception. It was a comprehensive 

scheme, by many regarded as Utopian, 

because it contemplated the construction of hundreds of miles of railroad 

through a country practically uninhabited and generally considered unfit 

for habitation. Aside from a few 

white settlers at Pueblo, small Mexican settlements at Trinidad, a village 

of pioneers at Colorado City, small 

bands of Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians, and scattered settlers at some 

other points, there were not enough 

inhabitants for the nucleus of a community anywhere on the proposed line. 

But Gen. Palmer's prevision penetrated farther than the vision of 

others who looked with doubt and suspicion on the enterprise. He proposed 

to lay tribute on the hidden treasures 

of the mountains and to stimulate production of the precious metals by affording facilities for shipment and to 

encourage the farmer and ranchman 

to occupy the plains for the purpose 

of agriculture and stock growing by 

affording the means -of quick transportation to distant markets. It was 

gigantic, a daring proposition, but not 

visionary, for the man who conceived
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 55

Near milepost 85 the Santa Fe Railway crosses the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western by an overhead bridge, and a short distance farther

on it crosses to the right bank of Fountain Creek. 

Fountain. Three miles below the overhead bridge is Fountain, 

Elevation 5,577 feet, the largest village in the southern part of El Paso 

Denver 88 miles. County. The lower part of Fountain Creek valley

is not particularly interesting to the traveler. There 

is little or no irrigation, and success with dry-land crops depends

it was able to procure the necessary 

capital to complete the undertaking. 

No single agency has done more to 

establish mining camps and open valuable mines in Colorado than the projection and completion of this vast and 

complex system of mountain railroads."

In 1870 only one road, the Union 

Pacific, had been built across the continent, and this road was north of 

Colorado, where the low passes presented no great difficulties. Gen. Palmer's scheme was not to build an 

east and west line but a north and 

south one. As stated in the first annual report of the board of directors:

" The idea of a north and south 

railway, following the eastern base of 

the Rocky Mountains from the principal city of the new West Denver 

southward to Mexico, arose from a 

conviction that this belt of country 

had especial advantages in its location, climate, and natural resources."

It was urged that a railroad in this 

direction would traverse a belt of 

country having an excellent climate and well watered by mountain 

streams; that it would be closely adjacent to the mountains, which contain 

silver, gold, lead, copper, iron, and 

other metals, as well as abundant supplies of timber for manufacturing and 

construction; that it would tap several fields of coal well suited for making steam and for general manufacturing; and lastly, that it would control the freight business in this isolated territory and would levy tribute 

on any east and west road that might 

be constructed through it.

The main line of the Denver & Rio 

Grande, according to Gen. Palmer's 

scheme, was to extend from Denver to 

Pueblo, thence up through the" "Big 

Cafion" (Royal Gorge) of the Arkansas to Salida, thence southward 

through Poncho Pass to Alamosa on 

the Rio Grande, and thence down that 

stream to El Paso and on to Mexico 

City. A loop was to extend south of 

Pueblo through La Veta Pass and 

connect with the other line at Alamosa, 

and still another line was to be built 

through Raton Pass south of Trinidad. 

Branch lines were projected into the 

mountains at many points, two of 

which had Salt Lake City as their 

objective. A map of the system as 

originally planned is given in Plate 

XXXI.

Gen. Palmer was a great believer in 

the economy of construction and operation, in a mountainous country, of a 

narrow-gage road, so after careful 

consideration and investigation of such 

roads abroad, a 3-foot gage was decided upon for the new road. This 

did not meet with general approval, 

and for a long time it was referred 

to as the "baby railroad," a name 

which seems; singularly appropriate 

when the rolling stock of that day is 

compared with the rolling stock of the 

present time. (See PL XXVII, A, 

p. 48.)

Track laying was begun at .Fifteenth 

Street in Denver on July 27, 1871, 

and the road was completed to Colorado Springs, 75 miles away, by October 21 of the same year. Construction was pushed southward rapidly, 

and the road reached Pueblo June 29,
56 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Buttes.

Elevation 5,386 feet. 

Denver 93 miles.

upon the amount of precipitation, which, according to the Weather

Bureau, is only about 11.6 inches annually. In time of drought the 

valley is brown and desolate,, but when showers are 

abundant all the plains are green and smiling. On 

a clear day the traveler may obtain glimpses of the 

distant mountains. Toward the northwest he can

see Cheyenne Mountain, dominated by the towering summit of Pikes 

Peak, fading into the blue and hazy distance; on 

the west.he may be able to distinguish the outline

SSJS m mn2eseet' of the Wet Mountains, showing faintly in the distance; and far away to the south he may catch the

faint blue of two peaks which are commonly known as the Spanish

1872. It is interesting to note in 

the first report of the company that 

an estimate of the passenger traffic 

between Denver and Colorado Springs 

(then just organized) was 13 persons 

each way daily. To-day the road 

handles during the summer season an 

average of nearly 1,500 persons a day 

between these places, to say nothing 

of those who travel over the Santa Fe 

and the Colorado & Southern railroads.

As the road needed' fuel, and as it 

had not penetrated any field of coal 

suitable for use in locomotives, a 

branch line was built up the Arkansas 

Valley to the coal field near Florence 

in the same year (1872), and this line 

was extended to Canon City in 1874.

In 1872 negotiations were undertaken with the Mexican Government 

for the extension of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Railroad to Mexico City, but 

they were not successful, though later 

the plans for this extension found expression in the Mexican National Railway.

By the time the Rio Grande road 

reached Pueblo, the Arkansas Valley 

began to attract the attention of other 

railway companies, and many plans 

were conceived to build railroads, but 

nothing came of them, and the Rio 

Grande was left in supposed undisputed possession of the field. A little 

later the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 

Railway, a Boston .corporation with 

apparently unlimited capital and

energy, entered this field without regard to any assumed prior rights of 

the Denver & Rio Grande.

In 1872 the Santa Fe was in operation as far west as Fort Dodge, Kans., 

and a subsidiary of that road, the Kansas & Colorado Railway Co., was incorporated to build a line up the 

Arkansas Valley. It was understood 

that the Santa Fe proposed to make 

Pueblo the principal commercial center 

of the mountain region and to build 

several extensions beyond Pueblo, 

especially to Canon City and through 

the Royal Gorge to the mining camps 

in the mountains, as well as to Denver 

and other places along the mountain 

front. It was rumored that the Santa 

Fe was heading for Raton Pass, south 

of Trinidad, which was claimed by the 

Rio Grande as a part of one of its 

southern routes. All these plans 

threatened seriously the very existence 

of the Denver & Rio Grande, 'which 

accordingly made preparations for a 

vigorous defensive campaign, but the 

panic of 1873 stopped nearly all construction work on the Rio Grande as 

well as on most other roads in the 

country.

Four or five years later, as confidence was restored and money became 

plentiful, work was pushed ahead on 

all the lines entering the Rocky Mountains. The Rio Grande resumed work 

on one of its branches through La 

Veta Pass into San Luis Park, reaching Alamosa July 6, 1878.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE TfTCTCI

109° 107° 105° 103°

109° 107° 105° 108°

MAP SHOWING DENVER AND RIO GRANDE RAILROAD 

AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED

Contour interval 1,OOO feet 

1922
DENVER, & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 57

Peaks but which might more properly be known by their poetic 

Indian name Wahatoya (meaning twin breasts).

The first indication of an actual 

clash between the rival roads occurred 

in February, 1878, when the Santa Fe 

plotted to occupy Ratou Pass, through 

which one of the surveys of the Rio 

Grande had been run and which was 

therefore practically occupied by that 

road. Hundreds of men and teams 

were suddenly rushed into the pass by 

the Santa Fe, which built its line 

through the pass before the Rio 

Grande could stop its progress. This 

sudden move created consternation in 

the offices of the Rio Grande, and for 

a time it seemed impossible to avoid 

armed conflict. Although much bad 

feeling was created by this action of 

the Santa Fe no actual bloodshed occurred, and that road was allowed to 

retain possession of the pass.

The great contest between the two 

systems, however, was that for the 

right of way through the Royal Gorge. 

As the Santa Fe had been successful in 

its sudden move in Raton Pass, it 

planned a similar attack on the Royal 

Gorge before the Rio Grande had time 

to defend its own property. The Rio 

Grande, however, had possession of the 

telegraph lines and so was apprised 

of the proposed attack. Accordingly, 

the Rio Grande planned as a defensive 

measure to begin grading in the Royal 

Gorge on April 20, 1878. The general manager of the Santa Fe heard 

of this plan and wired an engineer at 

La Junta to proceed to Canon City 

immediately and occupy the canyon 

before the Rio Grande forces appeared. The engineer arrived at 

Pueblo at 3 o'clock on the morning of 

the expected move. He tried to charter a train on the Rio Grande to carry 

him to Canon City but of course was 

refused; then he hired the best horse 

he could obtain and started at breakneck speed to ride to Canon City, 45 

miles distant. He had to reach the 

canyon before the engineers of the Rio 

Grande, so he spurred his horse to

top speed, but when he was within 3 

miles of his destination it fell dead. 

The engineer ran on into Canon City, 

raised a force of several hundred men, 

proceeded to the mouth of the canyon, 

which is admirably suited for such a 

purpose (PI. XXXIII, B, p. 71), and 

fortified his position before the Rio 

Grande force appeared. The ease with 

which the engineer of the Santa Fe 

raised a force of men at Canon City 

was due to the fact that the Rio 

Grande had become very unpopular 

through its autocratic habit of ignoring the wishes of the citizens of the 

region, so the people were glad to have 

an opportunity to assist the Santa Fe 

in order to " get even " with the Rio 

Grande.

The Santa Fe was operating through 

a subsidiary corporation, the Canon 

City & San Juan Co., which had a 

charter for a line in the canyon extending for 20 miles from the lower 

entrance. Both roads had graders at 

work in the canyon, and it is not surprising that fights were frequent and 

that many men were arrested. The 

Santa Fe obtained an injunction restraining the Rio Grande from continuing its work, and the Rio Grande 

obtained one preventing the Santa Fe 

from grading any more of its roadbed. About the last of May, 1878, the 

cases came up before Judge Hallett, of 

the United States court at Denver, 

but the judge postponed them and in 

the meantime enjoined both parties 

from working in the disputed section 

and placed each under a bond of 

$20,000.

On June 1,1878, Federal Judges Hallett and.Dillon rendered a concurrent 

opinion that the Santa Fe (Canon City 

& San Juan Co.) be permitted to resume grading in the canyon until the 

case could be more thoroughly examined in July. The case was ably 

argued in July by both sides but was 

again postponed. On August 23
58 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

As the train approaches the point where Fountain Creek joins 

Arkansas River the traveler is made aware of the presence of Pueblo

Judge Hallett handed down a decision 

which granted to the Canon City & 

San Juan Co. (Santa Fe) the right 

to construct its line as surveyed up 

the gorge for 20 miles. The Rio Grande 

was restrained from interfering in any 

way with this work but might proceed 

(if it could do so without interference) to build a parallel line, and if 

it became necessary might, on application to the court, be allowed: to use 

the tracks of the rival road.

The Rio Grande appealed from this 

decision to the Supreme Court of the 

United States and began construction 

above the 20-mile limit of the Santa 

Fe, but as its financial condition was 

desperate and as it had been denied 

the right to the Royal Gorge there 

seemed to be no other course but to 

bow temporarily to the stronger road. 

Accordingly, on December 2, 1878, the 

entire Rio Grande system, embracing 

337 miles of road; was leased to the 

Santa Fe for 30 years, the Santa Fe 

engaging to proceed with the work of 

constructing the line through the canyon to Leadville while awaiting the 

decision of the United States Supreme 

Court. Although the lease was ratified by the stockholders of the Rio 

Grande, it was ratified under pressure, 

and from the beginning it was a constant source of irritation.

As soon as the Santa Fe obtained 

control of the Rio Grande it proceeded 

to carry out its plan of concentrating 

business at Pueblo, and in so doing it 

used the Rio Grande merely as a 

feeder for its main line. This policy 

naturally aroused the opposition of the 

old officers of the Rio Grande, and 

charges of irregularities by bpth companies were freely made. The Rio 

Grande officials were trying in every 

way to find some valid reason for abrogating the lease, which had become 

to them almost intolerable.

In the spring of the next year (1879) 

the great struggle for the possession of the Royal Gorge was resumed. 

Armed parties from both sides reentered the canyon in anticipation of 

an early decision of the Supreme 

Court. In April the Rio Grande people, exasperated to the fighting point, 

began preparations to retake and hold, 

at the muzzle of the rifle if necessary, 

the entire system, which they claimed 

was being operated in violation of the 

principal condition of the lease. The 

Santa Fe learned of this contemplated 

action and issued strict orders to its 

men not to obey any instructions or 

orders except those of its own officers. 

There was trouble, however, at several places along the line; stations 

were broken into and considerable 

property was destroyed.

While the Rio Grande and the Santa 

Fe were waging their contest over the 

occupancy of the Royal Gorge, Congress passed an act which specified, 

among other things,

" That any railroad company whose 

right of way, or whose track or roadbed upon such right of way, passes 

through any canyon, pass, or defile 

shall not prevent any other railroad 

company from the use and occupancy 

of the said canyon, pass, or defile for 

the purpose of its road in common 

with the road first located."

This act was approved March 3, 

1875. On May 6, 1879, the Supreme 

Court of the United States rendered a 

decision which gave to the Rio Grande 

the prior right to construct its road 

through the Royal Gorge according to 

the first survey made through the 

canyon in 1871-72, but in accordance 

with the law of 1875, quoted above, it 

recognized that the Santa Fe could not 

be prevented from building a line also, 

and where the canyon is too narrow 

for both roads from using the tracks 

of the Rio Grande. Although this decision was a victory for the Rio 

Grande, this road had not succeeded in 

having the lease annulled and was in
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 59

by the pall of smoke that overhangs this " Pittsburgh of the West," 

as the citizens like to have it called. Pueblo is essentially a manuthe anomalous position of having the 

first right to the canyon but being 

estopped from occupying the roadbed 

on the north side of the canyon that 

had been graded by the Santa Fe and 

of having its whole system under 

lease to the rival road.

While these points were being considered, the attorney general of the 

State entered a suit to. enjoin the 

Santa Fe from operating a railroad 

in the State of Colorado. This case 

was heard by Judge Bowen at the 

obscure town of San Luis, in C'ostilla 

County. Judge Bowen enjoined the 

Santa Fe from operating the Rio 

Grande Railroad and from exercising 

corporate rights within the State. This 

decision gave the Rio Grande opportunity to regain control of its own 

road under judicial authority, and 

accordingly the sheriffs of the counties in the State were instructed to 

take possession of the property and 

turn it over to the Rio Grande officials. 

Wild rumors were afloat that the Rio 

Grande had organized fighting forces 

that were attacking the Santa Fe men 

at several points along the line. The 

offices of the Santa Fe at Denver were 

broken open and occupied by Rio 

Grande men. The governor was petitioned to call out the militia to stop 

bloodshed, but he left the matter entirely in the hands of the sheriffs of 

the counties.

Counsel for the Santa Fe appeared 

in the Federal court at Denver and 

moved to quash the " Bowen injunction." In the meantime the Rio 

Grande had retaken most of its stations, offices, and rolling stock. Great 

excitement prevailed, and some blood 

was shed. On June 12, 1879, Judge 

Hallett declared Judge Bowen's decision to be null and void, and on June 

23 he decided that the Rio Grande had 

unlawfully retaken property and 

should immediately restore it to the 

Santa Fe; then, if the Rio Grande so

desired, it might institute proceedings 

for the cancellation of the lease. He 

also decided that the Rio Grande 

might take possession of the narrow 

part of the Royal Gorge by paying to 

the Santa Fe the cost of construction. 

On July 14 the Federal court ordered 

all work stopped in the canyon pending an examination by a commission of 

engineers to determine the cost of construction. While these court proceedings were in progress the Rio Grande 

engineers erected fortifications and 

stopped the Santa Fe graders at the 

20-mile limit specified in their charter.

On January 2, 1880, the Federal Supreme Court rendered its long-expected decision as follows:

" That from the mouth of the canyon to the mouth of the South Arkansas River [Salida] the Rio Grande, 

was to take and hold the prior right 

of way; that it might take the roadbed of the Santa Fe in that part by 

paying for it at the rate determined 

by the commissioners; when paid for, 

all injunctions and restraining orders 

to be dissolved and set aside, and the 

Santa Fe was perpetually enjoined 

from interfering. From South Arkansas River to Leadville the prior rights 

belonged to the Santa Fe by reason 

of prior location."

Soon after this the long fight between the two railroads was terminated by a compromise agreement in 

Boston by which the Rio Grande was 

not to build its contemplated line to 

El Paso, Tex., nor its proposed line 

eastward to St. Louis, the Santa Fe 

was not to build to Leadville, the lease 

was to be canceled, and the Rio Grande 

was to pay the Santa Fe for all grading it had done in the canyon. Thus 

ended one of the longest and most bitterly contested railroad wars that were 

ever fought in this country. In the 

legal battles some of the most noted 

lawyers of the West were employed, 

and the encounters in the field were
60 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Pueblo.

Elevation 4,668 feet. 

Population 43,050. 

Denver 119 miles.

facturing community and is the largest town of this kind in the 

Rocky Mountain region. Indeed, it is generally considered the 

greatest manufacturing center between Missouri 

River and the Pacific coast. Pueblo is in the Arkansas Valley,18* which is well watered and capable 

of supporting a large population. Already the 

valley is well farmed, but with the construction of 

storage reservoirs to hold the water in the upper courses of the river 

and deliver it as it is needed below for irrigation the valley would 

support many times its present population. Pueblo has abundant 

railroad connections, both for the receipt of crude material to be 

manufactured and for the distribution of the manufactured products. 

Coke can readily be obtained from the Trinidad field, on the south,

marked by deeds of heroism and bloodshed that were worthy of a better 

cause.

Thus we see that the Denver & Rio 

Grande, originally planned as a north 

and south line, was compelled to become an east and west line, much to 

its ultimate advantage, and although 

it made a most vigorous effort to reach 

the Rio Grande with its main line, it 

failed to do so.

After the compromise construction 

was carried forward rapidly, and the 

narrow-gage line reached Leadville in 

July, 1880. The first line across the 

Continental Divide the line over Marshall Pass was completed to Gunnison in August, 1881. The line over 

Tennessee Pass the present main 

line was completed in the following 

year. The line from Marshall Pass 

was pushed westward1 , reaching Grand 

Junction in November and the Utah 

State line in December, 1882.

About this time the Pleasant Valley 

Railway of Utah, extending from Provo 

to Clear Creek, was purchased by Gen. 

Palmer and the Denver & Rio Grande 

Railroad and extended eastward to the 

Colorado line under the name Rio 

Grande Western Railroad. This made 

a through narrow-gage line from Denver to Salt Lake City, which was 

completed to Ogden a year later. The 

laying of a third rail to give standard 

gage between Denver and Pueblo was 

completed on December 23, 1881, and

the main line from Denver to Ogden 

was changed to standard gage by the 

autumn of 1890.

Several of the branch lines of this 

system are still narrow gage, and the 

traveler who wishes to see Marshall 

Pass and the Black Canyon of the 

Gunnison will have ample opportunity 

to compare the narrow, cramped cars 

and small engines of the narrow gage 

with the modern equipment of a standard-gage line.

Recently the company has been'reorganized, and the name Denver & 

Rio Grande Western Railroad has been 

adopted for the entire system.

18a On June 3-5, 1921, a succession of 

flood waves occurred in Arkansas 

River as a result of heavy rains of 

" cloud-burst" violence in the drainage 

basins of several small streams tributary to the Arkansas above or near the 

city of Pueblo. The highest flood wave 

and the one that caused the greatest 

damage reached Pueblo during the 

evening of June 3, when a, stage 6$ 

feet above the tops of the levees was 

reached. At this time water 10 to 15 

feet deep flowing through the lower 

parts of the city drowned many people 

and wrecked scores of buildings. The 

property losses caused by the flood in 

the Arkansas River valley aggregated 

nearly $20,000,000. The flood is described in detail in U. S. Geol. Survey 

Water-Supply Paper 487, The Arkansas 

River flood of June 3-5, 1921.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 61

which is the greatest field of good coking coal in the West, and coal 

for fuel can be obtained from the same field or from the Canon City 

field, on the west. Iron ore is available in southern Wyoming and 

possibly in other parts of the mountain region, and altogether Pueblo 

is remarkably well located to become a large and prosperous manufacturing city.

At Minnequa, a suburb of Pueblo, on the mesa to the south, is the 

great plant of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. There also are smelters 

for the reduction of the gold and silver ores of the mountain region, 

as well as other manufacturing plants. Pueblo is the county seat 

of Pueblo County. Here is the State Asylum for the Insane, a 

" palace " for the display of the mineral resources of the county, and 

numerous business blocks, hotels, and amusement parks.

Pueblo is one of the historic places of Colorado. The first record 

of occupation of this region by the white man is that of the exploring party of Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike, which camped at '^The Forks," 

as he called the confluence of Fountain Creek and Arkansas River, 

in November, 1806, and built a log breastwork for defense. The 

party made this camp before they attempted to scale the great peak 

which they saw far off and which is now known as Pikes Peak. The 

next American party to visit the site of Pueblo was that of Maj. 

Long, in 1820. After this time it was visited by many explorers 

and hunters, and James Beckwourth a mulatto who had lived among 

the Indians claimed the honor of establishing in 1842 the first O

permanent settlement where Pueblo now stands. Here was built an 

adobe fort, called Fort Napeste, which is said to have been the Indian 

name for Arkansas River. In 1859 a settlement was begun on the 

east side of Fountain Creek, which was called Fountain City. A 

year or two later a rival town was laid out on the banks of the 

Arkansas and named Pueblo. For a number of years the growth 

of these pioneer settlements was slow, and it was not until the 

Denver &, Rio Grande Railroad reached the Arkansas in 1872 that 

the settlements consolidated and began their phenomenal growth.

On leaving the station at Pueblo the train begins its real westward journey. From Denver to Pueblo its course has been nearly 

due south along the mountain front, but when it turns west at 

Pueblo it must travel 41 miles before it again comes to the foot of 

the mountains, for the range that forms the mountain front from the 

north line of the State to Colorado Springs terminates in Cheyenne 

Mountain, a few miles south of Colorado Springs, and here the 

mountain front is offset to the west 25 or 30 miles, to a point west of 

Canon City. This southern range, which is the Wet Mountains, 

continues southward for some distance and dies out, and still farther 

south there is another westward offset, the Sangre de Cristo Range, 

which extends as far as Santa Fe, N. Mex.
62 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The course of the railroad from Pueblo is directly up Arkansas 

River to its headwaters at Tennessee Pass, near Leadville. East of 

Canon City the river has cut for itself in the plain a valley which 

ranges from half a mile to a mile in width and from 50 to 150 feet in 

depth. As the railroad is generally only a few feet above water level 

the traveler has few opportunities of seeing the country through 

which he is passing, except at places where the hills recede or their 

height is less than usual. The principal views that he gets will be 

those of the valley bottom and of the cliffs that bound it on either 

side.

The region through which the train is now passing, as well as that 

which it has traversed since it left Denver, was once included in the 

fanciful Territory of Jefferson,19 which was fully organized and carried on for a number of years but which failed to be sanctioned by

19 Few persons of the present generation are aware that a Territory, 

called the Territory of Jefferson, was 

organized in the mountain region of 

Colorado and Wyoming at the time of 

the great " rush " to the Pikes Peak region, and that not only was the Territory organized but a serious attempt 

was made to organize a State without 

the preliminary steps of passing 

through a Territorial form of government. Such a statement now reads 

like fiction; but when this attempt 

was made the people were in deadly 

earnest and imagined that by taking 

vigorous action they could compel 

Congress to recognize and legalize 

their action.

When the Territory of Kansas was 

organized, in 1855, it included all of 

what is now known as Colorado that 

lies east of the crest of the Rocky 

Mountains. Thus the site of the city 

of Denver as well as all of eastern 

Colorado was within the jurisdiction 

of the Territorial government of Kansas. The control by that government 

was merely nominal, and as its seat 

was far off and difficult to reach the 

people of the mountain district were 

inclined to pay little attention to its 

authority.

When gold was reported in the Pikes 

Peak region, late in 1858, the few 

pioneers here became imbued with the

idea that this was the richest part of 

the continent and that when its wonderful stores of the precious metal 

became known people would flock here 

in numbers so great that some sort of 

government other than that afforded 

by far-off Kansas would be necessary 

for the protection of life and property. These pioneers, although they 

were but recent arrivals, did not believe in waiting for action by the Territory of Kansas or by Congress; they 

proceeded to organize a government 

which they hoped Congress might approve and legalize. In the autumn of 

1858 a few men from the settlements1 

about Cherry Creek (the site of Denver) assembled for the purpose of creating a new State or Territory in the 

Pikes Peak region. This new political 

division was to be considerably larger 

than the present State of Colorado, as 

shown by the accompanying sketch 

map (fig. 14), and was to be called 

Jefferson, in honor of the President of 

the United States, who had been instrumental in executing the Louisiana 

Purchase, which included most of this 

region. This convention met in Denver City in April, 1859, and passed 

a series of resolutions preparatory to 

the organization of the State of Jefferson, hoping by this action to start it 

full-fledged upon its career of statehood. The convention also issued a
DENVER & RIO GRAtfDE WESTERN ROUTE. 63

the United States Congress and consequently never had any legal 

status. The episode is interesting as giving an early indication of 

that "push" which is generally regarded as characteristic of the 

people of Colorado.

call for a general election on May 9 propositions to the voters. The elecof delegates to a State convention to tion was held on September 5 and

organize the State of Jefferson. resulted in the decisive defeat of the

The delegates met in Denver City proposal for statehood and in favor of

June 6, 1859, and appointed commit- a Territorial form of government.

FIGURE 14. State of Jefferson, as proposed In 1858.

tees to frame a State constitution and 

to report at an adjourned meeting on 

August 1. Before the time for this 

adjourned meeting the people began 

to realize the great expense of a State 

government, and many decided to favor 

a Territorial form. The result of this 

difference of preference was a compromise resolution to submit both

On October 3, 1859, a call was sent 

out for an election of delegates to a 

convention to organize the Territory 

of Jefferson. Many of the participants in this movement fully realized 

its illegality, so in order to be on the 

safe side they prepared a county 

ticket, to be voted on at the same time, 

providing for the election of officers of
64 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN" "UNITED STATES.

In the disturbance of the earth's crust that produced the mountains the rocks of the plains were thrown into low, broad folds or 

were sharply broken where the stresses were most severe. Folds of 

this kind may be seen by the traveler between Pueblo and Canon 

City, but they are so slight that he can hardly recognize them withArapahoe County, Kans., and also of 

a delegate to the Kansas Territorial 

legislature. An editorial in the Rocky 

Mountain News of October 6, 1859, 

says:

" So it goes; one day we understand 

that we are cut off from Kansas; the 

next we have cut ourselves off and will 

pay no regard to Kansas legislation 

but have an independent government 

of our own; and the very next, when 

there is a chance for a petty office under Kansas laws, there are hundreds 

ready to enter the lists, and before 

their certificates of election are dry in 

their pockets you will hear them 

lustily advocating ' independent government' and 'let Kansas go to the 

dogs.'

" Here we go, a regular tripleheaded government machine. South 

of [parallel] 40 we hang on the skirts 

of Kansas; north of 40 on those of Nebraska. Straddling the line, we have 

just elected a Delegate to Congress for 

the Territory of Jefferson; and ere 

long we shall have in full blast a provisional government of Rocky Mountain growth and manufacture."

The convention assembled on October 10 and formed a Territorial constitution, which was ratified by the 

people at an election held on October 

24. The name Jefferson was retained 

for the proposed new Territory.

Although the leaders recognized the 

illegality of their actions, Territorial 

officers and a legislature, the " First 

General Assembly," were elected. The 

legislature began its first session in 

Denver City November 7, 1859. The 

Rocky Mountain News was an ardent 

supporter of the Jefferson Territorial 

government and in its issue published 

after the meeting of the legislature 

made the following glowing prediction 

of the future of the Territory;

. " We hope and expect to see it 

stand until we can boast of a million 

people and look upon a city of a hundred thousand souls having all the 

comforts and luxuries of the most

favored. Then we will hear the \

whistle of locomotives and the rattle 

of trains arriving and departing on 

their way from the Atlantic and Pacific. * * * The future of Jefferson Territory, soon to be a sovereign 

State, is glorious with promise."

The first session of the legislature 

was marked by the enactment of many 

general laws and special acts, and the 

members seemed to have been imbued 

with the idea that they were building 

a great mountain commonwealth, but 

in the following year interest in the 

Territorial government of Jefferson began to wane, as the people realized 

that their efforts were likely to be 

fruitless. Not entirely disheartened, 

Gov. Steele issued a proclamation for 

the annual election of officers in the 

autumn of 1860, as provided in the 

constitution, but in this proclamation 

he warned all candidates that they 

would be expected to serve without 

compensation. This warning was 

given because of the growing belief 

that the local Territorial government 

would not be recognized by Congress 

and that all acts of its legislature 

would be declared invalid.

The second general assembly convened in Denver City on November 12, 

1860, but on account of opposition by 

the city to the continuation of the 

legislative farce, it adjourned on November 27 to Golden. The principal 

inducement for this action, according 

to the News, was that " board is 

offered at $6 a week wood and lights 

and hall rent free." The members, 

however, lost interest in its proceedings, and after 40 days playing at
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 65

out following closely the rocks outcropping in the cliffs. Thus, a 

short distance west of the station at Pueblo the traveler may notice 

on the south (left) that the cliffs are composed of a dark shale, which 

is the bottom bed of the Pierre shale, of Cretaceous age. A little 

farther along a chalky rock rises from below the river, and the dark 

shale can be seen only in the upper part of the cliff, and within a 

short distance it disappears altogether. The chalky rock is the Niobrara, which in many places consists largely of limestone I5ut here 

consists mostly of calcareous shale and thin beds of limestone having 

a total thickness of 600 or 700 feet. Farther west the Niobrara also 

rises to the tops of the cliffs, and near milepost 122, it gives place to 

the Carlile shale, which is about 210 feet thick. Half a mile farther 

on this shale is replaced by a bed of massive limestone (Greenhorn), 

which like the others rises gradually westward in a great fold, described below. Below the Greenhorn limestone lies the Graneros 

shale, which in its upper part contains considerable sandstone in thin 

layers. . This formation is 200 feet thick.

The fold in these beds, which is here cut directly through by 

Arkansas River, has lifted them into a broad, flat dome. The center 

of this dome is marked by a thick bed of sandstone (Dakota), which 

is just brought to the surface near milepost 126 but which the 

river has not yet succeeded in cutting through. The rocks dip 

slightly in all directions from this central part. If the traveler has 

been following the formations from Pueblo he has seen at least 1,200 

feet of rocks rise from below river level. Originally these rocks may 

have formed a large hill at this place, but the river has kept them 

washed away possibly as fast as they rose, and to-day, except for the 

dip of the rocks, there is no evidence on the surface of such a dome.

From the center of the dome near milepost 126 the beds dip up 

the river in the direction in which the train is moving, and they 

disappear beneath the river in reverse order from that in which they 

appeared on the east. At Livesey siding the Greenhorn, limestone 

has reached water level. It soon disappears, and then the beds lie 

nearly flat for a long distance.

All the rocks thus far exposed along Arkansas River except the 

Dakota contain marine shells, which indicate that they were laid

lawmaking the last Jefferson legislature passed away. According to 

a statement in Smiley's History of 

Denver,

"Jefferson Territory made its last 

gasp in June, 1861. On the sixth day 

of that month Gov. Steele issued from 

Denver a proclamation announcing the 

arrival of Gov. Gilpin and the institution of the Government of the Territory of Colorado under the act of 

Congress signed by President Buchanan February 28, 1861. * * * 

Thus ended the most interesting and 

picturesque endeavor of an isolated 

community to establish and maintain 

within itself a government of and by 

law that the student of self-government will find in the history of this 

country."
66 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Swallows.

Elevation 4,887 feet. 

Denver 135 miles.

down in the sea, and as these rocks are widely distributed through 

the United States and Canada the sea must have covered most of 

the continent, or at least a wide area extending from north to south. 

It certainly extended eastward into Iowa and westward as far as 

the Wasatch Mountains. The Rocky Mountains were not then in 

existence, for this region was occupied by a shallow sea in which 

animal life swarmed, much as it does in the warm, shallow seas of 

to-day, and many of these forms were covered with mud and almost 

perfectly preserved.

About three-quarters of a mile beyond milepost 132 Turkey Creek 

enters the valley from the north (right). Up this creek there are 

extensive sandstone quarries from whiph much stone 

has been taken for constructing buildings at Pueblo. 

The quarries are connected with Pueblo by a branch 

railroad. At Swallows the Denver & Rio Grande 

Western crosses to the north side of Arkansas River and about a mile 

farther on it passes under the Santa Fe, which a short distance beyond crosses to the south side of the stream.

West of milepost 142 the railroad crosses Beaver Creek, a large 

stream that joins the Arkansas from the north, and a little farther 

on is the station of Beaver. A short distance to the northwest is 

Beaver Park, which is noted for its apples, cherries, 

and small fruits. The land is irrigated from Beaver 

Creek, which derives its supply of water from the 

mountains on the north. At Beaver most of the 

formations already described or mentioned have disappeared, and 

the Pierre shale lies at the surface. The Niobrara formation rises 

again farther west, and at the towns of Cement and 

Portland it is used extensively in the manufacture 

Elevation 5,051 feet, of Portland cement.20 The first cement mill to be 

seen is that of the United States Portland Cement 

Co. on the north (right) of the railroad, and a mile 

farther on, at Portland, the Colorado Portland Cement Co. has an 

extensive plant on the south side of the track.

A short distance beyond milepost 147 the Denver & Rio Grande 

Western crosses the Arkansas and remains on its south side for 8 

miles. West of Portland the rocks dip gently toward the west,

Beaver.

Portland.

Population 473. 

Denver 146 miles.

20 Portland cement is an artificial 

product consisting of 60 to 65 per cent 

of lime, 20 to 25 per cent of silica, and 

5 to 12 per cent of oxide of iron and 

alumina, and it has the useful property 

of hardening or " setting " under water. 

It is obvious that Portland cement may 

be manufactured from a variety of raw

materials, provided the mixture has 

the chemical composition noted above. 

The most successful plants, however, 

are those which obtain all the necessary raw materials from the same 

quarry. Thus, limestone is needed for 

the lime and a sandy shale for the 

silica, iron, and alumina, but com-
DENVER & RIO GRAFDE WESTERN" ROUTE. 67

the formations seen in the dome below Swallows are all below water 

level, and the surface of the country is composed of the Pierre 

shale. This shale is soft and does not form steep cliffs, and consequently the traveler here may see more of the surrounding region 

than he could farther east. Soon after passing milepost 147 he may 

see far on the right, if the atmosphere is clear, the summit of Pikes 

Peak, towering high above the surrounding plateau. The peak is 

frequently obscured by clouds which gather about its summit and 

stream off to the east in long banners of misty white. In the sunshine of a clear day it shows yellow or rosy red, but when the evening 

shadows fall or the mountain is partly obscured in the distance it is 

blue and hazy. The mountain is more than 30 miles from this 

point.

As the harder rocks disappear from view and the softer Pierre 

shale takes its place, the surface of the country becomes more nearly 

level and the hills less prominent. In this shale 

oil was discovered before Colorado was admitted 

Population 2,629. to statehood. Florence is the natural center of 

Denver 152 miles. the oil field, which was developed by sinking a 

great many wells and to-day produces more oil than any other oil 

field in the State.21

Refineries at Florence convert the crude oil into many marketable 

products. As the train approaches the town oil-well derricks and oil

Florence.

Elevation 5,199 feet.

monly an impure limestone may furnish all the materials, or, in other 

words, it may be a natural cement.

At Portland and Cement two beds 

of limestone in the Niobrara formation are used. One of these beds is 

fairly pure and carries about 88 per 

cent of carbonate of lime; the other 

is less pure and contains about 71 

per cent of carbonate of lime. The essential process in the manufacture ofcement is the formation under intense 

heat of a material that has the proper 

chemical composition. First, the raw 

materials must be ground to a fine 

powder, dried, and intimately mixed; 

second, the mixture thus prepared 

must be burned at a high temperature 

until it unites chemically and physically into a clinkered mass; and third, 

the clinker must be ground very fine. 

The fine mixture of the raw materials 

is burned in large steel cylinders that 

are slightly tilted and rotated by machinery. The fuel generally used is 

powdered coal, which is forced into

the cylinder at its lower end. The 

mixture is fed into the cylinder at its 

upper end and in the intense heat of 

the burning coal is fused into a clinker, 

which falls out at the lower end of the 

cylinder. This clinker when ground 

very fine forms the Portland cement of 

commerce.

21 Oil was first discovered in the 

Florence field in 1872, when an oil 

spring was found on what is now 

known as Oil Creek, a stream that 

enters Arkansas River a few miles 

east of Canon City. A small still was 

put in operation that year, and the oil 

that flowed from the gravel in the 

stream bank was distilled for local use. 

It is said that this spring is still flowing at the rate of about 20 gallons 

a day.

The first deep well was drilled in the 

field in 1876 and struck oil at a depth 

of 1,187 feet. From this beginning the 

field was developed in and around the 

town of Florence. It extends southward for about 4 miles and westward
68 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.'

tanks may be seen on both sides of the railroad. From Florence a 

branch railroad turns to the south (left) and runs through the heart 

of the oil field and to Coal Creek, where there are coal mines that 

ship their product both east and west over the Denver & Eio Grande 

Western Railroad.

During the early days of mining in the Cripple Creek gold district the entire output of ore was refined at Florence. Nine enormous 

reduction mills were operated in this vicinity until the Golden Cycle 

mill was built in Colorado City, when trouble with labor caused the 

ore to be sent to Colorado City and Denver. The mills continued to 

operate for a number of years but were finally closed. One of these 

a million dollar plant is still standing on the north side of Arkansas 

River about half a mile north of Florence.

About three-quarters of a mile west of the station the railroad 

crosses Oak Creek, and from this crossing the traveler may see off 

to the southwest (left) the distant slopes of the Wet Mountains and 

nearer, but still 3 or 4 miles distant, the white-banded hills that 

mark the outer rim of the Canon City coal field,22 a basin of Laramie

for about 3 miles. The quantity of oil 

produced in this field in 1918 was 

134,895 barrels, and the total quantity 

produced since the field was developed 

has been more than 10,500,000 barrels. 

The oil has a paraffin base and is a 

light oil, yielding a large percentage 

of gasoline.

The Florence oil field is apparently 

different from any other field in this 

country, as the oil is found part way 

down on the east side of a large structural basin or syncline. The oil does 

not come from sands, as the drillers 

call any coarse-grained rock that carries oil, but from the fine Pierre shale. 

It does not, however, appear to be in 

the pores of the shale but in cracks 

and crevices. In drilling wells in this 

field the tools often drop several feet, 

and sometimes the bailer a long tube 

by which the oil or water is bailed out 

of the well has been lost in one of 

these crevices. Altogether, this field 

is an anomaly and is not well understood by geologists.

Another curious fact is that the oil 

which flows from the spring noted 

above, as well as from others that have

been discovered more recently, does 

not come from the outcrop of this 

shale but from the Morrison formation, which underlies the shale and is 

beneath the Dakota sandstone.

The Florence oil field is the largest 

field of its kind in Colorado and has 

been a steady producer for a long 

time. Two refineries are in operation, 

and the oil is piped to the railroad 

from different parts of the field as well 

as shipped in from other fields in the 

State for refining.

22 The Canon City coal field is a 

small structural basin, or syncline, in 

the Laramie formation south of the 

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad and extends from a point a short 

distance west of Florence to the foot 

of the Wet Mountains. The coal-bearing beds on the east side of this basin 

dip westward at angles of 2° to 5° 

except at the northern margin, where 

the dip ranges from 5° to 15°. Their 

outcrop here, which is broader than it 

is on the west side, is 2 to 4 miles 

wide and about 12 miles long. It contains all the large mines of the field, 

eight in number, that ship their prod.-
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 69

rocks which lies almost entirely south of the railroad and which 

furnishes fuel for many of the industries of Colorado. At a point 

1£ miles beyond the station at Florence the Canon City branch of 

the Santa Fe Railway crosses the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad by an overhead bridge. This branch, which is one of the 

principal outlets for the coal of the Canon City field, runs to Rockvale, one of the large mining centers. Just beyond the bridge the 

Chandler branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad 

turns to the left and enters the same field, for both roads depend 

upon this coal for use in their locomotives, and they also distribute 

much of it throughout the country for domestic and manufacturing 

uses.

Near milepost 154 two prominent cliffs may be seen across the 

river. The lower 110 feet of these cliffs consists of dark-green shale 

(the upper part of the Pierre shale), and this is capped by about 40 

feet of massive sandstone. This sandstone may be the lowermost 

member of the Laramie or it may represent the Fox Hills sandstone 

of the north. Which sandstone it is has not been definitely settled.

Nearly half a mile beyond milepost 154 is Brewster, a signal tower 

at the point where the Santa Fe crosses the Denver & Rio Grande 

Western to the left and continues to Canon City on the south side of 

the river. On the south (left) is the dump of an abandoned mine on 

a coal bed directly overlying the sandstone described above. Old 

prospect entries on the same bed show on the north (right) a little 

farther on, and a quarter of a mile beyond milepost 155 the Denver 

& Rio Grande Western crosses Arkansas River and remains on the 

north side to a point beyond Canon City.

Just before reaching milepost 156 the railroad makes a cut through 

a cliff of sandstone that projects from the right. This sandstone, 

which dips about 10° S., as shown in the accompanying diagram 

(fig. 15), is the lowest sandstone of the coal-bearing rocks and forms

net by rail. The west side of the 

basin is formed by a narrow belt of 

nearly vertical or overturned rocks 

less than a quarter of a mile wide. 

The coal beds that are worked range 

in thickness from 2 to 6 feet. The coal 

is a high-grade domestic fuel, bituminous and noncoking. The moisture in 

the coal as it comes from the mines 

ranges from 9 to 15 per cent, and the 

heat value ranges from 10,500 to 

12,000 British thermal units. 

80697° 22 6

Mining was begun in this field in 

1872 to supply fuel for the locomotives 

of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. 

The production of the field grew steadily, and in the last four years it 

has averaged about 850,000 tons a 

year. The total quantity of coal mined 

to the end of 1920 was about 23,300,000 

short tons. It is estimated that the 

quantity of coal still remaining in the 

field in beds 14 inches or more thick is 

992,000,000 short tons.
70 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN" UNITED STATES.

a part of the northern rim of the basin. The younger rocks near 

the middle of the coal field terminate to the south in the high ridge 

or escarpment of light-colored sandstone, which is a conspicuous 

feature of this field.

After passing the point of sandstone described above the railway 

runs through a broad' valley, which has been cut in the same shale 

as that seen at Florence. This shale (Pierce) and the soft underlying formations extend to Canon City, arid to them is due the 

breadth of the valley at and below that town. Here in the valley, 

where an ample supply of water can be had from Arkansas River and 

its tributary streams and where the crops are protected from frost by

the mountains on the 

west, fruits particularly 

apples are grown in abundance. It is said that 50

FIGURE 15. Sandstone bed at base of coal-bearing P^r Cent of the State's apple

formation at crossing of Arkansas River near crop is raised in the 

mouth of Oil Creek. Sandstone dips southward. .. /. /^ /-N-, >T

ity oi Canon City. .Near

milepost 157 apple orchards can be seen from the train, and they continue in almost unbroken masses to Canon City.

Oil Creek, so named because oil once seeped from the ground along 

its course in Garden Park north of the railroad, is crossed a short 

distance west of milepost 157.

About 8 miles up Oil Creek, in an open space at the foot of the 

mountains known as Garden Park, the bones of some of the most 

wonderful animals that the world has ever known have been found. 

They were embedded in the Morrison formation, and a large quarry 

was opened for the sole purpose of obtaining them. The skeletons or 

the casts of the skeletons are exhibited in most of the museums of this 

country. The most abundant remains are those of giant reptiles called 

dinosaurs. Many of these animals were 20 feet long and resembled 

no animal now living except possibly the diminutive so-called horned 

toad of California. Plate XXXII, A, represents one of these lizards, 

called Stegosaurus, as he is supposed to have appeared when he was 

alive and roamed through the swamps that then covered much of this 

region. This particular species was a vegetable feeder, but he needed 

protection from other dinosaurs that were carnivorous, so he was compelled to grow a bony plate of armor.

Dinosaurs inhabited the earth during Cretaceous time and continued to thrive on into Tertiary time, but they finally and suddenly 

disappeared. The last survivdr appears to have been Triceratops, 

shown in Plate XXXII, Z?, a skeleton of which was found years ago 

in the vicinity of Denver.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXXII

A. AN ARMORED DINOSAUR (STEGOSAURUS).

*

Stegosaurus (plated lizard) lived long, long before man existed on the globe. His bones were 

found in tlie Morrison formation in Garden Park, 6 miles north of Canon City. The 

animal was 20 feet long, 10 feet high at the hips, and protected from the onslaughts of other 

equally powerful but carnivorous lizards by great bony plates along the back. His food 

consisted of the vegetation that grew on the low marshy land of that time.

B. TRICERATOPS, THE LAST OF THE DINOSAURS.

Triceratops (three-horned face) was the last of the great dinosaurs. Rones of this animal have 

been found in the vicinity of Denver. A mounted skeleton in the National Museum, Washington, is 20 feet long and 8 feet high at the hips. The most peculiar thing about this animal 

is __ the . _ great ,, . bony _n" trill frill" covering covering anad pirotecting his

made under the direction of J. R. Hatcher.

his neck. From painting by C. R. Knight,
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A. DINOSAUR TRACKS.

The huge dinosaurs shown in Plate XXXII sunk (Imply iiilo the 

sund as they fed on the rank vegetation or hunled their prey along 

the sandy beaches of the lakes. The sand has been hardened 

into rock, and to-day the three-toed tracks show almost as 

perfectly as they did on the day they were made. Photograph 

by H. K. Gregory.

The 

sec

thar

le
DENVER. & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 71

Footprints of dinosaurs have been found also in sandstone that 

was then the sandy shore of some lake or estuary. Plate XXXIII, 

A, shows some of these tracks that were recently found in Arizona. 

Similar tracks were found years ago in the brown sandstone of the 

Connecticut Valley, and specimens may be seen in most museums. 

At first these three-toed tracks were thought to have been made by 

birds, but when the skeletons of the dinosaurs were found it was 

realized that the supposed bird tracks were made by reptiles.

After crossing Oil Creek the traveler may obtain on the left a 

general view of the mountain front back of Canon City the mountains through which the Arkansas has cut its wonderful canyon, the 

Royal Gorge. In this view the gorge itself can not be readily distinguished, for it is so narrow and winding that from no point of 

view can it be seen as an open cut. The low gap that is most prominent from this point is the canyon of Grape Creek, which enters the 

Arkansas from the south (left) just above Canon City. After passing through several miles pf apple orchards the train arrives at the 

station of Canon City.

Canon City is rightly named, for it stands at the mouth of the

greatest canyon penetrated by any railroad. It is the seat of Fremont County, which was named in honor of the

Canon City. "Pathfinder," Gen. John C. Fremont, who in reEievation 5,344 feet, turning from his second expedition in 1842 followed

Population 4,551. to r

Denver 160 miles. the Arkansas downstream from its headwaters 

until he emerged from the mountains at the place 

where Canon City now stands. The first recorded exploration of the 

canyon was that of Lieut. Pike, who camped with his little party 

near its eastern portal on December 5, 1806. They built a blockhouse of logs on the north side of the river, wandered about in the 

mountains to the north nearly a month, and on their return to their 

blockhouse nearly lost their lives in the Royal Gorge. The next visit 

of which there is a record was that of Dr. James and Capt. Bell, of 

the Long exploration party. On July 18, 1820, these men left their 

camp at the mouth of Fountain Creek (Pueblo) and rode up the 

Arkansas to the foot of the mountains. The seven mineral springs 

near the mouth of the Royal Gorge were named Bell's Springs in 

honor of Capt. Bell, who discovered them on that trip. After this 

visit the canyon was probably seen by many hunters and trappers, 

for several trading posts were maintained on the river. During the 

" rush " of gold seekers in 1859 and 1860 a town sprang up near the 

mouth of the great canyon and was named Canon City. Like most 

of the towns of that time Canon City had a varied experience and 

was at times nearly deserted. By 1868 it had achieved some prominence, and the Territorial penitentiary was located here. The dis-
72 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

covery of petroleum in the county in 1872 helped the new town very 

much, for thousands of gallons were collected and sold to the people 

of other settlements. Since then its growth has been steady, for the 

climate is agreeable, the region is well adapted to fruit raising, and 

the town affords an outlet for the coal mines to the south. The 

scenic features have heretofore been only slightly exploited but will 

doubtless attract many visitors.

The description of the scenery along the railroad west of Canon 

City begins on page 73.

ONE-DAY TRIP FROM CANON CITY TO THE TOP OF 

THE ROYAL GORGE.

The chief attraction in the vicinity of Canon City is the Eoyal 

Gorge of the Arkansas. The traveler passing over the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western Railroad in an open-top observation car has an 

exceptional opportunity to see this gorge from the bottom, but wonderful as this view may be, it does not compare in awe-inspiring 

grandeur with the view of the gorge from above. To obtain this 

view the traveler goes by automobile from Canon City a distance of 

10 miles over one of the most picturesque drives in the country. 

Several years ago a trolley line was graded nearly to the top, but 

the enterprise fell through and at present automobiles or teams form 

the only mode of conveyance.

The road first climbs to the top of a steep hogback ridge formed 

of the sharply tilted Dakota sandstone and then follows the crest of 

this ridge for several miles. The top of the ridge is so narrow that 

there is barely room for the road; in fact, the road in many places 

passes beneath great projecting ledges of the sandstone. (See 

PL XXXV.) From this elevated position one can look down on 

the town and on acres upon acres of orchards to the east and in the 

other direction into the valley that separates the hogback from the 

main mountain. The road finally crosses this valley, climbs gradually to a high plateau, about 1,200 feet above the town, and suddenly comes to the very brink of the Royal Gorge, as shown in Plate 

XXXIV, A. When the traveler finally stands on the edge of this 

mighty chasm (PL XXXIV, B) and gazes down more than a thousand feet to the raging torrent that rushes through its shadowy 

depths or to the thundering train that wakes the sleeping echoes from 

all its cavernous recesses he can but feel that, though the Royal 

Gorge may not be so deep nor display so great a variety of colors as 

the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, it has a massiveness of wall and 

a steepness and ruggedness that can not be matched even by that 

"Titan of chasms." The canyon gives one the impression that 

Arkansas River has here acted like a gigantic saw and that wha,t
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXXIV

A. TOP OF THE ROYAL GORGE.

After traversing the Skyline Drive the traveler may turn to the west and climb to the summit 

of the mountain in which the Royal Gorge is cut. He may he, surprised to find that this 

mountain is really a plateau and that the automobile may be driven to the very edge of the 

frorpo. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.

B. HIM OF THE ROYAL GORGE.

Who can describe the awful grandeur of the chasm that yawns before the traveler when he 

reaches the rim of the canyon? The walls are nearly sheer for a depth of 1,100 feet, and the 

chasm seems so narrow that he almost, believes that he could cast a stone across it. The 

character of the rocky walls is well shown in this picture. Photograph furnished by the 

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

SKYLINE DRIVE, CANON CITY.

The famous Skyline Drive follows for several miles the crest of the hogback formed by the Dakota sandstone

and in places the heavy ledges of sandstone project, over the passing automobiles. This driveway affo

City and the mountains in the distance. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Hio (Jrande Western 
DENVER. & RIO GRAtfDE WESl^ftN ROUlTE. 73

one sees to-day is the deep, narrow cut it has thus made. The canyon 

seems no wider than the stream that carved it. In places the walls 

overhang, and one must have steady nerves to stand firmly on the 

edge and look without dizziness down at a point 1,100 feet below.

The banding of the granite and the many dikes and veins that 

cut it, as shown in Plate XXXIV, #, give a variety of attractive 

color effects. In places the soft layers have worn away until there 

are deep recesses; in others the massive rock has so well resisted the 

scouring action of the stream that the walls are vertical or even 

overhang.

On the whole, the canyon shows impressively what an active stream 

can do when it is working on highly contorted rocks like gneiss 

and cutting downward only, with little or no broadening.

The view from the top of the Eoyal Gorge will well repay one 

who is interested in the canyon as a scenic feature for the trouble 

he takes to reach it, and it furnishes the student of geology or 

physiography an almost ideal example of a newly cut gorge. 23

MAIN LINE OF RAILROAD FROM CANON CITY TO

SALIDA.

As the train leaves the station at Canon City the traveler in the 

open-top car is prepared to see and enjoy to the utmost the magnificent spectacle of the Eoyal Gorge. This gorge, however, forms only 

a small part, as measured in miles, of the grand canyon of the 

Arkansas, which stretches from a point a mile west of Canon City

"The Royal Gorge presents to the 

geologist several interesting aspects that 

have a bearing on its history or mode 

of origin and also on the history of 

other features in this region. The 

canyon, as has already been stated, 

was carved in the rocks by the river 

that occupies it, but not all rivers, 

even in mountain regions, have carved 

 so deeply, so some special condition 

here must have made it capable of 

producing so immense a gorge. The 

condition was either an uplift of the 

land or an increase in the volume of 

the river, which greatly increased its 

cutting power, but as there are other 

evidences of uplift it is safe to assume that the cutting of the Royal 

Gorge was made possible by a general 

uplift of the region. A stream that is 

being uplifted, or rejuvenated, as the 

geologist would say, begins cutting in

its lower course, and the cutting progresses headward, but no matter how 

the cutting took place, the important 

fact is that the stream cuts its way 

slowly but surely into the surface of 

the land, and thus the bends and meanders that characterized the stream 

when it was flowing on top of what is 

now the plateau are perpetuated in the 

canyon. Cutting has not ceased in 

this interesting canyon but is still 

going on. The stream still carries sand 

and in times of flood great boulders, 

which scratch and grind the rocks over 

which it flows. To-day it is able to 

remove all these fragments of rock and 

its channel is being deepened, but 

when its grade becomes so flat that 

it is unable to carry the sand the cutting will cease and the stream may 

even fill its bed instead of cutting it 

deeper.
74 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

westward to a point about 3 miles beyond the small village of Cotopaxi, a distance of 34 miles.

On leaving the station the traveler sees on the south (left), the 

station which marks the end of this branch of the Santa Fe Eailway. 

He is now at the place where the great railroad war was waged from 

1876 to 1879, and after seeing the canyon he will understand, fully 

that it is hardly possible for two roads to occupy this narrow gash 

in the rocks, and consequently each road made its supreme endeavor 

to be first to build through the canyon. In the 40 years that this 

road has been in operation thousands of travelers from all parts 

of the world have passed through the gorge and have admired its 

awful grandeur.

About a mile from the station the traveler may see on the north 

(right) the State penitentiary with its well-kept grounds, at the 

extreme farthest point of which is Iron Spring, one of the attractive 

features of Canon City. The pavilion that covers the spring may 

be seen on the right, and just opposite is the power plant, which at 

times fills the beautiful clear air with a dense pall of smoke. This 

dense cloud of black smoke should not be permitted, for when the 

wind is from the east it drifts up the track and conceals much of the 

beauty of the Royal Gorge. The rocky ledge that is exposed a few 

feet beyond the spring is the Dakota sandstone, which marks the base 

of the Upper Cretaceous series. This sandstone is the most resistant bed in the series of rocks here upturned, and it therefore 

stands up as a sharp-crested ridge or hogback, which extends for a 

long distance across the valley parallel with the mountain front. 

About 2 miles south of the river there is a great break (fault) in the 

beds of rock, separating those of the mountains from those of the 

plains, and the Dakota hogback ends against this fault. Along the 

summit of the hogback, which in places is wide enough only for a 

road, the famous Skyline Drive (shown in PI. XXXV) has been 

constructed.

From the Dakota sandstone to the mountain front the beds are all 

steeply upturned, but their position can not be made out very well 

from the train. These beds of sandstone and limestone once doubtless extended at least as far west as Parkdale, and when the mountain 

was uplifted they were bowed up in a great curve, as suggested in 

figure 16 (p. 80), but the streams cut into these uplifted rocks very 

actively and in course of time removed them and even cut down 

hundreds of feet into the massive granite on which they rest. The 

first formation below the Dakota is the Morrison, which forms the 

west side of the hogback. It consists of variegated shale and sandstone, in which green and red beds predominate. It is in this formation that the bones of the giant reptile described on page 70 and 

shown in Plate XXXII, A, were found.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 75

West of the outcrop of the Morrison lies a red sandstone that is in 

places at least a thousand feet thick. This sandstone is particularly 

prominent about Manitou, in the valley of Fountain Creek, and for 

this reason is called the Fountain formation. This sandstone is of 

middle Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) age. A limestone or gray 

and pink dolomite 24 about 100 feet thick and a sandstone of about 

the same thickness lie below the Fountain formation. This sandstone rests on the granite of the Front Range. All the rocks below 

the Dakota sandstone are prevailingly red, and this color is well displayed in the valley west of the hogback.

At Burnito siding may be seen some of the canals that carry water 

to irrigate the valley below, as well as the pipe line which supplies 

Canon City with water. The pipe line is high up on the north 

(right), and the water is carried by gravity into a settling reservoir, 

which may be seen on a hill to the right. Below the city aqueduct 

is a canal, which is taken by a tunnel through the hogback to irrigate the orchards on the north side of the valley. On the south there 

are two canals, one high up on the hillside and one near the level 

of the river bottom. The higher canal receives its water from Grape 

Creek, which enters the river just at the edge of the mountain; the 

lower one takes water from Arkansas River near the mouth of this 

creek.

A short distance above Burnito siding the traveler is face to face 

with the imposing portal of the Royal Gorge. (See PI. XXXIII, 

B.) On the left is the old Hot Springs Hotel, now abandoned, and 

on the right and considerably above the railroad are some small tunnels through which the city pipe line is carried. The passage seems 

almost barred by the great slab of gneiss which projects from the 

north: and stands 400 or 500 feet high. The traveler may imagine 

that the train will at once plunge into the shadowy depths of the 

mighty gorge, but after passing the portal he finds that the canyon, 

though rocky, is not particularly rugged or precipitous.

The observant traveler will soon notice that there is close connection between the character of the rock and the shape and narrowness of the gorge. Where the rock is massive granite cut by few 

joint planes the gorge is narrow, but where the rock is intricately 

banded and composed of many layers of diverse appearing rocks it 

is wider and the slopes are more gentle. The differences in the form 

and width of the canyon are due to differences in the resistance which 

the various kinds of rock have offered to the cutting power of the 

stream and to the processes of weathering.

2*A dolomite is generally regarded 

as a limestone, but a limestone consists essentially of carbonate of lime, 

and a dolomite of double carbonate of

lime and magnesia, containing 55 to 65 

per cent of carbonate of lime and 35 

to 45 per cent of carbonate of magnesia.
76 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Although the rocks throughout the Royal Gorge are in general 

similar, they differ greatly from place to place, their character de^- 

pending largely on the crushing stresses to which they have been 

subjected at great depths in the earth. In some places the rock is 

massive granite; it has never been crushed or disturbed in any way. 

In other places the rock (probably originally granite, or possibly 

sandstone and shale) has been so squeezed and crushed that it has 

been more or less changed. The minerals of the rock have been 

recrystallized, and in the process of change the crystals have been 

arranged in layers at right angles to the direction in which the 

force was applied, and the rock has become a gneiss. In some places 

the process has been carried so far that all the rock material has 

been recrystallized, and the rock has become an exceedingly soft 

mica schist, composed largely of small flakes of mica, and it can 

be split like- a slate. The structure is complicated also by dikes, 

which cut across the other rocks, or irregular intrusive masses which 

here and there break up the regularity of the banding. In places 

veins of quartz have been deposited from mineral-bearing waters 

that slowly circulated through open fissures. Finally all these masses 

have been turned and twisted, folded back upon themselves, and 

broken, until the result is a structure which is complicated almost 

beyond description.

As the train moves on the canyon walls grow higher and somewhat steeper, and through a side gulch here and there the traveler 

may catch glimpses of the most rugged towering pinnacles. Such 

a view may be obtained about half a mile above milepost 164, up 

a small canyon on the right to a wall of massive granite that stands 

at least 1,000 feet high.

At the abandoned station of Gorge the Royal Gorge really begins. Below this point the railroad has had little difficulty in finding a passage, but immediately above the old station

orge* the walls close in until the stream has a width of

SS?e^w?'Si4e8feCt' barelJ 50 feet The walls are massive and rise 

nearly vertically to heights of 1,000 to 1,200 feet. 

(See Pis. XXXVI, A, and XXXVII.) The train here plunges into 

the vast depths of this narrow cleft, and the traveler is free to enjoy 

the scene, without a thought as to how or where he is to emerge 

from them. He knows that he will be through the canyon in a few 

minutes, but the early explorers had no such knowledge. Lieut. 

Pike, who visited the Royal Gorge about the first of January, 1807, 

had serious difficulty in exploring its narrowest parts. Can anything 

more difficult be imagined than that attempt to find a passage through 

this unexplored gorge at a time of the year when the water was icecold?
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

A. MASSIVE WALLS OF THE ROYAL GOUGE.

View up the canyon from the train near the old station of Gorge. The massive wall on the right 

is shown also in Plate XXXVIII. The water 

pipe to Canon City tunnels the projecting point 

on the left. Photograph by Marius U. Campbell.

B. FOREST OF LODGEPOLE PINE.

This tree grows remarkably straight and tapers from 

base lo top. In a mature forest few trees excee

12 inches in diameter. The young trees are prized by Indians for tepee or lodge poles. Photograph by 

U. S. Forest Service.
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXXVII

\ I1-;\V LOOKING DOWN INTO THE ROYAL GORGE.

When one stands on the rim above the old station of Gorge and looks down into this great chasm 

the railroad looks like a thread stretched beside the foaming stream. The point of the rim 

ordinarily reached by travelers is around the bend to the right. The lowland in the distance 

is at Parkdale, and the gap in the range beyond is the mouth of the river cannon that extends 

upstream to Cotopaxi. Photograph furnished, by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad. , . ,,. ,
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 77

At Gorge the Canon City pipe line crosses the river. In rounding 

the next point on the right the traveler may see above him one of 

the most massive walls in the canyon. It is probably 1,200 feet high 

and is nearly smooth as far as one can see. After passing around this 

projecting mass into the next bend the traveler on looking ahead may 

see people on the crest of the wall, for the automobile road from 

Canon City leads to this point. The wall upon which they stand is 

about 1,100 feet 25 above the railroad, but the rock is so massive that 

it is difficult to appreciate its great height. At milepost 166 the 

traveler is directly below the point reached by the automobile road, 

and he may obtain some idea of the immensity of the gorge, but the 

view from the bottom, though interesting, does not compare in 

grandeur with the view to be obtained from above. One is more 

accustomed to looking up at great heights than to looking down into 

great chasms, and the canyon is therefore less striking when seen 

from below than from above.

The train swings around the base of the overhanging walls of the 

point on the right and crosses the Hanging Bridge (PI. XXXVIII) 

in the narrowest part of the gorge. In places here the walls actually 

overhang, but pictures of the gorge taken from this point have been 

so widely circulated that almost everyone, even before reaching Colorado, is familiar with them. The engineering feat of hanging a 

bridge from the walls of the canyon instead of supporting it by 

abutments is of course novel and attracts much attention, but few 

who pass over the road think of the engineers who made the first 

location for the road or of the workmen who hewed their way 

through the solid rock. It is reported that at some of the coi/otruction camps men and tools and mules and carts were let down the 

canyon wall by ropes; that the engineers made their locations on 

the ice or while struggling through the icy waters; and that the 

rockmen were hung suspended in the air while they drilled the holes 

in the granite and fired the blasts that sent tons upon tons of rock 

crashing into the stream below. If the experiences of these men 

could be written the story would abound in thrilling moments\of 

suspense and hairbreadth escapes that would rival the scenes shown 

in the most realistic moving picture.

28 Many figures have been given for 

the depth of this canyon, but all appear to be only guesses. The favorite 

figure seems to have been 2,600 feet, or 

approximately half a mile. The writer, 

believing that the public is entitled to 

know the truth about such striking 

scenic features, requested that the 

height of the cliff be determined. Accordingly, D. E. Winchester, of the 

United States Geological Survey, with 

telescopic alidade and plane table, 

measured the vertical distance from 

the base to the top of the cliff and 

found it to be approximately 1,100 feet. 

This measurement may be in error as 

much as 4 feet but probably not more 

than that.
78 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

As already stated, the narrower and more rugged parts of the 

Royal Gorge are cut in the harder rocks. This fact is well illustrated near the Hanging Bridge, for here the walls are vertical because the great joint cracks that cut the granite are vertical. Whenever a piece of rock is split from the walls it breaks off along one of 

these vertical joints, and the stream has difficulty in undermining 

a wall that is composed of huge blocks of rock set on end or rather 

that have one end deeply buried below water level. The great open 

fissures along some of these joints give picturesque detail to the 

walls; the best known fissure is one on the right that can be seen 

to advantage by looking back just after passing the Hanging Bridge. 

This crack is 20 feet wide, and down it flows a stream of water which 

in the driest season yields cool water to the thirsty traveler who may 

be enjoying a tramp through this great highway. The traveler will 

doubtless see many other cracks almost as strongly marked as this 

one at different places1 in the canyon walls. Many of these fissures 

have been cleaned out by small streams of water, leaving crevices 

only a few feet wide, which in many places slope under the overhanging rock for long distances.26

20 Doubtless many persons who have 

passed through the Royal Gorge have 

wondered what agent produced this 

deep and narrow cleft. The question 

may not often have been voiced, but 

scarcely anyone can see a chasm so 

tremendous without wondering how it 

was formed. The answer which the 

traveler will get to such a question 

depends upon the person making the 

reply. If it is a geologist he will say 

that the river has excavated the canyon, cutting away the rock grain by 

grain; but if the question is answered 

by one who has not made a study of 

such problems he will probably scout 

such a proposition and say that it is 

impossible for a river to cut a hard 

rock like this gneiss and that the 

gorge is due to a great fissure that 

was opened by an earthquake. This 

view is most commonly held by those 

who are unfamiliar with the work of 

streams and was even held by many 

geologists less than a century ago.

It is comparatively easy to prove 

that the Royal Gorge was not formed 

by an earthquake, for, first, the gorge

is too crooked to be the result of a 

fissure and, second, the bands of rock 

can be traced practically from wall to 

wall across the canyon. There is no 

possibility of a break such as would 

be required by the earthquake hypothesis. Altogether the evidence is conclusive that the Royal Gorge and most 

other canyons are not earthquake fissures but were cut by the streams 

that occupy them.

The cutting power of water depends 

on the amount of sand and gravel 

which the stream is able to carry or 

to roll along on its bottom. Clear 

water may dissolve the rocks, but it 

has no cutting power. Water loaded 

with sand cuts the rocks by the scouring action of the grains of sand on the 

rocks over which the water flows. It 

acts much like a sand blast, and no 

rock is so hard that it can withstand 

the constant grinding of grains of 

sand. According to human standards 

the process is very slow, but it is 

almost constantly in operation, day 

and night, and eventually it will make 

its work apparent.
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XXXVIII

HANGING BRIDGE, ROYAL GORGE.

The Hanging Bridge, in the narrowest part of the canyon, is a striking feature. When the road 

was built there was not room at this point for both river and railroad side by side, so a bridge 

was necessary. The easiest way to construct such a bridge was to use the two walls of the 

canyon as abutments and to swing the bridge from trusses, as shown in this view. The 

joints in the granite are nearly vertical, and consequently the walls have little backward 

slope. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 7U'LLETT\T 707 PLATE XXXIX

UPPER END OF THK ROYAL GORGE.

The traveler on the rira of the canyon can climb down, if he has a steady head, to the jagged 

point shown on the left. Here he can look on the Hanging Bridge and the railroad trains as 

they thunder through the canyon, waking the echoes from every angle of its mighty walls. 

The rocks here are much more highly jointed than they are lower down, and as a result the 

canyon walls begin to have an appreciable slope and to decrease in height. Photograph 

furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 79

A short distance above the Hanging Bridge, as shown in Plate 

XXXIX, the walls diminish in height and the canyon opens and 

bears little resemblance to the narrow gorge just below. About 

three-quarters of a mile above milepost 166 the slopes are so gentle 

that they can be scaled, and a trail leading to the top turns up the 

slope on the north (right). In this part of the canyon the walls 

are not composed of massive granite or even gneiss, as at most 

places below, but the rock is a schist, composed largely of flakes o£ 

mica that may be recognized by the manner in which they glisten in 

the sunshine. This mica schist is very soft, compared with the 

granite and gneiss, and therefore weathers more rapidly, so that the 

canyon is wider and has smoother and gentler slopes.

Just beyond milepost 168 are the headgate and settling tanks of 

the Canon City waterworks. In this vicinity the gray granite is 

cut by a great many dikes of pink feldspar (pegmatite). The crystals of feldspar are large, and their brilliant faces attract attention, 

especially when the sun is shining on them. In some places these 

dikes are so numerous and so large that they make up the bulk of 

the rock and give it a strong red color. The pink feldspar is very 

abundant in the rock from the siding called Sample to the edge of 

Webster Park, near Parkdale.

Toward the west the hills grow smaller and the canyon less pronounced, until finally, in making a sharp turn to the right just before reaching milepost 170, the traveler catches on the left a glimpse 

of an open valley of considerable extent, which comes as a pleasing 

contrast to the frowning walls of the deep canyon. This open valley 

is Webster Park, one of the beautiful natural parks which diversify 

the mountain scenery of Colorado. The surface of Webster Park 

is underlain by soft sedimentary rocks that have been downfolded 

or dropped by some fault, thus being preserved from complete 

destruction by erosion.

The first sedimentary rocks that can be seen from the train are on 

the right. They are the variegated shale and sandstone of the Morrison formation, and above them lie the more somber sandstones of 

the Dakota. These beds of rock lie nearly horizontal, but doubtless 

their contact with the granite, if it could be seen, would show that 

they rise gently toward the east at about the same rate as the surface 

of the granite on which they were deposited. The traveler may be 

surprised to find the Morrison formation in Webster Park in contact with the granite, whereas at Canon City several hundred feet 

of beds lie between the Morrison and the granite. The absence of 

these underlying formations in Webster Park is probably due to the 

fact that the upper surface of the granite was for a long time a 

land surface and upon this land the sedimentary beds were deposited
80 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

LJ

3AIJQ 3U||/V

uorjeuuoj uosujO|/\j '/

at different elevations before the 

granite was arched and broken by 

faults, as shown in figure 16. Thus 

the lowermost formation at Canon 

City may have originally extended 

onto the granite a mile or so and the 

next one 2 or 3 miles, and so on, until 

finally, when the Morrison was deposited, the entire area was low, and 

the Morrison beds were laid down 

continuously from Canon City to 

Parkdale.

West of milepost 170 the beds dip 

sharply toward the west, as shown in 

figure 16, and the Dakota disappears 

under the dark shale of the Benton. 

About 1,500 feet beyond milepost 170 

the shale is in contact with the granite, which shows that they must have 

been brought into this abnormal relation by a fault that dropped the 

shale on the east as compared with 

the granite on the west. This relation of the shale and the granite is 

illustrated in figure 16.

Beyond this fault the hill on the 

north (right) of the railroad is composed entirely of granite, but on the 

south the variegated shale of the 

Morrison rests on the granite just as 

it was deposited ages ago. At the 

point where the railroad crosses Tallahassee Creek the Morrison outcrop 

swings to the north, and a hill composed of this formation, capped by 

Dakota sandstone, which dips toward 

the west, may be seen half a mile 

away. The sedimentary rocks can 

not continue in this direction much 

farther, for the granite, which can be 

seen on the north, makes a high rim 

completely around the valley.

The rock in the middle of the valley is concealed by a deep cover 

of gravel, which the river has evidently brought down from the high
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN' 707 PLATE XL

A. GRAND CANYON OF THE ARKANSAS BELOW TEXAS CKKEK.

Relow Texas Creek the canyon in many places is very rough and rugged, the massive granite 

projecting from the walls on either side seems almost to bar the pathway of the river, and 

these spurs are crowned with crags and pinnacles. Photograph by Marius R. Campbell.

B. TUNNEL ON RAINBOW HIGHWAY.

The construction of the Rainbow Highway involved engineering difficulties as great as those which 

beset the railroad engineers in 1881. Much rock culling was done, and even tunnels were driven 

through the projecting poinls of massive granite. Photograph by Marius R. Campbell.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XLI

A. GOLD DREDGING.

Great dredges like those used in deepening harbors and in excavating the Panama Canal are 

set to work in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, digging up and washing gravel for the gold 

it contains. This view shows the great heap of washed gravel that is left in the wake of the 

dredge. Photograph by F. L. Ransome.

B. RAINBOW HIGHWAY.

Automobiles now traverse the grand canyon of the Arkansas as readily as railroad trains, owing 

to the recent completion of the Rainbow Highway from Parkdale to Leadville. In many 

places the cost of construction was as great as that of the railroad on the opposite bank. 

Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.
DENVER & EIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 81

mountains farther west. One of the striking features of this gravelcovered terrace is the great number of big boulders that litter the 

ground around the station at Parkdale and for some distance to the 

east. These boulders are composed of all sorts of rock from the high 

mountains and range from mere gravel stones of the size of a marble 

up to boulders 10 or 12 feet in diameter. These large boulders have 

certainly been brought down the river valley, but by what agency? 

Could water have transported them ? At first sight it would seem impossible for water to move boulders of this size through a canyon 

and then spread them out in a great fan nearly a mile long, but 

there seems to be no other agent by which they could have been transported. Some may suggest that possibly the glaciers of the Ice Age 

may have extended down as far as Parkdale and carried the boulders 

and dropped them where the ice melted. It is well known that glaciers do carry such boulders, but a glance at the rugged walls of the 

canyon above Parkdale (see PI. XL, A) will soon convince the 

traveler that no glacier has ever moved down this canyon. Water, 

therefore, is apparently the only agent that could have transported 

these boulders.

Just as the train emerges from the canyon into Webster Park 

it crosses the Eainbow automobile road, which was last seen at Canon 

City. It was manifestly impossible for this road to follow the river 

through the Royal Gorge, so it takes a more circuitous route to the 

north and then returns to the river in Webster Park. Here it 

crosses to the south side of the river and follows that side until the 

river emerges into the broad valley at the foot of the Sangre de 

Cristo Range 28 above Cotopaxi. The construction of this road 

through the canyon above Parkdale involved a large amount of rock 

work, and the State and county deserve to be congratulated on its 

completion. (See Pis. XXXVI, C; XL, B; and XLI, B.)

Webster Park is an oasis of valley land in a wilderness of mountains. Near the river some of the soil is too gravelly for farming, 

but back from the river there are good farms. Stock 

Parkdale. raising is the principal occupation, and the cattle 

Elevation 5,800 feet. fin(j good summer pasture upon the mountain slopes.

Population 87.* . ° . /V, , ,/,,, > -, -, Denver 171 miles. At the station of Jrarkdale the traveler, on looking back, can see the low range of mountains, or 

rather the plateau, in which the Royal Gorge is cut.

About Parkdale the dark shale of the Benton shows in a number 

of places below the gravel, and the next rock that is seen in passing 

westward is the granite at the mouth of the canyon. It is therefore 

certain that no hard rocks, such as the Dakota sandstone, are present

26 Spanish term meaning " blood of Christ," pronounced sahn'gray day cris'to.
82 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

between the Benton shale and the granite, and the shale and the 

granite must be brought into contact by a fault, as shown in figure 16.

Above Parkdale the river is again confined in a narrow, rugged 

canyon, which has been cut in a plateau similar to that in which the 

Royal Gorge is cut. (See PL XXXIV, A, p. 72.) Upon this plateau 

there are several ranges of mountains, which rise to elevations of 

12,000 to 14,000 feet above sea level and which are included in the 

San Isabel National Forest. This forest furnishes excellent summer 

pasture for a large number of cattle and sheep, which are driven into 

the mountains each spring from ranches in the lowland on both the 

east and the west. The forest is also an effective conserver of water, 

for in it lie the heads of a number of streams that supply water for 

domestic use and irrigation to the cities, towns, and ranches of the 

plains. It is a haven of refuge for wild animals, particularly deer, 

which thrive upon its excellent pasture lands. The fawns are almost 

as tame as the lambs which gambol about their mothers in the deep 

grass. (See PI. XLII, B.)

In the Greenhorn Mountains many summer homes have been built 

by the citizens of Pueblo anV connected with that city by fine automobile roads. The use of the national forests for recreation is encouraged by the Government, and in many localities sites suitable for 

summer homes have been mapped and laid off in lots so as to be 

available to those who wish to avoid the crowded cities during the 

heat of summer. The charge for building permits ranges from 

$10 to $25 a year, depending on the accessibility and attractiveness of 

the site. Logs and poles for building and wood for fuel may be 

procured free of charge under permit from the local forest officers. 

One of these summer homes is shown in Plate XLII, A.

The canyon above Parkdale, although it is generally considered 

with the Royal Gorge as constituting the grand canyon of the 

Arkansas, is really a separate canyon. It has a length of about 24 

miles, measured along the railroad, and may be divided, according 

to its width and the ruggedness of its walls, into three parts, two of 

them narrow and rugged and the third, separating the more rugged 

parts, broad and more or less smooth.

The first part of the canyon extends from Parkdale to Texas 

Creek, a distance of 11 miles. This canyon is not so narrow nor 

so deep as the Royal Gorge, but it is nevertheless picturesque and 

well worthy of close attention, particularly as it can generally be 

seen from an open observation car. The charm of this canyon 

is the variety of its scenery. In places it is narrow and has steep 

and rugged walls; in others it is relatively broad, though here and 

there projecting points of rock have been cut by the stream into 

nearly vertical cliffs. In other words, this canyon looks as if it
II. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XLII

A. SUMMKH HOME IN A NATIONAL FOREST.

The United States Forest Service leases ground, under certain restrictions, for 

summer homes in the national forests. This is such a home in the San Isabel 

Forest, south of Arkansas River. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.

B. GAME IN A NATIONAL FOREST.

Deer soon become plentiful when they are protected. The wild fawn shown here was 

photographed in the San Isabel National Forest by the U. S, Forest Service,
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

HOWARD AND THE SANGHK !)! : CH1STO M
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 83

Texas Cieek.

Elevation 6,210 feet. 

Population 63.* 

Denver 184 miles.

had been occupied by the stream for a longer time than the Royal 

Gorge. 27

The walls of the canyon from its mouth just above Parkdale to 

Texas Creek are generally uniform in height, so that this canyon 

also appears to have been cut in a plateau, the 

surface of which was originally gently rolling. 

At Texas Creek a branch of the railroad turns to 

the south (left), crosses the river, and after running up a small valley for a shprt distance in order 

to obtain grade, turns back and loops around a projecting spur considerably above the bottom of the valley. After passing this spur 

the road follows for a long distance the valley of Texas Creek on its 

way to the mining district of Westcliffe, 25 miles distant.

Near the station of Texas Creek the canyon takes on a different 

aspect. It becomes much broader than it is east of that place, and 

though the walls may in places be precipitous, they are generally 

smoother and gentler in their slope than they are farther east. This 

part of the canyon looks older than the part below, and it is also 

different from the part above. On leaving Texas Creek the train 

heads directly toward the great Sangre de Cristo Range (PI. XLIII) 

and at a point 3 miles above Texas Creek swings abruptly to the 

right, following Arkansas River, which here leaves the broad valley 

in which it has been flowing, and in a short distance it again enters 

a canyon, some parts of which are steep and narrow. If the traveler 

looks to the left as the turn is made he will see that the broad valley 

continues directly toward the high mountain peaks but is occupied 

only by Oak^Creek, a stream not at all commensurate in size with that 

of the valley which it occupies. The meaning of these differences

27 Geologists generally classify the 

surface features of the earth according to their age or according to the 

length of time they have been in the 

process of formation. Thus there may 

be young mountains and old mountains, young valleys and old valleys, 

and young streams and old streams. 

Where the rocks are fairly uniform 

throughout, the youngest type of valley 

is the canyon and the oldest is the 

broad valley with slopes so gentle that 

it almost resembles a plain. A canyon is considered young because it 

marks the first stage in valley cutting; a broad valley is considered old 

because it marks its last stage. 

Although all canyons are young, they

may differ considerably in age, so 

there are young canyons and old canyons. In canyons of these two classes 

that are cut in essentially the same 

rocks young canyons may be distinguished by the narrowness of the bottoms, which are generally but little 

wider than the channel of the stream, 

and by having walls that are commonly 

steep and in many places precipitous. 

Old canyons, on the other hand, are 

generally wide enough, at least in 

places, to have narrow strips of flood 

plain; their walls are less precipitous, and their rocks are generally 

more irregular in outline owing to 

the fact that they have been longer 

exposed to the weather.
84 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

in the character of the canyon of the Arkansas is not yet understood, 

but it could probably be satisfactorily explained if the history of 

the river were thoroughly known.

Above the mouth of Oak Creek the canyon of the Arkansas for 

some distance is irregular in width and the sides are low, indicating 

considerable age, though it is generally narrow, and farther on it 

becomes more precipitous, until in the vicinity of Cotopaxi it is a 

veritable canyon, though it is wider than the part of the canyon below 

Texas Creek.

Cotopaxi is a small settlement, hemmed in on all sides by high 

granite walls, but fairly good roads lead from it southwestward to 

a rich agricultural region at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Range. 

Small quantities of the precious metals as well as 

Cotopaxi. some copper have been found near the town, but 

Elevation 6,385 feet, none of the mines are now in operation. Limestone

Population 252.* i i i , t> Denver 192 miles was once °tuarried here in large quantities lor use as 

flux in iron furnaces, but most of the limestone now 

so used at Pueblo is quarried near Howard, farther up the valley. 

The quarries near Cotopaxi were about 3 miles north of the railroad, at the southern end of the belt of Carboniferous rocks. (See 

sheet 3, p. 100.) The limestone has been preserved here by being 

downfolded into the granite, and on the east side of the downfold 

the rock has been broken by a fault and replaced by the granite.

For some distance west of Cotopaxi the sides of the canyon are 

composed of massive granite, which in places stands up in nearly 

vertical walls (see PI. XL, J.), but the valley bottom is generally 

wide enough to afford ample accommodation for the railroad and 

for the Rainbow Highway. The canyon maintains this width for 

some distance, but beyond milepost 194 the river passes through the 

narrowest and most rugged part of the canyon west of Parkdale.

About three-quarters of a mile beyond milepost 194 the railroad 

emerges suddenly from the granite canyon into a broad valley at the 

foot of the Sangre de Cristo Range. The course of the railroad, 

which for a long distance has been nearly southwest, here veers to 

the northwest along this valley. The change from seemingly endless vistas of rocky canyon walls to a broad valley in which there are 

farms and green trees is striking and exceedingly restful and is one 

of the surprises that are constantly awaiting the traveler in this 

mountainous region.

The change in scenery and in the general character of the country 

is due to a, difference in the underlying rocks, but for some distance 

this fact is not apparent, as the rocks are not visible from the train, 

the land near the river being composed of sand and gravel washed
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 2

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist

C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer 

A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

Age Thickness 

in feet

B

0

G

1

J, 

K

I

M

N

Gravel on mesas and terraces J Pleistocene and ^ late Tertiary

Arkosic ( fragments of granite) conglomerate Tertiary 

(Dawson arkose) (Eocene)

Sandstone and shale with coal beds (Laramie formation)

Dark marine shale with 1 P TT.|, A . ^1 

sandstone at top (Montana > p^^l shale f 

group) !

Dark marine shale and limestone (Colorado group) * 

(a) Calcareous shale and limestone (Niobrara formation)

| Carlile shale ] 

(6) Shale, limestone, and sandstone < Greenhorn limestone > 

j Graneros shale J

s Upper Cretaceous

Two sandstones separated by<| Dakota sandstone ) 

shale | Purgratoire formation Lower Cretaceous

Red and green shale and sandstone (Morrison formation) Cretaceous ?

300

1.200

3.000

1,000 

600±

400

400

22B±

White and red sandstone, red shale I Lykins formation 1 

and gypsum at top j Lyons sandstone I,

Red arkosic sandstone and con- ^ ( 

glomerate (Fountain formation) )

U Limestone and o.uartsite

X

Y

Millsap limestone

Manitou limestone J 

Sawatch sandstone

Granite

Lava flows (rhyolite and basalt breccia)! 

Andesitic breccia and tuff r

erous 

Pennsylvania .)

Carboniferous 

(Mississippian)

Ordovician

Cambrian

Pre-Cambrian

Tertiary

490±

.__ Fault

# The Colorado group is subdivided into two parts, (a) and (b), in the southeastern part of the area; in other parts the outcrop is too narrow to make 

such a subdivision practicable

104 30' COLORADO

Scale 500,000 

Approximately 8 miles to 1 inch 

0 5 10 Miles

OR ADO c0XMaratou Junction

The distances from Denver, Colorado, are shown every 10 miles. 

The crossties on the railroads are spaced J mile apart.

. 6 

FrancevilliJunct
DENVER & RIO GRAISDE WESTERN ROUTE. 85

down from the high mountains at the back of the valley. The railroad follows the east side of the river, passing by 

Pleasanton. ^he village of Pleasanton and hugging the granite 

Elevation 6,481 feet. ciiffs that border the valley on the northeast (right).

Denver 196 miles. ^ CQntact Qf the goft rocks of ^ valley wifch the

granite or gneiss is not a normal contact but is due to a fault, the 

granite having been elevated or the other rocks depressed an unknown distance.

In order to understand the meaning of the surface features along 

the railroad from Pleasanton to Salida it is necessary to know the 

geologic structure and the succession of hard and soft rocks.

Mountains are usually formed either because they contain rocks 

that are somewhat harder than the rocks in adjacent areas or because recent disturbances in the earth's crust have raised one part 

of the crust with relation to another; or they may be formed by

'J5an'gre'cle Cristif Mts.>

FIGURE 17. Cross section of the Sangre de Cristo Range and the valley on its east side 

at Pleasanton, showing the anticline of the mountain and the syncline on the east.

volcanic action. In the Eocky Mountains the principal ranges and 

peaks have been formed by one or both of the two causes first stated. 

The great Sangre de Cristo Range, which towers on the left a mile 

above the railroad, is no exception, but this range, unlike many others 

of this general region, is very narrow, being at no point more 

than 12 or 15 miles wide. At many places its crest is composed 

of granite and gneiss, which, being harder than the surrounding 

rock, have remained at their present height, while the softer rocks on 

either side have been washed away to lower levels. In general, the 

structure of the mountain at the north end is that of a great anticlinal fold (arch), mainly in Carboniferous rocks, though it affects 

the lower rocks down to and including the granite. At a point 

farther south the fold crosses the range at a low angle, and from 

that point southward the structure is entirely different. The section 

shown in figure 17 represents in a general way the structure of the 

rocks at the north end of the mountain the anticline in the moun80697° 22 7
86 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

tain and the syncline (trough) on its east side. From a point above 

Howard to Pleasanton Arkansas River flows in the valley eroded in 

this syncline, and the granite on the right of the railroad lies on the 

east side of the fault, as shown in the section.

At Pleasanton the railroad is built on the Weber shale and sandstone near the fault, but in passing northward it diverges more and 

more from the granite wall until it is ohi the Maroon sandstone 

nearly in the middle of the trough. This sandstone makes its appearance a short distance above the siding of Vallie. It is very 

conspicuous oh the left, in the hill across the river, and dips about 

70° W., or into the great syncline which lies on that side of the 

railroad. This hill shows to good advantage not only the red Maroon sandstone but a cap of lava, which gives some clue to the recent geologic history of the valley. As seen from the train the lava 

cap appears to be horizontal, but after passing it the traveler, upon 

looking back, may see that the lava cap is underlain by a bed of 

white volcanic tuff 28 about 40 feet thick and that both the lava and

FIGURE 18. Lava-capped hill south of Howard. The hill, which is opposite milepost 200, 

is composed of red sandstone dipping steeply to the northwest and is capped by a nearly 

horizontal sheet of tuff and lava.

the tuff slope to the west, or away from the railroad, as shown in 

figure 18. This westward slope shows that at the time the tuff was 

deposited and the lava was poured out upon its upper surface, the 

deepest part of the valley lay considerably west of the channel in 

which the river flows to-day.

The red sandstone crops out by the side of the railroad as far as 

milepost 200. Here it is covered by a large mass of tuff and lava 

which descends below river level and which shows on the northeast 

side of the valley in places to points beyond Howard. Most of the 

high hills near Howard are capped with white volcanic tuff and 

with a sheet of lava, which invariably slopes to the west. These

28 Volcanic tuff is a name applied to rock of different sizes. The bed of

material blown out of a volcano by an tuff here may have been formed of

explosion of gas or steam. It is gen- dust and ashes that settled down on

erally composed of fine particles of the ground from the atmosphere or

glass but may include fragments of were washed into a basin or valley.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 87

rocks have been traced eastward to a point near the fault at the 

edge of the granite. As the lava rises steadily toward the east the 

volcanic vent from which it came was probably near the fault and 

on high ground, thence it flowed westward down the slope to the 

river, which was then farther west and somewhat lower than it is 

to-day.

The volcanic matter doubtless partly filled the old valley of the 

Arkansas, and then came a great wash of gravel and boulders from 

the mountains, which must have filled the valley to a depth of several hundred feet. No one yet knows what caused this great deposit 

of gravel, but it has been assumed to have some connection with the 

formation of great glaciers in the neighboring mountains. This influx of foreign material dammed the river and forced it over to the 

east side of its valley, entirely out of its former position. At present 

the river is cutting away the gravel and lava, but it has not yet cut 

down to its former level. Remnants of the gravel filling may be 

seen in the extensive terraces opposite Howard, as shown in Plate 

XLIII.

At Howard a branch railroad turns to the left, crosses the river, 

and disappears in the hills in the distance. This line runs to a stone 

quarry at the station of Calcite, where limestone is being quarried 

on a large scale by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. for use as flux in 

its large blast furnaces at Pueblo. Howard is a 

Howard. small village, but the well-cultivated farms across 

Elevation 6,718 feet, the river indicate a prosperous community. The

DenvSmnes. land on both sides of the river is irrigated and 

yields abundant crops of alfalfa and the more hardy 

grains. Near the station there are kilns in which charcoal was formerly made. (See PI. XIV, #, p. 30.) These kilns are the only 

traces that remain of what was once a large industry in these mountains. The native timber was used in making charcoal* which was in 

great demand by smelters in almost every mining town. The concentration of the smelting industry into the hands of large corporations and the consequent abandonment of most of the small plants, 

together with the increased production of coke in the coal fields near 

by, killed the charcoal industry. Although the decay of this industry temporarily deprived many persons of the means of making a 

livelihood, it was a blessing to the region as a whole, for the manufacture of charcoal is a wasteful process and one that has consumed 

much valuable timber that might have been reserved for a more useful purpose.

A little beyond Howard the railroad turns more toward the west 

and crosses the bedded rocks, which show to good advantage. In
88 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

this section (see fig. 19) the syncline has been so squeezed by pressure from the east that its sides have been pressed close together 

or overturned, and consequently all the rocks dip toward the east. 

The lava is prominent in this part of the valley, but it is limited 

to the hills on the opposite side of the river. These hills at first 

appear to be composed entirely of lava, but close scrutiny will show 

that the red sandstone crops out here and there near the river level. 

This low place in the sandstone evidently marked the middle of the 

valley at the time the lava was poured out and filled the valley 

to a depth of 300 or 400 feet. West of milepost 205 the railroad 

crosses Badger Creek, which drains a large territory between the 

Arkansas Valley and South Park. The red sandstones are well 

exposed in the bend of the river a little farther on and in the apFIGURB 19. Section of the Sangre de Cristo Range and the valley on its east side, through.

Hunts Peak and Howard.

preaches to the tunnel beyond milepost 206, They are fairly conspicuous in the river bluffs near milepost 207, but west of this point 

the red color disappears from both sides of the valley. The last 

lava-capped hill is nearly opposite milepost 207, and this hill marks 

the western limit of the old valley, which is now so deeply filled with 

the volcanic material that it constitutes hills rather than a valley.

At Swissvale the railroad is built upon a broad gravel-covered 

flat. The absence of exposures of hard rock is due largely to this 

fact and to the fact that the flat, or rather terrace, is composed of 

the Weber shale and sandstone, which underlie the 

red sandstone that is so conspicuous farther east. 

1' This relation is due largely to the effect of a cross 

anticline, which trends in the direction followed by 

the railroad. This anticline brings the Leadville limestone near 

the surface, but it can not be seen from the railroad until the train 

passes Wellsville Springs. Its position is marked on the river bank, 

however, by numerous springs, which carry so much lime in solution 

that as soon as they emerge from the bank they deposit the lime

Swissvale.
DENVER & 1UO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 89

in the form of calcareous tufa, building up dom^s of this material 

around the springs. A rather large spring of this kind is being 

utilized at Wellsville as a bathing pool, making it a general pleasure 

resort for the surrounding towns.

Long ago, when the river was flowing at a much higher level than 

it is now, large springs issued along its banks much as the springs 

issue along its banks to-day, and they built up immense masses of 

tufa, which now stand several hundred feet above the railroad. This 

tufa consists of nearly pure carbonate of lime, and it is now being 

quarried in a large way for use in refining beet sugar and as flux in 

iron furnaces.

West of Wellsville Springs the sides of the valley become steeper 

and the railroad is crowded to the bank of the river under a high cliff 

of Leadville limestone, which is the lowest formation of the Carboniferous system. The beds of rock in this cliff have been greatly 

distorted by folding and in places stand nearly vertical, but the 

bedding has been largely obliterated by the solution and redeposition 

of the lime, so that the structure can not be determined from the 

train. After passing the great bend of the river to milepost 210, the 

synclinal structure may be plainly seen in the bluff on the far side of 

the river.

The limestone is conspicuous on both sides of the valley almost to 

milepost 211, where it rises and disappears in the tops of the hills. 

It is underlain by thin-bedded quartzite, the age of which is not definitely known, though it is considerably older than the other sedimentary rocks which the traveler has recently seen. The quartzite is so 

much changed by movement and pressure in the crust of the earth 

that at first sight it may not be recognized as a sedimentary rock. It 

is cut off in a short distance by a great mass of intrusive rock, which 

occupies a large area on the northeast side of the river valley and 

extends up the river as far as the stockyards 2 miles below Salida. 

Beyond this place the intrusive rocks are restricted to the northeast 

side of the river, or if they occur on the other side they have been 

dropped so low by faulting that they are effectually concealed by 

the gravel in the bottom of the valley. The Arkansas Valley above 

Salida has doubtless in many places been affected by faulting, so that 

large tracts have been dropped hundreds and possibly thousands of 

feet and the depressions so produced filled with sand, gravel, and 

boulders brought down from the great Sawatch Range on the west. 

About Salida in particular the evidence of such a dropped block 

seems to be conclusive, for the river a few miles below the town is 

flowing on bedrock and it would still be running on or near bedrock 

at Salida had the bedrock not been depressed below its original level.
90 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The largest town in the mountains west of Canon City is Salida 

(from the Spanish word outlet; locally pronounced sah-lie'da), which 

was so named because it stands at the outlet of the 

Salida. upper Arkansas basin. It was settled in 1880 at the 

Elevation T.oso feet, time the railroad was being built up the Arkansas 

DenVlr?i5 4mn8e9s. Valley> and it is at the junction of the narrow-gage 

road over Marshall Pass to Grand Junction and that 

over Poncha Pass to San Luis Park with the main line of the Denver 

& Bio Grande Western Railroad. Here are the repair shops of the 

railroad and some other manufacturing plants, and a mile northwest 

of the town there is a large smelter. It is a town of homes, but in 

addition there are several hotels for the accommodation of travelers 

who change from one route to another in order to see the beautiful 

scenery for which this region is noted. The town lies in a basin that 

is nearly surrounded by mountains. (See PI. XLIV.) The Sangre 

de Cristo Range, which begins near Santa Fe, N. Mex., terminates 

just south of the town in a prominent point known as Hunts Peak 

(12,446 feet). The Sawatch Range begins in Mount Ouray (13,955 

feet), a little west of the north end of the Sangre de Cristo Range, 

and stretches northward, including Mount Chipeta, Mount Shavano 

(14,179 feet), and other high peaks, shown in Plate XLIV. To the 

north and northeast there is a jumble of lesser ranges without 

special names.

As the branch railroad lines that enter Salida are narrow-gage 

all the freight originating on them and bound for the East must be 

reloaded into standard-gage cars. This reloading entails considerable expense and loss of time and is a great handicap to the shippers 

on the narrow-gage lines. Narrow-gage cars can run, however, between Salida and Leadville, because here a third rail has been maintained for the benefit of the mining interests in shipping ores to 

the smelter.

A description of the route over Marshall Pass and through the 

Black Canyon begins on page 158.

MAIN LINE OF RAILROAD FROM SALIDA TO MALTA.

On leaving Salida the railroad runs up the right side of the valley, 

but it leaves the base of the hills in a short distance and finds a route 

near the middle of the valley. About a mile out of Salida the 

traveler has on the west (left) an unobstructed view of the southern 

part of the Sawatch Range, which at its extreme southern point 

is crossed by the narrow-gage road over Marshall Pass. This line, 

after passing westward from Salida about 6 miles, enters the range 

by Poncha Canyon, which is indicated on Plate XLIV.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XLIV

: «tffiw. -^

,.3SlP'^ - -' j<n*s»°ln «*.* ' .. ".

SALIDA AND THE VALLEY OF THE ARKANSAS.

:2. (Face p. 90.)

From the hill across the river the town of Salida and the neighboring parts of the valley are spread out as on a map. Hunts Peak, marking the north end of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is on the left, and 

Mount Ouray, the south end of the Collegiate Range, is near the middle of the picture. Mount Chipeta shows to the right of Ouray, and Mount Shavano at the extreme right of the picture. The narrow-gage 

line over Marshall Pass crosses the bridge in the foreground and ascends the canyon in front of Mount Ouray. Photograph by Henry R. Hay, Salida.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 91

The railroad ascends this canyon for several miles and then climbs 

the mountain slopes on the west, finding a way, after many turns and 

loops, over the range through Marshall Pass, which lies just beyond 

Ouray Peak (oo'ray), as shown in Plate LXIX, B (p. 162). Although the line up the Arkansas Valley above Salida was completed 

as far Leadville in 1880 and the line over Marshall Pass in 1881, the 

latter was regarded as the main line and was the first to be finished 

through to Salt Lake City.

Near milepost 217 a branch line turns to the left to a large silverlead smelter in which much of the ore of this region is reduced. A 

description of such a plant and of the process of smelting is given 

on pages 252-254. A little farther on there is an abandoned mill 

on the right of the track, one of the characteristic features of a 

mining country that has seen its best days. The old mine that 

supplied ore to be crushed and concentrated in this mill may be 

seen halfway up the mountain slope on the right. The mill and a 

single house constitute Belleview, which is merely a siding for 

trains. A short distance beyond Belleview the railroad crosses the 

Rainbow Highway, which for some distance beyond this point continues on the right of the track.

From Salida up to the Continental Divide and for some distance 

down on the western slope the shape of the mountains has been 

greatly modified by glaciers. There are no glaciers in these mountains now, but long ago, during the great ice age, these ranges, 

particularly their east sides, were covered by great masses of ice 

which flowed down toward or into the valleys at their feet, scouring 

out here and there basins from the solid rock. As most of the striking scenery in this region is due to the effect of these bodies of moving ice they are shown on the accompanying maps as they existed 

at the time of their greatest development. The effect of high winds, 

low temperature, and snow on the vegetation at high altitude is 

also well shown at the summit of the mountains, as exhibited in 

Plate XLV, A, which is a view from the automobile road where it 

crosses the Sawatch Range west of Salida.

About milepost 220 there are many large boulders, like those at 

Parkdale, on a low terrace near the river. As the railroad approaches the river the boulders^nay be seen at close range and at 

higher levels, until they appear on the terrace above the one on 

which the railroad is built. These boulders increase in size northward until at a place about a mile from the mouth of Brown Canyon, 

which is apparently the place from which they were swept, there 

are boulders of great size; one on the left of the track measures 

24 by 14 by 10 feet,
GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The boulders are distributed in a fan-shaped, delta-like area, showing that on emerging from the canyon the current that transported 

them swung first to one side and then to the other 

Brown Canyon. of thig great delta f an ^ naturaHy? as jt reached 

Elevation 7,324 feet. ^e Open country, lost its transporting power and

Denver 222 miles. ^ . m, . T» /-x dropped its load. I he station of .Brown Canyon 

is at the point where the stream emerges from the canyon which it has 

cut in the hard granite. (See fig. 20.)

SAWATCH RANGE

FIGURE 20. Ideal section from Sawatch Range to Brown Canyon, showing the deep 

gravel filling in the old channel of the Arkansas.

The canyon is not straight but, as shown in figure 20, winds about 

in the hard rock, and at one place, half a mile beyond milepost 223, 

it touches the very edge of the granite mass, so that the recent cutting 

of the stream has exposed the gravel filling on 

the west (left; see fig. 21), showing conclusively 

that when the river established its present course 

it was flowing on gravel of fairly uniform composition and-that the slope of its bed was so 

slight that it meandered over a broad, flatbottomed valley in great well-rounded curves. 

When the uplift came that gave it power to 

trench its valley, the stream cut directly downward in its established course, and although in 

some places its course was on granite and in 

other places on gravel, the river persisted in 

following that course even to the present day.

The point of hard rock which the traveler may 

see on the left before he reaches the rift in the 

canyon wall is a large dike, which was once 

molten rock that was forced up from below 

through some great fissure in the crust of the 

earth. It is now solidified into a mass more 

resistant than the surrounding granite, so that it stands up as a nearly 

vertical wall.

At some places in this canyon there are great granite boulders, 

around which the water surges furiously when the river is above the

FIGURE 21. Sketch 

map of Brown Canyon, showing its relation to the granite 

and the gravel.
U. S. OEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XLV

A. SUMMIT OF Till1: SAWATCH RAiNtiK \VKST OK SALIDA.

From the automobile road leading to Gunnison and Moiitrosc the traveler has a good view of the 

bleak summit of a high range. The trees make a persistent effort to creep up toward the crest, 

t but the strong winds, low temperature, and drifting snow prevent them from reaching the top. 

As shown in the foreground, many of the trees grow horizontally on the surface, and those that 

stand upright are severely handled by the snow and wind. Photograph by Henry R. Hay, 

Salida.

B. CIRQUE ON A MOUNTAIN SIDE.

This picture gives a good idea of the great amphitheaters or cirques scooped out of a mountain 

side by the old glaciers. The glacier formed at t,he head of a ravine, and the ice flowed out 

toward the observer and down the ravine to the left. It cut into the slopes on all sides and 

in time produced the cirque shown here. Photograph by Henry R. Hay, Salida.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

MOUNT PRINCETON.

The towering peaks of the Sawatch or Collegiate Range dominate the upper valley of the Arkansas. Th

east side with enormous glacial cirques between them. It was taken from the Trout Creek road an

graph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
DENVER & MO GRANDE WESTERN ROtfTE. §3

normal stage. The traveler may be interested in the circular holes, 

ranging in diameter from a few inches to many feet, that have been 

carved in these boulders, and he may wonder how they have been 

made. Some of these " potholes," as they are called, are shown in 

Plate XLVII, B (p. 98). If he could look down into the potholes he 

might see the " tools " by which they were carved. These tools are 

small boulders, which the water, when it is high, whirls round and 

round in the narrow space. This constant grinding wears the holes 

deeper and broader and unites many adjacent holes, forming a channel in the rock.

About three-quarters of a mile beyond milepost 224, which is in 

the narrowest part of the gorge, the railroad crosses a rather large 

creek that enters the river from the east. A branch road once ran 

up this stream nearly 6 miles to some iron mines, but the mines 

were unsuccessful and the line has been discontinued, although it 

is still shown on some recent maps. The point where this branch 

joined the main line was known as Hecla Junction. The canyon 

is near the western edge of the granite area, but the gravel filling 

on the left can not be seen from the train.

About half a mile beyond milepost 230 the railroad crosses the 

river and in a short distance emerges from the rocky reaches of 

Brown Canyon. This canyon is extremely interesting from many 

points of view. To the geologist it reveals a whole chapter in the 

history of this region, a chapter that tells of its depression down 

nearly to sea level, when the highest mountains of Colorado were 

small ridges only 4,000 or 5,000 feet in height, and then of its elevation to its present position. To the lover of beautiful scenery it 

affords a pleasing variety of landscape, for one tires of even the 

finest scenery if it is without variety; but in passing from the open 

valley above Salida, where the principal objects in sight are the 

great mountain peaks of the Sawatch Range, to the confining granite 

walls of Brown Canyon the traveler experiences a pleasing sensation of the nearness of the landscape and of being brought face to 

face with the works of Nature. To the artist the canyon is beautiful because of its ruggedness and of the many vistas that may 

be obtained of the stream boiling and foaming through some narrow 

part, or of some beautiful side ravine where the dull gray of the 

granite is enlivened by the deep green of the conifers and the soft 

foliage of the aspens, or, if the season is autumn, by the gleam 

of gold which the yellow leaves give to the landscape.

The general aspect of the canyon, as well as its relation to the 

gravel filling on the west, may be seen to excellent advantage by 

looking back from the train after it has cleared the granite walls 

and crossed the river to the west side. Here the traveler can see 

that the higher gravel terrace on the west, as shown in figure 20, is
94 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

about level with the tops of the granite walls of the canyon. This 

fact strongly corroborates the theory that the old valley was filled 

with gravel that forced the river to the east, onto the granite upland. 

Just after emerging from the canyon the traveler may get, on the 

west (left), a magnificent view of a part of what is frequently 

called the Collegiate Peaks or the Collegiate Range, from the fact 

that the three most prominent summits visible from this part of the 

valley are known as Princeton, Yale, and Harvard.29 The view on 

the left also includes Mount Shavano, which is the next high peak 

south of Mount Princeton. These peaks are peculiarly situated, as 

they do not form a part of the Continental Divide but stand distinctly east of that crest, and the larger streams heading in the range 

cut through this outer line of peaks in great canyons that are very

FIGURE 22. Mount Yale from Nathrop.

striking features. One of the deepest of these cuts, the canyon of 

Chalk Creek, which the traveler may see on the left, separates Mount 

Shavano on the south from Mount Princeton on the north. The 

view of Mount Yale as seen from this point and represented in, 

the sketch (fig. 22) is the best to be obtained from the railroad, for north of this point the big shoulder on the east side

29 The history of the naming of these 

peaks is given below in the words of 

Prof. W. M. Davis, of Harvard University :

In the summer of 1869 Prof. J. D. 

Whitney visited the Rocky Mountains 

of Colorado with a small party, including four of his students (Archibald R. Marvine, Henry Gannett, 

Joseph' H. Bridges, and William M. 

Davis) in the mining school at Harvard. His object was chiefly to determine the altitude of the loftiest ranges 

that he could reach, regarding which 

a brief report was published in Petermann's Mitteilungen (1871). The 

highest summit that he found (14,399 

feet), was in the Sawatch Range west 

of the upper Arkansas Valley and 

was named Mount Harvard, after 

the university in which he was then 

teaching; while the next higher summit immediately to the south in the 

same range (14,172 feet), was named 

Mount Yale, after the university 

from which he graduated 30 years 

before. The name Mount Princeton 

was given a few years later to the 

fine mass (14,177 feet) next south of 

Mount Yale.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 95

conceals the main sharp peak, and the mountain looks like a great 

round mass. Mount Harvard lies to the right of Mount Yale, and 

this mountain, as seen from any point on the line, presents the appearance of a great mass without a definite or sharp top.

Just before reaching Nathrop the railroad crosses Chalk Creek on 

a high bridge. The traveler may look up into the great canyon 

which this creek has cut in the Sawatch Range, whose base is only 

5 miles away, though the head of the creek is 20 miles farther back. 

The Colorado & Southern Railway has a narrow-gage road in operation up this creek to the mining region about St. Elmo; it formerly 

crossed the range to Parlin and Gunnison, on the Marshall Pass 

branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western, but the long summit 

tunnel has caved so badly that traffic beyond Hancock has been abandoned. This road may be seen on the left just after the train passes 

the village of Nathrop.

The gorge that Chalk Creek has cut through the mountains has 

been scoured by a great glacier, which has greatly broadened its 

bottom and smoothed its sides, but unfortunately the railroad is so 

far from the 'base of the mountains that the traveler can not see 

how much the ice modified the shape and appearance of the canyon 

nor the enormous terminal moraine, a mile long and several hundred 

feet high, that it built. This moraine lies outside the mountains, but 

it can not be seen from the train.

The mountains on both sides of Arkansas Valley are included in 

the Leadville National Forest, in the administration of which the 

Forest Service has come into close contact and, at first, into conflict with the miners regarding their right to cut timber on the public domain. The manner in which this subject has been handled 

and an outline of the results obtained are given by Smith Riley, district forester, in the footnote.30

80 As the train goes up the valley of 

Arkansas River from Salida to Buena 

Vista the traveler sees the Collegiate 

Range on the west and the Trout 

Creek Hills and Buffalo Peaks on the 

east. These hills and mountains are 

all in the Leadville National Forest, 

which covers an area of 935,566 acres.

The celebrated Leadville and Summit County mining districts of Colorado are almost wholly in the Leadville National Forest. The question 

at once arises, What effect has the 

establishment of these national forests 

had upon the mining industry are 

they beneficial or detrimental to it?

This question can be best answered 

by giving a brief sketch of the practices and customs of the mining communities in the State at the time the 

forests were created as compared with 

those prevailing at the present time. 

In the early days, when "mineral" 

was discovered, it was the practice to 

stake as claims all the ground that 

might become affected by the discovery- One incentive for this action 

was the desire to control the timber; 

another was the desire to control all 

possible mineral deposits found subsequent to the discovery. No effort 

was made to conform with the require-
GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

From the village of Nathrop the traveler, on looking back to 

the east, may obtain a good idea of the kind of country the granite 

makes somes distance back from the main drainage 

Nathrop. lines. It forms a plateau or table-land that rises 

Elevation 7,696 feet, from 1,500 to 2,000 feet above the level of the valley.

TT. , , . - rt rt J. ' ' V

This plateau is probably a remnant of a once 

rolling surface that extended over most of the 

mountain country and that has been described as a peneplain.

ing fires or the misuse of forest property. Very little of the timber, however, that is used in the tunnels, shafts, 

and stopes of the Leadville mines has 

been obtained from the basin of Arkansas River. Practically all of it 

has been obtained from Fryingpan 

Creek, in the Sopris National Forest, 

and from the Eagle River country, in 

the Holy Cross National Forest. Most 

of the round timbers that are loaded 

on freight cars at Mitchell, Pando, or 

Red Cliff, on the other side of the 

Continental Divide, are destined for 

the Leadville mines.

The forests around Leadville are 

composed almost entirely of lodgepole 

pine (see PI. XXXVI, B), and the city 

stands in the upper part of the zone of 

this tree. The traveler will note the 

large number of young trees scattered 

over stump areas or areas in which 

dead standing trees give evidence of 

forest fires. Lodgepole pine seeds 

readily in the soil and ash of fireswept districts, for the cones that contain the seed may remain on the tree 

year after year without opening, 

though the seed continues fertile. In 

this way large quantities of fertile seed 

accumulate on the trees, so that when 

a forest fire occurs the cones are slowly 

opened by the heat, and the seeds are 

released and fall in great numbers to 

the ground to sprout and grow, if the 

weather is favorable. Where the 

growth of lodgepole pine after a fire 

is scattering the fire may have been so 

severe that it burned up a large number of the cones, or favorable weather

ments of the law as to what 

tutes a claim.

When an application for mineral 

patent is now received for a piece of 

land in a national forest the land is 

examined by an experienced, qualified 

mining expert of the Forest Service to 

determine the validity of the claim. 

If the claim is found to be invalid 

the evidence of its invalidity is submitted to the General Land Office, 

where action on the application for 

patent is taken. Such examinations 

have done much to stop the exploitation of other than mineral land under 

the mining laws as well as the wholesale location of timber by an individual or company to the detriment 

of the lone prospector.

Particular attention is given by the 

Forest Service to the preservation and 

protection of timber in regions where 

it may be needed for prospecting and 

mining. A prospector can obtain timber to develop his claim from the national forest without charge, but a 

paying mine must buy its timber. 

Where forest land in a mining district 

is sold care is taken to leave on it 

sufficient timber for its exploitation 

as mineral land should mineral deposits he found on it.

Roads, trails, and telephone lines are 

built by the Government through national forests to make them accessible 

for administration and protection. 

These conveniences are open to the 

prospector, who in turn is welcomed 

by the forest officer because of the assistance he is able to render in report-
DENVER. & KIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 97

About a mile north of Nathrop the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

crosses to the east side of Arkansas River, and a short distance farther on it crosses the Colorado & Southern Railway, which follows 

the east side of the valley from this point up to Buena (bway'na) 

Vista. After he crosses this railway the traveler, if the light is 

just right, may see faintly in the distance on the side of Mount 

Princeton a wagon road that zigzags up the south spur of the mountain to some old mines, from which it has been extended to the top. 

This road may soon be so improved that automobiles can reach the 

top of the mountain, from which an even wider view may be obtained than that from Pikes Peak, for Mount Princeton is surrounded by range after range that can be seen only from some commanding eminence. The height of Mount Princeton is 14,177 feet. 

Its relation to the Arkansas Valley is well shown in Plate XLVI.

Near milepost 237 the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad 

again crosses Arkansas River, and a short distance beyond this crossing the traveler may see Trout Creek Pass on the east (right). The 

Colorado Midland Railway formerly operated a line through this 

pass. At a lower level he may see the Colorado & Southern Railway, which crosses through the same pass. This road formerly connected the lines of this system in South Park with the line that runs 

southward from Buena Vista, but it is not now in operation.

About 2 miles north of the river crossing just mentioned, on the 

east side of the track, is the State Reformatory, to which juvenile 

offenders are sent. After crossing Cottonwood Creek, a fine, swift, 

clear mountain torrent, the railroad reaches Buena Vista (" good 

view"), a town embowered in a beautiful grove of cottonwood trees 

and one of the most attractive places in this part of 

the Arkansas Valley. It stands at the intersection 

of two of the most noted automobile roads in the 

State the Rainbow Highway from Canon City up 

the Arkansas and the road from Colorado Springs 

oy way of South Park. These roads, after uniting, continue northward through Tennessee Pass and westward to Glenwood Springs and 

Grand Junction. Cottonwood Creek, which furnishes an abundance 

of pure water for domestic use and for irrigation, comes down in a 

deep canyon between Mount Princeton and Mount Yale from the 

Continental Divide, which is some distance west of these high peaks. 

Long ago a great glacier occupied the canyon and scoured it out, but 

it came down only to the point where the canyon opens out into the

Buena Vista.

Elevation 7,968 feet 

Population 903. 

Denver 240 miles.

may not have followed the fire, so that 

only a very small percentage of the 

seeds could survive. Where the traveler sees a dense patch of these pine 

trees in a tract on the mountain side,

however, he can be almost certain that 

a fire has swept over that tract and 

was followed by a heavy fall of seed 

and favorable weather during the subsequent growing season.
98 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEBN" UNITED STATES.

valley, and the traveler on the railroad has no opportunity of seeing 

the results of its work.

The attractions of Buena Vista consist of an admirable climate and 

beautiful surroundings for summer visitors; the ascent of Mount 

Princeton, which is a little higher than Pikes Peak; and Cotton wood 

Hot Springs, at the mouth of the canyon 6 miles above Buena Vista. 

It is proposed to lay a pipe line down to the town and establish bathhouses so that more visitors may be able to bathe in the mineral 

water. Buena Vista was established in 1879 and is the seat of government of Chaffee County.

Immediately north of the station at Buena Vista the traveler 

may notice on both sides of the track huge boulders that are arranged 

in the form of a fan, similar to the great fan of boulders at the 

mouth of Brown Canyon. The boulders at Buena Vista may not 

be so large as those at the mouth of Brown Canyon, but many of 

them measure from 12 to 15 feet in their longest diameters.

Nearly 2 miles from the station the Denver & Kio Grande Western 

Eailroad enters Wildhorse Canyon, a small canyon cut in the massive 

granite. The automobile road does not follow the river in this part 

of its course, but keeps to the west (left) on the unconsolidated 

gravel that fills the old valley. This canyon is not so deep nor so 

continuous as Brown Canyon, and for some distance in its middle 

part the granite in the west wall gives place to gravel. At its upper 

end, on the right (east) side of the track, a great block of granite 

stands like a sentinel. This block is shown in Plate XLVII, A. 

Here the traveler may look back and see that the gravel terrace on 

the west side of the river stands at about the same level as the top 

of the granite wall that bounds the canyon on that side. From this 

fact it is apparent that at one time the old valley was deeply filled 

with gravel, which was brought down from the high mountains on 

the west, and that the stream was crowded eastward upon the rocky 

slope of the valley. Later, when the stream had removed some of 

this gravel and resumed the work of cutting its valley down, it 

again flowed on the hard granite, but far to the east of its former 

course. However, a stream has no power of itself to alter a course 

it once establishes, and so Arkansas River persisted and cut the 

canyon in the hard rock.

On emerging from Wildhorse Canyon the traveler may obtain a 

much better view of Mount Yale (14,172 feet) than that which he 

obtained near Buena Vista. Here it appears as a single peak directly 

across the valley, with the sharp summit of Mount Princeton on the 

left and the great rounded mass of Mount Harvard (14,399 feet) on 

the right. A little farther along he may see a great hollow that 

apparently has been scooped out of the east slope of Mount Harvard 

on the side facing Arkansas Valley. This hollow is semicircular in
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XLVlI

A. NATURAL GRANITE MONUMENT.

This striking rcmnanl of massive granite at the upper end of Wildhorse Canyon stands to the 

right of the tracks and is at least 60 feet high. The granite is cut by dikes of other material, 

which show in the picture. Photograph by Marius R. Campbell.

B. POTHOLES IN GRANITE BOULDERS.

In Brown Canyon there are many large granite boulders around which in ordinary stages the water 

swirls arid boils but which in floods are completely submerged. The rushing current rolls round 

and round small boulders caught in hollows of the larger blocks, cutting great circular pits called 

"potholes." Photograph by Marius R. Campbell.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

MOUNT ELBERT AND MOUNT MAS

Colorado's highest peaks as they appear in winter from Leadville. A large smelter in California Gulch 

many cirques, from which great glaciers once ilowed down into the valley of the Arkansas. Photog
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN' ROUTE. 99

outline and has a nearly flat floor. From the train it looks like a 

very small feature, but its walls are probably several hundred feet 

high, and it is not less than half a mile across. (See fig. 23.) To 

such a semicircular hollow as that on Mount Harvard or the one on 

the Continental Divide west of Salida (PI. XLV, B) geologists 

have applied the French term "cirque," meaning circle. It was 

produced by a small glacier that was formed in a ravine far up on 

the mountain slope.

As far as milepost 246 the valley has a general width of 5 to 8 

miles, but on looking ahead the traveler may see that it becomes 

narrower and finally seems to close in completely. The old and 

rather broad valley doubtless continued to the head of the stream 

near Tennessee Pass, but a little distance above Riverside it is so

FIGURE 23. Great cirque on Mount Harvard.

much filled with gravel and boulders that it is scarcely recognizable. 

Near this constricted part of the valley large boulders abound, forming a fan similar to the boulder fans observed at the mouths of the 

canyons below. The change in the character of the valley is due to 

the fact that in the Great Ice Age, when glaciers were active, they 

formed mainly on the mountain slopes at or above an altitude of 

11,000 feet and flowed down the side canyons or gulches for 

distances that depended on the grade of the canyon and the size 

of the glacier. In the Arkansas Valley below Riverside the glaciers 

that headed in the Sawatch Range reached only to the mouths of 

the side canyons, but farther north the altitude of 

Riverside. ^.jie valley is so great that they not only reached the 

Elevation 8,374 feet. m0uths of the rock-bound canyons but pushed out

Denver 248 miles. . . 1/1111.0. n -xi ^

into the river and filled the mam valley with the 

rocky debris that they had carried on their surfaces or that had been 

embedded in them. This condition prevails above Riverside, and for 

this reason the valley is much narrower here than it is lower down. 

The glacial material brought down from the mountains crowded the 

river to the east side of the valley and even forced it over on the 

granite of the east wall, as it did in the other canyons below. The 

large blocks of rock that were derived from this granite were carried 

down the canyon and for some distance out on the flat valley floor.
100 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The canyon which the railroad enters at1 milepost 252, although 

short, is rather picturesque and has a steep granite wall on the east 

side, against which the stream has been crowded by the glacial drift 

that was brought down Pine Creek from the west. Through this narrow passageway the~river boils and surges over and around the great 

boulders that obstruct its course. The glacial drift is first seen as the 

railroad bends sharply to the left, a little above milepost 252. At 

first sight it may not be apparent that this material differs from the 

gravel that composes the terraces below, but careful inspection will 

show that the boulders are all composed of fresh rock and that their 

surfaces are generally smooth and unweathered. It also shows that 

many of them are scratched, or striated, as the geologist calls it, as 

they were brought down by the glacier and held like a giant rasp 

against the rocky sides of the canyon. Such scratches are regarded as 

reliable indications that the boulders have been transported by ice.

At milepost 254 the railroad crosses the river to the east side and 

follows the east bank for a long distance. In some places the west 

wall of this canyon is composed of granite and in others of glacial 

drift, but the traveler on the railroad train can not determine the 

reason for the presence of the drift until the train has rounded the 

broad curve above the bridge and he is able to see on the west (left) 

up the open valley of Clear Creek. As this view up the creek, 

which is well worthy of attention, can be had only while the train 

is running a quarter of a mile the traveler who wishes to see it clearly 

should be ready to look this way as soon as it becomes visible. By 

looking up Clear Creek he will see that the stream issues from the 

high mountains in a canyon that has a broad U-shaped cross section, 

and that outside the mountains it is walled in by parallel ridges 

of broken rock and gravel that was deposited or heaped up by the 

ice. Such ridges along the sides of a valley are called by geologists 

lateral moraines. The moraine on the north side of Clear Creek, 

at the point where the stream emerges from the mountains, is 700 

feet high, and its front, which is composed of loose material, is as 

steep as it can stand. The moraines run parallel with the creek until 

they reach the river, where they curve around and nearly meet, 

forming a loop that originally inclosed the mass of ice. The glacier 

not only reached the river, but at times pushed a little farther and 

heaped up the loose gravel on its east side. Naturally when such 

a glacier melts away the part of the valley it occupied will be left 

relatively free from boulders, and it therefore generally forms a 

swampy tract or a lake surrounded by a ridge or ridges of gravel. 

The stream quickly cuts a trench in this bounding ridge, so that the 

valley is thus drained through a narrow cleft. The users of water 

far down the Arkansas have taken advantage of this natural site
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 

3

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer 

M. R. CAMPBELL. Geologist A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

Age Thickness 

in feet

A Mountain glaciers as they were during the Great Ice Age Pleistocene

B Gravel, sand, and clay

J Dark marine shale (Mancos shale)

M Brown sandstone (Dakota sandstone)

N Variegated shale and sandstone (Gunnison formation)

R Red sandstone and shale (Maroon formation)

Pleistocene and 

late Tertiary

- Upper Cretaceous

2,600±

50±

Cretaceous (?) and 

Jurassic

S Red sandstone, conglomerate, and shale (Weber formation) j

U Blue limestone (Leadville limestone, Ouray limestone) 

I Parting quartzite 40'

., Carboniferous 

i (Pennsylvanian)

Limestone and .' White limestone

quartzite 

X Granite 

Y Lava flows 

Z Intrusivea 

_ _ Fault

160'

: Lower quartzite (Sawatch

; quartzite) 175'

Carboniferous 

(Mississi-ppian) 

and Devonian

Ordovician and 

Cambrian

1,500

2,800

200

375

Pre-Cambrian

Tertiary
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 101

for a storage reservoir and have built a dam across the lower end 

of the valley and thus connected the two parts of the moraine, so 

that the swampy area has become a reservoir for the storage of water 

until it is needed in the valley far to the east for the irrigation of 

crops.

Just above the mouth of Clear Creek the Colorado Midland.Railway formerly crossed the Denver & Rio Grande line by an overhead bridge, and a short distance farther on it crossed the river and 

continued on the west side of the stream nearly to Malta. Just above 

the crossing the river and railroads enter a granite canyon, which is 

very narrow but of slight depth, and continue in the canyon to and 

beyond the village of Granite. (See sheet 4, p. 134.) 

This village has been the center of large golddredging operations,31 but this industry is now a 

thing of the past, and the village is known principally as the stopping point for those who wish 

to visit Twin Lakes, a noted local resort, reached by stage from this 

station. Lakes are not numerous in the mountains of Colorado, so 

that even small ones such as Twin Lakes are highly prized.

Above Granite the railroad continues in the canyon, but the walls 

are low and at many places the traveler may catch glimpses of the 

surrounding country. About 2 miles from Granite he may see on the 

west (left) and ahead the ridge of gravel which bounded the glacier 

that once occupied the valley of Lake Creek and which now surGranite.

Elevation 8,943 feet. 

Population 79. 

Denver 257 miles.

81 In the days of '49 gold was obtained from gravel mainly by the laborious method of panning, or by the 

use of the cradle, both slow and crude 

methods that do not appeal to the gold 

hunter of the present day. The cradle 

and the pan gave way to hydraulic 

mining, which was a great improvement on those early methods, as it enabled the operator to handle an enormous quantity of gravel at slight expense, but the waste sand and gravel 

produced by the process so choked, the 

streams below the operations and so 

greatly interfered with the growing 

of crops that laws were passed prohibiting its use.

Now dredging has replaced all other 

methods of handling placer deposits, 

for it is the most efficient method yet 

devised, one that can show a profit 

even where the gold recovered amounts 

to only a few cents to the ton of material handled.

80697° 22 8

Dredging is practicable wherever the 

placer lies in the bottom of a valley or 

on a fairly level surface where water 

is available and where the placer is 

extensive enough to provide for several 

years' operations. A large excavation 

is made in the gravel, and in it a 

dredge is built very much like the great 

dredges used in digging the Panama 

Canal. The excavation is filled with 

wafer and the dredge scoops up the 

gravel with its steel buckets down to 

bedrock; the gravel, after it is hauled 

aboard the dredge, is washed for the 

gold, and then the refuse is dumped 

back into the hole from which it was 

taken. This method of handling placer 

gravel requires considerable capital, 

but on account of the vast quantity of 

material handled the returns are frequently large and the operation is 

very profitable. A view of one of the 

dredges used in the Rocky Mountains 

is shown in Plate XLI, A (p. 81).
102 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEB.N UNITED STATES.

rounds the lakes that fill the depression once occupied by the ice. 

The gravel brought down by this glacier contains considerable gold, 

and it has1 been washed extensively along the river by hydraulic 

methods and by dredges. The washed gravel now lies in great heaps 

and ridges that greatly disfigure the landscape.

The railroad emerges from the canyon a short distance beyond 

milepost 262, and the traveler finds that the valley ,above this point 

consists of flat, marshy ground which extends nearly to the head of 

the stream below Tennessee Pass. This upper part of the valley is 

probably in the same condition as the lower valley was ages ,ago, 

before the stream had cut its present canyon, and at a time when 

it was flowing at the top of the uppermost terrace that the traveler 

has seen. At that time the lower part of the valley was filled to a 

great depth with sand and gravel, and all the former inequalities in 

the surface were obliterated. The upper valley appears to be in that 

stage to-day. It has doubtless been filled with sand ,and gravel 

brought down from the ranges on either side until almost all the 

inequalities of the bedrock have been concealed, and on this level 

floor the stream meanders, not exactly sluggishly, for there is considerable slope to the surface, but the quantity of loose material 

furnished to the stream is much more than it can carry away, so 

that it is being continually dropped and thus obstructs the channel of 

the stream and forces it to shift its course to one less direct. If 

conditions were changed so that Arkansas Eiver had a sharper 

descent or a greater volume of water, it would have more cutting 

power, and it would then soon trench this flat bottom, and the cut 

edges of the valley filling would stand up as terraces just as the 

terraces stand above the stream lower down.

On emerging from the canyon the traveler again has an unobstructed view of the mountain range on the west, and its aspect is 

very different from the view which he had below Riverside. The two 

most prominent peaks visible from the upper end of the canyon are 

Mount Elbert, which stands just above the moraines of Lake Creek, 

and Mount Massive, which stands farther up the range.

The altitude of the valley is so great that few plants except grass 

can be grown to advantage, but the hay crop is luxuriant, and stock 

raising is the principal business. As the train departs more and more 

from the great moraines that bound Lake Creek on both sides the 

mountain peaks back near the head of the creek come into view. 

These peaks are more rugged than most of those that have been in 

sight from the railroad. The accompanying sketch (fig. 24) shows 

the most prominent peaks that can be seen from milepost 265 by one 

looking to the southwest. These peaks all appear to the left of Mount 

Elbert, some of them showing from behind the projecting spurs of 

that mountain. La Plata Peak (14,332 feet) appears in the center,
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 103

and Grizzly Peak (14,020 feet) in the distance, with the great 

lateral moraine of Twin Lakes in the foreground.

On the east (right) the side of the valley for some distance is very 

hummocky, and on first sight it seems to be a moraine, but closer 

study shows that the glaciers which once came down the gulches on

La'Plata

FIGURE 24. Mountain peaks of Sawatch Range at head of Lake Creek, aa seen from milepost 265. Moraines of Lake Creek in foreground.

this side of the main, valley did not extend to the area that is within 

sight of the railroad, and the hummocks are therefore not the result 

of the action of ice but of landslides and peculiarities of drainage. 

At milepost 267 Mount Sheridan (13,700 feet) is the most conspicuous feature of the Mosquito Range, on the east (right), but generally 

the peaks of this range are not so rugged nor so high as those of the 

Sawatch Range, on the west.

After passing milepost 268 the traveler may see on the east (right), 

by looking up the gulch past the white wooden schoolhouse, the first 

indication of the presence of the great mining camp of Leadville 

the smoke of the smelters that may be seen over the top of the terrace or the tops of the smokestacks and some of the surface buildMt. Evans

MtSherman

Mt.Sheridan

FIGURE 25. The Mosquito Range as seen from milepost 269, at the mouth of Iowa Gulch.

ings of the mines. No adequate idea, however, of the extent and 

importance of Leadville can be obtained from the main line of the 

railroad.

At milepost 269 a good view can be obtained of the Mosquito Range, 

known also as the Park Range, on the east. The view from 

this point is represented in the accompanying sketch (fig. 25),
104 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

which shows the relative positions of the different peaks and their 

names.

The scenery on the other side is dominated by the great bulk of 

Mount Massive and Mount Elbert. Plate XLVIII shows them as 

they appear from the vicinity of Leadville. Mount Massive (14,404 

feet) is on the right and Mount Elbert (14,420 feet), the highest 

mountain in Colorado, on the left. Mount Elbert may not appear 

so high as Pikes Peak, but the traveler must remember that he is 

looking at Mount Elbert from a much higher position than the one 

he occupied at Colorado Springs when looking at Pikes Peak, and 

that the summit of Mount Elbert is only 4,800 feet above him.

Near Malta, the junction point for Leadville, the level marshy 

valley is more than 2 miles wide. On the east it is bordered by a 

terrace fully 150 feet high, which was formed by the trenching by 

the stream of an older flat-bottomed valley. At Malta some of the 

town of Leadville may be seen. By day the cloud of smoke from 

its mines and smelters marks the location of the 

Malta- town, and by night the lights of the streets and 

8° eet' the smelters may be seen 600 or 700 feet up the 

slope of the valley on the east (right). As some 

trains of the main line run by way of Leadville, a brief description 

of this interesting mining camp will be given. The description 

of the country along the main line north of Malta begins on 

page 109.

LEADVILLE LOOP.

On leaving Malta for Leadville the railroad turns sharply to the 

east and winds about the gently rolling slopes of the valley side 

in order to get distance in which to make the ascent without climbing 

too steep a grade. At first the road winds up the slope among the 

pine trees, but farther on it comes out upon the edge of a terrace 

that overlooks a small ravine or " gulch," 32 as all such features are 

called in this region, and the traveler may look down upon one of 

the smelters which is engaged in extracting valuable metal from 

the ore that is mined in the famous Carbonate Hill, a picture of 

which is shown in Plate XLIX.

Leadville is one of the highest towns in the world, standing 10,200

feet, or nearly 2 miles, above sea level. It is also one of the oldest

towns of Colorado, dating back to 1860, the year in

Leadville. which the site of Denver was first occupied by white

Elevation 10,200 feet. men. In 1859 gold is said to have been discovered

in a little ^ulch that enters the Arkansas Valley 

from the east at the site of Malta by a party of gold 

seekers on their way to California, who on that account called it Cali82 This ravine is California Gulch, in which gold was first discovered in this 

region in 1859.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CARBONATE HILL, LKADVILLE.

Out of the mines on this hill has come some of the richest silver ore ever mined. It made fortunes for th

of precious metal. Recently the mine dumps have been reworked for zinc ore that was formerly disc

in the distance. Photograph by L. C. McClure, Denver.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

A. THE PATIKNT BURRO.

The humble beast of burden that made possible 

the development of mines in parts of the WestIn derision he has been called the " Rocky 

Mountain canary."

B. TUNNELS l.N EAGLE RIVER CANY

View on the eastbound track from a tunnel that pierce

massive granite. The mining town of Oilman, 

of the canyon, is shown in the distance. Photonished by the Denver & Rio (Jrande Western Rai
DENVER & MO GRAttDE WESTERN ROUTE. 105

fornia Gulch. This discovery was made late in the autumn, and the 

party was not prepared to spend the winter there, so they left; but 

they returned the next year and established a mining camp which 

they christened Oro City (meaning Gold City) and which before 

the end of the year had a population of 5,000. Its fame spread, and 

in 1861 it was the most populous town in Colorado Territory. In a 

few years more than $5,000,000 had been washed from its golden 

sands, but like that of all other placer deposits the life of this one 

was ephemeral, for in a few years the town was nearly abandoned by 

the gold seekers, and for several years it played only a small part 

in the history of the mining region.

From 1874 to 1877 there was a revival of interest in the Leadville 

region, for silver-lead ores were found at several places in the vicinity of California Gulch, but no development was undertaken until 

1878. Before that year the camp consisted of only a cluster of log 

cabins, but in 1878 a "rush" to the new workings began and the 

camp at once sprang into prominence as the greatest silver camp in 

the world. The Denver & Rio Grande Eailroad was completed to 

the gulch in 1880, and the camp soon had a population of 30,000. 

During the first decade of its existence the silver and lead produced 

is reported to have been worth more than $120,000,000. Silver mining was the chief industry until the slump in the price of silver in 

1893. For a time there was great stagnation, and then the miners 

turned their attention to the production of gold, silver, copper, lead, 

and zinc. In 1920 the value of the output of the mines of Lake 

County, which includes some mines outside the Leadville district, was 

$4,320,510. The total metallic output up to the end of 1920 is valued at a little more than $419,000,000.33

83 The following more detailed account of the history of the Leadville 

district is taken largely from the reports of Emmons and Irving (Geology 

and mining industry of Leadville, 

Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. 12, 

1886; The Downtown district of Leadville, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 

320, 1907).

During the summer of 1859, at the 

time of the great Pikes Peak excitement, a continuous stream of emigrant 

wagons stretched across the plains, following Arkansas River up to the base 

of Pikes Peak. Many of the wagons 

that had crossed the plains in the early 

summer, carrying the triumphant device " Pikes Peak or bust," returned

later over the same route with the 

device significantly altered to the single 

word " Busted," but the more adventurous of these pioneers pushed resolutely up through the narrow rocky 

gorges toward the sources of the 

streams. Some wandered across the 

mountains during the same season into 

South Park and found gold-bearing 

gravel on Tarryall Creek and in the 

neighborhood of Fairplay.

Early in the spring of 1860 some of 

the prospectors found gold in the gravel 

at the site of the village of Granite, 

and others passed on to California 

Gulch, near the present station of 

Malta, where the most valuable discovery of the season was made. News
106 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEB.N UNITED STATES.

Leadville, like most other mining camps, was built around mills 

and mine dumps, and much of it is therefore not beautiful.

Any description of mining operations in a mountainous region 

like that surrounding Leadville, particularly of those of the early

of the finding of gold in this gulch 

spread with wonderful rapidity, and 

eager miners flocked in rapidly.

Large quantities of the precious 

metal were obtained from the gulch, 

and within, a year the town that was 

built along its banks, known as Oro 

City, is said to have had 10,000 inhabitants. Estimates of the gold produced that year differ widely, some 

being as high as $10,000,000 and others 

as low as $3,000,000, but the rich 

placers were soon exhausted, and the 

population dwindled in three or four 

years to a few hundred. Some prospecting was done for the veins which supplied the gold of the placers, and several mines that gave a fitful gleam of 

prosperity to the camp were located, 

but the general feeling was one of 

pessimism and the settlement was practically deserted. The rich silver-lead 

ores, which later were to give this 

region a world-wide reputation, were 

undiscovered, or rather unrecognized. 

The miners had gained most of their 

experience in the gold fields of California, and to these men silver ore was 

comparatively unknown and worthless. 

Few suspected the value of the socalled "heavy rock" fragments of 

iron-stained carbonate of lead which 

obstructed their sluices and had to be 

thrown out by hand. Although later 

many claimed to have known of the 

rich silver-lead ores, their practical 

discovery was due to A. B. Wood, an 

experienced miner and metallurgist 

who came to the region in 1874.

Active prospecting over the entire 

region may be said to have commenced 

in the spring of 1877, and the development of rich and productive mines 

from that time on advanced with a 

rapidity that was truly marvelous. At 

the beginning of this era of prosperity 

the settlement consisted of a few log 

cabins on the edge of California Gulch,

with an estimated population of 200; 

its business houses consisted of a " ten 

by twelve" grocery and two small 

saloons. The three mines were 

scarcely more than surface scratchings, and a lead furnace was planned 

but not erected. Communication was 

had with the outside world by stage 

or wagon, either across the crests of 

two high ranges to Denver or by an 

almost equally difficult road to Colorado Springs. In petitioning for a 

post office the names Cerusite (the 

mineralogical name for lead carbonate) and Agassiz were proposed but 

rejected as being too scientific. Lead 

City was suggested, but finally a compromise was reached on Leadville.

In 1880, three years later, the city 

of Leadville had 15,000 inhabitants, 

28 miles of streets, and more than 5 

miles of water mains and was in part 

lighted by gas. It had 1,100 pupils 

in daily attendance at its schools, five 

churches, three public hospitals, an 

opera house, six banks, and many 

business houses, constructed of brick 

and stone. Its assessable property is 

estimated to have been $30,000,000, 

and $1,400,000 was expended in 1880 

in new buildings and improvements. 

To support this population there were 

over thirty producing mines and ten 

large smelting works, and the annual 

production of gold, silver, and lead 

amounted to $15,000,000.

This burst of development was continued until 1884, but since that year 

the district has maintained a fair degree of regularity, its average being 

a little more than $9,000,000 a year.

The value of the total yearly metallic output of the district from 1877 

to and including 1917 is shown in 

figure 26. This diagram shows also 

the values-of the different metals that 

make up the output. The total production, as shown by the diagram, is
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 107

or prospecting stage, would be incomplete without mention of the 

humble burro (see PI. L, A) , that patient beast of burden which has

A >V

<\

N\V\

M

'&$/.

7/P

 Wi

frK

U/i

V7TA U,*

J&^ ^M

£161

6061

S06f

(061

£681

6881

S98I

1881

(VI - O

fairly regular, except for two marked 

depressions, one in 1897 and the other 

in 1908. The first of these depressions

was due to a strike, which caused 

many of the mines to become flooded, 

and the second to the generally low
108 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEKff UNITED STATES.

been the prospector's constant companion in his lonely wanderings 

overthese bleak ranges and his main dependence for the transportaprice of the metals. One of the most 

striking features shown by the diagram is the remarkable increase in the 

value of the output of this district 

since 1902, with the exception of 1908, 

1909, and 1910. This great increase in 

the total has been due largely to the 

marketing of great quantities of zinc. 

In 1915 the zinc amounted to $8,989,154 

out of a total of $13,839,401.

Figure 26 shows the gradual decline in the production of silver from 

a maximum in 1880 and of lead from 

a maximum in 18S1--82. It also shows 

that at first gold formed only a small

years it was small. After 1901, however, it increased rapidly until in 

1915 it was more than two-thirds of 

the total output of the district.

Thus Leadville, which began in 1860 

as a gold camp, became in 1879 the 

greatest silver-lead district this country has ever produced and in 1915 became predominantly a zinc district.

The nature and occurrence of the 

ores of Leadville bear little resemblance to those of the Cripple Creek 

district, described on pages 47-51. At 

Cripple Creek the ores were probably 

deposited from waters that ascended

1,000 1,500 Feet

27. Section through some of the workings at Leadville, showing the relation of 

the ore to the limestone, porphyry, and quartzite. wp, White porphyry; gp, gray porphyry; Ivl,, Leadville limestone; pq, parting quartzite; wl, white limestone; qtz, 

lower quartzite; gr, granite. The ore bodies: are indicated by cross hatching. The 

straight heavy lines represent faults, and the arrows show the direction of movement.

percentage of the whole but that in 

1893 it began to increase and that in 

1900 it attained a maximum of 

$2,500,000. Since that time it has 

run fairly regularly at somewhat over 

$1,000,000 a year. Copper began to 

form a notable percentage of the total 

in 1889, but since that year the output has been very regular, its value 

amounting to about $500,000 a year. 

The production of zinc has become one 

of the spectacular features of the 

Leadville district. The production of 

this metal first became noticeable in 

the returns for 1896, and for a few

from deep in the interior of the earth 

through fissures in the breccia that 

filled the throat of an old volcano. At 

Leadville the ores replace limestone, 

but they are closely associated with 

sheets of porphyry that were forced 

while molten in between the layers of 

limestone or between the limestone 

and adjacent quartzite. This relation is shown in figure 27, which 

represents a section through some of 

the workings. Whether or not the ores 

were brought to this place by waters 

ascending from great depth or by 

waters sinking down through cracks
DENVER, & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 109

tion of supplies while he has been driving tunnels in search of ore; 

which has carried lumber and other material for building mine 

works and even heavy machinery up the steep mountain trails.

MAIN LINE OF RAILROAD FROM MALTA TO GRAND

JUNCTION.

Soda Springs and Evergreen Lake, two resorts of local interest, 

are 2£ miles west of Malta. Evergreen Lake is said to be very attractive, and Soda Springs is much visited by those who hope to be benefited by the use of the waters.

A little north of Malta, at the crossing of a strong stream from the 

east known as the East Fork of the Arkansas, the north end of the 

Leadville loop connects with the main line. The East Fork heads in 

the Mosquito Eange, on the Continental Divide, northeast of Leadville. The pass between the head of this stream and Tenmile Creek, 

the head stream of Blue River, has been named Fremont Pass, on the 

supposition that Fremont crossed the range at this place in his expedition of 1845, but the "Pathfinder" probably crossed at Tennessee Pass.

in the rocks from the surface has not 

lascendiug from great depth or by 

(waters sinking down through cracks in 

the rocks from the surface has not 

been satisfactorily determined, but 

since the ores were originally deposited they have certainly been concentrated by what is called "enrichment" that is, by the solution by 

surface waters of the disseminated ore 

and its redeposition at a lower level. 

The ores are generally most abundant 

beneath the layers or " sills "of porphyry, but they are found also in some 

places below the quartzite.

The ores originally consisted of sulphides of the principal metals lead, 

zinc, copper, iron, and probably silver but the silver was so much disseminated that it has been difficult to 

detect Geologic work in the district 

has shown that the ores were deposited 

after the intrusion of the gray porphyry into the limestone and before 

the rocks were broken by the faults 

shown in figure 26. After they were 

deposited in fissures and solution 

cavities in the limestone much of the 

overlying mantle of rock was removed, 

and the ores were brought within the 

zone of weathering by surface waters.

When the sulphides were thus exposed to weathering they were dissolved, changed to carbonates and 

oxides, and redepositecl by the descending surface waters in a rather 

narrow zone, which has yielded most 

of the ores mined up to the present 

time. The extreme richness of the silver ore mined when the camp was at 

the zenith of its fame was due to the 

fact that the silver was redeposlted 

near the surface and was the first valuable mineral to be reached in most of 

the mines. Many of the mines are 

now working sulphide ores, which are 

much leaner than the carbonate and 

oxide ores of the early days. The 

great increase in the value of the zinc 

in 1915 was due both to an increase in 

the production of ore and to a great 

increase in the price of the metal. 

This increase in price led to the reworking of dump heaps for the zinc 

ore that had been thrown away in the 

earlier and more prodigal exploration 

of the ore bodies. It is perhaps fortunate that zinc was so nearly worthless in the early days, for that led1 to 

its conservation until the World War, 

when the demand for it was unprecedented.
110 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Long ago, in the Wisconsin stage of the glacial epoch, a great 

glacier came down East Fork to a point within a mile and a quarter 

of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. This great river of 

ice scoured the valley clean and left it with a broad, flat bottom and 

a gentle grade. Most of the loose material scoured from the rocky 

sides of the valley by the moving mass was carried away by Arkansas River, but some was dumped near the lower limit of the ice. 

Another glacier came down Lake Fork from the high mountains on 

the west, and this one was so strong that it pushed out across the 

broad, flat valley of the Arkansas, crowding the stream against the 

bluffs on the east side. This glacier dumped a great mass of loose 

material in semicircular form (called a terminal moraine), which 

the traveler may see on the west (left), but he is so far below its 

summit that he can not realize its shape. A glance at the map 

(sheet 4) will show its semicircular shape, which conforms to the 

curved margin of the tongue of ice that laid it down.

About halfway between mileposts 274 and 275, a mile beyond the 

crossing of East Fork, the railroad is crossed by a high-tension electric transmission line, which is carried on steel towers. This line 

carries the power generated in a hydroelectric plant on Colorado 

River,83* which the traveler will see at Shoshone, 10 miles east of 

Glenwood Springs. As the transmission line for such a plant is very 

expensive, it follows as straight a course as possible without regard to 

mountains or canyons. For this reason it does not follow the Denver 

& Rio Grande Western Railroad eastward from Shoshone but turns 

to the south and passes up Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Creek to 

Hagermann Pass. From this point it descends Lake Fork and 

crosses the Denver & Rio Grande Western, as noted above, and thence 

goes to Leadville, where much of the power is utilized in the mines 

and mills. The line then turns northeastward toward Denver and 

crosses Fremont Pass to Tenmile Creek, which it follows to Dillon. 

From Dillon it runs due east and crosses the Continental Divide for 

the third time at Argentine Pass. It then descends Clear Creek, 

serving Idaho Springs, Central City, Blackhawk, and finally Denver. 

The traveler who visited Mount McClellan while at Denver probably 

noted the steel towers and the wide swath cleared of timber for this 

line along the mountain slopes.

Near milepost 275 Arkansas Valley regains its normal width of 

about 2 miles. The constrictions lower down are due entirely to the 

moraines of the glaciers that flowed down from the mountain valleys 

on the west. Another glacier from the west filled the valley above 

milepost 278 with a great moraine, which also crowded the stream

33a The name of Grand River, in Colorado and Utah, has recently been changed 

to Colorado River by act of Congress.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. Ill

against the east bank. As the roadbed is cut in the hillside it exposes some quartzites and limestones, the beds of which are parallel 

with the railroad and dip to the east. These beds probably rest on 

the granite that forms the foundation of the earth's crust in this part 

of the country, and they are visible for some distance along the railroad track. On the south side of Tennessee Pass, however, the beds 

are so poorly exposed that the traveler on a passing .train can get 

only momentary glimpses of them.

At milepost 281 the slopes of the valley are gentle, and it seems but 

a little way to the Continental Divide. When the narrow-gage railroad was first built it climbed over the summit of Tennessee Pass, 

but now it saves about 250 vertical feet of this climb by a tunnel 

2,572 feet long. The station of Tennessee Pass is at the south end 

of this tunnel. After running a short distance into 

Tennessee Pass. the tunnel the engine ceases to labor and finishes 

Elevation 10,240 feet, the long steady climb from Pueblo. So far as the

Denver 281 miles. ° J . . , i -L railroad can carry him toward it the traveler has 

now attained the crest of the continent.

The heaviest grade on the main line on the east side of the Continental Divide is 1.42 per cent, or 75 feet to the mile. This grade 

extends with few interruptions from Buena Vista to Tennessee Pass, 

a distance of 41 miles. The heaviest grade on the west side is 3.3 

per cent on the westbound track. This grade is maintained for a 

short distance above Minturn, but throughout most of the distance 

from Minturn to the summit the maximum grade is 3 per cent, or 158 

feet to the mile.

After emerging from the tunnel the traveler may look back and 

see the apparently low summit of Tennessee Pass. If it were not at 

the backbone of the continent and the parting of the waters of the 

Atlantic and Pacific it would not attract attention, for it is only a 

low, flat cross ridge against which the streams head that flow in 

opposite directions to the two oceans. The Arkansas drainage has 

become familiar to the traveler, and now the drainage of Eagle 

River and Colorado River will become equally familiar as the train 

descends these streams on its way to the western border of the State. 

Some travelers may find the Continental Divide disappointing, for 

they may have pictured it as the sharp summit of a single mountain 

ridge; but the Rocky Mountains form a great system of interlocking 

and parallel ranges, only a few of which have sharp, narrow crests, 

most of them having rounded summits that are not particularly 

imposing.

North of the tunnel the railroad is at the headwaters of Piney 

Creek, down which it winds and twists to maintain an easy grade 

to the main stream, which heads on the flanks of Homestake Peak, 

on the west. This valley is generally covered with forest except
112 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEBN UNITED STATES.

near the railroad, where the trees have been cut for use in building 

the railroad and in working the mines. It is now a part of the Holy 

Cross National Forest, which is described by Smith Riley in the footnote.34

Like most mountain valleys that stand at a high altitude the valley 

of Piney Creek is broad and has gentle slopes. The old roadbed 

of the narrow-gage line, which crossed the summit of the pass, may 

be seen on the left of the present road, several hundred feet above it. 

The old line made a great detour to the west into the main valley, 

and its bed joins that of the present line at the station of Mitchell. 

Few rocks can be seen in place, but the tunnel at the pass was driven 

in granite, which is exposed also from place to place in cuts on the 

railroad. Just below Mitchell the stream has cut a 

rugged trench in the granite on the east side of its 

valley, upon which it had been crowded by a great 

mass of boulders and clay pushed out by a glacier 

that came down from the west. 'I'his glacier came 

at least as far as the creek, and at times the ice probably turned northward and followed the creek for several hundred yards. The conditions here resembled those that prevailed in Wildhorse Canyon, 

already described.

Below this point the stream has cut a deep gorge in its rocky floor, 

and its descent is so rapid that the railroad can not follow it, but 

climbs down more gradually along the west wall of the canyon. The

Mitchell.

Elevation 9,925 feet. 

Population 55.* 

Denver 284 miles.

84 After passing through the tunnel 

at Tennessee Pass the traveler enters 

the Holy Cross National Forest. This 

forest, which covers 577,634 acres and 

includes part of the drainage basin of 

Eagle River, takes its name from the 

famous Mount of the Holy Cross, 

which lies within sight of the railroad 

but some distance to the west.

West of Minturn the boundary of 

the forest follows the lower line of 

timber growth back some distance 

from Eagle River valley. The mining camps of Redcliff and Gilman are 

furnished with timber from the dead 

trees on the large tracts that were 

swept by fires before the national forest was created. Some dimension lumber is cut from the green Englemann 

spruce in the vicinity of Redcliff, but 

most of it is shipped to the mines at 

Leadville and in the surrounding 

country, and some is shipped westward

and made into crates for the fruit that 

is raised in the vicinity of Grand 

Junction.

The trout fishing in the waters of 

the Holy Cross Forest is excellent, and 

the Bureau of Fisheries and the Forest 

Service keep the streams and lakes 

well stocked by yearly "plants" of 

young fish. (See PL LI, B.) Game 

animals and birds of all kinds are considered a big asset to the national 

forest, and efforts are made to protect 

and develop them, but predatory animals are eagerly hunted and destroyed. 

During the winter, when the weather 

is severe and food is scarce, the wild 

animals are closely watched by the 

forest officers, and if found suffering 

for want of food the State game authorities are informed and steps are 

taken to feed them. Wild deer and 

mountain sheep (see PI. LVII, A, 

p. 132) feed each winter in Glenwood
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LI

A. WILD ANIMALS IN A NATIONAL FOREST.

The United States Forest Service is making vigorous efforts to restock the national forests with 

wild animals. This picture shows a herd of elk recently shipped from Wyoming and turned 

loose in the Holy Cross National Forest. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.

B. STOCKING A STREAM WITH FISH IN A NATIONAL FOREST.

The streams in the Holy Cross National Forest ore stocked with trout fry so that anglers who 

visit this region will be rewarded for casting a fly. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 113

old narrow-gage track swung to the east, making a broad loop up 

the East Fork of Eagle River, and then went northward to Pando, on 

the level floor of the old lake basin, now called Eagle Park. This 

grade is now utilized by the automobile road that in a general way 

parallels the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad from Leadville 

to Grand Junction.

In the vicinity of Eagle Park the granite is overlain by sedimentary 

bedded rocks that were laid down countless ages ago as sand on the 

shore of a sea. Since that time they have been crushed in the movements in the crust of the earth that have raised up the mountains. 

They have been permeated by waters bearing silica in solution until 

all the pores of the sandstone have been filled with silica or quartz 

(quartz is a form of silica) and the rock has become a glassy white 

quartzite. This rock crops out nearly parallel with the railroad and 

dips from 10° to 20° E. It may be seen in the mountain side on the 

left nearly 400 feet above the railroad, and its nearly horizontal beds 

are on the opposite side of the valley about 150 feet above the creek. 

This mountain side is really the eastern slope of the great Sawatch 

uplift, or, as it is frequently called, the Holy Cross Mountains, 

which lie west of the railroad. The mountain slope on the other side

Canyon, and it is no uncommon sight 

to see large herds of these animals near 

the railroad.

Before the white man came to the 

mountains of the West game animals 

of every kind were abundant in them. 

Now, even in the national forests, 

which are their natural habitat, there 

are many areas in which they can not 

be found. In many of these areas, 

however, wild animals of many kinds 

could no doubt be propagated and 

made a source of revenue. The Forest 

Service is restocking such areas by 

shipping game animals to Colorado. In 

shipping these animals care is taken 

to send them to areas that afford both 

summer and winter pasturage. The 

settlement of the valley lands of the 

State has cut off wild animals from the 

valleys, where there is only a light fall 

of snow during the winter, and has 

limited their range to the higher country. The larger game animals of this 

country, however, must have winter 

feeding grounds where the snow is comparatively light. Even the mountain 

sheep, which during the summer inhabit exposed regions near timber line,

migrate in winter to areas that have 

exposures to the south and west, where 

the sun and wind keep the grass free 

from snow.

Plate LI, A, shows a number of elk, 

part of a herd of several hundred that 

were shipped to Colorado by the Forest 

Service and turned loose in the mountain region. Recent reports show that 

these animals are contented and are 

increasing rapidly.

When the State law was passed prohibiting the killing of elk several herds 

of native elk still remained in the 

mountains. There are 2,000 or more in 

the White River National Forest north 

of Glenwood Springs, 50 on Williams 

River in the Leadville National Forest, 250 on the south fork of the Rio 

Grande in the Rio Grande National 

Forest, 200 in the Gunnison National 

Forest, and 80 in the Durango National Forest. Mountain sheep are 

plentiful near timber line and blacktailed deer throughout the mountains. 

Having so large a stock of wild animals to start with, Colorado can again 

become one of the foremost "big 

game " States of the West.
114 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

of the valley is composed mainly of rocks that overlie the quartzite, 

and if a trench were cut from the top to the bottom of the slope the 

rocks would appear as shown in figure 28.

FIGURE 28. Section across Eagle Park, showing the thin cap of quartzite on the west 

(left) and the same bed dipping into the base of the slope on the opposite side. The 

beds dip eastward, away from the Sawatch or Holy Cross anticline.

Near milepost 286 the traveler has an unobstructed view to the 

east (right) up the valley of the East Fork of Eagle River almost 

into Fremont Pass. The width of this valley suggests that it has 

been occupied by a great river of ice that originated in the high summits of the Mosquito 

Range north of Leadville and flowed down 

Eagle River valley to a point where the melting exceeded the supply of ice from above, 

but the region has not been examined carefully 

enough to determine this point.

In descending the west wall. of the valley 

the traveler may look down upon the level surface of Eagle Park, and one of the features 

that may attract his attention is the crooked 

course of Eagle River, which wends its way 

down the valley in many bends or meanders. 

These bends, as seen from a point midway between mileposts 286 and 287, are shown in the 

accompanying sketch (fig. 29). Courses so 

crooked are not limited to streams in mountain 

regions but are characteristic of streams that 

29. Meanders of flow on flat surfaces with a grade insufficient 

to enable them to straighten their channels. 

The cause of the flat surface here was a dam 

formed by a glacier in the valley at Pando. In the pond above this 

dam mud accumulated, and when the ice disappeared the valley was 

left with a flat mud bottom, which has since been covered with a thick 

layer of turf.

Eagle River in Eagle 

Park near Deen.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 115

A little below this point, at the signal tower of Deen, is the beginning of the double track that extends from that place through 

Eagle Canyon to Minturn.

The railroad follows the outcrop 'of the bedded rocks, which maintains, at least as far as Pando, about the same relative position as 

when first seen that is, about 500 feet .above the valley floor on the 

west and 100 to 150 feet on the east. Just after passing milepost 

288, half a mile above Pando, the traveler may see on the east (right) 

a low ridge of gravel, which extends across the valley and which is 

thought by some geologists to have constituted the terminal moraine 

of a very old glacier that once came down HomePando. stake Valley from the southwest, though the writer 

Elevation 9,209 feet, thinks that it was more probably the terminal

Denver 289 miles. . , -, n , -, moraine or a great glacier that came down to 

this point from Fremont Pass; but, as already stated, the region 

has not been examined with sufficient care to justify a definite statement on this subject. The trench that the stream has cut in the 

mor,aine has been filled by an artificial dam, and the pond above the 

dam is utilized for making ice.

At Pando the railroad turns abruptly to the right and follows the 

river across the broad valley to its eastern wall. The reason for this 

abrupt change in the course of the railroad from one side of the 

valley to the other is that half a mile below Pando the valley, 

although broad, is almost completely blocked by a great mass of 

gravel and boulders, which was brought down by a glacier that once 

descended Homestake Creek, on the west, but pushed a tongue of 

ice into this valley. (See PI. LII.) The material brought in by 

this glacier obstructed the drainage of the valley so much that the 

river was forced against the east side, and the railroad has followed 

the pathway kept open by the stream. The course of Eagle River 

has been greatly affected by this glacier and by the morainic material 

which it deposited.35

85 A critical observer will see clearly 

that Eagle River did not originally 

find its outlet down its present canyon 

below Pando, which is too narrow for 

a stream of its volume, but that it 

once flowed westward across the low 

divide to Homestake Creek. (See PI. 

LII.) In other words, Eagle River 

here once turned to the west (left) 

and flowed northward down what is 

now the lower course of Homestake 

Creek. The interesting question then 

arises, What could have happened to 

cause a stream like Eagle River, firmly

intrenched in a deep valley, to change 

its course and carve for itself a new 

valley? Manifestly a stream can not 

make such a change unless it is compelled to do so by some obstruction. 

What could have been the obstruction ? 

As there is conclusive evidence that 

the valley of Homestake Creek was 

once occupied by a great glacier it 

seems obvious that ice was the barrier which prevented Eagle River from 

pursuing its original course and forced 

it to seek a new outlet toward the 

north. The conditions as they were
116 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

As the railroad curves about the terminal moraine that marks the 

lower limit of the glacier the traveler may catch, far to the west 

(left), a fleeting glimpse of the Mount of the Holy Cross (13,986 

feet), so named because the snow on its east slope clings throughout 

the summer in a great vertical cleft that extends nearly the whole 

height of the mountain and in a horizontal cleft that crbsses the 

vertical cleft, the two together having the form of a cross. The 

Mount of the Holy Cross is familiar to many persons through 

Moran's painting, which has been reproduced extensively in colored 

prints and postcards. It is doubtful whether from Pando the traveler can see, even in the best weather, more than the crest of the peak, 

but farther along the road, near Minturn, he may obtain a somewhat 

better view of this well-known mountain. The cross and the mountain that bears it are well shown in Plate LIII.

In some places the rock beds are bent upward and the underlying 

granite appears in great irregular masses, but beyond such bosses, 

which continue only for short distances, the quartzite takes its accustomed place at railroad level.

The course of the river is nearly due north to the junction with 

Weary Man's Creek, which comes in from the east. The combined 

stream turns abruptly and flows west until it joins Homestake Creek 

and is again in its rightful valley. At the sharp turn from north to 

west is situated the mining camp of Eedcliff, which 

is also the county seat of Eagle County. This valley was the route of an exploring party under the 

command of Capt. (afterward Gen.) John C. 

Fremont, and a flag on a rocky eminence on the 

right of the railroad in Redcliff is said to mark the site of an engagement with the Ute Indians in one of his expeditions between 

1842 and 1845.

Several mines are in operation in the vicinity of Eedcliff, and 

others may be seen in the canyon between Redcliff and Minturn. 

(See Pis. L, B, and LIV.) Some of these mines have found gold 

in the granite near the railroad track, but most of them are operating in the Leadville limestone at the top of the canyon wall and the

Redcliff.

Elevation 8,608 feet. 

Population 347. 

Denver 294 miles.

at that time are shown on the accompanying map (PI. LII).

The contrast of the broad valley 

above Pando and the narrow rocky 

gorge into which the stream plunges 

near milepost 290 is striking. To add 

to the ruggedness of the scene the 

quartzite, which up to this point has 

been high up on the slopes, especially

on the west side of the valley, is here 

at creek level on the right; and at 

milepost 290 the base of the quartzite 

crosses the stream and makes cliffs 

on both sides of the gorge. The gorge 

is so narrow that it can accommodate 

only the stream and the railroad, but 

even in order to build the railroad 

much rock cutting was necessary.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LII

3<y

MAP OF HOMESTAKE GLACIER, COLORADO

Showing how it dammed Eagle River and forced that 

stream to follow a new course helow Pando

Scale

* o

Contour interval 5O and 100 feet. 

1922
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS.

This wonderful peak, hidden away in the mountain fastnesses, far from the ordinary routes of travel, b

cross is so protected by clefts in the rock that it never disappears, no matter how long and how 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SUUVEY 

MINKS IN EAGLE RIVER CANYON

The walls of Ea^Ie River canyon are pitted with mines and prospects j^old in the g

zinc in the limestones at the top of the cliffs. The mining town of Oilman, on the The ledges in the canyon wall are quart/He. Photograph furnished by the D
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 117

products are silver, lead, and zinc. At the station at Redcliff the 

granite may be seen on the right, and above the granite towers a 

great cliff of quartzite, making an imposing entrance to Eagle Eiver 

canyon, which begins at this point and extends down the stream for 

a distance of 4 miles. Overlying the quartzite, but hardly visible 

from the station, is the outcrop of Leadville limestone, marked everywhere by mines and prospect pits. Above the limestone may be 

seen here and there ledges of red rock belonging to the upper part 

of the Carboniferous the same formation that is so conspicuous 

about Howard and Salida.

After leaving the station at Redcliff the traveler has just about 

time to turn in his seat and see the mouth of Homestake Creek on 

the south (left). Eagle River once occupied this valley, as already 

explained, but was turned out of its course by the glacier that came 

down the creek valley from the high mountains on the south. The 

glacier did not quite reach the site of the railway below Redcliff, but 

at the time of its greatest extension its front was only a few hundred yards away. Below the mouth of this creek the railroad follows the river through Eagle Eiver canyon, which is not so deep 

as many gorges cut by Arkansas River on the other side of the Continental Divide, though for narrowness and picturesqueness it is 

excelled by few.

The stream, which has here become a river, tumbles down through 

the narrow gorge, dashing its spray over the great boulders that 

obstruct its pathway. The walls of the canyon rise in jagged pinnacles to a height of 400 or 500 feet and on the east are capped by 

banded quartzite, the projecting points of which look like ruined 

castles perched on the rocky walls. Mining has been carried on in 

this canyon and on the surrounding mountain slopes for many years, 

and the walls are honeycombed with old prospects and tunnels driven 

in search of gold. The ores obtained in the limestone above the 

canyon were lowered to the railroad on inclined tramways or aerial 

cable lines, the remains of which may be seen along the east wall at 

points where an unobstructed passageway could be obtained from 

the head-house, which seems to have a precarious footing on the 

rocky slope, down to the railroad. For some distance all the mines 

seem to have been abandoned, but near milepost 296 the river swings 

to the east and the sedimentary rocks, which dip in that direction, 

are much lower than they are farther up the stream. Here there 

are several large mines (see PI. L, 5, p. 105), and the mining town 

of Oilman has been built on a rocky point that projects into the 

canyon from the east at a height of several hundred feet above railroad level. The mines are in the Leadville limestone, which lies 

above the precipitous walls of quartzite and granite, and the traveler 

80697° 22 9
118 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

may be able to see some of the ore being lowered to a mill in the 

bottom, of the canyon.36 The ore is crushed in this mill and partly 

separated from the rock with which it is associated and is then 

shipped to some smelter for reduction to the metallic 

Belden. state. At Belden the quartzite is about 100 feet 

Elevation 8,304 feet, above the railroad and has a thickness of 250 to 

30° feet- Jt is'Overlain by the Leadville limestone, 

which shows at the top of the canyon wall.

Eagle Biver canyon is so narrow that in building the second track the 

Denver & Rio Grande was forced to use both sides of the river and 

even there had to tunnel through many of the projecting points of 

rock. (See Pis. L, #, and LV, B.} The westbound track follows the 

east side of the canyon and the eastbound track the opposite side.

For a short distance below Belden the canyon continues narrow and 

rugged, but its course is more and more toward the east, and the

36A. H. Means in Economic Geology, vol. 10, p. 4, 1915, gives the following 

section of the rocks in the Eagle River canyon:

Section of rocks exposed in Eagle River canyon, Colo.

Age.

Carboniferous:

Character.

Sandstone.....................

Shale..........................

Formation. Thickness.

Feet. 

1,900

3,950

,60

100

150

270

Regarding the ores and the mines 

Mr. Means says:

"The ore deposits of the district 

are confined to a relatively small 

area, the largest part of which lies 

in the canyon of Eagle River between 

Redcliff and Gilman, a distance of 

about 3$ miles. The deposits may be 

divided as follows:

"(1) Fissure veins in the granite, 

carrying principally gold and silver 

with some copper, lead, and zinc.

"(2) Replacements in the quartzite, 

consisting of bodies of zinc blende and 

galena, also narrow veins carrying 

gold and silver.

"(3) Replacements in the limestone, 

comprising large bodies of zinc blende 

and considerable deposits of chalcopyrite and pyrite."

According to Henderson the value 

of all the metals produced in Eagle 

County from 1880 to the end of 1920 

is $23,834,838. The ores mined here 

are the same as those produced in 

the Leadville district, and the field 

has had a somewhat similar experience, on a much smaller scale. The 

camp started as a silver-lead camp, 

but a little gold also has been mined. 

The mines produced about $1,500,000 

a year in 1883 to 1886. In 1896 copper 

began to be mined, and in 1905 the 

zinc mined became of sufficient value 

to be noted in the reports of production. In this camp, as at Leadville, 

zinc sprang into prominence in 1914, 

and in 1915 it led all other metals in 

the value of its output, which amounted 

to $1,381,577.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LV

A. ROGUES MOUTONNEES.

Photograph by W. H. Jackson.

B. EAGLE RIVER CANYON.

An eastbound train passing through Eagle River canyon. View from a point near Relden, looking 

upstream. The remains of old mines are visible just below the top of the canyon wall in the 

distance. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Graudc Western Railroad,
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LVI

A. EAGLE VALLEY NEAR EDWARDS.

Although most of the valley of Eagle River between Minturn and Walcott is more than 

7,000 feet above sea level, pood crops of alfalfa, the more hardy grains, and potatoes 

are raised. The ranch buildings are usually substantial and the ranches well kept. 

In the soft light of the evening the fields of waving grain make a very pretty picture. 

Photograph by M. O, Leigh ton.

JB. RECENT VOLCANO IN EAGLE VALLEY.

From the dark hill in the middle background came the last volcanic outburst in tbis part 

of the country. Fragments of dark lava still cling to the slopes, showing that the lava 

flowed down to the bottom of the valley. Photograph by Marius R. CamphcH.

C. EDGE OF RECENT LAVA FLOW.

The lava flowed out from the volcano shown in B until it reached the river; there it 

stopped. This is a view of the edge of the flow where it is washed by Eagle River. 

Photograph by M, O, Leighlon,
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 119

result is that the quartzite steadily approaches railroad level downstream. About half a mile below milepost 297 the quartzite reaches 

railroad grade, and a short distance below it passes beneath the 

stream and is lost to view.

Just before reaching Bex siding the traveler may see on the west 

(left) a ridge of loose boulders, which seems almost like a dam 

thrown across the valley of Eagle River. Doubtless he has already 

learned to recognize such an accumulation of boulders as a moraine 

that was pushed out by a glacier from some side valley. This moraine 

was built by a large body of ice which descended Cross Creek from 

the high peaks of the Holy Cross group of mountains. The boulders 

were carried entirely across the valley of Eagle River, showing that 

the ice filled the valley to the foot of the slope on the east side. The 

glacier expanded when it reached Eagle River, so that its extremity 

must have resembled a fan, and it covered the area on which the railroad has been built for a distance of 2£ miles. One of the great blocks 

of gneiss which it carried to the foot of the slope on the farther side 

may be seen on the east (right) of the track near Elk Creek. It 

is 40 feet long and 25 or 30 feet wide, and its top stands 12 feet above 

the ground.

Cross Creek is noted for the peculiar forms that were produced 

along it by the passage of the glacier over its granite bed. As the 

glacier found the floor of the granite canyon somewhat irregular its 

principal work was to round off and polish the projecting knobs. 

The rounded masses of granite in this canyon, called " roches moutonnees" (roshmoo-ton-nay'), are shown in Plate LV, A. This name 

has been applied by French geologists to such rounded rocks on 

account of their fancied resemblance, when seen at a distance, to the 

backs of sheep.

At Rex siding the top of the quartzite is at railroad level, and the 

Leadville limestone may be seen on the left, where it forms several 

knobs. Its color is light blue, and it is easily distinguishable from 

the quartzite, which has a yellowish tone. As the railroad swings 

to the east and the rocks dip in. the same direction the Leadville 

limestone soon disappears below the bottom of the valley, and the 

only hard rocks in sight are the Carboniferous sandstones and shales, 

which give to the slopes on the east (right) their banded appearance.

One of the most noteworthy features of this part of the Denver & 

Rio Grande Western Railroad is the Mount of the Holy Cross 

(PI. LIII). This peak stands near the head of Cross Creek, but 

unfortunately no good view of it can be obtained from the train. 

Near the mouth of Elk Creek, however, a fleeting glimpse of 

the mountain may be had, if the traveler is on the alert and looks in 

the right direction. As the train swings eastward and approaches
120 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

the mouth of Elk Creek the traveler, by looking back on the 

west (left) may see high rugged peaks coming one by one into view. 

Mount Jackson may be seen by looking up Cross Qreek, but the one 

peak which he desires to see more than all others is hidden for a long 

time by the high plateau on the south side of the canyon. Finally, 

however, after crossing Elk Creek, which comes in from the 

east, when the train is near milepost 300 and just before it passes behind a ridge on the left, the traveler may catch a glimpse up the creek 

valley of the Mount of the Holy Cross (see PI. LIII), but even 

here the cross itself is not well shown. Very few persons who have 

passed over this road have been able to identify this famous peak, 

but if the traveler will look as directed he can certainly see it unless 

the atmospheric conditions prevent a view of 

any of the high mountains.

Just after milepost 300 is passed the moraine 

that marks the other limit of the Cross Creek 

glacier appears across the river as a sharp and 

distinct ridge which curves parallel with the 

railroad, and a good view of its tree-covered 

slopes may be had from the train. This moraine 

is composed of sand, clay, gravel, and boulders 

brought down by the ice from the high mountains on the west, and the glacier that brought 

this great mass of material marked the last 

stage of glaciation (Wisconsin) that affected 

North America; but half a mile beyond milepost 300 there is on the west (left) another ridge 

or moraine that is rudely parallel to the other 

ridge just described, but sharply distinct from 

it. This outer moraine was evidently formed 

long before the last glacier occupied the valley, for its slopes are 

more affected by the weather, and as it is outside of the other moraine 

it must have been formed earlier or else the ice would have de^ 

molished the inner ridge, which now is the more conspicuous of the 

two. The relative position of the two moraines is shown in figure 

30. The existence of this older moraine shows clearly that glaciers 

were formed in these mountains in at least two distinct epochs of 

time, one of which was much earlier than the other.

The rocks that are so well shown in the mountain slope on the east 

(right) are supposed to belong to the lower part of the upper Carboniferous or, in other words, to have been formed at the same time 

as the earliest of the great coal beds in the Appalachian region and 

the Mississippi Valley. In the Rocky Mountains some coal beds have 

been found in these rocks, but most of them are too small or too imturn.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 121

pure to be worked profitably. The lowermost of these formations 

is the Weber shale, which lies directly above the Leadville limestone 

but which is so soft that it makes no showing at the surface. Above 

the Weber shale lies 200 or 300 feet of sandstone and shale that have 

a strong reddish tint, and above this for 1,000 feet or more the rocks 

consist mainly of light-colored sandstone separated by layers of 

shale. On account of this alternation of rocks the hillside appears 

to be ribbed horizontally by beds of white rock.

As the railroad curves back toward the west the river cuts into 

the Leadville limestone. The rock is first seen near milepost 301, 

but it rises steeply and at the milepost is 30 feet above the track, 

Here the direction in which the beds of rock trend or strike begins 

to be affected by the northward plunge of the Holy Cross anticline,37 

so that the Leadville limestone, instead of becoming higher and

FIGURE 31. Anticline (at left) and syncline (at right). Perspective views and vertical 

sections showing the half-cigar-shaped mountains of hard rocks on the anticline and 

the canoe-shaped point of the syncline. After Willls.

higher as the train descends the valley, dips down the stream, and 

before the train reaches Minturn the beds are below water level.

The town of Minturn is built on a broad, flat valley bottom in 

which no hard rocks are exposed, but a mile below the station the 

same beds of rock which before were seen only 

in the cliffs on the east form the mountain side 

on the west, showing that the beds of rock are 

swinging more toward the west than they do 

farther up the river. The red sandstone that was 

so conspicuous above disappears on the right about the mouth of 

Gores Creek. This creek is a clear mountain stream that heads in 

the high peaks of the Gore Eange on the east, some of which may 

be seen by looking directly up its valley. The stream is noted for

Minturn.

Elevation 7,825 feet. 

Population 298. 

Denver 302 miles.

8:An upward bulge or fold of the 

rocks is termed an anticline; if it is 

long and narrow it is frequently called 

an arch, but if it is short and nearly

circular in outline it is called a dome. 

The corresponding downfold is called 

a syncline. These folds are represented in figure 31.
122 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

the fine fishing that it affords and that tempts many anglers to come 

here to try their luck. The double track which begins above Redcliff ends just below the bridge over Gores Creek.

At the point where the red sandstone and shale pass below railroad 

level near Gores Creek the cliff on the right is composed of the overlying light-colored sandstone and interbedded darker shale. At the 

mouth of the creek these beds dip about 30° NE. A short distance 

below the mouth of the creek the river bends sharply toward the east, 

and in so doing it cuts more directly across the hard ledges of sandstone which compose the bulk of the formation. As these rocks are 

harder than those either above or below, the canyon cut by the river is 

narrower and more rugged than it is in the vicinity of Minturn or 

below that place, where the beds are much softer. After making a 

great curve to the right the sandstones (Weber formation) abruptly 

come to an end. As the train passes this point the traveler may not 

fully realize why they terminate at this place, but the map will show 

him that their disappearance from the east side of the river is due to 

the fact that they swing across the stream, although they do not show 

in the hillside on the west. If the traveler looks back after passing 

down the valley a mile or so he will see these beds on the east side of the 

valley dipping about 45° NE. and reappearing on the west side, as described above. The beds that overlie the sandstone are very soft and 

consist mostly of clay or shale with here and there a more sandy layer 

that makes a ledge along the hillside. The beds are so soft that they 

have been worn down into comparatively low hills, at least near the 

river, and the slopes are everywhere round and gentle. These rocks 

are the same as the variegated sandstone and shale at Leadville, which 

have been called the Maroon formation.

Immediately below the mouth of the canyon the river bottom, which 

expands to a width of about half a mile and holds it for a distance of 

several miles, is strewn with boulders brought down by the stream. 

These boulders extend for about half a mile, and below that point the 

valley, although narrow, is well irrigated and farmed. The hills on 

the west side of the valley bear no resemblance in form or color to those 

on the east. They are dark and their surfaces are hummocky, as 

if composed of soft material that has slid down the hillside until 

it resembles a gigantic moraine. The reason for the peculiar appearance of this hillside is not apparent until the travAvon< eler has passed the little village of Avon and has 

Elevation 7,465 feet, looked back on the other side of the hill. The rocks

Denver 308 miles. . -11,1 .. t> j.i j. here are well exposed by the cutting or the stream 

that comes down out of the high mountains on the west. At the base 

they consist of the ordinary country rocks with which the traveler is 

already familiar. Above these rocks lie some darker ones, composed
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 123

of volcanic material that was long ago washed down to this position 

from a lava flow. This material, which is soft and easily washed by 

the rains, has slumped down the hillsides until it has given the surface 

a general hummocky appearance.

The valley at Avon is nearly a mile wide, and in summer it presents a beautiful appearance, with field after field of grain rippling 

in the wind and here and there a well-kept farmhouse peeping from 

a grove of cottonwood trees. The farms extend about a mile below 

the village to a point where the bluff on the east side swings in 

against the river, cutting off the farming land and rendering the 

valley rough and broken. The railroad, which has been forced to 

follow the river along the west (left) side of the valley, swings to 

the right in a broad curve at Edwards siding, just beyond milepost 

312, and continues on that side for some distance. As the railroad 

is high above the river and skirts the bluffs along the east side, the 

traveler has an unobstructed view of the full sweep of the valley. 

(See PI. LVI, A.) A large valley comes in from the southwest 

(left), and soon the high peaks of the Holy Cross Range burst into 

view. The view near milepost 313 is one of the most attractive on 

the road, especially in early summer, when the summits are still covered with the snow of the previous winter, or in early autumn, when 

they are white with the first snow of the season. One can look 

across the grassy bottom of Eagle Eiver, dotted with herds of cattle, 

to the ranches on the opposite side, where field after field of grain 

or hay stretches up the side valley as far as the eye can see and 

even climbs the opposite slope to the highest terrace. Here and 

there ranch houses are embowered in groves of trees, and the white 

schoolhouse, with its bright-red roof, gives a touch of color to the 

pastoral scene. The green fields, especially when the afternoon 

shadows begin to lengthen, look like velvet, and one would have to 

travel far to find a landscape more beautiful.

In the movements that have raised the mountains the soft rocks 

have been crumpled and folded or crushed and broken in a very 

complex manner. Just beyond Allenton siding, beyond milepost 

314, the beds of rock are magnificently exposed on the east (right), 

for here an old bend in the river threw it against the foot of the 

bluff, where it washed away all loose material. Here the beds of 

rock stand nearly vertical, but within a short distance they show a 

tendency to flatten and pass with slight dips under the river, which 

here swings sharply to the right. The traveler can see that the 

rocks here are prevailingly soft and that only here and there thin 

beds of sandstone stand out like giant ribs on the face of the cliff. 

The, colors of the rocks are variegated, but there is enough red arid 

deep brown in them to give the hills a warm tint.
124 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Half a mile beyond milepost 315, at the crossing of a small creek 

which enters the river from the right, the base of brilliant lightred sandstone is exposed. This sandstone'is Triassic in age and is 

much more showy in color than any other rock which the traveler has 

seen since he left Canon City. On account of its striking color 

attempts have been made to utilize it as building stone, but generally it is so easily affected by the weather that in a few years the 

corners are rounded off and even great holes are etched in the solid 

blocks. Where first seen these beds dip about 45° W., but the dip 

flattens in a short distance to about 25°.38 Beyond milepost 316 the 

top of the bright-red beds may be seen on both sides of the river. 

On the right they extend down the hillside in a great curve, but on 

the left they run along-the face of the bluff with only a slight dip 

downstream.

The rocks that overlie the bright-red sandstone are variegated 

in color but are predominantly green and maroon. They make up

w.

FEET.

8000-

7000- 

6JOOOTftassic sandstones

Wo^cott

-Gunnison formation ; Gunnison ! formation}

 Dakota sandston^v ^af^^^T^^'/

'SflOO

FIGURE 32. Sketch section across the syncline at Wolcott on a line from east to west.

what is called the Gunnison formation, so named from its outcrop 

in the valley of Gunnison Eiver. The upper part of this formation is without doubt the same as the Morrison formation on the 

east side of the mountains, but its lower part probably includes 

rocks that are not found on that side. The Gunnison formation 

here contains much soft shale and clay but includes also some beds 

of resistant sandstone. At this place the formation has been so 

much crushed that its thickness can not be estimated, but at other 

outcrops in this vicinity, where it is undisturbed, it is about 220 

feet thick. The discovery of the remains of some very wonderful

88 The peculiarities and irregularities of the dips in this part of the 

valley can be best understood by reference to the map on page 134. This map 

shows that the river here cuts diagonally across the rim of a sag or 

basin in the rocks (not a surface basin), the lowest part or axis of which 

is crossed by the railroad a mile or 

so farther north toward Wolcott. On 

the eastern rim of this basin the rocks

stand on edge, as shown by the accompanying diagram, but they flatten 

rapidly as they pass below water level, 

and as seen farther on they lie nearly 

flat along its axis.

The meaning of the dips is well illustrated in the accompanying sketch (fig. 

32), which shows the rocks as they 

\vould appear in a deep trench cut vertically from east to west through the 

fold.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 125

animals in the upper part of this formation north of Canon City 

is described briefly on page TO.

Above the Gunnison formation lies the Dakota sandstone, which 

crosses the track near milepost 317. This sandstone marks the base 

of the Upper Cretaceous and is one of the most persistent and widespread formations of the Rocky Mountain region. It extends from 

northern Wyoming to central New Mexico and from Omaha to central Utah. In the valley of Eagle River it consists of a single layer 

of brownish-yellow sandstone 30 to 40 feet thick. It slopes up the 

hillside on the right and forms the crest of a ridge that runs nearly 

parallel with the railroad for a mile or more. Across the river it 

forms the northeastern slope of the hill in what geologists call a 

" dip slope." 39

The formations so far described are fairly hard, and consequently 

they form the walls of a rather narrow canyon, but immediately over 

the Dakota- sandstone lies the Mancos shale, which is one of the 

softest rocks in this region. It is so soft that it readily wears away 

under the action of the weather and the streams, and consequently it 

seldom or never forms high or large hills. Where Eagle River 

crosses the outcrop of the Dakota sandstone and cuts into the shale 

the valley immediately expands to a width of nearly a mile and contains several ranches. In fact, nearly all the shale on the left side of 

the river has been removed and the valley takes the form of a rockrimmed basin. The beds of rock on the east side of the basin are 

steeply upturned, but those on the west side dip toward the middle 

of the basin at a very low angle, which can hardly be detected but 

which may be seen in the cliffs of shale almost directly ahead. This 

little basin or downfold of Cretaceous rocks forms the extreme southern tip of the great syncline or basin of Cretaceous rocks which carries the valuable coal beds of Routt and Moffat counties, in the 

northwestern part of the State, and which underlies most of southwestern Wyoming.

As the train passes milepost 317 the traveler 5 by looking back the 

way he came, may obtain another glimpse of the high peaks of the 

Holy Cross Range, which, if they are covered with snow, are still 

conspicuous objects above the horizon. After the traveler passes the 

axis of the syncline, between mileposts 317 and 318, he can see the 

gentle rise of the rocks on the west (left) of the railroad in a great 

cliff of shale, which is nearly ahead but which may be seen on the 

left from milepost 318. Some bands of white, impure limestone can

30 A dip slope is formed by a bed of 

hard rock from which overlying soft 

material has been removed by rains 

and streams, and, as the slope of the

surface is the same as the dip of the 

bed that controls the surface it is 

known as a dip slope.
126 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

be followed by the eye, and these indicate clearly the rise of the beds 

toward the west, but a still better marker of their rise is the Dakota 

sandstone, which lies below the surface in the central part of the 

basin but which rises from stream level just below the station at 

Wolcott and from that place westward forms a battlemented wall 

along the canyon.

The north side of the valley is marked by a high cliff of the Mancos 

shale, but the other side is nearly flat and can be cultivated, so that if 

makes an agreeable break in the line of canyons and narrow valleys 

through which the traveler has been passing. Until the building of 

the "Moffat road," in 1906, Wolcott, although but a small village, 

was one of the principal distributing points for the 

Wolcott. region to the north as far as the Wyoming line, and 

Elevation 6,975 feet, a stage was run daily between Wolcott and SteamD^^siomni boat Springs. At that time the region now included in Routt and Moffat counties was noted 

chiefly as a stock- raising country and thousands of cattle were annually shipped east over the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad from Wolcott and Rifle. Since the completion of the "Moffat road" Steamboat Springs and the region round about receive their supplies 

directly from Denver, but a stage line is still maintained from Wolcott to State Bridge, 14 miles distant, the nearest point on the 

" Moffat road."

On leaving Wolcott the train plunges into another canyon, which 

extends for a distance of about 5 miles. The Dakota sandstone forms 

the cap rock of the walls of this canyon, especially on the north side, 

but the surface back of the rugged cliffs rises gradually to much 

greater heights. The sandstone appears above railroad level just 

below the station at Wolcott, where it consists of a brownish-yellow 

sandstone, about 80 feet thick. It abounds in impressions of stems 

and leaves of plants, which show that at the time it was deposited 

the country was covered with trees, many of them similar to those 

living to-day in the more humid regions of the United States. At 

that time there were no Rocky Mountains, and the deposition of this, 

sand, which has since been hardened into sandstone, was followed 

by a great invasion of salt water, which formed a sea that 

stretched from Iowa to Utah and entirely across the United States 

from north to south. In that sea lived animals that produced shells 

much like the shellfish of the present day, and on the death of the 

animals the shells dropped to the bottom and there became embedded 

in fine mud. To-day that sea bottom has been elevated thousands of 

feet above its former position, the sea water has drained away, and 

the limy muds have been hardened into shale in which the shells are 

preserved with all their beautiful ornamentation, The traveler can
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN" ROUTE. 127

verify this statement for himself by finding well-preserved fossil sea 

shells in the railroad cut just east of the station at Wolcott.

The station at Wolcott is built on the Dakota sandstone, which in 

a short distance to the west rises above track level, so that the underlying variegated shale and sandstone (Gurrnison formation) and the 

rocks still lower in the geologic column come into view as the traveler pursues his way down the river bank. As the train rounds the 

first sharp curve below the station the variegated beds of the Gunnison formation may be seen on the north (right), where they have 

been exposed by the cutting for the railroad track. About a mile 

below the village the Dakota lies about 300 feet above the level of the 

track and the light-red sandstone of the Triassic makes its appearance at that level, but it is so poorly shown that the traveler may not 

be able to identify it. A view down the river valley from this point, 

however, shows that the bright-red sandstone is very conspicuous in 

the cliffs it is, in fact, the most 

prominent rock to be seen. The 

profile of the cliff on the north side 

of the canyon is represented in 

figure 33. In this part of the canyon the red sandstone is so brilliant that the outcrop looks like a 

flame or a mass of red-hot iron 

on the hillside. At Kent siding, 

just beyond milepost 321, the valley is somewhat wider than it is 

farther upstream, and the traveler 

may obtain, on the north, an excellent view of the canyon wall, which is about 175 feet high and is 

capped by Dakota sandstone and the brownish-red sandstone that 

marks the top of the Triassic system of rocks.

Although the canyon is in general very narrow there are at some 

places along the river level lands and small farms. The stream, like 

all others in this region, is fringed with cottonwood trees and willows, but among these are interspersed dark spruce trees, which give 

a pleasing contrast. In summer there is a decided difference between 

the dark-bluish tint of the spruce trees and the soft green of the 

cottonwoods and the willows, but the color effects are at their best 

in early autumn, when the leaves of the cottonwoods and the willows 

are a brilliant yellow.

Owing to the westward rise of the rocks the canyon walls grow 

higher and higher, but near Ortega siding (mileposts 323-324) the 

Triassic red sandstone rises above track level and the canyon ends, 

because as soon as the hard beds rise above drainage level they are 

undermined by the cutting away of the soft shale of the lower (MaPIGURE, 33. Canyon cut by Eagle River 

through the west rim of the syncllne, 

as seen from. Wolcott.
128 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

roon) formation. The canyon is in places rugged and picturesque, 

but generally it will be remembered for its brilliant coloring rather 

than for the configuration of its rocky walls.

The valley below the canyon resembles the valley cut in the same 

rocks near Avon, but the hills here are lower than those about Avon 

and are cut more deeply by the tributary streams. The main valley, 

however, contains few striking scenic features, but it is interesting 

for its many fine farms and comfortable residences.

Near milepost 327 the band of bright-red rock on the higher hills 

across the river is very conspicuous. As shown on the map, it does 

not extend far to the west, for it loops around and connects with the 

exposure that was crossed a few miles above Wolcott. Toward the 

north the Triassic rocks extend for a long distance, but they are not 

visible from the train. The traveler may be able to trace the Dakota 

for some distance, but it eventually fades from sight, and then the 

most prominent rock is a dark basalt that caps the highest hill 6 or 

8 miles to the north. This rock is a remnant of what was once probably a continuous sheet of lava that was poured out on a nearly level 

surface before the present canyons were cut, when the general surface of the country coincided with the tops of the present highest 

hills and plateaus. It should not be supposed, however, that the surface at that time was higher above sea level than it is to-day; indeed, 

it may have been not nearly so high, for it may have been raised 

to its present level since the lava was poured out. Other remnants of 

this sheet of lava may be seen farther down Eagle River.

The thriving village of Eagle stands at the junction of the valleys 

of Brush Creek and Eagle River, in the midst of a rich agricultural 

district, which presents a pleasing contrast to the 

Eagle. bare rocks of the canyon walls and to the badlands 

Elevation 6,598 feet, that the streams have produced in the bluffs bordering the main vallev' Alth<>ugh the general altitude 

of the valley is rather high, good crops of hay, 

grain, and potatoes are raised, and much live stock finds pasturage 

on the surrounding uplands. The railroad crosses Eagle River just 

before reaching Eagle and remains on the south side of that stream as 

far as its junction with Colorado River.

After leaving Eagle the traveler may obtain another glimpse of 

the Holy Cross Mountains on the left, up the broad valley of Brush 

Creek. For some distance below this point the bluffs of the river 

are so high that they shut out from view the country on the south 

(left), but farther west the bluffs recede from the river and grow 

lower and lower until the upland on the south is clearly visible. 

This upland now takes on the aspect of a broad, sloping plateau 

that culminates in the Holy Cross Mountains, which form a most
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 129

striking feature, especially when they are covered with snow and 

the intermediate country is still clothed in its summer verdure.

The Holy Cross Mountains are usually regarded as the westernmost range of the Rocky Mountains. The traveler who is pursuing 

his way along the bottoms of these canyons may not be aware that 

he has passed out of the Rocky Mountains and has entered a province 

marked by very different surface features, but if he could obtain a 

comprehensive view of the country from some high point he would 

see at once that the great ranges of the Rocky Mountains lie entirely to the east, and that although mountain ranges are visible 

to the west they are neither extensive nor continuous. The region 

into which he is now entering is a land of plateaus, some low and 

some high nearly as high as the peaks of the Rockies. It is also 

called a land of canyons, for it includes most of the canyons of the 

Colorado River system. Country of this type extends westward 

from the Holy Cross Mountains to the west side of the Wasatch 

Plateau in the vicinity of Provo, Utah.

For about 6 miles below the town of Eagle the valley of the river 

continues much the same as it is about the town. The railroad is 

built on a terrace that stands 60 to 80 feet above'the river, and in 

places this terrace is surmounted by another about 50 feet higher. 

The bluffs on the north side of the valley become conspicuous because of their barrenness and because they are being rapidly dissected by rivulets produced by every shower. Gypsum Creek, another large stream, enters the main valley from the 

Gypsum. south at the village of Gypsum. The creek and the 

Elevation 6,325 feet, town are so named because of the occurrence in 

DenverSSjeL abundance of the mineral gypsum in. the neighborhood. The village of Gypsum is a supply point foi 

large districts both to the north and to the south. The region near 

the village is devoted largely to farming, but beyond the farms there 

is a large area of open range, upon which a great number of cattle 

are fattened each year.

The red sandstone of the Triassic comes into the tops of the 'hills 

below Gypsum, and as it is the hardest rock in the series exposed 

here it tends to form a canyon that has high and apparently precipitous walls. Near milepost 337 the railroad enters the canyon, which 

is not so narrow as it at first appears. This canyon is not so picturesque as the canyon in similar beds below Wolcott, for in the canyon 

below Gypsum the hard red sandstone lies high in the hills and is 

underlain by soft clay and shale, which wear away rapidly, so that 

the harder sandstone above breaks down, forming a long, gradual 

slope back from the stream, whereas in the canyon below Wolcott 

there are no soft beds exposed below to be eroded and to undermine
130 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEBN UNITED STATES.

the harder rocks above, so that the red sandstone cliffs rise almost 

directly from the water.

As the traveler enters the canyon below Gypsum he may see that 

the bright-red beds lie in the form of a downfold (syncline) that is, 

they are higher at the ends of the canyon than in the middle. This 

structure may not be apparent to him at first, but at a point between 

mileposts 338 and 339 he may easily see that the red beds directly 

opposite the train are lower than the same beds are either to the right 

or to the left. This lowest point is called the axis of the syncline; it 

is the line toward which the beds dip from both sides. The layer of 

rock at the extreme top of the hill on the right is dark brown and not 

red like the underlying beds, and it does not lie parallel with the 

other beds but caps the hills without conforming to the dip of the 

beds beneath. The dark rock is so far away that the traveler can 

not distinguish its character, but if it were nearer he would see that 

it is basalt, similar to the sheet of basalt that caps the canyon walls 

below Wolcott.

In passing down the canyon, before he arrives at the junction of 

Eagle River and Colorado (Grand) River, the traveler has spread 

before him one of the finest examples of a recent lava flow that can 

be found in this country. He can first see this lava flow in the distance on the right soon after he passes milepost 340, in a low, dark 

hill in the bottom of the valley. The rock of this hill may not at first 

attract his attention, but on approaching it nearer he can see that itis nearly black and presents a striking contrast to the light-colored 

rock of the sides of the valley. This rock can be seen at close range 

at a point about half a mile farther along, where it forms a terrace 

across the river bottom which suggests that the valley was at one 

time filled up to a certain level with this black rock. On closer inspection this black rock is seen to be very rough and broken (see 

PI. LYI, #), and those who are familiar with lava flows will at once 

recognize its character, though others may have difficulty in realizing 

that this mass of rock was once molten matter that was forced up 

from the interior of the earth through some vent in the solid crust 

and that flowed down into this valley much as thick molasses flows 

in cold weather. This fiery mass could not flow rapidly, for its outer 

part was continually cooling and being " frozen " into solid rock. 

The crust thus formed would hold the lava for a time, but it would 

finally burst and the fiery flood would once more roll along until it 

was again held up by the cooling of the surface. This drawing off of 

the liquid lava produced caverns beneath the solid crust, which in 

time broke and fell in, so that the surface is now very rough. The 

edge of the flow, shown in Plate LVI, C, can be seen from the train 

as it follows the bank of Eagle River on the opposite side,
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 131

The traveler has now seen the lava flow, though he has probably 

not seen the vent or volcano from which it must have come, but if 

he scans closely the hills across the valley he will see that some of 

them are littered with fragments of the same dark rock that composes the flow and that others consist wholly of that rock. The 

volcano must have been near the top of the first series of hills, as 

shown in Plate LVI, B, but its crater is now obscured by the lava 

that consolidated in its throat. The vent was small, but it has all 

the essential features of a true volcano. The ravine down which 

the fiery flood rolled into the valley, leaving some of the melted 

rock adhering to its sides as it passed, may be seen from the train. 

(See PI. LVI, B.)

This eruption seems to have been the last expiring gasp of forces 

that long before poured out immense floods of molten material in 

this region. The material erupted at this place was only enough 

to fill the valley to a depth of 50 or 60 feet but not enough to turn 

the river from its course. The lava extends down the valley half a 

mile beyond milepost 341.

As the train rounds the bend, just below the limit of the lava flow, 

the valley of Colorado River is visible on the north (right), and 

Eagle River unites with this stream a few hundred yards farther 

on, but the junction is not near enough to be seen from the train. 

Colorado River has its source on the east slope of Mount Richthofen, 

in the northern part of Middle Park, and those who went to the 

summit of the mountains (Corona) on the "Moffat road" could 

look down on this west side into some of the head tributaries of 

this river. After flowing westward across Middle Park the river 

escapes from that natural basin in the mountains by Gore Canyon, 

a rugged gorge which it has cut through the Park Range the same 

range which the traveler saw on the east (right) at Tennessee Pass. 

Gore Canyon is cut in granite, but below the Park Range the valley 

is much like that of Eagle River, consisting of a succession of narrow canyons with stretches of broad valley between. This alternation is repeated many times along the river before it is joined by 

Eagle River at the siding of Dotsero. At the point of junction there 

is visible far to the north a high plateau, which is locally called The 

Flattops or the White River Plateau, from the stream that drains 

its western slope. It has an altitude of 11,000 to 12,000 feet and is 

noted as the greatest hunting ground of western Colorado. It was 

here that Theodore Roosevelt made one of his famous hunting trips 

while he was President of the United States. The preservation of 

the plateau at this high altitude is largely due to the fact that soon 

after its even surface was formed it was covered from some vent in 

this region with lava, which afterward cooled and consolidated into 

a basalt that has successfully withstood the action of the elements
132 .GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

\

and still preserver its nearly level surface. The lava sheet that caps 

the high hill on the north side of the canyon below Wolcott was probably once a part of this same flow or flows but has been separated 

from it by the canyon cut by Colorado River.

After passing milepost 342 and a small cut a few hundred yards

beyond the railroad track reaches the bank of Colorado Elver, which

it follows to the western border of Colorado. This

Dotsero. part of the country is noted for its cattle and

horses' and the sidinS of Dotsero is maintained 

largely for their shipment. There are no red rocks 

in the valley of Colorado River just below the mouth of Eagle 

River, but the rocks there exposed are about as hard as the soft 

red and green shale and sandstone above. At first the traveler 

may not be able to identify any of the dull-gray and slate-colored 

rocks below Eagle River with those he has seen farther upstream, 

but a comparison of the section and of the order of the formations 

may show him that these beds are the same as the heavy cliff-making 

sandstone and shale which he saw just below Minturn. It might be 

supposed that the same formation should show the same composition 

and hardness wherever it is exposed, but as these formations consisted originally of sand, clay, and limy materials that were deposited in some body of standing water, either a lake or the sea, it 

is apparent that the character of the formation at any place must 

depend largely upon the kind of material there swept into the body 

of water by the streams, and as the land near by was probably composed of various kinds of rocks, which furnished various kinds of 

material, it does not seem strange that at one locality a formation 

may consist largely of sandstone and at another of shale. Changes 

from sandstone or shale to limestone are more rare, but such changes 

are observed in many parts of the country. The soft materials, including some coal beds that are exposed below Eagle River, belong 

to the Weber formation, which is in the lower part of the upper Carboniferous rocks.

The rocks rise gently westward, and at milepost 345 the massive 

layers of the Leadville limestone rise from river level. This point 

marks the beginning of one of the most noted canyons on the line 

of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, the canyon of Colorado River that stretches in unbroken beauty and grandeur from 

this point to Grlenwood Springs, a distance of 15 miles. (See Pis. 

LVII, .Z?, LVIII, and LIX.) This great canyon was trenched by the 

river in an immense upfold of hard beds, which include all the sedimentary rocks that the railroad has crossed in the canyons above, 

and into the underlying granite, to a total depth of 800 to 1,000 feet. 

The first appearance of the Leadville limestone, noted above, near 

milepost 345, is marked by a warm sulphur spring, very similar to
IT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LVII

A. MOUNTAIN SHEEP.

Occasionally during the winter mountain sheep may he seen on the cliffs in the Colorado River 

canyon. The deep snow drives them down from the higher tops, and they find pasture on the narrow ledges along the canyon wall, from which they may gaze on the passing trains.

B. UPPER END OF CANYON OF COLORADO RIVER.

The regular masonry-like walls are the striking feature of the upper end of this beautiful and 

picturesque canyon. The beds of quartzitc are so even and continuous that they seem to have 

been dressed and laid by man. The walls rise abruptly from the river, so in building the automobile highway it was necessary to tunnel through these beds at some points. Photograph 

by the Detroit Publishing Co.; furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CANYON OF COLORADO RIVER.

In the part of the canyon a short distance above Shoshone there are many beautiful vistas of quiet s

towering on either side. The rocks rise steadily downstream, and the granite makes its first appoint on the left. Photograph copyrighted by the Detroit Publishing Co.; furnished by the 
DENVER & KIO GBANDE WESTERN ROUTE. . 133

the warm springs which gush from the same formation at Glenwood 

Springs and give that place its reputation. Why the water should 

be warm, at both these places is a question that can not yet be answered, for neither spring has any apparent connection with a fault 

that would permit the hot waters to rise from great depths, or with 

old volcanic flows or vents in which circulating water would come 

into contact with rocks that still retain some of the heat they had 

when they were ejected from the earth's interior. However, there 

may be some underground connection with one or the other of these 

features which is not apparent at the surface but which would 

account for the temperature of the waters carried in this limestone.

The limestone rises toward the west at an angle of about 15°, and 

within a distance of half a mile the underlying quartzite appears 

at the level of the track. As the river cuts deeper and deeper into 

the rising rocks the canyon becomes more ,and more rugged, and the 

short bends give-rise to many towers and pinnacles upon the projecting points. As the rocks continue to rise in the direction in 

which the train is going, lower and lower rocks come into view. 

Next below the upper quartzite, which is about 100 feet thick, lie 

shale and thin-bedded sandstone, about 40 feet thick, and upon these 

lies white quartzite, about 270 feet thick. So far the section in this 

canyon is almost identical with that seen in the deeper canyons up 

Eagle River, but here there is still another member, which seems not 

to be present farther east. This member is a coarse quartzite whose 

chief characteristics are its rich pink or maroon color and the remarkable regularity in the thickness of its various beds, as well as 

the evenness of the bedding planes which separate them. These 

characteristics are well shown in Plate LVII, B. The full thickness of this quartzite' can not be seen here, for within a short distance the beds dip sharply in the other direction and the quartzite 

disappears below water level. Farther down the river, however, 

where the quartzite rests on the granite, its thickness is about 80 

feet. The highest point on this arch in the rocks is reached about 

half a mile beyond milepost 346. Beyond this point the beds dip 

rather steeply downstream until the Leadville limestone is at track 

level on the left, and then the whole series is broken by a great fault, 

which, as shown on the map, crosses the railroad at milepost 347.

Beyond the fault the land on both sides of the rive.r is comparatively low and smooth, and then the Leadville limestone rises again 

from track level. Where it is seen by the roadside it is much broken, 

having evidently been greatly disturbed and crushed. The rise of 

the formations downstream is gradual but slbeady, so that near milepost 349 all the sedimentary rocks are again above water level and 

the granite makes its appearance. Plate LVIII is reproduced from 

80687° 22 10
134 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

a photograph taken at this point, looking downstream. The first 

tunnel near milepost 350 is cut in the massive granite, which continues to rise higher and higher in the canyon as the train proceeds. 

The part of the canyon in which the base of the quartzite is only 

a few score or few hundred feet above water level is its most interesting and picturesque part, which is all too soon passed by the 

trains. The canyon walls are nearly vertical, and the cliffs formed of 

the quartzite stand up like immense architectural structures and 

present great variety of form and color. The joints, which cut the 

rocks in at least two directions, give rise to smooth vertical faces of 

rock and to buttresses and minarets almost without number. The 

canyon here is. narrow and tortuous, and many magnificent vistas 

can be had of the swiftly flowing river and the dark walls, which 

even at midday seem to envelop the deeper parts with a somber haze. 

From this apparently interminable narrow labyrinth the traveler 

at length emerges into a more open part of the canyon, where he 

may well be surprised to find dwelling houses and the station of 

Shoshone. (See sheet 5, p. 150.) Here is the intake of the great 

hydroelectric plant of the Colorado Power Co., whose transmission 

lines the traveler may have seen near Leadville and near Idaho 

Springs, west of Denver. The river is dammed at 

the small railroad tunnel just below Shoshone, and 

the water is carried through a tunnel cut in the solid 

rock to the power plant, which is 3£ miles farther 

down the canyon.41 The traveler may not realize the quantity of 

water carried in this tunnel, but if he is making his journey in 

summer he is soon aware that practically all the water of the river 

has disappeared into the open mouth of the tunnel.

The general attitude of the rock beds in this canyon and the adjacent plateaus on the north and south is shown in figure 34, which represents them as they would appear in a deep trench cut across the 

canyon at Shoshone. The beds dip to the south, and the Leadville 

limestone forms the surface of much of the plateau on the north, 

but the limestones and sandstones on the south are covered by a great

Shoshone.

Elevation 6,119 feet. 

Denver 350 miles.

41 In the canyon near Shoshone the 

Colorado Power Co. has built a large 

plant for generating electricity by water power a hydroelectric plant. By 

means of a diversion dam built just 

below the station the water of Colorado River is turned into a large concrete-lined tunnel, which carries it 

along the north wall of the canyon 

for 3£ miles. When flowing at its full 

capacity this tunnel will deliver 1,250 

cubic feet of water every second to immense steel tubes called penstocks, 

into which it is dropped to river level, 

175 feet below. In its fall it drives; 

two large turbine wheels with a total 

capacity of 18,000 horsepower, which 

in turn drive generators of 14,000 

horsepower. The electric current is 

transmitted at a voltage of 100,000 

through wires carried on high steel 

towers for a distance of 180 miles to 

Denver and is used also at several intermediate points.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 4

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western. 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

Age

A Mountain glaciers as they were during the Great Ice Age Pleistocene

B Gravel, sand, and clay

J Dark marine shale (Mancos shale)

W Brown sandstone (Dakota sandstone)

Pleistocene or 

late Tertiary

HJpper Cretaceous

N Variegated shale and sandstone (Gunnison formation) Cretaceous (?) and 250 Jurassic

P Brick-red sandstone Triassic

R Red sandstone and shale (Maroon formation) j

I Carboniferous

r f (Pennsj/lvanian') 

b Red sandstone, conglomerate, and shale (Weber formation)

ti ,,- ,- ^ ,. \ Carboniferous U Blue limestone (Leadville limestone, Ouray limestone) (Afississippian)

and Devonian

Parting quartzite 

y Limestone and ., White limestone

quartzite j Lower Quartzite (Sawatch 

( quartzite)

X Granite

Y Lava flows (basalt)

'v Ordovician and 

f Cambrian

J 

Pre-Cambrian

Tertiary

 _ Fault

The limestone of lower Carboniferous { Mississippian) and Devonian age in the 

canyon of Colorado River is called Ouray limestone, but it is approximately 

the same as the Leadville limestone

COLORADO 106

RedandWhiteWtn ,,

Scale 500,000 

Approximately 8 miles to i inch 

0 5 10 Miles

The distances from Denver. Colorado are s/ioiw: every !0 miles 

The crossties an the railroads are spaced I mile apart.
DENVER & RIO GRAFDE WESTERN ROUTE. 135

sheet of basalt, which is not visible from the train but which completely conceals the underlying rocks. A few miles north of the river 

there is a break (fault) by which the beds on the north are raised 

higher than those on the south.

Below Shoshone the canyon is cut so deep in the granite core of 

the great anticline that the sedimentary beds which overlie the granite can be seen only here and there. The traveler may get occasional glimpses of the rim 

of the canyon and may be surprised to see 

that the country into which the river has 

cut this deep gash is level or only gently rolling. This region may be regarded as the 

southern part of the White River Plateau, 

and the picturesque scenery of the narrow 

canyon is due simply to the fact that the 

plateau here is composed of hard rocks, 

which wear back slowly into moderate and 

subdued forms. If, however, the crust of the 

earth remains stationary for a long time 

thousands, perhaps millions, of years even 

these hard rocks will be worn into a broad 

valley, bounded by the moderate slopes of 

low hills. No rocks are hard enough to resist erosion for all time, and it is evident 

here that Nature has had abundant time at 

her disposal, and there is no reason to suppose that she will have less in the future or 

that the future will be greatly different from 

the past.

The walls of the canyon are rough and 

rocky, affording excellent feeding ground 

for mountain sheep when the surface of the 

plateau is deeply covered with snow. Bands 

of 40 or 50 sheep are said to be frequently 

seen in protected places, quietly feeding on 

the grass and shrubs that grow in the crevices 

of the rocks and also on the narrow benches 

on the precipitous slopes. Plate LVII, A 

(p. 132), shows the leader of such a band standing guard at the edge 

of the cliff.

A short distance beyond milepost 353 is the hydroelectric plant of 

the Central Colorado Power Co., with its great penstock through 

which the water is dropped 175 feet to the turbine wheels beneath, 

and also the spillway for the excess water to escape. Beyond the 

plant may be seen the transmission line, strung on high steel towers,
136 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

spanning gulches, and finally scaling the south wall of the canyon. 

The line takes a short cut for the valley of Eoaring Fork, up which 

it is carried to and across the Continental Divide at Hagerman Pass.

So far the geologic structure of the great up fold (anticline) is 

comparatively simple, having been broken at one point only. The 

highest point in the fold, the axis, is passed near milepost 354, and 

beyond that point the quartzite rapidly approaches railroad level, 

but it is broken by so many faults that few travelers can trace tho 

formations and understand the manner in which they appear and 

disappear. By the aid of the map, however, those who are interested 

in geologic structure may obtain a fairly good idea of what has 

happened here and of the shape in which the rocks were left.

All the formations are regular as far as milepost 355, near Grizzly 

siding, where the quartzite has been abruptly dropped from a height 

of at least 350 feet above the railroad to water level. This change 

in the position of the rocks is the result of a fault,42 which trends 

slightly west of north, probably cutting the high bluff on the west 

side of Grizzly Creek, which here enters the river from, the north. 

Beyond this fault the beds rise gradually until the white quartzite, 

which is at water level at Grizzly, is above the railroad and the 

canyon is rough and rugged, as shown in Plate LIX. Half a 

mile beyond milepost 356 about 50 feet of the pink quartzite has 

made its appearance. At this point the granite on the opposite side 

of the river rises to a height of at least 300 feet. This discrepancy 

marks another fault, which does not cross the railroad but trends 

nearly east and west directly along the stream. The rocks on the 

south side of this fault have dropped about 300 feet, or those on the 

north have been lifted a similar distance.

Beyond the point where the railroad approaches the fault most 

closely the rocks descend, and within a short distance most of the 

quartzite has disappeared; but the road here enters Noname Park, 

and it is almost impossible from the moving train to determine the 

structure. However, a little farther along the Leadville limestone also dips steeply toward the south and is broken by a fault 

that runs nearly parallel with the one just described. This fault 

lies near the south wall of the park. The Leadville limestone is 

dropped on the north side of the fault and may be seen topping the

42 As the term "fault" means a 

break in the rocky strata of the earth 

and as the breaking is always accompanied by slipping and crushing, one 

might expect to find the surface of the 

ground disturbed along a fault. It 

undoubtedly is disturbed when the 

movement takes place, but all the

faults seen from the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western trains occurred so 

long ago that any break or disturbance of the surface they caused has 

been obliterated by the streams and 

the weather. Examples of the lack of 

evidence of faults on the surface are 

shown in Plate LXXXVII, A and B.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

LOWER PART OF CANYON OF COLORA

This view shows the river at flood stage, when the water is lashed to spray by the bou

taken the new automobile highway has been constructed on the right bank. Photo

Railroad.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GLENWOOD SPRINGS.

View from hill hack of the town, looking west down the valley. Roaring Fork 

canyon of Colorado River ends just at the right of the view. Hotel C

hathing pool are in the foreground on the right. Dark-red sandstorm form

in the distance. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Hio Grande We
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTEEN ROUTE. 137

cliffs on the south. The stream cuts into the upraised block of strata 

on the south of this fault, and its south bank is followed by the 

railroad through many cuts in the quartzite and finally in the 

underlying granite. About half a mile beyond milepost 358, at a 

sharp bend of the stream around a narrow point that projects from 

the south, at least 50 feet of granite is exposed, and the massive 

layers of the Leadville limestone He like plates on the hillside across 

the river. As the Leadville limestone never rests normally on the 

granite it follows that the fault must lie in the river and has caused 

the formation of Noname Park.

This fault is the last of the series; and, as the train swings around 

the sharp bend toward the tunnel, the traveler may see the beds 

descending rather steeply downstream. Here the stream turns once 

more and cuts back toward the fault in a sharp curve, but the railroad pierces the rocky point, and when the train emerges from the 

inky blackness of the tunnel the traveler finds himself passing 

through the rock formations for the last time. The quartzites disappear first below the stream, and finally the massive ledges of the 

Leadville limestone; and then the train enters the open valley 

formed by the erosion of the upper Carboniferous rocks and approaches Glenwood Springs.

Here, on the right, is a grove of cottonwood trees, which surround 

the bathing pool of hot sulphur water that has made this a famous 

health and pleasure resort, and one may catch glimpses of the towers 

of the Hotel Colorado, which stands somewhat higher on the mountain slope and overlooks the lower part of the valley.

Springs are also abundant in the river and beside the railroad track 

just above the station. Glenwood Springs (see PI. LX) is at the 

junction of Roaring Fork with Colorado River. 

Glenwood Springs. Koaring Fork flows in a broad valley that it has 

Elevation 5,758 feet, eroded in the soft Carboniferous shale a valley 

Denve^seomS. so broad that it seems like the principal valley. 

The town is noted for its shade trees and its homes 

and for its accommodations for the travelers who are attracted here 

by the reputation of the springs. An added attraction is the famous 

" Hanging Lake " (see PI. LXI), which lies high up the slopes of the 

canyon of Colorado River, about 12 miles from the town. Glenwood 

Springs might also be called a coal-mining center, for although no coal 

is mined at or near the town it furnishes an outlet for a great coal field 

that lies to the south and west. A branch of the Denver & Eio Grande 

Western Railroad turns to the south at Glenwood Springs and connects with the coal-mining towns of Sunshine and Spring Gulch. 

Forty miles south of Glenwood Springs and connected with it by 

rail are the famous Yule marble quarries, which are now sending 

their output to all the large cities of the East. A notable example
138 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

of the fine buildings constructed of Colorado Yule marble is the new 

Lincoln Memorial at Washington. At the town of Marble, near 

these quarries, there is said to be the largest marble mill in this 

country.

At a point a short distance west of the station at Glenwood Springs 

the Denver & Rio Grande Western Eailroad crosses Colorado Eiver, 

and here the mouth of Roaring Ftfrk may be seen on the left. The 

Ouray (Leadville) limestone, from which the hot sulphur springs 

issue, may be seen extending to the right for about a mile to a point 

where it passes into the hills and is lost to view. It is succeeded 

by the soft shale and sandstone of the Weber formation. The Denver 

& Eio Grande Western follows the right bank of the river.

When the train has passed through the railroad yards and is making a rather sharp curve around an eastward bend of the river, the 

traveler may see Mount Sopris away off to the south (left), framed 

by the canyon walls of Roaring Fork. Mount Sopris is one of the 

high mountains in this part of Colorado, and it is one of the most 

beautiful, because it is a single mass that towers far above the surrounding country.

The mountain side across the river has been gashed by rain and 

frost, exposing the brick-red Triassic sandstone and shale. The 

same red beds may be seen on the north side of the river, but before the train reaches them it must cross the maroon, white, and 

green beds of the Maroon formation. These beds may be seen in the 

low hills on the north (right) and also in places along the river, 

where they have been exposed in the excavation made for the road. 

The brick-red sandstones are the most resistant beds in this part 

of the series, and the point where the river cuts across them is 

therefore marked by a canyon which, although not so rugged nor so 

narrow as other canyons along Colorado River, has a richness and 

brightness of color that is excelled by few. The base of the Triassic 

beds is crossed near milepost 364, and the river here cuts nearly 

through the formation before it turns to the right and follows the 

strike of the rocks for several miles. At the sharp bend mentioned 

above the top of the formation is not clearly marked. Usually 

this formation contains rocks of no other color than brick-red, but 

a short distance beyond the river there is a band of white sandstone nearly 100 feet thick and then about 300 feet more of a 

brick-red color. As the brick-red color is generally regarded as the 

distinguishing feature of this formation the line separating it from 

the overlying Gunnison shale is drawn provisionally at the uppermost bed that has the characteristic color.

On the river bank opposite milepost 365, which is about half a 

mile beyond the sharp bend mentioned above, is the tipple of the 

South Canon Coal Co. The coal is not mined at this place, for the
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

HANGING LAKE.

A natural wonder on the rim of the canyon of Colorado River abo

Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grand
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXII

A. GRAND HOGBACK.

View of the Grand Hogback where it is trenched by Colorado River at Newcastle. Old dump 

heaps show where coal has been mined, but all the mines have been abandoned. The Wheeler 

mine, at the extreme right, was abandoned on account of fire, and the coal is still burning. In 

this hill the workable coal beds have an aggregate thickness of 109 feet. Photograph by Hoyt S. 

Gale.

E. PALM-LEAF FAN GROWN IN COLORADO.

Long ago in geologic time palms grew luxuriantly in all parts of Colorado, and the coal miners 

about Newcastle when they want a fan merely quarry one out of the rock. Here is a group 

of miners and a fossil palm-leaf fan they have just found. Photograph by Hoyt S. Gale.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 139

rocks here are the red sandstone and the Gunnison formation, neither 

one of which contains coal. The mine is about 1£ miles up South 

Canyon, in the Mesaverde formation, the great coal-bearing formation of western Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. In the old geologic 

reports this formation was called "Laramie," a formation at the 

extreme top of the Cretaceous system, but it is now known to be 

very much older than the Laramie and has been named the Mesaverde formation, from the Mesa Verde (may'sa vair'day, Spanish for 

"green table"), in the extreme southwest corner of the State 

a mesa that has now been set aside as a national park on account of 

its ruined cliff dwellings. The coal is brought from the mine in 

tram. cars.

For about 2 miles below the coal tipple the river follows in a general way the outcrops of the formations, the alternating red and

FIGURE 35. Top of red sandstone (Triassic), forming crest of hill below South Canon 

Coal Co.'s coal tipple. Beds dip southwest.

white beds on the mountain side on the left and the beds of solid 

red color on the right. The beds of sandstone dip steeply to the west, 

and they stand above the railroad on the right in great slabs 20 or 

30 feet high. The surface of these slabs is covered with ripple marks 

identical with those now being formed in shallow water along the 

coast, which indicates that the red sand forming these rocks was 

washed into some shallow basin where it was distinctly rippled by 

each passing wave. These ripples may have been made millions of 

years ago, yet they are as perfect as if they had been made but 

yesterday.

A little below the exposure of ripple-marked sandstone the top of 

the bright-red sandstone (Triassic) is well shown in a hill across 

the river. (See fig. 35.)
140 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

sw.

Near milepost 367 the valley opens and is irrigated, and the deep 

red of the sandstone is relieved by the bright green of alfalfa, sugar 

beets, and apple orchards, which are irrigated by water takeif from 

the creek that comes in from the right. Below this point the river 

turns more toward the west, and it soon cuts through the red sandstone that has bordered the valley most of the way from Glenwood 

Springs.

As all the beds here dip toward the southwest the river cuts 

through a formation from bottom to top and then passes into the 

overlying formation. The top of the Triassic system is crossed at 

milepost 369, or about three-quarters of a mile beyond the siding of 

Chacra. The Ghmnison formation, the next formation in the series 

above the Triassic, is only about 300 feet thick, and as it dips at an 

angle of about 45° it is soon crossed. It is characterized by a variety 

of colors, but maroon, green, and white predominate. Across the

river on the left there 

are some small conical 

hills composed of this 

formation, which are 

capped on the far side 

by massive beds of the 

Dakota sandstone, 

which marks the base 

of the Upper Cretaceous series and is one 

of the most persistent 

and widespread formations in the Rocky Mountain region. It is 

generally thin, at few places exceeding 80 feet in thickness. It was 

deposited on the surface of the Gunnison formation. During the 

deposition of the Gunnison formation the region was land, though 

probably of low relief, but the deposition of the Dakota marks the 

end of land conditions and the beginning of the occupancy of the 

region by the sea, which continued during the deposition of the succeeding thick shale. The Dakota sandstone is generally massive and 

very resistant to erosion, so that where it is upturned at any considerable angle it makes hogbacks, such as those seen back of Canon 

City. Although the Dakota is not exposed near the railroad its beds, 

concealed beneath the surface, are crossed by the track about halfway 

between mileposts 369 and 370. The relation of the Dakota to the 

rocks above is shown in figure 36.

The rocks above the Dakota for a long distance are very soft shale 

or shaly limestone, so they have been eroded into a wide valley that 

lies between the little hogback formed by the Dakota sandstone and 

tlie mountainous ridge on the left, which trends nearly parallel with 

the line of the railroad and is composed of the Mesaverde formaHorizontal scale 

2 3 Miles

FIGURE 36. Section through Grand Hogback at Newcastle.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 141

tion, also of Upper Cretaceous age. The first shale to be seen is 

exposed in a cut in the side of a hill, but it is so close to the moving 

train that its character can not easily be determined. It is, however, 

very limy, and many of its layers consist of soft, white, impure limestone. This formation is the Niobrara limestone, and it is characterized by shells (Inocerawws] from 8 to 10 inches in diameter, 

which occur in great abundance. These shells are of peculiar construction, for the grain of the shelloruns directly through it instead 

of along or around it as in most shells, both fossil and living, and 

this structure makes the shell very weak and easily broken. At the 

time this shale and limestone were deposited there were, so far as is 

now known, no mountains in this region, and the sea had an unbroken sweep from the site of Missouri River on the east to the 

site of the Wasatch Mountains on the west. Many persons may find 

it hard to believe that changes so great have taken place in the face 

of the earth, but one who diligently studies the rocks is impressed 

more with its instability and change than with its stability. He 

soon learns that change has been the rule rather than the exception 

that the rocky crust of the earth, which is so frequently referred to 

as "everlasting," is not everlasting in the sense of unchangeable. 

The earth's crust has been and doubtless is to-day like thin ice that 

bends under the skater's weight but seldom breaks, and a depression 

in one place gives rise to an elevation in another. Depressions in 

the crust of the earth, if they were at all profound, have led to the 

invasion of the sea, and elevation has caused the formation of dry 

land and possibly mountains.

The shale over which the traveler is passing is known in most of 

western Colorado and Utah as the Mancos shale, but toward the east 

the middle part of the shale changes to limy shale and then to limestone (Niobrara), and where this limestone is found the shale underlying it is generally called the Benton shale. That the rocks which 

form the large ridge on the left are coal-bearing is shown by old prospects and mine dumps that at many places scar the slopes. The first 

old mine to attract attention may be seen on the left just before 

the train passes milepost 370. This mine was near the top of the 

ridge, and the coal was lowered to the valley by a long inclined 

tramway, but Nature is fast removing the scars made by man, and 

they will soon not be noticeable. The first active operation to be seen 

is the Garfield (Vulcan) mine, opposite milepost 371, which is on a 

coal bed 14 feet thick. Coal from this mine also is lowered to track 

level over an inclined tramway, but this tramway is comparatively 

short. Farther along the mountain side the traveler may see smoke 

escaping from an opening nearly on the same level as the mouth of 

the Garfield mine. This smoke comes from a fire in the mine that
142 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

has been burning for several years. Such fires may be started in 

many ways, but this particular fire is supposed to have started spontaneously in broken coal. Coal of comparatively low rank, such as 

that mined at Vulcan, is subject to spontaneous ignition, especially 

when crushed and undergoing alternate wetting and drying, by 

which the carbon of the coal is oxidized or combined with the oxygen 

of the air or the water so rapidly as to start a fire. In the old 

Wheeler mine, which was opened years ago in the mountain point 

on the north side of the valley, just beyond the village of Newcastle, 

it was found impossible to prevent the coal from taking fire, and 

many years ago, after repeated and unsuccessful attempts were 

made to extinguish it, the mine was abandoned, and the coal is still 

on fire. Spontaneous ignition of coal has occurred not only in mines 

but on the outcrop of coal beds of rather low rank, and these fires 

have burned as long as air was available, making the adjacent rocks 

bright red and, where the heat was especially intense, melting them 

to slag or clinker.

The railroad swings to the right along the banks of Colorado River 

and enters Newcastle. This place is well known as a coal-mining 

center and is one of the points for reaching the 

great hunting ground of the White River Plateau 

to the north. It was to Newcastle that Theodore 

Roosevelt came in 1904, while he was President of 

the United States, on one of his famous hunting 

expeditions. From the station may be seen the bottom layers of the 

Mesaverde formation in the hills immediately back of the village, and 

on the north (right) and ahead may still be seen the scars on the 

mountain side and the dump of the old Wheeler mine that was abandoned because of fire. The red color, due to burning, and possibly the 

smoke of the fire may be. seen from the train. The Mesaverde is one 

of the greatest coal-bearing formations in the world. In the end of 

the Grand Hogback, on the right (see PI. LXII, A), the aggregate 

thickness of coal in beds over 4 feet thick is about 109 feet. One of 

these beds the Wheeler is 40 feet thick, and several others are 

more than 10 feet thick.43 At the time these coal beds were formed

Newcastle.

Elevation 5,562 feet. 

Population 447. 

Denver 373 miles.

43 The coal-bearing rocks (Mesaverde 

formation) dip toward the west under 

the overlying rocks and then reappear 

between DeBeque and Palisade. These 

two areas of sandstone constitute the 

edges or rims of a great structural 

trough known as the Uinta Basin. A 

section across the trough is shown in 

figure 37. This basin forms one of the 

great reserves of coal in the Rocky 

Mountain region. It extends from

Crested Butte in Gunnison County 

nearly to the Wasatch Mountains in 

Utah and is estimated to contain 160 

billion tons of coal. The coal is mined 

in the Crested Butte district, at Newcastle and for several miles to the 

south, at Cameo and Palisade, at 

Thompson, Utah, and at Sunnyside and 

Castlegate, near the west end of the 

field. Coal is not mined in other parts 

of the basin either because the beds
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 143

the climate in this region was very different from that which prevails there to-day, as is shown by the kind of plants which grew at 

that time and furnished the material for the beds of coal. Palms 

then grew here luxuriantly, and many fragments of impressions of 

palm leaves have been found in the rocks that are associated with the 

coal. Plate LXII, B, shows an usually fine specimen found by the 

miners at Newcastle.

From Newcastle the trains of the Colorado Midland formerly ran 

to Grand Junction over the tracks of the Dlenver & Rio Grande Western. On account of this double use the roadbed between these points 

is treated as a distinct unit, and the mileposts do not conform to the 

general scheme of numbering consecutively from Denver but are 

independent, beginning at Newcastle and ending at Grand Junction.

About 1£ miles below Newcastle the traveler passes out of the Mesaverde formation and into the overlying Wasatch. This formation is 

of Tertiary age and is the first rock as young as Tertiary that the 

traveler has seen since he left the vicinity of Denver and Palmer 

Lake. It is characterized generally by coarse conglomerate and iu 

places is composed of boulders many inches or even several feet in, 

diameter. It is reddish or pinkish in color, or it is made up of 

bands of red alternating with bands of white or light green. It was 

not formed immediately after the Mesaverde, on which it rests here, 

but after the Mesaverde had been laid down, consolidated, raised 

above drainage level, and remained a land surface for a long time. 

At last the mountains were partly uplifted and great lakes were 

formed, and into these lakes boulders worn from the older rocks, as 

well as fine material, such as clay and sand, were washed, and the 

whole mass was finally consolidated into rock. The time which has 

elapsed since it was deposited and the pressure of the overlying rocks 

have not been sufficient, however, to make it very hard; it is much less 

coherent than the Mesaverde and consequently gives a greater width 

of valley than the older rock. The Wasatch beds near the outcrop of the Mesaverde dip steeply to the southwest, or into the great 

Uinta Basin, but at a greater distance from the hogback the beds 

flatten and become nearly level as they approach the middle of the 

basin. (See fig. 37, p. 148.) From Newcastle to Rifle the most prominent surface features on the right are the sharp conical hills of the 

Wasatch formation, in which the beds apparently stand on edge.

are not accessible by railroad or because the coal is so low in rank that 

it could not be sold in competition 

with the coal already on the market.

The quality of the coal differs greatly 

in the different parts of the basin.

The highest rank anthracite is 

found near Crested Butte, and the 

lowest rank subbituminous coal at 

points on the upturned rim. Coke is 

manufactured soutli of Glenwocd 

Springs, Colo., and at Sunnyside, Utah.
144 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTER.N UNITED STATES.

The soft Tertiary and Cretaceous formations have been eroded 

very rapidly, and vast quantities of clay, gravel, and sand have been 

washed into the basin-like valley below the narrow canyon which 

the river has cut through the Grand Hogback. This loose material 

once filled the valley to a considerable depth, and the streams then 

removed part of it, leaving the remainder as great sloping terraces, 

which come down from the sides of the valley and would meet in 

the middle were it not for the trench which the river has cut. The 

presence of this fine material has given to one of 

Silt. the villages the appropriate name of Silt. On the 

Elevation 5,441 feet. 0\^ maps O f this region this broad valley was called

Population 379. n A v 11 4. * ±u u x ±u Denver380miles. Cactus Valley, on account or the barrenness or the 

region and the presence of many forms of cacti. Today the parts on which water has been taken bear little resemblance to a cactus valley, but the unreclaimed part is extremely 

barren. Here for the first time on this journey the traveler is coming 

into the real semiarid region, where precipitation is so slight that 

crops can not be raised without irrigation and where the unreclaimed 

tracts are either barren of vegetation or have the kind that is characteristic of the more nearly desert regions. On the south (left) 

the traveler may see the east front of Battlement Mesa, which is 

capped by a layer of basalt that has preserved the even surface over 

which it flowed as lava. Its east front, which is seamed and scarred, 

presenting a very rugged face, is one of the highest points in the 

vicinity, having an altitude of over 10,000 feet. The even surface 

upon which this flood of lava was poured is probably a part of the 

peneplain of which the White River Plateau is another remnant. 

Those who have made no study of geology may think that all plateaus are formed by the uplift of parts of the country to a greater 

altitude than that of the surrounding regions in other words, that 

they are on anticlines or upfolds of the rocks, but this is not uniformly true. The White River Plateau is on such an upfold, but 

Battlement Mesa is in a downfold, and generally upfolds and downfolds have no necessary connection with the formation and preservation of plateaus.

Rifle, on Colorado River at the mouth of Rifle Creek, although not a

large town, is one of the most important points on the railroad.

The irrigated land along the river near Rifle yields

Rifle. abundant crops, but they are somewhat different

Elevation 5,310 feet, from those that are raised about Glenwood Springs,

Denver^STDQiles ^or tne ^an(^ ^ere stands at a lower altitude and the 

summer temperature is consequently higher. Potatoes and grains are not large crops about Rifle; sugar beets, alfalfa, 

and fruits are more common. From Rifle a stage line, 42 miles long, 

leads northward to Meeker, the largest town in the irrigated valley
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 145

of White River and a noted outfitting point for hunters of big game. 

This road continues northward from Meeker to Craig, the present 

terminus of the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad ("Moffat road"). 

This part of Colorado has long been noted for the raising of horses 

and cattle, and for many years Rifle was the shipping point from 

which train after train of fine range cattle went to the eastern 

markets. The dry-land farmer has materially cut down the extent 

of the open range, so jjhat the herds have been greatly reduced in 

number and size, and many of the cattle that are now raised reach 

the market by other routes, so that Rifle is no longer preeminently a 

cattle-shipping point.

Opposite Rifle is a marked terrace about 400 feet high, which 

forms a sharp boundary to the irrigated part of the valley. Like all 

the terraces so far seen, this one is doubtless a remnant of the old 

floor of the valley a floor formed by the river when it was flowing 

some 400 feet higher than it does to-day, or when the surface of the 

land was that much nearer sea level than it is now. Remnants of 

what appears to be this same high terrace may be seen almost continuously beknv Rifle for a distance of 25 or 30 miles.

Beyond Rifle the great, broad swell of Battlement Mesa is the 

most conspicuous feature on the south side of the valley, but the 

reason for its name does not become apparent to the traveler until 

he has reached a point farther down the valley. As seen near 

Rifle Battlement Mesa is a great rounded mass in which very few 

ledges of rock crop out at the surface. It also bears very few trees, 

but parts of it, as well as of Grand Mesa, farther south, are covered 

with a thick growth of timber, and these two mesas constitute the 

Battlement National Forest. As the principal industry in this region is stock-raising one of the important features of the administration of this forest is the treatment of the " range " and the adjustment of grazing permits. For the information of those who wish to 

learn more about the administration of the national forests and the 

Government's method of dealing with grazing privileges, Smith 

Riley, district forester, has given a brief description in the footnote.44

44 The barren pinon and brush covered foothills seen from the train between Rifle and Grand Junction give 

the traveler no idea of the fertile 

interior valleys and table-lands that 

comprise the Battlement National Forest the largest grazing forest in the 

State of Colorado.

The forest proper, which lies somewhat remote from the railroad and

covers ah area^of 677,340 acres, comprises'two great table-lands known as 

Grand Mesa and Battlement Mesa. 

Fully 50 per cent of the area of the 

Battlement Forest is covered with timber. Wild grasses and weeds, which 

grow in abundance in open parks and 

in the less densely wooded parts 

of the forest, furnish excellent summer pasture. The foothills between
146 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

When Battlement Mesa is first seen from the railroad, near Rifle, 

no hard rock can be discerned on its surface, but near the village of 

Rulison small streams that come down from the mesa have made sharp 

cuts through the terrace on the opposite side of the river and have deposited at the foot of the terrace a great quantity of boulders in the 

form of alluvial cones. These boulders are composed of basalt, a dark 

rock that is very unlike any others which are seen in this vicinity. 

This basalt was once molten lava that was pooured out over the even 

surface and now caps the mesa and protects its from erosion. Battlethe national forest and the valleys 

also provide valuable winter range, 

and the irrigated bottoms along the 

streams are admirably adapted to 

raising hay and to the winter feeding of stock. Such, in brief, is the 

character of the lands that furnish 

pasturage for more than 43,000 cattle 

and horses every year.

The natural grazing advantages of 

this part of Colorado attracted cattlemen long ago and led to the first development of the country. Those were 

days without laws or regulations, 

when the more powerful cattle owners 

had everything their own way, " running" as many cattle and sheep as 

they wished, rapidly overgrazing the 

accessible tracts and getting little or 

no benefit from the others. This 

" open-range " system, as it was called, 

resulted in the gradual accumulation 

of more live stock than the country 

could properly maintain, and during 

unfavorable seasons it produced severe 

losses.

In those early days the market was 

very unstable. Prices were less than 

half those of the present day, and 

there was a great deal of animosity 

between cattlemen and sheepmen. So 

strong was this animosity that between 1890 and 1892 several encounters occurred in which at least one 

man was killed and thousands of sheep 

were wantonly butchered or driven 

over precipices. Ultimately the cattlemen proved to be the stronger and 

drove the sheepmen from the range.

By this time the territory then in 

use had become overgrazed, the range

depleted, and the water-supply contaminated and diminished. The struggle therefore took on a new phase it 

became one for the control of range 

and water. Homesteads and water 

holes were taken up in such a way 

as to control large areas, some homesteaders controlling as many as 10 sections of grazing land.

After this struggle for supremacy 

the fruit industry was started and ultimately took possession of much of the 

fertile valley lands in and adjacent to 

the forest. For a time this new industry flourished, and the value of 

land increased to a point that prohibited its acquisition for grazing. The 

fruit industry in turn had its drawbacks, and now many of the orchards 

 are being turned into fields of alfalfa. 

To dispose of this crop properly live 

stock is necessary, so there is now a 

revival of the cattle business.

Since the Battlement National Forest was established, in 1892, the grazing industry of this region has been 

reduced to a science. Range privileges 

have been equitably distributed by the 

Government on the basis of the bona 

fide development of permanent homes. 

Control of the range by rule of might 

has disappeared, overgrazing has been 

stopped, and the forest ranges are now 

used without injury to them. Most 

important of all, the live-stock business has been placed on a secure and 

profitable basis, and stockmen have 

come to look upon the Forest Service 

as their friend.

One of the first considerations in the 

proper administration of a grazing for-
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 147

ment Mesa was so named because of the fancied resemblance of its 

north front to the walls of some old castle, but the traveler can not see 

these rugged points until he has passed the east end of the mesa.

Beyond Rifle the most conspicuous features on the north (right) 

side of the valley are the great white cliffs of Mount Logan. When 

the traveler first sees them, near Eifle, they are in the distance, but as 

he goes westward he approaches them, and before the train has 

covered many miles it is running at their bases. Many of the maroon 

beds of the Wasatch, which came in so prominently on the west side 

of the Grand Hogback west of Newcastle, have passed below the level 

of the river; only a few hundred feet remains in sight to form a redest is the establishment of " grazing 

periods " consistent with the protection 

of the forage plants. Under the supervision of the Forest Service the periods 

for grazing have been so adjusted that 

the cattle are not allowed on the range 

until the grass and soil are ready. 

This permits the full utilization of the 

forage without overgrazing or denudation. A careful study is also made of 

the " carrying capacity " of each individual range that is, of the ability of 

a given tract to sustain stock in good 

condition without deterioration of the 

forage.

The construction and maintenance 

of drift fences (see PI. LXIV, B) for 

properly handling stock on the range 

and of pastures for gathering stock 

and for weaning calves; the establishment of salt grounds, for salt is as 

necessary for beasts as for man; the 

construction of wagon roads and trails 

to open up new and unused parts of 

the range; and the improvement of 

springs and water holes all this work 

and much of other kinds that have a 

vital bearing on the grazing industry 

has been done by the Forest Service in 

cooperation with the stockmen.

All grazing privileges in national forests, except for 10 head or less of 

milch cows or work horses, are granted 

under a formal permit that can be 

procured on application to the Forest 

Supervisor, though each year, with the 

increasing demand for range, the equitable allotment of these privileges is 

becoming more difficult. In its grazing

policy the Forest Service takes the 

position that it would rather help the 

small man to make a living than the 

big man to make a profit. The development of local ranges and the production of winter feed is therefore encouraged, and within certain limits grazing 

privileges are granted to new settlers, 

even to the extent of reducing the 

privileges of those who have been 

" running" a large number of cattle. 

On the other hand, the so-called 

" vested rights " of the large owner are 

respected and his privileges maintained except where the small owner 

is being unduly crowded or denied consideration. Maximum limits as to the 

number of cattle and horses that may 

be " run " on the forest by the owner 

have therefore been established in order to prevent monopoly. The small 

stockman is also safeguarded by a 

"protective limit," which is the number of cattle the settler must have in 

order to make a living on his property. 

The small man is thus able to build 

up his holdings to this limit, and stockmen who claim larger privileges are 

assured that they will not be reduced 

unreasonably by the demands of the 

small man.

As the live stock that is grazed on 

the national forests furnishes a considerable part of the meat supply of the 

country, the Forest Service feels that 

it should promote the use of our grazing resources as fully as the proper 

care and protection of the forests and 

the water supply may permit.
148 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

dish band about the foot of the white cliffs. The 

relation of these beds to the Uinta Basin is shown 

in figure 37.

In the vicinity of Eulison the cliffs are very conspicuous, and from Rulison to 'Grand Valley the 

train runs practically at their feet. These cliffs, 

which tower to a height of 3,500 feet above the 

railroad, are but the points of long spurs which 

far back from the river unite in a broad, unbroken 

plateau. The upper part of the cliffs is composed 

of white shale and sandstone known to geologists 

as the Green River formation. These rocks, although originally dark, weather uniformly to a 

dull white. The base of the cliffs is made up of 

the maroon shale of the Wasatch formation, which 

is exposed at several places between Grand Valley 

and Salt Lake City. As shown in Plate LXIII, 

the Green River formation makes prominent cliffs 

on the north side of the valley and occurs also in 

the high parts of Battlement Mesa, on the south. 

Its presence is generally indicated by its white 

color, which shows wherever the cover of brush 

and trees has been removed. In such places it is 

soon cut into castellated forms.

Most of the lower part of the valley is irrigated 

and produces good crops and considerable fruit. 

A sloping terrace on the south side of the river, 

opposite the village of Grand 

Valley, is irrigated by streams 

that come down from the higher 

parts of Battlement Mesa, and 

the scene here is a pretty picture 

of rural peace and prosperity. The principal 

scenic feature is the great white cliff (PL LXIII) 

immediately back of the village. All except about 

600 feet at the base of this cliff is composed of 

shale of the Green River formation, which, aside 

from its striking color, is notable because it contains a large amount of organic material, mostly 

remains of plants, from which oil may be obtained 

by destructive distillation. Oil has not yet been 

produced commercially from this shale, but it 

probably will be when crude oil from wells becomes scarcer and the demand for gasoline is 

greater than it is to-day. This shale has been

Grand Valley.

Elevation 5,104 feet. 

Population 257. 

Denver 404 miles.
IT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GRAND VALLEY CLIFFS.

The picturesque cliff back (north) of Grand Valley, as seen from the south side of Colorado River. 

its valley to a depth of 3,000 to 4,000 feet. The cliffs are the cut edges of the beds that form th

the plateau are oil shale of the Green River formation. Photograph furnished by the Denver & R
IT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN' 707 PLATE LXIV

A. BARE HILLS OPPOSITE DE BEQUE.

Although these hills are in the extreme west end of the Battlement National Forest they near very 

little timber or in fact vegetation of any kind. They are composed of the same kind of material 

as that shown in Plate LX.V, A. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.

B. STOCK FENCE IN A NATIONAL FOBEST.

A drift fence for controlling the pasturage of stock in the Battlement National Forest. To one 

accustomed to a humid climate the vegetation on this land does not appear promising, but the 

cattle can find good pasture between the bunches of sage. Photograph by the U. S. Forest Service.
DENVER -& RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 149

studied, tested, and mapped by Dean E. Winchester, of the United 

States Geological Survey, who describes it below.45 A moderate 

estimate, made by him, of the quantity of oil that may be obtained 

from the Green River formation- in Colorado alone is 40,000,000,000 

barrels.

The oil shale is within view from the railroad for only a short 

distance in Colorado, near Grand Valley, and is not seen again 

by the traveler until he reaches Colton, Utah, but the two areas are

45 Before petroleum was discovered 

in Pennsylvania, in 1859, the Mormons 

distilled it, in an experimental way, 

from shale of the Green River formation near Juab, Utah, where the ruins 

of their old still may yet be seen. 

Experiments in other parts of northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado have confirmed the results obtained at Juab. For many years oil 

has been distilled from similar shale 

in Scotland, where large plants have 

been erected for this purpose, but the 

supply of crude petroleum in this 

country has been so great that no one 

has been willing to invest capital in 

such an enterprise. The growing demand for gasoline, however, has made 

it imperative to seek further supplies 

of oil, so the United States Geological 

Survey has been testing the so-called 

oil shale of the Green River formation to find how many gallons of oil 

it will yield per ton and mapping its 

geographic distribution so as to be 

able to make some estimate of the 

total quantity of oil that may be 

obtained from it. A conservative calculation of the oil content of the shale 

in Colorado shows that it will yield 

at least 40,000,000,000 barrels of crude 

oil. The yield of gasoline would be 

one-tenth as much, and with a little 

added expense 300,000,000 tons of ammonium sulphate would be obtained 

as a by-product. The sulphate is an 

excellent fertilizer and would be 

highly valuable to the farmers in this 

and adjacent regions.

The Green River formation, which 

is so well exposed in the great white 

cliffs at Grand Valley, consists predominantly of shale, but in places it 

80697° 22 11

includes beds of sandstone, oolite, and 

conglomerate. The general white color 

of the weathered outcrops is varied 

near the top of the big cliffs by hard 

bluish beds, which when freshly 

broken are dark brown or black and 

give off an odor of petroleum. This 

hard, dark shale is destined to become 

a valuable source of crude oil and its 

refined products, such as gasoline and 

kerosene, as well as of nitrogen compounds. Good oil shale is tough and 

remarkably flexible. Thin splinters 

will burn and give off an asphaltic 

odor when ignited with a match. Oil 

shale contains a vast amount of organic matter, largely vegetal, which 

appears to be the source of the crude 

oil that may be produced from it by 

destructive distillation.

The average oil shale mined in 

Scotland will yield about 25 gallons 

of crude oil to the ton, but there is an 

abundance of shale in Colorado and 

Utah that will yield a barrel (42 gallons) to the ton. The crude oil, when 

refined by ordinary processes, will 

yield from 10 to 15 per cent of gasoline.

Experiments are now in progress 

both in the laboratories of the United 

States Bureau of Mines and in many 

private establishments to devise a 

method of retort treatment that will 

most successfully produce a distillate 

that can readily be refined into standard products at a profit. Such a 

method will no doubt be found, and 

this region in northwestern Colorado 

will probably be the scene of a great 

industry in the production of artificial 

petroleum by the distillation of these 

deposits of oil shale..
150 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED' STATES.

connected north of the railroad by an almost unbroken outcrop, and 

shale of sufficient thickness and richness to warrant mining is supposed to underlie an area of at least 5,000 square miles in the Uinta 

Basin of northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah.

The features below the town of Grand Valley are much the same 

as those above it. The same white cliffs, with the maroon band 

about the base, rise above the railroad on the north, and the broad 

swell of Battlement Mesa rises on the south. Between lies the open 

valley, with its band of trees fringing the river and its patches of 

^ farm land where the surface is sufficiently level for 

irrigation. In midsummer 

the valley displays beautiful shades of 'green, but in 

autumn, after the early 

frosts have touched the 

cottonwood trees along the 

river and the aspens on the 

slopes above, it bears a 

beautiful mantle of green 

and gold.

The hills across the valley, although they lie within the Battlement Forest, are composed of the red and green shale 

and sandstone of the Wasatch formation and are almost devoid of 

vegetation. (See PI. LXIV, A.)

After being crowded close to the river by the high bluffs of the 

maroon shale and sandstone, the railroad suddenly emerges into the 

broad valley of Roan Creek at the little village of 

De Deque. De Beque, which is flanked on the north by the high 

Elevation 4,945 feet, turrets, towers, and minarets of the White Cliffs. 

As Roan Creek heads on the high plateau it contains a never-failing supply of water, which is used 

over and over again in irrigating the level land within its valley. 

The pasture on the plateau is excellent, so that the principal industry in and around De Beque is stock raising.

West of the river there is a slight arch in the rocks on which a 

number of wells have been drilled in search of oil. Some of these 

wells have found small quantities of oil, but most of them have been 

" dry holes " that is, holes that yield little or no oil. The slight arch 

in the rocks is regarded as favorable for the accumulation of oil, for 

oil and gas are generally associated with water in the rocks, and as 

they are lighter than water they are forced up into the high places or 

arches, as shown in figure' 38, but in the region about De Beque there 

seems to be little or no oil in the rocks to accumulate.

FIGURE 38. Relation of oil, gas, and water to an 

anticline. In a porous sandstone gas may be 

forced to the top of the arch, oil will come next, 

and water will lie in the lower part.

Population 292. 

Denver 417 miles.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 6

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist A. C. ROBERTS. Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

Age Thickness 

in feet

E White shale and sandstone (Green River formation) Tertiary (Eocene} 2,600 

F Red shale, sandstone, and conglomerate(Wasateh formation) Tertiary (Eocene) 3,400

H Sandstone, shale, and coal beds (Mesaverde formation)

J Dark marine shale (Mancos shale)

M Brown sandstone (Dakota sandstone)

N Variegated shale and sandstone (Gunnison formation)

P Brick-red sandstone

R Red sandstone and shale (Maroon formation)

S Red sandstone, conglomerate, and shale (Weber formation)

5,000

] Upper Cretaceous 6,000 

J 100±

Cretaceous (?) and 050 

Jurassic

Triassic

Carboniferous 

( Pennsylvanian )

1,200±

4-°°°

U Blue limestone (Leadville limestone, Ouray limestone) (Mis^sippian) 350

and Devonian

V Quartzite, shale, and some limestone

X Granite

Y Lava flows (basalt)

Cambrian 

Pre-Cambrian

Tertiary

490

.__ Fault

The limestone of lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) and Devonian age is 

called Ouray limestone, but Ouray and Leadville are approximately the same

Scale 500,000

Approximately 8 miles to 1 inch 

0 5 10 Miles

10 15 Kilometers

Elevations in feel above mean .sea level

The distances from Denver. Colorado, are shown every 10 mites. 

The crossties on the railroads are spaced I mile apart.

Kulief tnntlnm by R. W. Berry
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 151

A short distance west of the station at De Beque the railroad crosses 

Roan Creek, and beyond for some distance it runs through a rolling 

country, most of which is irrigated and contains good farms. The 

river bottom on the east (left), which occasionally may be seen from 

the train, is also largely under cultivation, and beyond it the highland rises, terrace above terrace, up to the crest of Battlement Mesa.

The intricate' lines of sculpture that are carved by the rains in the 

soft shale or clay where it is not protected by a cover of vegetation 

or of broken rock are well shown in some badland buttes composed of 

maroon shale and clay of the Wasatch formation, a little more than 

2 miles west of De Beque. (See PI. LXV, A.) If the light is just 

right to bring out the minute lines the entire surface of the buttes 

will appear to be made up of a series of rill marks that resemble the 

delicate fretwork of an artist. (See route map, sheet 6, p. 182.)

The rocks across which the traveler has been passing since he left 

NeAvcastle are bent into a great downfold or troughlike depression 

(syncline) whose east rim is composed of the coal-bearing sandstone 

(Mesaverde) that forms the Grand Hogback. Figure 37 (p. 148) 

represents the section across this trough as it is exposed by Colorado 

River. The other rim of the trough is crossed by the railroad between De Beque and Palisade, and through this rim the river has 

cut a deep and narrow canyon very different from the gap through 

the hogback at Newcastle. It is here called Palisade Canyon.46 As 

the rocks are the same at both places the explanation of the difference 

in the appearance of the gaps cut by the river must be sought in the 

difference in the attitude of the beds, or, in other words, in the 

amount of their dip. At Newcastle the thick bed of sandstone dips 

steeply toward the west, and as it is underlain by softer rocks it 

weathers into a sharp ridge, which can be traced for 50 miles to the 

north and is known as the Grand Hogback. The dip of the beds on 

the other rim of the trough is very slight, generally not over 10°, 

and the river cuts through the rim for 16 miles in a canyon that 

increases in depth as it approaches the outer margin of the sandstone. 

Figure 37 (p. 148) represents the rocks as they would appear in a 

deep trench cut along the line of the railroad. Above the coal-bearing rocks lies the maroon Wasatch, and in the middle and overlying 

all the other beds, and consequently younger than the others, are 

the white beds of the Green River formation, but these do not appear 

near Palisade Canyon.

48 So far as the writer is aware this 

canyon has been called by no name 

except "Hogback Canyon," which appears several times in the Hayden reports, printed about 1875. That name 

was never strictly appropriate, for the

ridge of slightly dipping rocks across 

which the canyon is cut is not a typical 

hogback, and as the name has never 

become current it seems appropriate to 

give the canyon the name of Palisade 

Canyon, from the town of Palisade.
152 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

South of De Beque the railroad is built on a low terrace at some 

distance from the river, but near the entrance to Palisade Canyon, 

4| miles south of De Beque, halfway between mileposts 48 and 49, it 

reaches the river (on the left) in a shallow canyon cut into one of 

the thick beds of sandstone near the top of the coal-bearing Mesaverde formation. As the beds rise gradually downstream the canyon 

slowly increases in depth from its head to Palisade, where it ends. 

At AJdn siding (milepost 51) the canyon walls are about 300 feet 

high, and they show well the alternate bands of resistant sandstone 

and soft, easily eroded shale. Here and there some of the beds of 

sandstone are thick and massive ,and form cliffs 40 or 50 feet high, 

but on the whole the alternation of shale and sandstone gives rise 

to sloping banded walls which have a sameness in appearance that 

soon becomes monotonous.

At Tunnel siding (milepost 55) the walls of the canyon have increased in height to 600 or 700 feet, but they have the same general 

character. A mile west of this siding the train passes through a 

tunnel which pierces a long spur (shaped in plan like a beaver's tail, 

hence the name Beavertail tunnel) that projects from the right 

wall of the canyon and then comes to a diversion dam which turns 

some of the water of Colorado River into a canal on the other 

side of the river. This canal is in sight throughout the length of 

the canyon below this point, and its effects may be noted in the 

crops and orchards on the high bench lands east of the river.

Milepost 57 marks the largest diversion project in the canyon, 

known as the Grand Valley or High Line project of the United 

States Reclamation Service, which is intended to furnish water 

for the irrigation of the high bench lands on the north side of the 

river from Palisade as far west as the western boundary of the 

State. The diversion dam, shown in Plate LXVI, is completed, and 

the canal is constructed as far west as Loma (see p. 153) and in the 

near future will be extended to the State line.47

47 The Grand Valley project of the 

United States Reclamation Service, 

usually spoken of as the High Line 

canal, provides for the irrigation of 

45,000 acres of land in Mesa County, 

Colo., comprising, as shown in figure 

39, a strip along the northern border 

of the valley above the old private 

canals from 2 to 6 miles wide and 40 

miles long. The water is taken from 

Colorado River (formerly called Grand 

River) by a diversion dam (shown in 

PI. LXVI) 8 miles above Palisade, into 

a main canal 65. miles in length, extending to a point 6 miles northwest 

of Mack. About 35,000 acres lies 

under the main canal and will be supplied by gravity, and 10,000 acres lies 

above the level of the main canal and 

will be supplied by electrically operated pumping plants.

The most interesting engineering 

works in this project are the diversion 

dam and the first 6 miles of main 

canal, which are in the canyon of 

Colorado River. The dam, which is 

unique in American engineering, consists of a concrete weir, 546.5 feet in
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXV

A. NATURE'S LACELIKE SCULPTURE.

Fine sculpturing by the rain on a butte of red and white clay on the right of the track 2 miles south 

of DC Beque. Every part of the surface is thoroughly drained, and each rivulet has carved for 

itself a distinct channel. Photograph by Mtirius R. Campbell.

B. PALISADE CANYON AT CAMEO.

The walls of the canyon back of Cameo are about 1,500 feet high and are composed of sandstone 

and shale of the Mesaverde formation. These weather into castle-like cliffs and slopes, as shown 

in the view. Photograph by Marius R. Campbell.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

<*' >" : *.' ,''--*- --&

HIGH LINE DIVERSION DAM IN PALISADE 

This sreat structure was thrown across Colorado River in the heart of Palisade Canyon by t

water for the irrigation of 45,000 acres of bench land west of Grand Junction. The estima

more than $.'1,700,000 has been expended, ami water is now available for the irrigation of 38
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FIGDKE 39. Map of High. Line rec
154 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The great High Line canal is crossed by the railroad a short distance below the dam and may be followed by the eye on the right 

until it is hidden in a tunnel that carries it through a projecting 

rocky point. It is carried as high as possible, and though it has 

descent enough to enable the water to flow readily, it is soon above 

the level of the railroad and can be identified only by the regularity 

of its banks and the new rock dumps that mark the portals of its 

tunnels.

Half a mile below the High Line dam Plateau Creek enters the 

river from the side opposite the railroad. This creek heads on the 

mesa far to the east and flows in a narrow valley between Battlement 

Mesa on the north and Grand Mesa on the south. The main automobile highway down the river is carried over the low plateau 

east of the river, but at Plateau Creek it descends to the river and 

for the remainder of the distance to the lower end of the canyon it

crests will rest on the weir and force 

the water into the canal headgates, 

but at times of flood they will be rolled 

up on the piers, allowing the high 

water to pass over the dam in order to 

avoid flooding the adjacent track of 

the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad.

The first 6 miles of main canal parallels the railroad track, and in narrow parts of the canyon in this stretch 

three tunnels have been .built to avoid 

interference with the railroad. These 

tunnels are, respectively, 3,723, 1,655, 

and 7,292 feet in length and are lined 

throughout with concrete. The first 

two tunnels are 14 by 16 feet in cross 

section, and the third is 11 feet by 11 

feet 6 inches.

The main canal has a capacity of 

1,425 cubic feet per second for the first 

5 miles. About half this water will 

be used for developing power and will 

be returned to the river through the 

proposed power plant at the upper 

portal of"' tunnel No. 3. This plant, 

which h§s not yet been constructed, 

will develop about 2,000 electrical 

horsepower, which will be used in operating pumps to supply water to the 

lands that lie above the main canal.

The last 60 miles of the main canal 

consists of open ditch, involving about

2,600,000 cubic yards of excavation, 

and numerous flumes, siphons, and culverts, made to cross natural drainage 

courses.

Laterals will be constructed to deliver water to each farm on the project, and drainage works will be built 

as needed to remove surplus water and 

prevent the rise of the ground-water 

level.

Water for seasoning the works was 

turned into the main canal in June, 

1915.

The soils under the project are of 

three general types reddish sand, 

sandy loam, and adobe. The red soil is 

deep and well drained and is specially 

adapted to fruit culture, though practically all crops do well in it; the 

sandy loam is an alluvial soil and is 

adapted to growing certain varieties of 

fruit as well as alfalfa, cereals, potatoes, sugar beets, and vegetables; the 

adobe soil is adapted to growing alfalfa, cereals, sugar beets, and vegetables.

The cost of the works is advanced by^ 

the Government under the terms of the 

Reclamation Act, which provides that 

the actual cost shall be repaid by the 

landowners in 20 years without interest, and that they shall pay the cost 

of operation and maintenance.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 155

follows the opposite bank. The walls of the canyon here are about 

1,000 feet high and are therefore very imposing, especially where the 

beds of sandstone are particularly thick or resistant.

At the little coal-mining town of Cameo the canyon attains its 

maximum depth, about 1,500 feet. Its sides generally present the 

appearance of gigantic walls of masonry, the beds 

of sandstone forming the courses and the soft shale 

Elevation 4,774 feet, filling in between them like the mortar in an artiDenver 433 miles. . & . .

ncial wall. On the projecting points between the 

main canyon and the canyons of the tributaries the sandstone seems 

to form most of the wall, as it stands in gigantic pyramids that 

tower far above the bottom of the gorge. The pyramid on the 

projecting point just north of Cameo is shown in Plate LXV, B.

Although the Mesaverde is the great Cretaceous coal-bearing formation in this region, it contains very few coal beds in Palisade Canyon. At Newcastle it contains more than 109 feet of coal in beds 

thick enough to work, but in Palisade Cany on" it contains only two 

beds. The upper of these beds is mined at Cameo and is generally known as the Cameo coal bed. Mines may be seen just south of 

the station on both sides of the track. The coal from the mine on the 

left is brought across the river on a high trestle, which serves as a 

tipple for screening the coal and loading it into railroad cars. The 

coal mined here is of medium grade and satisfies the local demand, 

but it is not equal to that which is mined south of Newcastle, or in 

the Crested Butte region, on the east, or at Sunnyside and Castlegate in Utah, on the west. At the Cameo mine the coal bed has a 

thickness of 10 feet 11 inches, of which 9 feet 8 inches is clear coal.

About a mile below Cameo the High Line canal passes through the 

plateau by a long tunnel which brings it out on the high bench land 

west of Palisade.

Nearly 2 miles below Cameo the river makes a big curve to the 

right, and on the opposite side there is a low terrace not more than 

150 feet high. This terrace has been built up by material brought 

down by a small creek that heads on Grand Mesa, to the east. This 

material is so abundant and so indestructible that it has crowded the 

river gradually against the opposite (west) side, so that the river 

has been forced to cut under a great cliff, several hundred feet in 

height. From the train the traveler may see that this terrace is composed almost entirely of boulders of a dark rock, which close examination would show to be basalt, or hardened lava. Grand Mesa, 

which here and there may be seen on the east (left) and which overtops all other features in this region, has been preserved almost entirely because it is protected by a cap of this basalt.

Below the terrace two small water-power plants have been constructed for pumping water to higher levels to irrigate land that
156 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

could not be reached by the existing gravity lines. One of these 

plants supplies enough water to irrigate 2,300 acres of land and the 

other enough to irrigate 6,000 acres. The canals and pumping plants 

which the traveler has seen in Palisade Canyon are more extensive 

than any that he has seen heretofore on this journey, and he may 

wonder why so much money has been spent to obtain the water of 

Colorado River, but when he has passed out of the mouth of the 

canyon and has seen the wonderful change that the water has made 

in the one-time desert plain he will no longer question the wisdom 

of the expenditure.

As the railroad makes a great bend to the west at the mouth of 

the canyon the traveler may notice some small coal mines that are 

operating on the lowest or Palisade coal bed. This coal bed, which 

ranges from 3 to 7 feet in thickness, overlies the sandstone that is 

regarded as forming the base of the Mesaverde formation. The coal 

bed and the sandstone are well exposed across the river, where a 

number of small min&s have been opened to supply the local demand 

for fuel. Another small mine is also in operation just above the 

station at Palisade. The rocks here rise more rapidly than they do 

farther up in the canyon, and the lower slopes of the cliffs are composed of the marine shale (Mancos) that underlies the coal-bearing 

formation.

Near milepost 63 the canyon opens, and here begin the orchards 

of peaches, pears, apples, and other fruit that have made the town 

of Palisade famous. Its situation at the foot of the 

Palisade. Book Cliffs protects it from late frosts in spring 

Elevation 4,739 feet, and from early frosts in autumn, so that almost 

evei7 foot of the land is under irrigation and has 

been planted with fruit trees. (See PI. LXVII.) 

Every year hundreds of cars of fruit are shipped from this place.

Here begins the great south ward-facing cliff which in the early 

days was named Book Cliffs because of the fancied resemblance of 

the sandstone cap and the curved shale slope below to the edge of a 

bound book. A typical view of the Little Book Cliffs as they appear 

back of Palisade is given in Plate LXVIII. The Book Cliffs begin 

at Palisade and stretch westward to Castlegate, Utah, a distance of 

about 190 miles. They everywhere form the southern rim of the 

great trough of rocks on the north known as the Uinta Basin. Just 

west of Palisade the cliffs are formed and protected by a few beds of 

sandstone at the top, below which the slope consists of shale (Mancos) 

that was deposited there before the Rocky Mountains were in existence, when the entire region was below the waters of the sea.

These shale slopes have been intricately sculptured by the rain, 

and the traveler has many opportunities to examine them, for they are
U. S. OKOLOGICAL SURVEY 

COLORADO RIVER VALLEY BELOW PALISA

Since the waters of Colorado River have been diverted in Palisade Canyon and carried out on th

into a paradise of orchards and well-tilled fields. Photograph furnished by the Den
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

LITTLK HOOK CJJKKS AT PALISADE.

The Little Book Cliffs at Palisade are capped by a hard bed of sandstone (base of Mesaverde formation), 

by rain and running water. These cliffs serve to protect from frost the acres and acres of orch
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 157

visible on the north from the train most of the way from Palisade to 

Castlegate. The appearance of these slopes, like that of most of the 

land forms in a semiarid climate, depends largely upon the light 

under which they are seen. When the light is strong and strikes 

squarely against the face of the cliffs the slopes are expressionless 

and dead. One slope is like another as they shimmer in the hot rays 

of the sun, but when the sun is low the shadows show every detail of 

the slopes, and thus revealed in black and white the surface of the 

cliffs looks as seamed and wrinkled as the face of an old man. Each 

slope is then full of individuality it shows intricate and wonderful 

sculpture.

The valley that the railroad enters at Palisade is broad because 

the soft Mancos shale, in which it is carved, is about 3,000 feet thick, 

and its erosion has produced flat or rolling lands except where terraces have been cut by the streams into badlands or steep slopes. 

Although the shale contains considerable alkaline material, which 

is objectionable in farming, it makes in general some of the best 

farming land in western Colorado. Near the river it forms flat 

valley bottoms, as at the village of Clifton, but by proper underdraining even such flat lands may be made very productive. Orchards 

abound in this valley, and much fruit is shipped 

Clifton. from Clifton. Before the water of Colorado River 

Elevation 4,713 feet, was diverted and carried onto this land it Avas a 

DenverT/smfiel waste desert, inhabited only by jack rabbits and 

coyotes, but irrigation has transformed it into a 

fertile land, figuratively " flowing with milk and honey." Is it any 

wonder that millions of dollars have been spent in diverting water 

from Colorado River in the canyon above Palisade and in constructing great canals for delivering it to the thirsty land? But even after 

all our great irrigation works have been completed there will still 

be millions of acres of waste land, which could be converted into 

sites for homes of peace and plenty if water were available. The 

great problem of the future is to conserve all the water that is produced by the melting of snow in the high mountain regions, by holding it in storage reservoirs until it is needed, and then to distribute 

it to the desert land. Such work will require enormous sums of 

money, but it will in return supply homes to many thousands of 

people and bring immense wealth to the country.

General views of the valley may be obtained from places near 

Clifton. On the east tower the wooded slopes of Grand Mesa; on 

the south, far in the distance, may be caught glimpses of the gently 

swelling surface of the Uncompahgre Plateau a surface composed 

of the massive sandstones which at some places underlie the Mancos 

shale and which everywhere overlie the granite that forms the basement upon which all this country is built.
158 GUIDEBOOK OP THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The railroad traverses the flat land of the river bottom to the point 

where Colorado River is joined by Gunnison River, which heads in 

the high mountains near Marshall Pass and which 

Grand Junction. is followed throughout most of its course by the 

Elevation 4,583 feet, narrow-gage line from Salida to Montrose and by 

DSeSmiiTs. the standard-gage line from Montrose to Grand 

Junction. At the junction of these roads stands 

Grand Junction, a division point on the railroad and the largest 

town in western Colorado. Grand Junction is the center of a vast 

irrigated district whose climate is favorable to the growth of almost 

all kinds of grain, as well as forage crops, sugar beets, garden truck, 

and fruit. It is particularly noted for its beet-sugar industry and for 

its fruit.

The description of the country along the main line west of Grand 

Junction is continued on page 185.

NARROW-GAGE LINE FROM SALIDA TO MONTROSE.

The description of the country along the main line east of Salida 

ends on page 90.

The part of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad that 

runs over Marshall Pass was a part of the main line built with a 

3-foot gage in 1881, and because of its steep climb over the mountains and its tortuous course through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison it has not been changed from its original gage. To the 

traveler who has never ridden in a narrow-gage coach the name 

"baby railroad," which was given to this system in the early days, 

seems eminently proper; but after traveling over the mountains and 

turning and twisting through the narrow canyons he gains respect 

for the narrow-gage road, which in this part of the country was the 

pioneer of railroads and led to the development of the mineral resources and the agricultural wealth much earlier than if the road 

had been built standard gage. In Colorado, however, the day of 

j;he narrow-gage road seems to have nearly passed, and all such lines 

will probably be abandoned or changed to standard gage.

The country about Salida is well watered, and much hay and grain 

is grown for the herds of cattle that may be seen from the train. 

Some fruit is raised, but the altitude here is so great that only the 

more hardy varieties will ripen. On leaving the station the railroad runs'south westward, directly toward the great mountain wall 

that bounds the valley. (See sheet 3, p. 100.) It ascends the valley of 

South Arkansas River, in which no rock can be seen in place 

except at a distance until the train enters the mountains. The immediate valley is excavated in gravel and boulders, which may be
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 159

seen on the right in the cut edge of a well-developed terrace.48 The 

lop of this terrace, when seen from a high point, appears to be a part 

of what was once the floor of the valley. Remnants of a similar 

though higher terrace may be seen in the foothills on the left at a 

much greater elevation. (See PL XLIV, p. 90.)

The traveler is now near the high mountains^and he may look up 

on the left to lofty peaks on which the snow banks of the preceding 

winter linger well into the 

summer and on which a 

fleecy mantle falls during the first snowstorms 

of early autumn, or even 

occasionally during a 

cold midsummer storm. 

The commanding summits 

which may be seen from 

time to time are Ouray

T> i /TJ-'J. i 10 AKK FIGURE 40. Formation of a rock terrace. Jreak (altitude, 13,955

feet), near Marshall Pass (altitude, 10,856 feet), and Mount Chipeta

on the left, and a group of peaks known as Mount Shavano (altitude,

48 The mode of formation and hence 

the meaning of terraces is of great 

interest to the geologist who is attempting to unravel the history of the 

land. Terraces are mainly the work 

of water, either running, as in streams, 

or standing, as in a lake or ocean; 

but the present surface of Colorado 

has not been modified by the ocean 

and very little by lakes, so that most 

of the terraces here were formed by 

running water.

Streams may form terraces of two 

kinds, known as cut terraces and built 

terraces. A stream may flow ^gainst 

a bluff of solid rock and cut it away 

above a certain line and thus produce 

a flat which, when the stream has further excavated its valley, may be revealed as a terrace or bench. Such a 

terrace is represented in figure 40. A 

stream, a, has cut a valley in solid 

rock, represented by the diagonal-ruled 

lines. After the stream has formed a 

flood plain it begins to meander or 

swing from side to side across the flood 

plain. In the course of such a swing 

it may flow against the slope on the

right and then, if the stream is accelerated by uplift, it will clean out 

its old valley and cut a trench (c) in 

its rock floor, leaving the part at ft untouched. The part at b is then a rock 

terrace on the side of the valley and 

merely a remnant of the old valley 

formed when the stream was flowing 

at a higher level. Such terraces arc 

called cut terraces and are rather rare. 

The second kind of terrace is known 

as a built terrace because it is built 

of waste rock material by waves or 

running water. Most if not all of the 

terraces in a mountain region are built. 

A terrace is generally not built up directly by a stream but is the result of 

the filling or partial filling of the valley and of its partial excavation by the 

stream. If a mountain stream, such as 

the Arkansas, which is now able to 

carry along nearly all the sand and 

boulders swept into it by its tributaries, should be dammed by a flow of 

lava or other obstruction, it would be 

unable to carry its load of this material, which would be dropped in the 

pond above the obstruction. In time
160 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

14°,179 feet) on the right. The lower slopes are more or less covered 

with timber, which becomes scanty as the height increases, until 

finally even the stunted balsams disappear (see PI. XLV, A, p. 92) 

and at the summits there is nothing but wind-swept rock. The slopes 

vary in color according to the light, at times being rich red or bright

yellow in the strong sunc i^7/////A t light and at others deep

purple or a steely blue. 

The color of the lower 

slopes depends largely on 

the vegetation, but that of 

the upper slopes depends 

on distance and light. In 

spring and summer the 

shrubs and trees present 

many shades of green and yellow, but they are most brilliant in September, when the first frost touches them and tinges them with red 

or gold.

The railroad follows the valley up to the village of Poncha, where 

the road to Marshall Pass turns to the south (left), but a branch 

Poncha. keeps straight ahead to the mining town of MonEievation 7,480 feet, arch, 15 miles distant, where it ends. From Monarch 

Population (in- the principal highway between Salida and the Guncluding Poncha TT n L i , Springs) 323. nison Valley is an automobile road across the range. 

Denver 220 miles. The Marshall Pass line turns to the south in a 

broad curve and begins to climb the range. For half a mile it cuts

FIGURE 41. Formation of a gravel terrace.

the material would fill this pond arid 

form a plain that would stretch entirely across the valley. The result is 

shown by section A, in figure 41, in 

which the valley is represented as 

filled with gravel and sand, forming a 

plain a-b, over which the stream flows 

at c, far above bedrock. If the stream 

then succeeds in cutting through the 

dam of lava it quickly trenches the 

sand and gravel laid down in the pond, 

except the parts that lie at some distance back from the middle of the 

channel. The result is shown by section B, in figure 41, in which the 

stream has cut the trench d-f-e, leaving d and e as terraces on the sides of 

the valley, composed of sand and 

gravel which the water has deposited. 

Most of the terraces in the mountains 

have had such an origin, except that

the ponding has generally been due 

not to lava flows but to the sinking 

of the crust of the earth, which 

would have the same effect as a lava 

flow. In some places it may have been 

due to a decrease in the volume of 

water flowing in the stream, and although at first thought this may not 

seem to be comparable to the lava flow 

in its effects, a careful study will show 

that the carrying power of a stream 

is directly affected by its volume and 

grade, so that if its volume or its 

grade is reduced its carrying power 

will be reduced it will not be able to 

sweep along the boulders that it had 

before handled readily. A stream thus 

reduced in volume or grade silts up its 

bed, and if later its flow or grade is increased it cuts away all this material 

except the remnants that form terraces.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 161

through ridges- and spurs of gravel and boulders which constitute a 

part of the high terrace already mentioned. Near milepost 222 it 

enters the canyon which Poncha Creek has cut in the hard rocks that 

compose the mountains.

A quarter of a mile above milepost 223 the railroad swings to the 

left in a broad curve around a mass of loose material which has been 

swept down from a small gulch on the right, and almost immediately 

after swinging back into its normal position it has to make another 

curve in order to pass a 

second mass of similar 

loose material. Such 

masses, if fairly flat, are 

known as alluvial fans, 

but if steep they are 

called alluvial cones. 

The fans in Poncha 

Canyon are shown in 

the accompanying diagram (fig. 42). On the 

first fan the radial lines

OCCUpied bv the Streams F1GURB 42- Alluvial fans in Poncha Canyon. The may * tprlsil thnt- hns hf>f>n swonf nut. nf twn rnvi

at different times can

easily be seen from the

train, as they are marked

by straight depressions and by ridges of boulders and angular pieces

of broken rock which have been swept down by the stream. 

The canyon is narrow and V-shaped as far as Mears Junction,

where it abruptly changes to a rather broad valley with a flat, 

swampy bottom, which bears all the marks of having been .occupied by moving ice that is, by a 

g^cier.49 At Mears Junction a branch railroad 

turns to the right and after circling about over the

main line turns back on the left and climbs the mountain slope to

terial that has been swept out of two ravines In the 

mountains is spread out in semicircular fans, which 

the railroad is obliged to pass around in two sharp 

curves.

Mears Junction.

49 A glacier that occupies a rather 

broad, flat-bottomed valley almost invariably builds a ridge at its lower 

end, composed of fragments of rock 

mixed with clay that it ground away 

from the rocks over which it passed. 

All this material is carried on or in 

the moving mass of ice and Is laid 

down at its extremity in a ridge that 

is known as a terminal moraine.

If Poncha Valley had once been occupied by ice it should contain some 

trace of a terminal moraine, although

a moraine in a narrow valley may be 

more or less washed away by the 

stream after the ice has disappeared. 

A close examination of, the side of 

the valley below Mears Junction shows 

such an accumulation, though it may 

not be noticed from the moving train. 

It consists of a distinct ridge of loose 

material which projects from the east 

(left) wall of the valley and causes 

the stream and the railroad to curve 

to the right in order to pass it. At 

the point where the railroad rounds
162 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEBN UNITED STATES.

Poncha Pass, which stands at an altitude of 9,059 feet, and then 

descends into San Luis Park. Curiously enough, this branch line, 

in the heart of the Colorado mountains, has one of the longest 

stretches of straight track in this country 52 miles without a curve. 

Poncha Pass is much lower than Marshall Pass, and the traveler may 

look down into it when he is part way up the mountain.

Above Hears Junction the character of the valley is different in 

different parts, making the answer to the question whether it was 

occupied by ice somewhat doubtful.50

About 2 miles above Mears Junction the valley is again wide and 

flat-bottomed and has all the features generally attributed to occupation by ice. In this wide part of the valley the railroad crosses to 

the east side, where it runs for nearly a mile, and then swings across 

the creek and returns on the opposite slope. As the road curves 

across the creek the traveler may see by looking upstream that this 

branch of the valley is not broad or U-shaped and was therefore 

probably never occupied by ice. As the train climbs the west wall 

of the valley many interesting views of the features described above 

come into sight. It turns in around the head of every ravine and then 

out around every projecting point, as shown in Plate LXIX, Z?, until 

finally it comes to the top of the hills that face the valley. On one

the outermost point, of the moraine 

there is a sign marked " Yard limit." 

Here, then, is a fragment of a terminal 

moraine, which indicates that the 

valley above has been broadened and 

its walls steepened since it was carved 

by running water, so we must conclude 

that a great glacier long ago gathered 

on some of the high peaks that border 

the headwaters of Poncha Creek and 

flowed down to this point.

60 About a mile above Mears Junction 

the valley changes from a broad, flatbottomed swale to a narrow rocky 

ravine down which a glacier could 

probably not have moved without 

scouring it and changing its form. 

Where, then, did the glacier come from 

that scoured the valley at Mears Junction and built the terminal moraine a 

short distance below? It is not apparent from the train where this body of 

ice could have originated, but if the 

traveler could climb some of the low 

hills on the right he would find that 

they are composed of gravel and sand, 

and that instead of being the foothills 

of the mountain they are only low hills

that separate Poncha Creek from the 

wider valley of a tributary on the 

west, which drains the valley between 

Ouray and Chipeta peaks and joins 

Poncha Creek through a narrow gap 

in the hills just above Mears Junction. 

It thus seems that the glacier came 

down this broad valley before the hills 

on the west side of Poncha Creek were 

built and that it extended down the 

main valley to the terminal moraine 

already described and then retreated. 

After a long interval it readvanced, 

though not so far as formerly, and 

built on the west side of Poncha Creek 

a terminal moraine which now could 

be easily mistaken for the normal walls 

of the valley. Another glacier must 

have come down Poncha Creek, for the 

valley broadens a short distance farther up and has all the appearance of 

having been occupied by ice. This 

glacier came down the valley of the 

east fork, which has been scoured out 

until its cross section is a symmetrical 

U. This glacier originated near Poncha Pass and extended only a few hundred feet into the main valley.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN" 707 PLATE LXIX

A. MARSHALL PASS.

View from the lulls on the south. This paws was discovered in 1873 by Lieut. William L. Marshall. 

Its striking feature is the lack of the ruggedness that character!/;es many of the other passes 

through the Rocky Mountains. Photograph by Whitman Cross.

B. OURAY PEAK.

This view shows the tortuous route followed by the railroad in its climb to Marshall Pass, which 

lies to the left, behind the shoulder of the mountain. The great glacial cirque in the northeast 

side of the mountain looks like a crater, and on that account the mountain has been called a 

volcano. Photograph by the Detroit Publishing Co.; furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande 

Western Railroad.
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE I.XX

SPIRES OF VOLCANIC ROCK NEAR SAPINERO.

Much of this country was once covered with volcanic tuff consisting of fragments of 

lava of all sizes, which is bedded like shale or clay. It is soft and is readily cut by 

rain and streams into beautiful and fantastic forms. Photograph by Willis T. Lee.

B. INTRICATE EROSION OK VOLCANIC ROCK.

This mass of volcanic tuff is so dissected by rain erosion that it consuls only of numberless

es and innacles. It makes icturesue cliffs tha 

of t

spires and pinnacles. It makes picturesque cliffs that are hard to climb. Similar sheets 

tuff cover the hills on both sides of Gunnison Valley. Photograph by Willis T. Lee.

C. SHEEP IN THE GUNNISON COUNTRY.

Many sheep are pastured in the Gunnison country. In midsummer they reach the 

higher slopes of the mountains, as shown in this view, Photograph by J. F. Hunter.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 163

of the last bends the traveler may look down upon Poncha Pass, but 

from a distance so great that good eyesight is needed to distinguish 

even the telegraph poles that mark the line of the railroad. The 

chain of high peaks which lies behind the pass and which is known 

as the Sangre de Cristo Range here begins to loom up, and as the 

journey continues it grows steadily in apparent magnitude until it 

is lost to view over the summit of Marshall Pass.

As the train continues to climb upward the traveler will observe 

that the slopes become less and less rugged, and he soon begins to 

realize that the mountain masses about him, which looked so formidable when seen from below, are really only the foothills of the higher 

range and that many of these foothills have a nearly common height 

and are relatively flat topped. These flat tops stand at an altitude of 

9,300 to 9,500 feet and may correspond with the rolling plain at the 

north foot of Pikes Peak and with the tops of the Front Range 

as seen from Denver. Their equivalence with those features can not 

be regarded as proved, but they suggest that at one time much of 

the mountain region of Colorado was a rolling plain above whose 

generally even surface only a few high knobs projected. Later this 

surface was upraised'to its present position, and the mountains as 

we know them to-day were carved from the uplifted mass.

As soon as the railroad reaches the top of the hills that front the 

valley it changes its course to one directly toward Mount Ouray, 

which is the most conspicuous feature in the landscape. The road 

winds considerably, but from time to time the peak can be seen 

from either side of the train, though the best views are from the 

left. The peak is not symmetrical, but looks as if some giant had 

taken a great bite out of the side next to the traveler, as shown in 

Plate LXIX, B. And, indeed, a giant has taken a bite out of the 

side of the mountain, but the giant was a glacier that once lay high 

up on its slopes and that gradually ate out a great amphitheater or 

cirque, as it is called by geologists.51 This cirque looks large even

51 The exact method by which a 

glacier excavates an amphitheater or 

cirque is not very well understood, as 

all the work is done under the ice and 

hence can not be seen. It can be 

judged only by the form of the cirque 

after the glacier has melted away.

The term glacier means moving ice. 

The snow falling on a mountain side 

consolidates into ice under its own 

weight and finally becomes so heavy 

that it begins to move down the slope. 

In doing so it takes with it some of 

the underlying rock to which it has 

frozen, and this action, repeated many

times, tends to produce a hole in the 

mountain side. As the tendency is to 

pluck out the rock equally in all directions from which the ice moves to 

the point of outlet the cirque has a 

semicircular shape and the plucking 

tends to cut back horizontally, so that 

the floor of the cirque is nearly level 

or it may be slightly deepened so as 

to form a rock basin. The walls of 

cirques in many kinds of rocks stand 

nearly vertical, but the walls of the 

cirque in Ouray Peak, which are composed of granite, take on a more gentle 

slope, -as shown in Plate LXIX, B.
164 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

from the train, for it is about half a mile wide and probably 1,000 

feet deep, but what must it look like when viewed from its rim I

Ouray Peak is supposed by some to be an extinct volcano, probably 

because of the resemblance of this cirque to the crater of a volcano. 

One of the best places from which to see this cirque is Grays siding, 

at an elevation of about 9,673 feet. Here the locomotive may take 

water, and the traveler may have an opportunity to step from the 

train and obtain a view of the mountain and the surrounding 

features.

A short distance above Grays siding extensive views appear on 

the left at many places. The chief points of interest are the peaks 

of the great Sangre de Cristo Eange, and at their base the upper 

end of San Luis Park. Farther up the railroad the slopes on the left 

are very steep and are covered with a mantle of trees. The trees 

are not very large or very thick, but they conceal and soften rocky 

slopes that would otherwise be bare. Here the traveler may see the 

blue spruce for which Colorado is noted. Only the young growth 

has the characteristic bluish-green color, but when the cones have 

reached their full growth the tree is one of the most beautiful in 

the forest. In midsummer these slopes form a sea of green; but if 

the traveler should cross the pass after the middle of September he 

will see the aspens in a golden blaze, and even in the thick forest 

he may see specks of yellow as brilliant as any of the " colors " in 

the prospector's pan in the early days when he struck " pay dirt."

Beyond milepost 239 the railroad runs along the side of a bouldery 

ridge at the foot of the bare cone of Ouray Peak. The traveler is at 

first so far below the summit of this ridge that he probably does not 

realize that it is a moraine which was evidently formed by one of the 

last glaciers that existed on the south slope of the mountain, but 

when he is a little nearer the summit of the mountain he will be able 

to see the small cirque which this glacier excavated, though he will 

notice that it is not nearly so large as the cirque which he saw from 

Grays siding. The reasons for the difference are that the glacier 

which lay on the east side was in the lee of the mountain and received 

more snow than the other one, which was exposed to the strong west 

wind, and that the snow which fell upon the glacier that faced the 

east was not readily melted, whereas the other glacier, which faced 

the south, must have received the full warmth of the sun's rays. As 

the glacier on the east side was thus favored in the accumulation of 

snow and in the slight melting of the ice it grew apace, whereas the 

one on the south side was always small and doubtless soon dwindled 

away.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 165

Beyond the moraine the railroad passes through a swampy flat,

which is possibly the cirque of a much older glacier than those just

described. The traveler will see on the right the staMarshall Pass. f-jon Of a ranger Wh0 guards the national forest.

Elevation 10,856 feet. Although his station is desolate and the passing trains

Denver 240 miles. i i T ,-, ,

are his only diversion this ranger must remain here 

on duty to prevent forest fires and to look after the interests of the 

Forest Service. At last the train stops in a small cut, and the traveler 

is at the summit of Marshall Pass, more than 2 miles above the level 

of the sea. This pass as it appears from the hills on the south is represented in Plate LXIX, A. The view from the summit, like that 

from many high mountains, is not so striking as a view from a point 

lower down, but it includes a vast expanse of country, especially on 

the west. Few real mountains can be seen in that direction, and the 

high land in sight consists mostly of vast plateaus which lie at different elevations. The pass was named in honor of Lieut. William L. 

Marshall, who was the first white man to cross it, in 1873.51a

618 Marshall Pass was discovered in 

1873 by Lieut. William L. Marshall, 

later chief of engineers in the United 

States Army, not as the result of systematic exploration, but in order to 

find relief from toothache. The following account of the discovery is condensed from a recent article on the 

subject by Thomas F. Dawson in " The 

Trail" (Sept., 1920), the official organ 

of the Society of Sons of Colorado.

In 1873 Lieut. Marshall, in charge 

of the Colorado branch of the Wheeler 

Survey, had spent the summer and 

autumn in the San Juan region, but 

on the approach of winter the snow 

became too deep for mountain exploration and he decided to abandon work 

and go to Denver. It was arranged 

that the party should follow the regular route by way of Cochetopa Pass, 

but as Lieut. Marshall had a very 

painful toothache, he decided to strike 

out on some shorter route so as to 

reach Denver ahead of his party and 

to find relief from his suffering. He 

accordingly started with one companion, Dave Mears, on mule back and 

with one pack animal to find a short 

cut. He first tried to cross the range 

west of Twin Lakes but found the 

80697° 22 12

snow too deep; then he tried an entirely new route at the head of Gunnison River, and after a hard struggle 

through fallen timber and deep snow 

he reached the summit in a pass which 

he had seen from a distance but never 

crossed. Lieut. Marshall realized that 

the pass he had discovered was one 

over which a road or even a railroad 

could easily be constructed, so despite 

the toothache and the icy wind the 

party spent a day and night on the 

summit making observations of the 

temperature and barometer and preparing a profile showing the approaches on both sides.

When the observations were completed the party pushed on to Denvet, 

where a dentist soon relieved the toothache. In a short time the news of the 

discovery of the pass became noised 

about and Lieut. Marshall was waited 

upon by a delegation of prominent 

citizens who,'with true western push, 

organized the Marshall Pass Toll Road 

Co. and in a few months completed a 

wagon road through the pass.

What would the traveler of to-day 

think of making a mule-back journey 

of 300 miles in the snow across the 

mountains of Colorado to find relief
166 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The railroad cut at the summit of the pass is in a volcanic breccia 

made up of bombs and other fragments thrown out by a volcano and 

afterward consolidated and cemented into a bed of rock. The source 

of this volcanic material is not known, but it probably came from the 

south, where the eruptions were many and violent, though they did 

not extend into this region. This breccia is much younger than the 

rocks of Ouray Peak, and it therefore does not indicate that that 

mountain is a volcano.

The steepest railroad grade on the east side of the summit is 4 per 

cent, or 211 feet to the mile, a grade that is maintained from a point 

not far above Mears Junction to the summit, a distance of 14 miles. 

The grade on the west side is the same from the summit of the pass 

to a point about a mile below Chester, a distance of 9 miles. As the 

maximum grade on the standard-gage main line is only 3 per cent, 

or 158 feet to the mile, a change in gage here would probably mean 

an entirely new location, so as to avoid the steep grades and short 

curves.

On emerging from the snowsheds at the summit the traveler has 

spread before him on the left the long slope down which the railroad winds with many loops and turns. This side of the mountain 

is more nearly treeless than the east side, because it is much drier, for 

it is swept by dry winds that have passed over the arid plateaus of 

southern Utah and Arizona. There are no indications that glaciers 

ever existed on this side, for the entire slope is exposed to view and 

nothing resembling a terminal moraine can be seen. This fact also 

is due to the strong west winds and the drier atmosphere on the west 

side and to the greater heat of the sun's rays, which aided the melting 

of the snow on the south and west sides. After the train loops back 

directly under the pass there is little of interest to be seen; the slopes 

are generally smooth, and the valley is without scenic attractions.

A short distance west of Marshall Pass the railroad goes from 

volcanic breccia to granite and then onto quartzite and shale similar 

to those seen below the Ouray or Leadville limestone in both Eagle 

Elver canyon and the canyon of Colorado Elver above Glenwood 

Springs. These rocks are not strikingly exposed and probably will 

be detected only by those who look specially for them.

from a toothache! Such a trip would 

be bad enough to make under present 

conditions, but.what must it have been 

through an unbroken wilderness and 

across the backbone of the continent!

Truly the " winning of the West" 

called for courage and endurance of 

which the traveler of to-day, with all 

the comforts and even luxuries of 

travel, can have little comprehension.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 167

Chester.

Elevation 9,412 feet. 

Denver 249 miles.

Sargent.

The railroad gradually descends the slope, and at Chester it is at 

the level of Tomichi Creek. For some distance the valley is small 

and narrow, but farther on it opens, and crops of 

hay may be seen on the flood plain. The chief 

industry of the country is stock raising, for the 

high mountains afford excellent summer pasture 

and the bottoms along the creeks produce hay for the subsistence of 

the stock during the winter. Cattle may be seen on the range at 

many places, especially in midsummer, and bands of sheep find pasture at the foot of the highest mountains. (See PI. LXX, 0.}

Below Chester the valley expands, and at Sargent the stream, 

which the railroad has been following, is joined by a large branch 

from the north. Sargent is a busy railroad point 

which still bears the marks of a frontier settlement. 

Elevation8,477feet. Here "helper" engines are kept to assist the trains

Population 288. j.v i. j . ^ u on.' i Denver 257 miles. 11P tne heavy grade to the summit. The rock near 

Sargent is mainly granite, but it is not conspicuous, 

for most of the slopes are smooth and round and few ledges are visible. The granite extends as far as mile- ^g 

post 263, where it is 1$ Jr ? m r~.

replaced by sandstone NW. 

(Dakota), which forms Mancos shale 

a pronounced hogback 

on both sides of the 

tracks. This hogback 

forms one edge of 

broad, flat basin of 

sedimentary rocks that 

extends practically to 

Gunnison. Where first 

seen the Dakota sandstone is overturned, as shown in figure 43, showing that the downfolding of the basin was accompanied by a strong thrust from the 

east.

The Mancos shale forms the surface of the inner part of this great 

basin for a long distance. This shale is so soft that it is seldom seen 

in outcrop, but it has a decided effect in subduing the features of 

the landscape. The valley has a width of 2 or 3 miles, the slopes 

bordering it are gentle, and the hills are low. In the midst of the 

broad valley, or rather on its north (right) border, is a prominent 

mountain called Tomichi Dome, which rises more than 2,000 feet

a- ^^=^^^^^^^y^:^ -'~'V iv&'-V

FIGURE 43. 

Crookton. 

southeast.

Overturned eastern rim of the syncline at 

Dakota sandstone dips steeply to the
168 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Doyle.

Elevation 8,062 feet. 

Population 122.* 

Denver 270 miles.'

NW. Tbmichi Dome

Approximate scale 

2 3 5 Miles

above the level of the valley. As shown in figure 44 this mountain 

is a great stock or mass of granite, much younger than the granite 

of the main mountains, that has been forced up through some crevice 

from below. It is much harder than the surrounding shale and hence 

stands up as an isolated mountain mass. The elevation of the valley 

here is so great that few grains will mature, but 

fine crops of hay are grown and the level valley 

floor is dotted here and there with ranches. Doyle, 

the center of much of this fine meadow land, is 

connected by stage with Waunita Hot Springs, 

about 8 miles to the south, which is said to be a very beautiful health 

and pleasure resort.

Below Doyle the valley grows narrower, and within about 3 miles 

from the town the Dakota sandstone rises from the floor, of the valley

and makes prominent ledges 

on either side. This sandstone is underlain by the 

variegated shale and sandstone of the Gunnison formation, and this in turn 

rests directly upon the 

granite, which forms the 

foundation of this mountain region. The Dakota 

sandstone rises only a few 

hundred feet above the level 

of the stream, and the underlying rocks are worn into fantastic 

shapes, as can be seen on the north (right) side of the valley.

From the point where they first appear to a point a few miles beyond the town of Gunnison the Dakota and the underlying Gunnison 

formation on the north side of the valley are continuously from 50 

to about 300 feet above the level of the stream. In general, the 

valley continues wide and includes many hay fields. 

Parlin, at the mouth of Quartz Creek (see sheet 

Elevation 7,952 feet. 6, p. 182), is the principal town in this' area. 

Denve^m miles. Xt was formerly connected with Buena Vista by a 

narrow-gage line of the Colorado & Southern Kailway, but owing to the caving of the tunnel at the summit of the 

range service on this line has been discontinued. This branch was 

originally built down the valley to Gunnison, and the old track is 

visible at several places on the right. On the south side of the valley 

the sedimentary rocks can be traced to Parlin, but below this place 

the granite that forms the lower slopes is overlain by a great mass 

of volcanic rocks. These rocks cover every high point that projects

FIGURE 44. Section through. Tomichi Dome, showing the great mass of crystalline rock (a) that 

has forced its way upward, while in a molten 

condition, through the older granite (fo) and 

sedimentary rocks.

Parlin.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 169

into the valley from the south between Parlin and Gunnison. Two 

miles below Parlin Tomichi Creek is joined from the south (left) 

by Cochetopa Creek, down which in 1853 came the exploring party 

which gave its name to this county. This party was one of several 

authorized by Congress to explore for the best route for a Pacific railroad. The party, under the command of Capt. J. W. Gunnison, 

entered the mountains by the pass now known as La Veta Pass, 

through the Sangre de Cristo Range, and crossed the north end of 

San Luis Park, reaching the Continental Divide at Cochetopa Pass 

(altitude, 9,088 feet)'. (See sheet 3, p. 100.) They descended Cochetopa Creek to its junction with Tomichi Creek, and this stream to the 

Gunnison, and so continued down to Colorado River (then the 

Grand). The party crossed Cochetopa Pass on September 2 and 

reached the present site of the town of Gunnison about September 

7, 1853.

The railroad follows Tomichi Creek to Gunnison, the county seat 

of Gunnison County, which is at the junction of Tomichi Creek and 

Gunnison River. The broad tract of level land on which, it stands 

affords an almost ideal site for a town, and Gunnison, which was founded in 1874, has now succeeded 

Elevation 7,683 feet. jn spreading itself over so large a part of this tract

Population 1,329. f. f fe r

Denver 289 miles. that it should be known as the town or magnificent 

distances." It is a railroad junction point of considerable activity, for a branch line extends from it to Crested Butte and 

Baldwin, in the coal fields to the north.52 Before the slump in the 

price of silver in 1893 there were two smelters here, and the town 

was a thriving supply point for a large mining district. Since then 

its business activities are almost entirely due to the fact that it is 

the division headquarters of the narrow-gage line and a railroad 

junction point. The town is the center of one of the best fishing 

regions of the State and the site of one of the State normal schools, 

and, according to some of its inhabitants, it has the finest climate 

and water in the world.

Gunnison.

82 The coal field of Gunnison County 

is'the southernmost part of the great 

synclinal basin of coal-bearing rocks 

which stretches from this place northward to \Vhite River and then westward nearly to the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. This basin is crossed 

by the main line of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western Railroad between 

Newcastle and Palisade. The coal 

beds in this great structural basin 

are contained in the Mesaverde formation, which is a formation in the upper 

part of the Upper Cretaceous series. 

(See table on p. n.)

The number and thickness of the 

coal beds differ greatly from place to 

place, and the coal they contain also 

differs in quality, ranging from subbituminous to anthracite. The coal 

of highest rank, including anthracite, 

is found in the southern point of the 

basin, near Crested Butte, only a few 

miles north of Gunnison. The coal in
170 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

As both the character of a country and its scenery depend entirely 

upon the kind of rocks in it and upon their relations to one another 

it is well, perhaps, to outline briefly the essential features of the 

geology of this region before attempting to describe the valley of 

the Gunnison. The most striking element of the scenery along both 

lines of the Denver & Rio Grande Western is the very old granite 

and gneiss that are exposed in the Royal Gorge, the Eagle Elver 

canyon, and the canyon of Colorado River, on the main line, and 

in the Black Canyon and adjacent parts of the Gunnison Valley. 

These rocks, which are without true bedding, have been crushed 

and folded until their structure is generally very complex. After 

they were crumpled they were planed down by the action of the 

weather and the streams until their upper surface was fairly even 

and probably lay near sea level. The land sank somewhat irregularly, and on the smooth slopes of the granite were laid down sand

and gravel, which later 

became sandstone and 

conglomerate. Upon 

these rocks other sediments, which became 

shale and limestone, were 

afterward deposited. 

Some of these rocks are 

of Cambrian age (beethe table, p. n), and 

some are as late as Upper Cretaceous. These rocks then passed 

through many changes caused by uplift and erosion and jDcobably during several epochs were planed down by the streams 

almost to sea level. The latest movement in the earth's crust has 

been one of elevation, which, lifted the region to its present position, many thousands of feet above the sea, where the streams are 

vigorously attacking the rocks and cutting broad valleys or deep 

canyons, the results of their action depending on the kind of rock 

they encounter. A stream may at first cut down through relatively 

soft limestone and shale and may then encounter the massive granite, 

so that the top of the canyon may be broad and have gentle slopes 

(see fig. 45), whereas the bottom may be no wider than the stream 

that has cut it and may have practically vertical walls. The planing

Hard

FIGURE 45. Section showing the effect of hard and 

soft rocks on the form of a canyon.

this part of the basin has been baked 

and converted to anthracite through 

the heat generated by the great intrusions as well as by the surface flows 

which accompanied the volcanic activities of the past. Both bituminous coa]

and anthracite are mined in this field 

and find their way to market through 

Gunnison. The coal output of Gunnison County rose steadily to a maximum 

of 640,984 tons in 1910. The output in 

1918 was 582,905 tons,
, DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 171

down of the granite has made the surface of the land adjacent to 

the tops of most of the narrow canyons flat in other words, the 

streams have cut trenches in mesas or plateaus.

In the Gunnison Valley another chapter has been written as an 

episode in the geologic history of the general region a chapter recording events of a time, after the sedimentary rocks had been deposited, when the region was covered with lava flows or with material 

derived from them or from volcanic eruptions.

From the summary of the geologic history of the region just given 

the scenery below the town of Gunnison, even including that in the 

Black Canyon, may be more readily interpreted. The country for a

few miles below the station at Gunnison must have been at some time &

long past flooded with lava. The volcanic rock's thus formed are now 

generally soft, but in places, as on the upland southwest of the station, 

they rise above the general level in great monuments or spires, making 

a very rough country. (See PL LXX, B.) The character of the volcanic rock a breccia which composes much of the surface where the 

slopes are smooth, may be seen in the cut at milepost 290.

Wherever the granite appears above the level of the streams they 

have cut into it narrow canyons, above which the slopes may be very 

gentle up to some horizontal bed of sandstone, which generally stands 

out as a mesa cap. Where the slopes are gentle and the valley is broad 

hay fields abound, but where the valley narrows down to a canyon the 

bottom can not be cultivated.

The first large canyon below Gunnison begins at a siding called 

Hierro (yay'rro; Denver 294.5 miles), where the top of the granite 

stands at track level. The top of the granite rises downstream, and 

within a short distance below the siding the train passes through a 

pretty little winding canyon, whose granite walls range in height 

from 100 to 150 feet. The scenery in this canyon is not grand and 

striking, like that in the Black Canyon, farther down, but many 

beautiful views may be obtained of the clear, sparkling river, the 

fringe of willows and cottonwoods, and the gray canyon walls. The 

canyon ends at Elkhorn (Denver 297 miles), a resort devoted entirely 

to the followers of Izaak Walton. Below this place the canyon widens 

out, the granite decreases in height above the stream, and the slopes 

above the granite include horizontal beds of sandIola< stone, so that they are made up of a number of 

Elevation 7,450 feet. mesas or terraces. Hay ranches abound in the

Population 111.* , ,, . , .,, T ,

Denver 299 miles. broad valley, and opposite the village ot lola even 

the terrace formed by the granite about 50 feet 

above the bottom of the valley has been irrigated and yields flourishing crops.

A mile and a half below lola another granite canyon begins, and 

in a short distance its walls rise to a height of about 150 feet. From
172 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

the point of greatest height the walls decrease gradually and finally 

disappear near the mouth of Elk Creek, a small stream that joins 

Gunnison River from the north. The granite, however, does not 

completely disappear but extends down to milepost 306, or 1 mile 

above Cebolla (say-bo'yah), where it passes below water level.

Cebolla, which is one of the most noted resorts on the river for 

fishermen, is in a wide part of the valley on the north side of the 

river, at a mesa known as Tenderfoot Hill. The top 

Cebolla. Of this mesa is 1,200 feet above the track at 

' Cebolla'. The granite does not remain below river 

level any great distance, for within a mile of Cebolla 

it forms the walls of a narrow canyon, which, however, are not 

more than 100 feet high. The smoothness and regularity of the 

upper surface of the granite and the way in which it rises and 

falls with reference to river level make it comparatively easy for 

the traveler to understand how the Black Canyon has been cut. It 

is evident that at the time the river established its course the granite 

in neither of the small canyons so far described nor in Black Canyon was exposed, for the river was then flowing on the softer sedimentary rocks that overlay the granite. As the river cut deeper 

into its bed it uncovered.the granite, but it could not shift its course 

.and thereby avoid the hard rock, so it had to keep at work laboriously 

cutting its way into the granite. Although the granite canyons 

about Cebolla are now shallow, they will become deeper and deeper 

in course of time until the entire route from Gunnison to Cimarron 

may be one granite canyon as deep and as impressive as the " Black 

Canyon." It may be well to say that this great canyon will not be 

seen by the coming generation nor the generation after the next, 

nor even the one following that; but the geologist knows that unless 

conditions change such a canyon will be formed, although the time 

may be thousands or millions of years hence.

Below Cebolla the canyon is much the same as it is above that 

place, except that the slopes above the granite become greater and 

in places are composed^ of vast masses of volcanic breccia that 

weather into fantastic forms. Where the granite is above the level 

of the river the canyon is more or less rugged, but where it is below 

the surface the valley is wide and the slopes are smooth and gentle.

Near milepost 313 the granite passes below the level of the river 

and remains concealed as far as the village of Sapinero (sah-penay'ro), which is a noted fishing resort and the 

Sapinero. junction of the branch railroad that runs southElevation 7,255 fc>et. war(j 36 miies to Lake City. From the station at 

Denve^ 314 miles. Sapinero the traveler, by looking back, may obtain 

an excellent view of a great cliff of volcanic breccia 

PI. LXX, A), and by looking forward he may see the granite
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

A, B. BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON SEEN FROM ABOVE.

Views from the automobile road that follows the brink of the canyon for several miles. This canyon is a 

close rival of the Royal Gorge and like it may easily be seen from both the top and the bottom. These 

pictures show the even surface of the plateau in which the canyon is cut. Photographs by Willis T. Lee*
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

UPPER PART OF BLACK CANYON

The rough granite walls are about a thousand feet high. The beautiful stream of clear

try his luck at casting a lly. Photograph furnished by the Denver & 
DENVER, & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 173

rising athwart the pathway of the stream; but even this.hard rock 

has not proved to be an insuperable barrier to the stream, which has 

trenched it in Black Canyon seemingly as easily as if it had been soft 

shale.

The Lake City branch follows the main line for a mile and then 

turns to the southeast (left) up Lake Fork. It was nearly to this 

point that Capt. Gunnison followed the river in 1853, but finding 

that the canyon below was apparently impassable, he turned to the 

south, then struck westward across the mesas to the Uncompahgre 

Valley, at the site of Montrose. The automobile roads also avoid the 

canyon. The main road divides at 'Sapinero, one branch following 

the route of Capt. Gunnison and rejoining the railroad at Cimarron 

(sim-ah-rrohn'), and the other climbing west of Sapinero to a 

bench on the slope about 500 feet above the station and then following this bench on the brink of the canyon for an air-line distance of 

over 6 miles. Next it climbs to the top of the Black Mesa and avoids 

the lower canyon by a long detour to the north. This road affords 

one of the most striking and picturesque drives in the State. At the 

point where it leaves the canyon it is fully 1,000 feet above the roaring stream, and, as shown in Plate LXXI, A, B, the walls appear to 

be vertical. Gunnison River is still actively engaged in 'cutting its 

canyon deeper, as shown by the rapid current (see PL LXXI, C) and 

the roughness of the water as it rushes down the rocky bed.

Black Canyon is noted for its awe-inspiring beauty. Of the canyons which the traveler sees on the lines of the Denver & Rio (^rande 

Western Railroad, the Royal Gorge easily holds first place, but the 

Black Canyon as a scenic feature is a close second. The form of 

this canyon, like that of the Royal Gorge, depends on the character 

of the granite or gneiss. Where the rock is massive the walls are 

unbroken and nearly vertical, but where the rock is banded and 

composed of layers of different hardness, as it is in most places, the 

walls may recede gradually and be very: jagged and irregular. 

Some irregular walls are shown in Plate LXXII.

At the mouth of Lake Fork the canyon walls are about 200 feet 

high, but their height increases downstream^ until at the siding of 

Curecanti they are 1,000 feet high. Every curve and angle in this 

distance presents a different aspect, and it is difficult to say which 

view is the finest. One of the most striking scenes is that of a 

pinnacle left standing at the mouth of Blue Creek, a small stream 

that joins the river from the south. This pinnacle has been named 

Curecanti Needle. It is nearly 1,000 feet high and is a striking 

object as seen from, the railroad siding. (See PI. LXXIII.)

The appearance of Black Canyon, like that of most features of 

the kind, depends largely upon the light and the condition of the
174 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

atmosphere. When seen in bright sunlight, as it generally is, it 

presents a view that is bright and lively. The rocks of the walls 

are full of color, and the trees and shrubs add to the beauty of the 

scene. But in dark and stormy weather the canyon becomes forbidding; it loses its color and becomes terrible to look upon. It is 

at its best in the evening, when the purple shadows that begin to 

play behind each projecting buttress present a strong contrast to 

the yellow sunlight on the west ward-facing walls. Later the high 

points alone are bathed in yellow light, and the canyon slumbers in 

a mantle of blue light, steely above but denser in the seemingly 

unfathomable lower reaches.

Below Curecanti the canyon is even more wonderful. In general 

the walls are not so nearly vertical, but they increase rapidly in 

height until at a point 2 miles above the mouth of Cimarron Creek 

they are fully 2,500 feet high. The river, which is beautifully clear, 

becomes rougher as it descends, as shown in Plate LXXI, (7, until 

it presents an almost continuous series of cascades.

A short distance above the mouth of Cimarron Creek the railroad 

crosses the river on a high bridge and there turns and runs up Cimarron Canyon, to the south, for this is as far as a railroad can be 

carried in Black Canyon without going entirely through the worst 

part of the canyon, and such a course would entail an expense that 

no ordinary railroad could meet.53

If the traveler were not satiated with canyons he would doubtless 

think that Cimarron Canyon is wonderful, but after traveling for 14 

miles in the rocky depths of Black Canyon he longs for the free air 

and for the larger view which the hilltops alone can give, and the

63 Although Black Canyon below the 

mouth of Ciman-on Canyon is comparatively small, in both depth and 

length, it is one of the most difficult to 

traverse, and very few travelers have 

succeeded in passing through it.

The Black Canyon was first explored 

by a party of engineers of the Denver 

& Rio Grande Railroad, who in 

1882-83 made an instrumental survey 

of the entire canyon, even passing 

through the more difficult portion below Cimarron. No records of this trip, 

so far as the writer is aware, have 

ever been published; all we know 

about it is that the members of the 

party suffered great hardship and 

peril. Since that time others have 

attempted to traverse the canyon below Cimarron, but most of them have 

suffered shipwreck and disaster.

About 1903 A. L. Fellows, an engineer of the Reclamation Service, and 

W. W. Terrence, of Montrose, made 

the attempt. They were equipped with 

a rubber raft, rubber bags for cameras, 

and two silk life lines 600 feet long. 

They lost their provisions but succeeded in capturing a mountain sheep, 

upon which they lived during the rest 

of their trip. It took them 10 days to 

traverse 30 miles of the canyon.

More recently Ellsworth Kolb has 

made a successful trip through the 

canyon, so that it seems probable that 

the Gunnison has been tamed or that 

man has learned how to circumvent 

even this raging torrent.
TT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXIII

CUKECANTI NEEDLE.

The most striking object in Black Canyon is Curecanti Needle, o pyramid of granite 800 or 900 feet 

high, standing at the mouth of Blue Greek. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande 

Western Railroad.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXIV

vr«- «--,,-j» . :**$. 'r'-'tm^m

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 .**^"'

GUNNISON TUNNKL OF THE UNITED STATES RECLAMATION SERVICE.

The driving of a tunnel 6 miles through the solid rock so as to bring some of the mountain 

water of Gunnison River to irrigate the Uncompahgre Valley is one of the great works 

accomplished by the Reclamation Serv ice. A , Diversion dam and intake in Black 

Canyon; B, Interior of tunnel; Ct West portal of the tunnel. Photographs by the 

U. S. Reclamation Service.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 175

Cimarron.

Elevation 6,905 feet. 

Population 57.* 

Denver 329 miles.

sight of the station of Cimarron nestling beneath the spreading 

branches of. giant cottonwoods is therefore most 

welcome. From the station it is impossible to determine why the canyon has come to an end and 

why one can look out through the trees into open 

country beyond. This change, like many others, is 

due to the geology, and it can be better understood by the traveler 

when he is at least part way up the long grade to Cerro Summit. At 

Cimarron the automobile road on the south side of the river joins the 

railroad, and together they climb to the summit on their way to Uncompahgre Valley.

Immediately after leaving Cimarron the traveler will see that, so 

far as the surface features are concerned, he is in an entirely different world. He has just passed through a region of the hardest rocks, 

where he could see little if any soil, but here he can see no rock, at

FIGURE 46. Section across Black Canyon at Cimarron. The rocks have broken along the 

fault shown in the section, and the granite on the north has been forced up far above 

its original position.

least nothing that= resembles the rocks of the canyon, though on closer 

examination he will see that the rock is the softest kind of shale the 

Mancos shale. He may also notice that the contact between the rocks 

of the canyon and those of the plain is extremely abrupt, and if he 

could follow that contact he would find that the same beds are not 

in contact at all places. This variability in contact indicates that 

the rocks of the plain and those of the canyon are separated by a 

fault. In other words, the hard rocks of the canyon have been 

broken away from their fellows down below and lifted until they 

now stand actually higher than the shale, as shown in figure 46. This 

fault has been traced for a long distance, and in all places the edges 

of the sedimentary rocks are in contact with the granite. (See PI. 

LXXXVII, A, B, p. 216.)

After leaving Cimarron the train begins its steep climb to the 

divide which separates the drainage of Cimarron Creek from that 

of Uncompahgre River. This grade, which is one of the steepest 

grades on the road, is 4 per cent, or 211 feet to the mile. In making
176 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

this climb the traveler will notice that the hard rocks through which 

the Gunnison has cut its canyon form a large, high mesa on the 

north (right), considerably higher than the summit over which the 

railroad passes. The shale was once probably at least as high as 

the granite, but it is so much softer that it has been worn away 

until it now lies distinctly below the hard rocks. It would thus seem 

that Gunnison River has gone out of its way to cut its canyon 

through the highest land and the hardest rocks in the region. This 

statement, however, represents merely the conditions as they appear 

to-day, but when Gunnison Eiver first assumed this course it must 

have been flowing on the lowest land or it could not have remained 

there. At that time all this country probably stood at a much lower 

level and was nearly a plain, the hard rocks having been worn down 

as low as the soft rocks. Under such conditions the river found it 

as easy to flow over the granite as over the shale, and so its course 

was not in any sense abnormal.

In making the climb to Cerro Summit the traveler will see on the 

south (left) the great mass of Tongue Mesa, which owes its preservation to a protecting cap of hard rock that was originally lava 

which came down from some of the numerous volcanoes in the San 

Juan Mountains, to the south, which are visible from the open 

valley near Montrose. The traveler is now apCerro ummi . preaching one of the most arid parts of Colorado,

where water is the most valuabl* natural resource. In order to irrigate a part of the great 

Uncompahgre Valley, which lies ahead, a long ditch has been dug 

to take water from far up on Cimarron Creek, carry it across Cerro 

Summit at a higher point than the railroad, and distribute it on 

the slopes to the west. Where this ditch crosses the summit it forks, 

and the right-hand branch, known as the Montrose and Cimarron 

ditch, passes under the railroad at the summit and is carried a long 

distance to the northwest to irrigate the broad terrace which the 

traveler will see later.

From Cerro Summit and the slopes beyond an extended view to 

the west may be obtained across, the broad Uncompahgre Valley to 

the great Uncompahgre Plateau beyond. The ride down the slope 

is not particularly interesting, except as the traveler unfamiliar with 

the semiarid regions may see what it means to get water onto the 

land. The effect of irrigation is well illustrated by the verdant terrace which the traveler may see on the right at an altitude of at least 

1,000 feet above the middle of the valley at Montrose. Where water 

is not available the surface is a desert, but where the land is supplied 

with all the water it needs, it will support a luxuriant vegetation.

For a long time private enterprise was engaged in irrigating small 

parts of the Uncompahgre Valley from such streams as Cimarron
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 177

Cedar Creek.

Creek and Uncompahgre River, but these were found to be entirely 

inadequate for the irrigation of the entire valley. It was then decided to tunnel through Vernal Mesa (the granite mesa on the right) 

and bring the waters of Gunnison River to the region. The attempt 

was made, but funds could not be obtained to complete the project. 

The Reclamation Service then took up the problem 

and a tunnel was started a mile below Cedar Creek 

De^ver°34i'miieseet' anc^ continue(i to the river in the almost inaccessible 

depths of Black Canyon, a distance of 6 miles. 

Work was begun in 1905, and the tunnel was formally opened by 

President Taft in 1909. Views of the two portals and the interior 

of the tunnel are shown in Plate LXXIV. By this tunnel sufficient 

water to irrigate 150,000 acres was obtained.54

From the west end of Gunnison tunnel the water is carried to 

Uncompahgre River by a canal 11 miles long. It is turned into the

"The settlement of the Uncompahgre Valley, which has had many ups 

and downs, began in 1882 and for a 

while progressed rapidly. Optimistic 

views on the sufficiency of the supply 

of water from Uncompahgre River 

prevailed, and by 1884 ditches for irrigating a large acreage had been projected and partly constructed. It soon 

proved that the water supply was inadequate, and 20,000 acres out of the 

100,000 acres that had been patented 

passed into the hands of loan companies through foreclosure proceedings. About 30,000 acres was cultivated, but the water supply was inadequate for even this small area. In a 

search for an additional supply naturally Gunnison River was considered, 

but in o'rder to obtain water from that 

river a long and expensive tunnel was 

necessary, yet this seemed to be the 

only possible chance for relief. The 

feasibility of the project was demonstrated in 1895 by a survey financed 

by local subscription. In 1901 the 

State appropriated $25,000 and work 

was begun on the great tunnel. A 

year later, when the appropriation 

had been exhausted, the State and citizens requested that the Reclamation 

Service complete the project. Upon 

examination the Reclamation Service 

found a better site for the tunnel, and 

on June 7, 1904, the Secretary of the

Interior ordered the construction to 

begin.

The Gunnison tunnel, as finally 

built, is 30,645 feet long (about 5.8 

miles) and has a uniform grade of 

10.7 feet to the mile. The bottom is 

fiat and is 10 feet wide, the straight 

sides are 10 feet high and batter outward 6 inches, and the roof is arched 

with a span of 11 feet and a rise of 

2$ feet. The flow of water that can 

be delivered through the tunnel is 

estimated at 1,300 second-feet.

Excavation was begun on January 

11, 1905, and was carried on at both 

ends and from a shaft 1 mile from 

the west portal,. The tunnel complete, 

with concrete lining, was finished and 

water for irrigation was flowing 

through it on July 6, 1910.

It is interesting to note that this 

tunnel passes through the fault shown 

in figure 46 (p. 175), at the contact of 

the shale which constitutes the country rock in the western part and the 

granite in which the river canyon is 

cut. It is described in the report of 

the Reclamation Service as follows:

" [The tunnel was driven] 2,000 

feet through a fault zone badly shattered and tilted at widely divergent 

angles in a very irregular manner. 

High temperature, hot and cold water, 

coal, marble, hard and soft sandstone, 

limestone, and carbonic-acid gas in
178 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

channel of the Uncompahgre at a point 9 miles above Montrose and 

is diverted lower down for projects on both the east and the west 

side of the valley.

At the end of 1920 water from the Gunnison tunnel was used in 

irrigating 65,000 acres of land which, before the completion of the 

tunnel, was a barren desert waste. The principal crops are alfalfa, 

oats, wheat, potatoes, apples, and sugar beets, listed in decreasing 

order .of the acreage cultivated. Small fruits, onions, sugar beets, 

apples, garden products, and potatoes, in the order named, gave the 

largest returns per acre.

After passing the Gunnison tunnel, which, unfortunately, is not 

visible, the train descends the sloping side of the broad valley in a 

barren ravine, but at a siding called Fairview, half a mile beyond 

milepost 346, irrigated farms are1 spread out on both sides of the 

railroad. The crops that are growing here will, of course, depend 

upon the time of year in which the journey is made. If the traveler passes this place in midsummer he will see fine fields of oats and 

wheat, some corn, and plenty of potatoes, sugar beets, onions, and 

alfalfa. He will also see a few orchards, but this particular area is 

not largely devoted to fruit raising. The valley has been transformed, as shown in Plate LXXV, A, B, from a wilderness to a 

region of prosperous farms, and the secret of the change is only 

water.

In the journey down the long tangent to the middle of the valley 

the most striking features of the landscape are the rugged peaks of 

the San Juan Mountains, which are visible to the south (left). These 

mountains are the most rugged in the State. Most of the peaks are 

over 13,000 feet high, and many of them rise above 14,000 feet. The 

highest point in the range is Uncompahgre Peak, which has an altitude of 14,419 feet.. The sawtooth top of this range is well shown 

in the profile visible from the train.

After passing through miles of the finest farms in the West the

train reaches Ouray Junction, which is the point where this line

joins the one from Ouray, Telluride, and Durango.

Montrose. Here the railroad turns at a right angle and proEievation 5,811 feet. cee(js a mjie northward to the station in the growing

Population 3,581. ., ,,- , mi .. , i- -i Denver 352 miles, young city of Montrose. Ihis city is the distributing center and shipping point for a large district 

that is under high cultivation. Cereals, fruits, and vegetables, tooverwhelming quantities were encountered in this section, and tunnel excavation was both difficult and dangerous."

This description shows how rocks 

may be broken and jumbled together 

in a fault zone where they have moved 

hundreds or perhaps thousands of feet.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXV

A. UNCOMPAHGRE VALLEY IN ITS NATURAL STATE.

The land in the Uncompahgre and Colorado River valleys before water is turned upon it is a barren 

expanse of adobe soil on which there is only a scanty growth of plants. It is inhabited only by 

jackrabbiUs, coyotes, and other animals having great endurance and ability to travel a long 

distance for water. Photograph by the II. S. Reclamation Service.

B. THE SAME VALLEY IRRIGATED.

The transforming effects of the Gnnnison water are seen in the fine farms and happy homes of the 

Uncompahgre Valley, where once there was nothing growing but sagebrush and greasewood. 

Photograph by the U. S. Reclamation Service.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXVI

A. CANYON BETWEEN DELTA AND GRAND JUNCTION.

General view looking upstream. The rocks dip to the left, away from the Uncompahgre 

Plateau or arch. The shaly rocks in the top of the canyon walls are of maroon color, 

and the massive sandstone at the base is brick-red. Photograph by Will is T. Lee.

B. BRILLIANTLY COLORED SPUR OF THE CANYON WALL.

One of the projecting spurs of the canyon wall near Bridgeport consisting of alternating 

bands of maroon and green with here and there bands of yellow sandstone. The valley 

bottom supports a fairly good growth of sage but when water is put on it grows almost 

any kind of crop. Photograph by Willis T. Lee.

" '

C. CROSS-BEDDED SANDSTONE.

The sandstone was once a sand bank in water; the currents coming from the right 

washed layer after layer of the sand over the crest of the bank and down on its sloping 

front, making the cross-bedded layers. Photograph by J. K. Hillers.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 179

gether with forage plants, grow here in abundance. Two miles 

south of Montrose was the home of Chief Ouray, for whom the peak 

north of Marshall Pass and the mining town in the San Juan Mountains were named. The main line and the branches of the railroad 

north of Montrose were changed to standard gage in the summer of 

1906.

STANDARD-GAGE LINE FROM MONTROSE TO GRAND

JUNCTION.

From Montrose to Delta the railroad follows the valley of Uncompahgre River in a general course a little west of north. The 

country north of Montrose is more broken than that to the south, so 

that a general view of the valley can not be obtained from the railroad. Throughout most of the distance from Montrose to Delta the 

land near the river is well cultivated, but not far back from the 

river there is generally a line of bluffs on both sides of it, which range 

in height from 50 to 150 feet. These bluffs are but the fronts of 

extensive terraces, many of which are well cultivated, but the traveler can see only the barren shale underlying them.

For a short distance out of Montrose there is nothing to interfere 

with the view to the east, and the great Vernal Mesa, through which 

Gunnison River has cut its famous canyon, stands out in bold relief. 

For some distance the fault noted near Cimarron is still present, but 

apparently about halfway along the mesa the red sandstone beds of 

the Carboniferous and Triassic systems may be seen from the train 

as they lap onto the mesa in gentle curves. The mesa here is an arch 

an anticline, as it is called by geologists but the middle of the arch 

has been planed,off by erosion, leaving the granite still at the surface. North of this point there is no fault on the west side of the 

mesa.

Along the railroad there is a high-tension electric transmission line, 

which brings electric power from Telluride, in the San Juan Mountains, for lighting Montrose, Delta, and other towns 

Olathe. along the road. Olathe (o-lay'the), a place of 

Elevation 5,365 feet, recent growth, by utilizing the water supplied by

Population 491. n 6 . ' J , . , 6 . , Jf." J

Denver 362 miles. the (iunnison tuniiel is becoming a horticultural 

. . center. In passing along the railroad the traveler 

will note that the farmers of the valley are troubled in places with 

strong alkali, which makes the surface as white as if it had been covered by sno:w. This alkali, which is brought to the surface by flooding, due to overirrigation, makes farming difficult, but it can largely 

be removed by subsurface drainage.

One of the most promising parts of the valley for agriculture is the 

terrace called California Mesa, which the traveler may see on the west
180 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

(left) as he approaches Delta. This mesa is served with water by 

canals which divert it from Uncompahgre River at a place far up the 

valley. Delta is the county seat of Delta County 

Delta< and was so named because it stands on the delta 

Elevation 4,980 feet, formed where Uncompahgre River enters Gunnison

Population 2,623. _. .IIP/-. -i TIT A i_ *. i i Denver 373 miles. Kiver. Ihe south slope of brand Mesa, the tableland to the north, is one of the most noted fruitgrowing regions of western Colorado. The orchards on this southward-facing slope are protected from frost in much the same manner 

as those at Palisade, so that fine crops of apples, peaches, and other 

fruit are produced here almost every year. The towns of Hotchkiss, 

Paonia, Cedaredge, and Austin are particularly noted for their excellent fruit, which is carried to Delta on a standard-gage branch road 

and thence shipped to other markets. Considerable coal is mined at 

Somerset, the terminus of this branch, and finds a ready market in 

the Uncompahgre Valley.

From Cimarron to Delta the railroad runs entirely on the Mancos 

shale, to which are .due the breadth of the valley and the smoothness 

of its sides. At Delta the shale lies in a great structural trough a 

syncline, as it is called by geologists whose eastern edge rests on the 

flank of Vernal Mesa and whose western edge rests on the Uncompahgre Plateau. Below Delta the railroad changes its course 

from west of north to almost due west, and it therefore soon reaches 

the edge of this shale valley and enters a canyon cut in the underlying 

sandstone.

A short distance from the station at Delta the railroad crosses Uncompahgre River and then runs along the bank of Gunnison River, 

which the traveler has not seen since he left Black Canyon. Here 

the Grand Mesa is in full view to the north (right). All the lower 

slopes of this mesa are composed of the Mancos shale, which is so 

soft that it generally forms valleys wherever it is exposed, but the 

shale in the mesa is .protected by overlying sandstone that is capped 

by a thick sheet of solidified lava (basalt). When this lava was 

poured out the present lowlands had not been cut, and the whole 

surface stood at the same level as that of the top of Grand Mesa. 

The volcano or volcanic vent from which this great flow was ejected 

has not been definitely located, but it may have been at a considerable 

distance, for this sheet is probably a part of the great lava flow that 

covered much of this general region, a flow whose remnants can still 

be seen on Grand Mesa and Battlement Mesa, to the north, on the 

Flattops, north of Glenwood Springs, and on other high mesas. If 

these remnants are not a part of a single flow they are probably parts 

of independent flows that occurred at about the same time. As the 

West Elk Mountains, east of Somerset, were a center of great volcanic
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 181

activity at about this time the lava may have originated there. The 

striking thing about these lava flows is the enormous amount of erosion that has taken place since they occurred. The date of the flow 

can be fixed only as some time in the Tertiary period, but it was long 

enough ago to permit the removal from the valleys of rocks at least 

a mile in thickness.

The sandstone and interbedded shale immediately below the lava 

cap in Grand Mesa contain beds of coal and were formerly called the 

Laramie formation, which belongs at the top of the Upper Cretaceous 

series (see table, p. n), but now they are known to be older and to 

correspond with the heavy sandstones that form the Mesa Verde, in the 

southwestern part of the State, and hence they are called the Mesaverde formation. The same formation carries the coal at Anthracite 

and Crested Butte, northwest of Gunnison. At that place the coal 

beds contain coal of high rank, but in the Grand Mesa, which is farther from volcanic disturbances, the coal is of much lower rank, most 

of it being subbituminous, or what was formerly called " black lignite." A large mine is operated at Somerset, but in that part of the 

mesa which is visible from the river bank west of Delta coal is mined 

only for local use.

On the left, but not visible in many places, is the broad upward 

swell (anticline) known as the Uncompahgre Plateau, which is composed of sandstones that underlie the shale seen about Montrose and 

Delta. These sandstones will be seen in the canyon between Delta 

and Grand Junction. Around the margin of the plateau the massive 

red sandstones are deeply cut by the streams which flow from this 

upland in rugged canyons that have nearly vertical walls. These 

canyons are visible from the trains of the Denver & Eio Grande 

Western Railroad from Delta to the Utah State line. The interior 

of the plateau is unbroken and consists of a gently undulating upland without marked surface features.

Just after passing Eoubideau siding, near milepost 378, the sandstone that underlies the shale makes its appearance. This sandstone, 

which contains thin beds of coal, has been called the Dakota sandstone, but the best authorities now place it in the bottom of the 

Mancos shale, and hence the Dakota may not be present. The rocks 

rise rather steeply in the direction in which the train is moving, and 

soon variegated shale and maroon sandstone may be seen. These 

rocks are in part the same as those which the traveler may have seen 

at many places along the Front°Eange and which contain the huge 

dinosaurs described on page 70. A skeleton of one of these dinosaurs 

was once found across the river from Grand Junction in rocks of the 

same kind.

80697° 22 18
182 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

At milepost 379 the railroad crosses the river, and from this place 

to Grand Junction the best views of the canyon may be obtained on 

the left. In the upper end of the canyon the walls are composed of 

variegated shale and sandstone of the Gunnison formation,55 as 

shown in Plate LXXVI, B.

At first the only part o<f the Gunnison formation that is seen is the 

upper shale, which gives to the canyon walls bands of rather strong

color, but after watching these colors 

for several miles one would welcome 

any change from the ever-present 

maroon and green. Although the 

canyon is fairly narrow and there is 

not much land in it that can be irrigated, several attempts at irrigation 

on a small scale have been made. 

The method used employs no dams or 

ditches but only a current wheel, 

which is placed in the stream in such 

a position that the current turns it, 

and as it is provided with buckets, 

a small quantity of water is at each 

revolution lifted from the river to 

the top of the wheel, where it is automatically dumped into a trough 

that carries it to the land to be irrigated. Although this is a primitive arrangement it is excellently adapted to the irrigation of small 

 tracts of land. A number of these wheels may be seen in the canyon. 

In general the canyon grows deeper downstream, and at Escalante 

siding, milepost 385 (see sheet 7, p. 198), the second member of the 

Gunnison formation a hard sandstone appears near the railroad

/ .';'.; Massive brick>red's?ndstone;lpO''.';-

FIGURE 47. Rocks forming the canyon 

wall near Bridgeport.

65 The Gunnison formation here is 

composed of three parts, as shown in 

figure 47. The upper part, which probably corresponds to the Morrison formation of the east side of the range, is 

visible where the walls are low. It is 

about 250 feet thick and is made up 

of variegated shale and soft sandstone. The colors are mostly maroon 

and green, and in many places the 

bands of color are very distinct. This 

part is comparatively soft and consequently forms slopes that lead down 

from the more resistant sandstone 

cliffs above. The middle part of the 

formation is about 100 feet thick and

is composed largely of sandstone that 

is resistant to erosion and therefore stands out as buttresses on the 

canyon wall with steep or precipitous 

faces. Although not brightly colored, 

it has many of the same tints as the 

overlying shale. The lowest part of 

the formation is about 130 feet thick 

and is made up almost entirely of 

shale, which in the upper part is of a 

dull slate color but near the bottom 

lias many bands of strong maroon. 

It is generally soft and forms slopes, 

but the slopes are steeper than those 

formed on the uppermost part of the 

formation.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 6

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE. Chief Geologist C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

	Age

B Gravel in river bottoms and terraces Quaternary

F Red shale and sandstone (Wasatch formation) Tertiary (Eocene)

H Sandstone, shale, and coal beds (Mesaverde formation)

J Dark marine shale (Mancos shale) J> Upper Cretaceous

M Brown sandstone (Dakota sandstone)

N Variegated shale and sandstone (Gunnison formation)

P Brick-red massive sandstone Triassic

X Granite Pre-Cambrian

v Lava flows (basalt, andesite, latite, rhyolite, and _ .. 

Y tuff-breccia) Tertiary

___ Fault

Thickness 

in feet

3,400

2,825

4,000

50

480 

800±

Scale 500,000

Approximately 8 miles to 1 inch 

0 5 10 M
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 183

grade. Within a short distance it rises above the grade, and below it 

may be seen a dark shale. This shale also rises downstream, and at 

milepost 388 the top of a brick-red massive sandstone (Triassic) 

appears beneath it on the opposite side of the valley. Wherever it is 

exposed this sandstone, on account of its deep and uniform color and 

its massiveness, is the dominating feature of the canyon. As the 

rocks dip toward the northeast (see PL LXXVI, A) and as the 

general course of the stream and of the railroad is toward the northwest, the rocks exposed on the two sides of the canyon are not necessarily the same. Even if the stream followed a straight course the 

beds at the same level on its opposite sides in the same stretch would 

be different, but the difference is greatly exaggerated because the 

stream swings from side to side in great meanders. At many places 

a point on the outermost part of a bend to the left is more than a 

mile from the "outermost part of the next bend to the right. The 

farther the stream swings to the left the lower or older are the rocks 

in the canyon walls, and the farther it swings in the opposite direction the higher or younger are the rocks in the walls.

Wherever the brick-red sandstone rises 100 feet or more above the 

water there is an inner box canyon with vertical walls, but where 

this sandstone is below the water the canyon walls recede by slopes 

and terraces. This compound character of the canyon is shown in 

Plate LXXVI, A. At milepost 400, 2 miles beyond Bridgeport siding, the railroad enters a tunnel that is excavated entirely in the massive brick-red sandstone, which is ideal material in which to drive 

a tunnel, for the roof needs no timber to support it, and the portals 

are equally durable. This tunnel is 2,256 feet long nearly half 

a mile.

In places the walls of the canyon are about 500 feet high, but they 

lack both the ruggedness and the regularity that characterize the 

other great canyons onr this route. Finally they begin to decrease in 

height, until, half a mile beyond milepost 410, the traveler begins to 

see open country, and soon he finds himself back in the same shale 

valley that he left a few miles below Delta. A mile farther along 

the train reaches the station in the small village 

Whitewater. 0£ Whitewater. Here Grand Mesa looms up on 

Elevation 4,665 feet, the right as the most conspicuous feature in the

Population 272.* & r\ i ~vrn~'± L J.T. -i j

Denver 412 miles. landscape. On leaving Whitewater the railroad 

again enters the canyon, which, however, is nowhere so deep nor so interesting as it is farther up. Its walls are 

composed entirely of rocks of the Gunnison formation, or of rocks 

lying above it, and at no place does the brick-red sandstone again 

make its appearance. The river meanders broadly, swinging first 

to one side and then, to the other in sharp curves which make the
184 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

mileage of the railroad much more than it would be if the course 

were fairly straight.

As meanders like those in which the Gunnison flows in this canyon 

could not have been begun while the river was cutting the canyon 

they must have been there before the canyon was cut, and as geologists are agreed that such meanders can be formed only by a sluggish stream, the Gunnison of the time when these meanders were 

young was not so rapid as it is to-day; it was a lazy river that flowed 

slowly and wound about in the broad valley in which it was flowing. 

The meanders were therefore formed when this part of the country 

was essentially a shale plain, above which only here and there mountains lifted their heads. As already stated, such a plain is supposed 

to have been in existence when the lava that now caps Grand Mesa 

was poured out, so that the meanders which the traveler sees to-day 

in the river were probably formed when it was flowing at a level 

a mile higher than it is now, before any of the sandstones that now 

form the walls of its canyons were exposed. According to this interpretation the meanders are very old and are simply inherited from 

the former channel of the river.

Near milepost 420 the Gunnison formation disappears below the 

river, and from this point down to the junction of Gunnison River 

with Colorado River it appears only in places, and the canyon is cut 

mainly in the sandstone, shale, and coal beds of the lower Mancos. 

The height of the walls also declines, and finally, after skirting the 

bluff on the right for a considerable distance, the train passes through 

a small cut and crosses the bridge spanning Colorado River and is 

soon at the station in Grand Junction.

Grand Junction is one of the largest towns of western Colorado. 

It stands at the junction of the main line of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western Railroad and the line over Marunc ion. snaji pass? on the flat plain at the junction of GunElevation 4,583 feet. -i n i i i j/i -c .LI Population 8,665. nison and Colorado rivers, and is therefore on the

Denver 424 miles (via natural route of railroad travel. Colorado River 

especially carries a large volume of water, and as its 

fall above Grand Junction is considerable it affords an excellent 

supply of water for irrigation. Water has been taken from the river 

for this purpose by many private companies, but generally it has been 

taken out only a short distance above the land to be irrigated, and 

consequently it has neither sufficient head nor volume to irrigate all 

the land adjacent to the town. Recently the United States Reclamation Service has dammed Colorado River 20 miles above Grand Junction and is carrying the water in the High Line canal (see p. 152) to 

the terrace or bench land back from the river and near the foot of 

the Book Cliffs.
DENVER. <fc MO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 185

Grand Junction is the center of a great fruit-growing) country 

that extends up Colorado River nearly to De Beque, up the Gunnisori 

a short distance, and down Colorado River to Fruita and Loma. 

Apples, pears, and peaches are the principal fruits raised. Views 

of the orchards and the method of irrigating them are shown in 

Plate LXXVII, 4, B. Besides fruits the valley produces vegetables, 

principally sugar beets and potatoes. Sugar beets find a ready 

market at the sugar factory at this place, and many beets are shipped 

here from other parts of the two valleys.

The town has broad, well-paved streets, good business houses, and 

a very .attractive residence section, whose streets are well shaded by 

trees that afford relief from the rays of the sun. These trees, together with the orchards, make this part of the valley look like an 

oasis in a desert. A description of the scenery along the main, line 

east of this place ends on page 158.

MAIN LINE OF RAILROAD FROM GRAND JUNCTION 

TO SALT LAKE CITY.

A short distance west of the station at Grand Junction tHe 

traveler's view of the valley is fairly unobstructed, and he obtains

Uncompahgre Plateau Book Cliffs

FIGURE 48. Sketch section across the valley at Fruita, Colo.

an attractive setting for the picture of the town. The existence of 

this valley is due to geologic causes which can be easily understood 

by a traveler who desires to know something of the character of the 

rocks and of their attitude, or, as the geologist would say, the geologic 

structure. The lowest and therefore the oldest rocks lie in the great 

Uncompahgre Plateau or arch, which lies south of Grand Junction; 

the youngest rocks lie in the basin to the north and are generally 

known as the Green River formation. The dip of the rocks as they 

would appear in the sides of a great ditch, if one were cut from the 

top of the Uncompahgre Plateau to the middle of the Uinta Basin 

to the north, is shown in figures 37 (p. 148) and 48.

The Mancos shale is much softer than the rocks either above it 

(to the north) or below it (to the south), and it therefore tends to 

weather away much faster and form a valley, As the formation
186 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

dips only slightly toward the north, and as it has ,a thickness of 

about 3,000 feet, the valley which it occupies and which has been 

formed by its erosion is of considerable width. To the north the 

rocks above the Mancos shale cap the Book Cliffs, which were so 

named because the beds of rock when seen from a distance suggest 

the edge of a book lying on its side. To the south the underlying 

variegated sandstone of the Gunnison formation makes the slope 

that leads up to the great red cliffs on the Uncompahgre Plateau. 

The traveler may see these rocks, as already stated, soon after leaving the station at Grand Junction, and they are generally in sight 

on both sides of the road as far as Mack.

The peculiar shape and structure of the Book Cliffs (see PL 

LXVI11, p. 157) gives them a striking resemblance to architectural 

features. In their lower part they are composed of shale, which is 

capped by heavy beds of sandstone that lie almost flat. Nearly 1,000 

feet of shale is exposed, and where it is not protected by blocks of 

sandstone that have fallen from the ledges above it has been cut by 

the rain into innumerable branching ravines separated by low ridges. 

Viewed from a distance when the sun is low enough to cast a shadow 

on one side of these dividing ridges the sculpture is marvelously 

accurate and sharply defined, resembling the venation of a leaf. 

The slope is steep, nearly 45°, and the profile of the slope and the 

cliff above is well shown in Plate LXVIII (p. 157).

The cliffs on the south are composed of great beds of red sandstone 

or white sandstone stained red by the overlying shale. At first sight 

these beds appear to lie so nearly flat that if they were extended 

they would reach entirely across the river valley and would lie far 

above the head of the traveler. When they are studied closely, however, they may be seen to bend down sharply as they approach the 

river, and in reality they pass under the stream instead of far above 

it. The bend in the rocks may be seen by looking back after the 

train has gone a mile or so beyond the station.

In this valley, as in most other irrigated parts of the West, the 

railroad does not traverse the area that is most highly cultivated, 

and the traveler may think that a large part of the valley below 

Grand Junction consists of land so highly impregnated with alkali 

as to be unfit for farming, but here and there he may catch a glimpse 

of the terrace or bench lands, which support the finest ranches in 

the valley. Along the railroad he may see some good ranches and 

orchards, and in striking contrast to them he may see in many places 

remnants of the original growth of sagebrush which covered the 

whole valley before it was irrigated and cultivated. This valley 

is the most arid part of Colorado, for, according to the records of 

the Weather Bureau, its annual rainfall is only 7.7 inches. The
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 187

wizard that has transformed the scene here is water. This water 

may first fall in the form of snow on the high peaks of the Rocky 

Mountains, but early in June the warm rays of the sun reach the 

snowbanks and convert the snow into water, a part of which plunges 

roaring down the steep sides of the mountain to swell the torrents 

in the streams below, and another part finds lodgment in the Crevices 

and open pores of the rocks and is kept stored there until the surface 

water has almost disappeared. Then the rocks gradually give up 

their stores, and this midsummer supply appears just when it is 

most urgently needed by the growing crops. But how can this 

water be gathered and spread out on the thirsty land; and if so 

spread out, will it be sufficient, or if sufficient in midsummer, will 

it be sufficient in September, when the driest part of the season is 

reached? In the semiarid regions of the West these questions are 

of the utmost importance, and several bureaus of the Government 

have been for years making exhaustive studies of all the streams to 

determine how. much water they carry and in constructing engineering works by which the water in them may be distributed over 

the land. The work of measuring the quantity of water in the 

streams has been taken up by the United States Geological Survey, 

because water may truly be considered a mineral, and it is the duty 

of the Geological Survey to take account of all the mineral resources 

of the country. Most people of the West are familiar with this 

work, but those who come from the East are perhaps unaware that 

reports concerning the water supply of many regions or streams 

may be obtained free on application to the Director of the United 

States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. The method by which 

the quantity of water flowing in a stream is determined is described 

below by Robert Follansbee.50

As the traveler goes westward he sees that the Book Cliffs recede 

farther and farther from the river, and about 10 miles west of Grand

60 Without a thorough knowledge of 

the available water supply irrigation enterprises are not likely to be 

successful. The work of the United 

States Geological Survey in measuring 

the flow of the larger streams is especially needed to insure the prosperity 

of the West and. has been developed to 

meet the need. It was begun in 1888, 

when a camp of instruction was established on the Rio Grande in charge of 

F. H. Newell, who later became the 

Director of the United States Reclamation Service. Here were developed 

the methods which laid the foundation 

for the present work of recording the

flow of streams. From this small beginning the work was expanded until 

now there are in the United States 

more than 1,500 gaging stations at 

which the flow of streams is measured. 

Records of stream flow are not only 

necessary in planning successful irrigation and water-power projects but 

are being used by the Reclamation 

Service in determining the inflow of 

the big reservoirs it is building, by the 

Weather Bureau in predicting flood 

flow in the lower Colorado River at 

Yuma, by the Forest Service in determining the available horsepower at undeveloped power sites in the national
188 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Junction they begin to lose some of their picturesqueness on account of 

their distance from the observer. The red cliffs on the south become 

more prominent and are much more dissected into fantastic forms 

than they are south of Grand Junction. About 11 miles west of 

Grand Junction the pillars, towers, buttresses, columns, and domes 

become so striking that an area including them, opposite Fruita, 

has been set aside by the Federal Government as the Colorado 

National Monument. By this means they will be preserved and 

made accessible to the general public. One of these picturesque 

forms is shown in Plate LXXVIII. Fruita, as its 

name implies, is the center of an extensive fruitEievation 4,510 feet, raising district, but the best part of this district is

Population 1,193. ° ' . e . Denver 461 miles. °n the terrace north of the town. Much of this land 

is devoted entirely to the raising of fruit; but, as 

shown in Plate LXXVII, A, other crops are raised between the 

trees while the orchard is maturing.

Just west of Fruita the railroad crosses Little Salt .Wash and Salt 

Wash, two streams that head at the base of the Book Cliffs, about

Fruita.

forests, and by irrigation and power 

companies at critical periods, especially during low water.

In determining the flow of a river 

the height of the water is first measured on a fixed scale called a gage. A 

local observer reads the gage height 

morning and evening and records the 

reading. If the record at the station is 

likely to be of great value, or if the 

station is in a remote place, it is desirable to use an automatic gage, which 

draws a curve on a chart showing continuously the height of the water, including every fluctuation. In May and 

June the warm days and cold nights 

cause alternate melting and freezing 

at the headwaters of streams that head 

in high mountains, so that they rise 

and fall regularly during a 24-hour 

day. The extreme daily variation may 

amount to 1 or 2 feet. On a gage that 

is placed near the head of the stream 

the highest stage will be reached during the day and the lowest during the 

night, but on one that is placed some 

distance downstream the highest stage 

may be reached during the night and 

the lowest during the day.

From the gage height and the contour or cross section of the stream

bed at the gage, as determined by 

soundings made at several points in 

a line across the stream, the area of 

the cross section at the point of 

measurement is computed. The velocity of flow is measured with a current meter, and from the velocity and 

the area of cross section the quantity 

of water flowing past the gaging station can be determined. As the current strikes against the cups of the 

meter it causes them to revolve, and 

the revolutions in a given time are 

counted by means of an electrical 

make-and-break contact to determine 

the velocity of the current in feet per 

second.

In low water the meter is held on a 

rod and the engineer makes his 

measurements by wading. He first 

stretches a line across the stream to 

determine its width and then sounds 

every few feet across to determine its 

depth. Lastly he measures with the 

meter the velocity of the water at 

each point of sounding. Then, as he 

knows the width and depth of the 

stream, he can easily calculate the 

number of cubic feet of water passing 

this station each second (usually 

abbreviated to "second-feet") when
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXVII

A. TWO CROPS ON IRRIGATED GROUND.

In the irrigated districts land and water are made to do double duty by providing a crop of small 

fruit or vegetables between the rows of fruit trees. Photograph furnished by the Denver & 

Rio Grande Western Railroad.

B. METHOD OF IRRIGATING ORCHARDS.

Great care and judgment are required in properly irrigating growing fruit trees. This view shows 

how the water is conducted to all parts of the orchard and controlled in its flow so as to get the 

best results. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXVIII

A COLUMN OF SANDSTONE IN THE COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT.

This national monument has been set aside because of the wealth of detail iu the carving and the 

richness of the coloring of the erosion columns of deep-red sandstone which have become 

separated from the parent cliff " by weathering. " Photograph furnished by the Denver &

Rio Grande Western Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 189

20 miles to the north. The term " wash " is applied in the West to 

a stream or to the bed of a stream that is generally intermittent and 

that carries so much material that it clogs its own channel and is 

thus compelled to wander over a wide area. In some places where 

these streams are crossed by the railroad they have cut deep channels that have nearly vertical sides. Ordinarily very little water

the stream is at the stage at which 

the measurement is made, v

Large rivers or even small streams 

at their flood stage can not be measured by wading, on account not only 

of the depth but of the swiftness of 

the stream, which may make it almost 

impossible to stand against the current, so that it may be necessary to 

work from a bridge or to span the 

stream with a cable from which the 

meter is suspended and held at the 

proper depth in the water by means

to the current-meter equipment it 

always happens when the engineer is 

suspended in midstream while it is 

raining or while a wind is blowing 

what the loyal Westerner mildly terms 

" just a stiff breeze."

Discharge measurements are made 

at different stages of the water. Perhaps half a dozen will cover the range 

between high and low water. These 

measurements, when plotted on crosssection paper, define a curve known as 

the " rating curve" for the station.

10 20 30 40 80 60 '7O 80 90 " -100 110 120 130

FIOCBB 49. Method of measuring the flow of a river at a cable station. The view shows 

the section of the river and the car, gage, and other apparatus.

of lead weights. To swing a meter 

weighted with 20 or 30 pounds of lead 

for several hours in measuring a swift 

river from a bridge is a form of exercise that is a sure cure for insomnia. 

If there is no bridge at the gaging station, the stream must be spanned with 

a cable, and the engineer must work 

from a car swung beneath it, as shown 

in figure 49. In this car he pulls himself along the cable to the points 

where measurements are to be made. 

A cable-car measurement is an even 

better cure for insomnia than a bridge 

measurement. In passing, it may be 

noted that if anything wrong happens

From this curve the discharge for any 

stage of water can be'estimated, and 

the engineer can calculate with sufficient accuracy for most purposes the 

daily flow from the gage readings furnished by the local observer.

If a river carried the same quantity 

of water each year it would be necessary only to maintain a gaging station 

at a particular place for a year, but 

as the flow varies widely from year 

to year it is necessary to maintain the 

stations for several years in order to 

determine the flow not only for an 

average year but for the wet and the 

dry years.
190 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Loma.

flows in these washes, but occasionally heavy rains or cloudbursts 

in the foothills send down a torrent that sweeps like a wall of water 

down the valley. The flood crumbles the banks of soft shale and 

clay, sweeps away bridges, uproots orchards and crops, and produces 

general devastation, although the rain that caused all this destruction may have been limited entirely to the foothill belt, none having 

fallen where the damage is done.

Near the village of Loma the river, which has been in sight in 

many places on the south (left) at the foot of the upturned red 

sandstone, turns to the left and enters a canyon in 

the Gunnison formation. The High Line canal of 

Elevation 4,525 feet, the Reclamation Service has been constructed farPopulation 708.* . i -r i i /. i Denver 466 miles. tner west than Loma and provides for the irrigation 

of 35,000 acres by the gravity system and 10,000 

acres by the pumping system. North of Loma several of the projecting points of the Book Cliffs are colored red and give to this 

part of the cliffs a different color tone from that which they have 

farther east. The red color is due to the burning of one or more 

coal beds and the consequent baking and reddening of the adjacent 

rocks. The Book Cliffs seem to have lost the abruptness that characterizes them near Palisade. They are broken into a number of 

terraces, which rise one above another until the height of the whole 

mass is about equal to that of the-cliffs farther east.

Although the river has entered the canyon in the pink rocks on the 

south, the valley formed by the erosion of the shale and followed 

by the railroad continues in a northwesterly direction. Some of the 

land is irrigated, but most of it is in its original condition and the 

general aspect of the country is not particularly promising until the 

traveler reaches Mack, the terminus of the Uintah Eailway, a narrow-gage line that leads from Mack northwestward 

over the Book Cliffs and down to Dragon and WatS011 ' Utah' The reSi011 ab°Ut MaCk 1S barrel1 alld

uninviting, but the grounds around the hotel built 

here by the Uintah Railway form an oasis in the desert. This quaint 

bungalow is embowered in trees, and on a hot day it makes an inviting resting place for those who have been exposed to the scorching sun or who are changing from one road to the other.

The Uintah Railway is used largely to transport gilsonite from the 

mines in the vicinity of Watson, Utah, to the main line of the Denver 

& Rio Grande Western Railroad, for shipment to market. The veins 

and mines are described below by D. E. Winchester.58

Mack.

58 Gilsonite is a hard but brittle black 

hydrocarbon with a glassy luster, which 

occurs in great vertical veins at many

places in northeastern Utah and is 

being mined extensively near Watson 

and Bonanza. The pure gilsonite is
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROU±E. 191

Although the shale which forms the valley that the traveler has 

been following from Grand Junction to this place, if he came over 

the main line, or from Montrose, if he came over the narrow-gage 

line, continues along the foot of the Book Cliffs to the region beyond 

Green River in Utah, the railroad does not follow it because near 

the State line it ceases to form a valley and the outcrop is rough and 

is broken by stream valleys that cross it. In order to avoid this 

rough country the railroad turns to the south (left) soon after leaving Mack and follows the river through Ruby Canyon for a distance 

of more than 18 miles. The gap in the ridge through which the railroad reaches the river can be seen on the left from the station.

Half a mile beyond Mack the railroad swings sharply to the 

south (left) and leaves the shale valley. It cuts through the sandstone rim that bounds the valley on the south nearly at right angles, 

disclosing the sandstones and variegated shale beds that underlie 

the dark shale (Mancos) of the main valley. The first sandstone 

to be seen is the Dakota, the lowermost formation of the Upper Cretaceous. Underlying the Dakota is the McElmo formation, equivalent to the upper part of the Gunnison formation, which has already 

been seen at a number of places. The McElmo formation has everywhere about the same character and when once recognized is easily 

identified wherever it is seen. It includes an upper member 150 

feet thick the one that is first seen after leaving Mack composed 

of variegated shale and sandstone, which on account of its relative 

softness weathers back into gentle slopes. The underlying member 

is about 60 feet thick and consists mainly of sandstone, which is more 

resistant to weathering than either the overlying or the underlying 

shale and therefore stands out and makes terraces or benches on the 

hillsides. The sandstone is in turn underlain by a gray clay or 

shale, which has a thickness of about 100 feet. These rocks form the 

canyon walls for a distance of about 2 miles, but they are so soft 

that in no place are the walls very steep. Owing to the red and 

green tints, the color effect is rather pleasing, but it soon becomes 

monotonous, and some other color or larger masses of color would 

make a welcome change.

easily mined with a hand pick and is 

placed in large bags to be hoisted to 

the surface ready for shipment to market. The veins are rarely more than 

10 feet in width, but they extend to 

unknown depths and in some places 

have been mined to a depth of 200 to 

300 feet below the surface. The 

miners take special precautions to prevent fire, for the gilsonite dust is extremely explosive. No artificial lights

are used in the mines, even at great 

depths. '

The entire gilsonite output of Utah 

(about 20,000 tons annually) is hauled 

over the narrow-gage Uintah Railway 

to Mack, where it is reloaded to the 

larger cars of the Denver & Rio Grande 

Western Railroad.

Gilsonite is extensively used in the 

manufacture of paints, varnishes, roofing materials, and rubber substitutes.
192 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The structure or attitude of the beds in this part of the canyon is 

simple. The rocks rise .abruptly at an angle of 30° from the shale 

valley on the north, but they soon flatten and for some distance lie 

flat or dip slightly toward the southwest. The railroad follows the 

valley of Salt Creek, but the bends of the creek are so short that 

they do not everywhere accommodate the railroad, and about a mile

from Mack it cuts 

through one of the 

smajl bends by a 

short tunnel in the 

sandstone member of 

the McElmo.

About a quarter of 

a mile beyond milepost 472 the railroad 

reaches the river, and 

from this point to 

Westwater it follows 

the right bank. The canyon, because of its red color, is generally 

called Ruby Canyon, but the most strongly marked red rocks do not 

appear until the traveler is about half a mile below 

the siding named Ruby. Here the massive sandstone 

that underlies the McElmo comes up suddenly in a 

great fold,59 which may be seen on the opposite side 

of the river. (See fig. 50.) The uppermost bed in this fold is not red 

but nearly white, although generally it is stained pink from the 

overlying McElmo 

shale. The white 

sandstone (La Plata) 

has a thickness of 

nearly 100 feet, but 

below it is a bed of

Somewhat Softer Sand- FIGURE 51. Different types of anticlines.

stone, which is deep red. The fold is very short but steep, the beds 

having a dip of about 45°. The angle of dip decreases, however, and 

in a very short distance the beds lie practically flat.

FIGOKE 50. Short fold in massive sandstone (on the left 

of the westbound train) opposite Ruby siding, below 

Mack.

Ruby.

Elevation 4,407 feet. 

Denver 473 miles.

69 The rock folds in the plateau district of Colorado and Utah are different from those which the traveler has 

seen in the Rocky Mountain region. 

Generally anticlines are great upward 

bulges in the rocks, in which the beds 

are nearly equally curved in all parts, 

as shown in A, figure 51. In the plateau region the general effect of an

anticline may be the same, but the 

location and form of the fold may be 

very different," as shown in B. The 

beds are very strongly folded on the 

flanks of the anticline, but the area 

affected by the fold is very narrow. 

The traveler may see many such folds 

as that shown in B before he reaches 

Salt Lake City.
DENVER & BIO GRAFDE WESTERN ROUTE. 193

The sandstone which rises above water level just below Huby 

siding is massive that is, it is almost without bedding planes or 

lines of separation and consequently it makes a canyon which has 

smooth, nearly vertical walls (PL LXXIX). The color, except in 

the uppermost layer, about 100 feet thick, is decidedly red, so that 

in general the canyon walls are a bright red, and the name Ruby is 

quite appropriate. A close look at the sandstone will show that it 

is not evenly banded like many of the sandstones in the region to 

the east, but that the marks along the edges of the beds which indicate the form of the layers in which the sand was laid down dip 

at all angles, or rather are generally curved, showing that the sand 

was carried into the place where it was deposited by strong currents 

of air or water, which cut away much of the sand that had been 

formerly laid down and in its place deposited layer after layer in 

a curved position. This process is termed cross-bedding, and an 

extreme example of it is shown in Plate LXXVI, C (p. 179). 

These beds were all laid down on the land, or at least no marine 

fossils have been found in them.

The graceful swing of the river from bend to bend and the corresponding curves in the smooth massive walls of the canyon are well 

shown in Plate LXXIX.

The rocks rise gently downstream, and near milepost 477 the 

canyon walls have a height of about 300 feet. Just a little below 

this point dark granite 60 appears in the bed of the river, and therefore 300 feet is about the full thickness of the sedimentary beds in 

this canyon. The granite is exposed on the crest of a small anticline 

or uplift, and in a few hundred yards it disappears. The upper surface of the granite is smooth and doubtless once formed the land 

surface upon which the sand was laid down.61

60 The crystalline rock that constitutes the foundation upon which western Colorado and eastern Utah have 

been built presents different phases 

from place to place; in one place it 

may be a true granite, in another a 

gneiss, and in another a schist. As 

these phases grade into one another 

the exact character of the rock in all 

places can not easily be specified, and 

so it is here called granite because this 

term is in general sufficiently exact, 

and an attempt to differentiate the 

various kinds of crystalline rocks 

might be complicated.

81 In the canyon of Colorado River 

just above Glenwood Springs the same

granite or gneiss is exposed, and the 

stream has cut its channel in this rock 

to a depth of 1,000 feet. The ^uartzites, limestone (Ouray), and variegated 

Carboniferous rocks above the limestone, extending from the canyon just 

mentioned almost as far as Wolcott, 

are not found in Ruby Canyon. As 

many of these formations are of marine origin it seems probable that they 

were originally deposited over all this 

region but that later the sea bottom 

was uplifted so as to form land and 

then the streams and the weather 

slowly cut the rocks away until in 

places the formations mentioned were 

removed before the red sands were laid
194 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Although the river has been the principal agent in carving Ruby 

Canyon it has not done all the work, for the moisture in the atmosphere and the sand blown by the winds are very active in wearing 

away the rocks. The results of the work of both of these agents may 

be seen at many places. The moisture in the atmosphere dissolves 

the cementing material that binds the grains of sand together, and 

the wind mechanically removes the loosened grains. These agencies 

acting together eat out cavities in the canyon wall, most of them 

small, though here and there one is excavated into an immense alcove 

having an arched roof. Wind-driven sand cuts the hard rock like a 

sand blast, and as the texture of the rocks differs from point to point 

the cutting has produced grotesque, fantastic forms. At some places 

the sand blast has cut the finest fretwork; at others it has simply 

rounded off projecting points of rock so that they stand out as great 

domes or- circular minarets. Many such features cap the solid canyon 

wall, but they are SQ far above the track that the traveler can see them 

only as he looks ahead at some projecting spur or back at the disappearing view. At one place a group of columns on a salient point on 

the canyon wall resembles a procession of Egyptian figures, as shown 

in the ornamentation of their temples, and consequently these are 

known as " The Egyptian Priests."

Beyond the place where the granite appears in the river bed the 

rocks dip gently downstream as far as milepost 479, where they are 

again elevated in a fold similar to that which has exposed the red 

sandstone just below Ruby. This fold is not so apparent from the 

train as that just mentioned, but by looking ahead from a point near 

milepost 479 the traveler may see it in the canyon wall on the right, 

and he may note traces on the projecting point on the opposite side. 

This fold raises the sandstone so high that the granite again appears 

in the river bed, rising at least 20 feet above ordinary water level and 

being visible from the train for about a mile. The river has had 

much greater difficulty in cutting the granite than in cutting the 

sandstone; the sandstone has been entirely removed, but the granite 

forms a very effectual barrier in which the stream has been able to 

cut only narrow channels, through which the water boils and tumbles, 

so that the rock is scoured and polished by the sand that the water 

carries over it. Pebbles accumulate in hollows of the rock and soon 

grind out deep holes where they are given a rotary motion by the current. Such holes, which are known as " potholes," are abundant in 

the granite in this canyon.

In places the massive sandstone overhangs the railroad, as shown 

in Plate LXXX, J., and the beetling cliffs afford ideal sites for the

down, although in other places only-a 

part of them were removed. Hence

at different localities different formations rest on the granite.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

RUBY CANYON.

This canyon takes its name from the deep-red color of the rocks. Its walls are generally smooth, 

The massive cliffs curve gracefully in conformity with the great sweeps of the river around thside of the canyon. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

OVERHANGING WALLS OF KUBY CANYON. THICK C(),\L BKD.

The massive red sandstone makes very imposing walls in 

Ruby Canyon. In places it nearly overhangs the 

track. Photograph by Marius R. Campbell.

*

Old prospect entry on 15 foot coal bed near Helper. 

thick Lilian, beds iicuaof ui goodumi coal uuiwill windoubtless uuuiiLit;ii» be i greatl

oped. Photograph by Frank R. Clark.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 195

mud dwellings of swallows, which circle about such places in countless numbers. In other places the rocks assume fantastic forms, 

especially on projecting* points between the sharp bends of the 

stream or between tributary canyons, as if mighty buttresses were 

necessary to support the vertical walls, but a general and solid 

massiveness and the nearly vertical character of the walls make a 

Wronger impression upon the mind of the traveler than any other 

leature.

The granite disappears beneath the river bed near milepost' 481,

and the rocks below that point dip gently southwestward and the

height of the walls gradually diminishes to the place where the

canyon is crossed by the boundary line between Coloa me, o o. ra(jQ an(^ utan. The boundary is marked by a monum6Ilt at the left °f the tl>ack and ^ a Hne P^ted

on the cliff at the right, with "Colorado" on the 

east of it and "Utah" on the west. (See PL LXXX, C.) The 

canyon walls here are only about 200 feet high, and they decrease 

in height and impressiveness until the red sandstone passes below 

the level of the track near the point where the railroad crosses Bitter 

Creek, close to milepost 488.

Below Bitter Creek the walls of the canyon are made up of the 

softer beds of the McElmo formation, and they recede from the

river, leaving a broad valley which at one time was 

Westwater, Utah. seiected as the site of a town that was to be named 

Elevation 4,340 feet. Westwater, but unfortunately for the founder his

Population 94. , ,. , "i ,. , . ,

Denver 488 miles. dreams were not realized, and the town to-day consists only of section houses, a water tank, and one 

or two farms. At this point the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

leaves Colorado River, which the traveler will see no more on this 

journey. By looking to the left (downstream), however, he will see 

that the rocks rise again and that the canyon assumes large proportions. Indeed, its vertical walls seem to be even more pronounced 

than those that mark its course above Westwater.

About a mile from Westwater the railroad crosses Cottonwood 

Creek, which heads in the foothills of the Book Cliffs. Trie road 

extends up one of the branches of this creek to the divide between it 

and some other small streams on the west. In climbing, however, the 

traveler sees the same rocks at the level of the track, for the rocks 

rise toward the west in a great fold that brings up 

Cottonwood. the red san(jstone again below Westwater. So, when 

the traveler reaches the siding of Cottonwood, 

which is at the summit, the beds which he sees are 

of the same age as those which he saw at the crossing of Cottonwood 

Creek, 4 miles to the east.
196 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

After journeying through the canyon for about 20 miles the traveler will probably be glad to leave it and to gain the uplandj where 

he may see something more than rugged rock walls and muddy river. 

If the vegetation on the upland is not parched and dried by the summer's heat, the sego lily, Utah's floral emblem (PI. LXXXI), may 

be seen here and there lifting its delicate head, though it stands so 

close to the ground that it is difficult to identify from the moving 

train. The wide expanse of upland also enables one to see the larger 

features of the surrounding landscape. One of the first objects to 

ca'tch the eye on the left is a distant group of mountain peaks the 

La Sal Mountains whose highest point reaches an altitude of about 

13,000 feet. One unaccustomed to judging distances in the clear air 

of an arid country can not say whether these mountains when first 

seen are 10 or 50 miles away, but careful measurement has shown that 

the nearest peak is about 30 miles distant. This mountain group 

was formed by the uplifting of the rocks in a great domelike mass, 

and if the light is just right the traveler may see the great cliff-like 

wall of red sandstone, with which he is now becoming familiar, on 

the east side of the mountains, where it has been uptilted by the 

movement. This group of mountains will be in sight for some time, 

and a little farther west it can be seen to better advantage.

The railroad winds about in the low hills of the McElmo formation, which in places are somewhat picturesque on account of the 

great variety of their colors, but in general the outlook is not particularly pleasing. The scene, however, may be of great interest to 

one not familiar with it, for it gives him a good idea of the utter 

barrenness of a region where the rainfall is as scanty as it is in Grand 

County, Utah. In places the rocks are very dark, and the traveler 

may think that they have been baked to this dark color by volcanic 

fires' and that many of the rock fragments are pieces of lava. The 

geologist, however, knows that the rocks of this region are not volcanic. In fact, all the rocks composing the McElmo and Gunnison 

formations were laid down as sediments in lakes or ponds or in 

the beds of streams, and the dark rocks are only those that contain 

considerable iron, or those that have been coated by so-called " desert 

varnish," a dark substance, probably in large part manganese, which 

tends to cover all exposed rocks in the desert region and to give 

them a black color. It is from the McElmo and La Plata formations 

or their equivalent, the Gunnison formation,62 that most of the ores

62 In the region between Denver and 

Salt Lake City the formation immediately beneath the Dakota sandstone 

bears a number of names, which are 

exceedingly confusing to anyone who is 

unfamiliar with the rocks and their

relations. Thus along the Front 

Range the Morrison is a well-marked 

formation of variegated shale and 

sandstone whose age is uppermost 

Jurassic or lowermost Cretaceous. It 

is a fresh-water formation and con-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN' 707 PLATE LXXXI

STATE FLOWER OF UTAH.

This delicate flower is commonly known as the Sego lily, but by botanists it is called Calochortus 

nuttallii. It grows in abundance on the higher lands of the State and is one of the most beautiful 

of the wild ilowers. Photograph by Shiplers, Salt Lake City.
TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXXII

A. PLATEAU NEAR MOAB.

Some of the wonderful lowers and walls that may be seen on the left from the railroad. 

There are no curves in this landscape, only straight lines and angles. Some of the 

valleys hidden in these rugged plateaus are very beautiful but dillicult of access. Photograph by Whitman Cross.

SHALE BADLANDS AT FOOT OF BOOK CLIFFS.

Between Cisco and Thompson, Utah, the railroad winds about in shale badlands similar 

to those shown in this view. They are nearly barren of vegetation and to many persons 

seem desolate, but to the lover of nalure they are wonderful exhibitions of the delicate 

carving that is going on during every shower. Photograph by G. B. Richardson.

n. GUNNISON BUTTE.

A prominent isolated butte on the bank of Green River, a few miles above the town of Green 

River. The butte was named in honor of Capt. Gunnison, who crossed the river at this 

place in 1853 while surveying for the Government a route for a Pacific railroad. Photograph by M. O. Leighton.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 197

of radium are obtained, and one of the most productive districts lies 

in Paradox Valley, Colo., 15 or 20 miles east of the La Sal 

Mountains.

The low hills of McElmo rocks seem endless, but finally they are 

passed, and at milepost 501 the railroad cuts through the Dakota 

sandstone, which dips about 30° W. Next it enters the Mancos shale, 

which the traveler last saw at Mack, before he entered Ruby Canyon, 

and the features of the surface now become more subdued and softer, 

and he has a better opportunity to see what surrounds him. To the 

north he will see the familiar Book Cliffs, but they are so far away 

that their character is scarcely apparent. However, they swing to 

the south around the great anticlinal point through which Ruby 

Canyon is cut, and in 15 or 20 miles they will be so near the track 

that they can be clearly seen.

At the place where the railroad crosses the Dakota sandstone, at 

milepost 501, it is within a mile of the great bend which Colorado 

River makes to the northwest, but despite its nearness the river lies so 

deep in its canyon that it is not visible from the train. Three miles 

beyond this point is the village of Cisco, which is 

one of the largest shearing and shipping points in 

Elevation 4,375 feet, this great sheep-herding country. One unfamiliar 

Denver 504 miles. with this region might think that there was little 

or no pasturage here for even a sheep, but when 

rain falls the country is green with grass, and even in times of 

drought there are forage plants that might not be noticed by the 

unaccustomed eye.

After the train passes Cisco the La Sal Mountains are in plain 

sight, and the traveler may see the great red wall on the east and also

Cisco.

tains the remains of immense reptiles 

(dinosaurs).

\Vest of the mountains a similar assemblage of fresh-water sandstones 

and shales lies immediately beneath 

the Dakota. Undoubtedly this formation is in part equivalent to the Morrison, but as it is supposed to contain 

lower beds than the Morrison it can 

not be considered exactly equivalent, 

so it was called the Gunnison formation.

Later, in working out the succession 

of formations in the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, Cross 

found that beds nearly equivalent to 

the Gunnison were greatly expanded, 

especially in the lower part, and he

80697° 22 14

felt compelled to introduce the term 

McElmo for rocks of nearly the same 

age as the Morrison, and the term La 

Plata for a massive white underlying 

sandstone. The La Plata sandstone 

should perhaps be included in the Gunnison. Recent work has extended the 

names McElmo and La Plata northwest to Greeuriver, Utah.

In spite of this confusion it seems 

best here to use the three terms, so the 

name McElmo is applied on sheets 7 

and 8, although Gunnison was used on 

Sheet 6 for rocks of about the same age. 

The reader should therefore remember 

that the Morrison, Gunnison, and McElmo include rocks that may be equivalent in age.
198 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

the place where it is upturned and cut by the river between the railroad and the mountain. As seen from the train the country to the 

right of the La Sal Mountains is exceedingly rough and rugged, 

being cut into great canyons with vertical sides or left in giant blocks, 

also with vertical sides. In fact, the traveler is now approaching 

a region in which the expression of the topography is different from 

anything that he has yet seen, unless he is already acquainted with 

the country that was called by Powell the "Canyon lands." In 

this region Hogarth's " line of beauty " is unknown. The slopes of 

the hills and mountains do not show gracefully curved lines from 

summits to bases, but each slope forms a straight line and unites 

with its neighbor in an angle and not a curve. The valleys are all 

canyons, which either have vertical sides or sides composed of 

straight lines, and the intervening spurs are mesas with flat tops as

FIGURE 52. Angular profiles of the Plateau province.

shown in figure 52. A glance at the country on the right of the La 

Sal Mountains will show some of the angularity mentioned. This 

characteristic feature of the land forms is illustrated in Plate 

LXXXII, J., which is a view taken near Moab. It also shows some 

of the slender towers of rock which the traveler may see from the 

train.

 Although the La Sal Mountains have attracted much attention, 

another group of mountains, which are even more interesting, are 

slowly appearing above the horizon, far to the southwest. Where 

first seen, in the vicinity of Cisco, these mountains, named the Henry 

Mountains for Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonia,n 

Institution at Washington, are fully 100 miles distant. They are 

divided into three groups the larger group at the north and two 

isolated peaks farther south.63 These mountains lie on the west side 

of Colorado River, which in this region flows in a canyon 1,000 

feet deep.

63 The study of the Henry Mountains 

in 1876 by G. K. Gilbert led to the discovery of a new type of mountain, 

which is indirectly of volcanic origin 

but is not a volcano. It is now known 

that the La Sal Mountains and many 

other similar groups in the Plateau 

province belong to the same class. 

Gilbert found that the peaks of the

Henry Mountains are composed largely 

of hardened lava, which, when it was 

in a molten state, instead of ascending 

to the surface through some fissure 

in the rocks and then pouring out over 

the surrounding country as a lava 

flow, welled up in the earth's crust 

until it lifted the covering rocks and 

forced them up in a great dome. As
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 7

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engine* 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

E White shale and sandstone (Green River formation)

F Red shale and sandstone (Wasatch formation)

H Sandstone, shale, and coal beds (Mesaverde formation)

J Dark marine shale (Mancos shale)

M Brown sandstone (Dakota sandstone)

,, . . , , , f (McElmo formation and La Plata N Variegated shale^ ^^tone, equivalent to 

and sandstone Gunnison formation)

White sandstone at top and brick-red massive 

sandstone below

X Granite 

Y Lava flow

Age Thickness 

in feet

I Tertiary 

f (Eocene)

2,600 

3,400 

2,200

Upper Cretaceous 3,000 

60

Cretaceous (?) and 

Jurassic

Triassic

Pre-Cambrian

Tertiary

310

350

39V

109° 108 30- COLORADO-UTAH

39

106 so'
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 199

Beyond Cisco the railroad curves here and there over the shale 

upland, steadily approaching the foot of the Book Cliffs. (See 

sheet 8, p. 210.) As it nears the cliffs it seems to be lost in a maze of 

small shale hills, as shown in Plate LXXXII, 5, but in places one 

may catch glimpses through them of the ragged front of the cliffs. 

Viewed from a distance the Book Cliffs look like a regular mountain 

front, but viewed near by they are seen to be made up of a series of 

terraces or benches, each bench being formed by some hard bed of 

sandstone more resistant to erosion than the beds above or below. 

Each bench is cut by streams into a number of salients, or teeth, 

which project far beyond the main mass of the cliffs. Behind and 

above the lowest row of salients there may be a second row, formed

FIGURE 53. Mountains carved from a laccolith. The block at the rear shows the former 

position of the sedimentary beds after they were forced upward by the intrusion of 

the lava.

by a similar hard bed, and in places there is a still higher row of 

salients, formed by a third hard bed. The resulting cliffs present 

a front that is very irregular in detail but very regular when viewed 

ffom a distance. A view along the.front, showing the lower tier of 

salients, is given in figure 54. The lowest bench of the cliffs is 

formed by the lowest sandstone in the coal-bearing Mesaverde formation, and the slope below is composed of Mancos shale. This 

shale is very homogeneous in composition, and therefore on steep 

slopes it has been cut by many minute ravines, with a wealth of

the hardened lava is more resistant 

than the surrounding rock, which has 

been worn away, it now stands up as 

a mountain or a mountain range.

On account of their peculiar method 

of formation Gilbert proposed for 

them the name "laccolite" (which 

was afterward changed to "laccolith "), meaning stone cistern. Laccoliths are not only recognized in the 

western country, but since they were 

described by Gilbert they have been 

recognized in almost every continent 

on the globe. A mountain group that 

has been carved from a laccolith is represented in figure 53.
200 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

detail that is amazing to one unaccustomed to the effects of the erosion 

of rocks in a semiarid region. What infinite pains Nature apparently takes even in carving one of these commonplace hill slopes! 

This carving is, indeed, a work of art comparable to that of the most 

skillful sculptor.

As the traveler goes westward he finds many shale ridges, which 

form the divides between parallel stream valleys that head in the 

Book Cliffs. These ridges have either flat tops or tops that slope 

regularly away from the front of the cliffs. The tops of the ridges 

stand from 80 to 100 feet above the general level of the plain and 

doubtless represent the surface of a former plain that stood that distance above the present surface. When that plain existed the streams

FIGURE 54. Projecting point of the lower salients of the Book Cliffs. View looking east

from Thompson, Utah.

could not cut deeper into it, and so the land was reduced to a gentle 

slope, but later the streams acquired greater cutting power and they 

have succeeded in eroding away most of the old plain except where 

it is best protected on the divides. What caused the increased cutting power of the streams is a difficult question to answer. It may 

have been an uplift of the country, or it may have been a change in 

climate by which the volume of water carried by the streams was 

greatly increased.

After the train has passed through cuts made in two or three of 

these shale ridges it reaches the village of Thompson, or, as it was 

formerly called, Thompson's Springs, a name applied to it because 5 miles up the canyon that opens 

at this place there are several springs which have 

been of great value. In a dry country all settlement except on the railroad depends on the presence of water, and in the early days Thompson's Springs were the 

chief source of supply for those who were forced to make the trip 

across this inhospitable country. When the railroad was built the 

springs were equally valuable as a source of supply for the locomoThompson.

Elevation 5,160 feet. 

Population 84. 

Denver 528 miles.
DENVER & MO GRAN.DE WESTERN ROUTE. 201

tives, and water was piped from them to the line of the- road. For a 

long time Thompson owed its prosperity to the water from these 

springs and to the business which it obtained as a supply and shipping point for the sheep owners in the region about Moab, an old 

Mormon town on Colorado Kiver, 32 miles to the southeast.8 *

Coal mines have recently been opened 5 miles up the canyon, and 

the coal is brought to the railroad by a branch line. The coal is of 

good quality but not quite so valuable as that which is mined in the 

same formation farther west.

The many salients of the Book Cliffs show well from Thompson. 

By looking east or west along the front one can see point after 

point projecting from the plateau, as shown in figure 54. The intricate sculpture of the shale that composes the lower slopes of the 

cliffs is well shown about a mile west of Thompson. By contrast 

with the curves in the sculpture of the shale the angularity of the 

forms of the land impresses the traveler more and more as he gazes 

off to the southwest while he is passing over the plain just west of 

Thompson. $een from this plain the profiles of the distant plateaus 

appear extremely angular and show no flowing curves. The landscape looks as i-f it had been formed by the hand of a giant who 

carved it with an axe, cutting here and there great angular chunks 

out of the flat-lying rocks. (See fig. 52, p. 198.)

A short distance west of a siding called Crescent the railroad cuts 

through a low ridge of shale, which is one of the remnants of the 

higher surface, and then begins the long descent to Green River. 

Immediately after cutting through the ridge the road turns to the 

north, and for about 10 miles it skirts the front of the Book Cliffs,

04 It was the settled determination of 

the early Mormon leaders to make their 

followers an agricultural people, for 

they knew that those who till the soil 

can much more easily be held in an 

organization like that of the Mormon 

Church and are less likely to wander 

away after " strange gods " than those 

who are engaged in other pursuits. A 

great empire was to be built, and its 

most secure foundation was a large 

and prosperous agricultural population.

The region in which they had settled 

rand which they regarded as the " promised land" was much like that of 

..Tudea, in which the ancient Hebrews 

flourished, a land consisting in large 

.part of deserts whose oases here and 

.there afforded fine opportunities for a

pastoral people. Soon after the first 

settlement of the valley of Great Salt 

Lake, in 1847, immigrants began pouring into Utah at the rate of several 

thousand a year, and the leaders had 

to find these oases and see that the 

newcomers we're settled therein. In, 

this work they were autocratic. 

Brigham Young directed the settlement 

of the valleys and even picked the families and the leaders who were to settle 

them. Nothing was left to chance. 

The proceeding was high-handed, but 

the results, as seen to-day, show that 

it was probably the best that could 

have been followed. Moab was one of 

these distant colonies, and others were 

established in southern Utah, Arizona, 

and California, as well as in more 

northern States.
202 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

running most of the way through badlands of soft shale that have 

been cut by rain and running water. It passes so near the cliffs that 

the traveler may see all the delicate fluting and also the sharp points 

of the salients which are protected by caps of heavy sandstone. 

Although the variety of details is infinite, the general similarity of 

the forms produced grows wearisome, and the traveler finally welcomes the emergence of the train from the badlands into the open 

plain, which leads down to Green Eiver. This change occurs at a 

siding called Solitude, which indeed is rightly named. Here nothing is in sight but the endless, expanse of plain covered with the 

stunted vegetation of the desert on the one side and the equally endless badlands on the other. To the eye of the sheep herder, however, 

this region is not desolate, for it affords fine feeding ground for his 

sheep. The impression of it, then, depends on the point of view; what 

the stranger sees as desolation no words can describe one familiar 

with the scene views without aversion and accepts at its real worth.

Immediately after the train rounds the curve beyond Solitude the 

town of Greenriver comes in sight, although it is almost 12 miles 

distant. At least the green trees in and surrounding the town can 

be seen, but they are nearly straight ahead and the traveler may have 

difficulty in locating them. :

As the train passes down this even slope much of the surrounding 

landscape is spread out before the traveler. The Book Cliffs on the 

right swing far to the north in a great reentrant which Green River 

has cut in their generally even front. Across the river there is a 

strong salient, which is known as the Beckwith Plateau, named for 

Lieut. Beckwith, who was associated with Capt. Gunnison in his 

survey of this route for a Pacific railroad and who crossed Green 

River September 30, 1853. Capt. Gunnison lost his life in an encounter with a band of Indians after he had crossed the Wasatch 

Plateau, and Lieut. Beckwith prepared the report of the exploration. The most attractive features in the landscape are the wonderful' 

tablelands and the peaks resembling ruined cities, which can be seen 

far across the river in the north end of what is known as the San 

Rafael Swell. This region is described in greater detail on pages 

20T-208.

As the traveler descends the smooth shale slope he can make out 

the point where Green River emerges from the mountainous country 

to the north by the deep reentrant in the line of the Book Cliffs. By 

close examination he may be able to see a butte on the west side of 

the river, which is marked by a series of pinnacles and which is 

known as Gunnison Butte, in commemoration of the survey of this 

region by Capt. Gunnison. (See PL LXXXII, C. ) This butte towers 

2,700 feet above the river, but as seen from the train it seems to be
DENVER $ RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 203

not more than 300 or 400 feet high. Very few published reports regarding the early exploration of this part of the country are available. Gannett C5 refers to the early history as follows:

From n very early time this region was traversed by Spanish caravans, 

traveling from Santa Fe, N. Mex., to Los Angeles, Calif. The old Spanish trail, 

which these caravans followed, entered Utah on the east near Dolores River, 

crossed the Grand [Colorado] near the Sierra La Sal and the Green at the 

present crossing of the Rio Grande Western Railway. It reached the valley 

of Sevier River near its bend and, turning south, followed its valley to the 

head and down the Virgin to a point near its mouth, whence it turned westward, running out of the State near its southwest corner. This traffic, which 

at one time was great, left, however, no trace behind in the form of a settlement. * * *

The earliest recorded exploration of any part of Utah was a journey by two 

Franciscan fathers, Escalante and Dominguez, from Santa Fe, N. Mex., to the 

shores of Great Salt Lake in 1776-77. So far as can be learned, their route 

followed in the main that of the old Spanish trail, and it is not at all improbable 

that they were the pioneers in laying out the western part of this route to' 

southern California. So far as known, they were the first white men to visit 

the eastern part of the Great Basin of Utah. This journey was not, however, 

fruitful in geographic discovery, except in the fact that it may have determined 

the route of travel between the Spanish settlements of New Mexico and those 

of California.

Thus it seems probable that while the original colonies on the Atlantic seaboard were waging their war for independence, Fathers 

Escalante and Dominguez were marking out the old Spanish trail 

and even crossing Colorado Kiver at or near the same point where 

the travelers of to-day cross it on the trains of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western Railroad. The next notable journey of exploration in this part of the country, at least by English-speaking people, 

was that of Capt. Gunnison in 1853. He likewise crossed the river 

at this point, but after reaching the west bank he veered off to the 

south and followed the Spanish trail instead of the route now followed by the railroad.

In its descent from the east the railroad runs into a shallow valley, which conceals the view of the surrounding country, and finally 

comes out on the east bank of Green River at a little village called 

Elgin. The change from the barren slopes of shale to the beautiful 

green of the cottonwood trees and the brilliant fields of alfalfa is very 

grateful to the traveler, and he welcomes the sight of running water. 

It is true that Green River is generally muddy, but even if it is he 

looks upon it with pleasure and almost with reverence, because a 

stream of this size that can persist through so many miles of semiarid land excites curiosity and admiration. The river is spanned by 

a fine steel bridge (see PL LXXXIII), and a mile farther west is

85 Gannett, Henry, A gazetteer of Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 166, pp. 10- 

11, 1900.
204 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

the station of Greenriver, an oasis in this inhospitable desert, at the 

lowest point on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. In this 

region the summer temperature is almost torrid and 

Greenriver. ^ne precipitation is slight, probably about 6 or T inches 

Elevation 4,080 feet, annually. Water has here been taken from Green

Population 771. - . / . . Denver 555 miles. -Kiver for the irrigation or a small area that has been 

made to produce almost all kinds of crops and fruit. 

Fruit trees flourish here, as shown in Plate LXXXIV. A much 

larger area could be irrigated, though at much greater expense, by 

damming Green River in the canyon far above the town and constructing expensive canals to carry the water high up on the surrounding slopes. Sooner or later this work will be done, and then 

Green River valley will rival Grand Junction in the acreage under 

cultivation and in the abundance of its products.

Where it is crossed by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad 

Green River is a quiet, peaceful stream, as shown in Plate LXXXIII, 

flowing in a broad valley with low banks. It is hard to realize, 

therefore, that above this place it is a roaring torrent, confined in 

narrow walls hundreds if not thousands of feet high, and that 50 

miles downstream it joins the Colorado, which there enters the grandest canyon in the world.06

66 It is impossible here, in describing 

Green River, to avoid mentioning the 

exploration of this wonderful stream 

and its southward continuation, the 

Colorado, in 1869 by Maj. John W. 

Powell, who afterward became the 

Director of the United States Geological Survey. Although Maj. Powell 

had lost his right arm on the battle 

field of Shiloh, this loss did not deter 

him from attempting the descent of 

the canyon of the Colorado, an exploit that few men physically perfect 

have been able to accomplish.

For a number of years prior to 1869 

Powell had been doing geologic and 

geographic work in the Uinta Mountains and the adjacent plateaus, and 

lie had many times looked down into 

the swirling waters in the bottoms of 

the unexplored canyons and longed to 

embark upon them and learn the secret 

of the canyon land. He thus fell 

under the spell of the Grand Canyon, 

and for many years he dreamed of 

exploring it, although up to that time 

no one who had been brave or foolhardy enough to attempt to ride the 

current of the mighty Colorado had 

lived to tell the tale. Powell was 

warned by the Indians that no one 

who entered the secret and sacred 

precincts of the gods, as the Indians 

conceived the canyon to be, could expect to come out alive. But such tales 

only whetted his curiosity and spurred 

him on to increased activity. In his 

narrative (Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and its tributaries, p. 7, Washington, 1875) Powell 

says:

"The Indians, too, have woven the 

mysteries of the canyon into the myths 

of their religion. Long ago there was 

a great and wise chief who mourned 

the death of his wife and would not 

be comforted until Ta-y,woats, one of 

the Indian gods, came to him and told 

him she was in a happier land and 

offered to take him there that he might 

see for himself if upon his return he 

would cease to mourn. The great 

chief promised. Then Ta-vwoats made 

a trail through the mountains that
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GREEN RIVER.

Here the river is quiet and sluggish, seemingly gathering its strength for the wild plunge through t

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad
TI. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

APPLE TREES IN BLOOM.

Green River is the cenler of a considerable fruit-crowing district. When in full bloom 

aspect, excelled only by their appearance when the fruit is full grown. Photograph 

Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE.

A few hundred feet west of the station at Greenriver the railroad 

has cut through the dark shale at the base of the Mancos formation. 

If the traveler could have the opportunity of leaving the railroad 

coach and of walking through this small cut he would find that almost 

every fragment of shale is covered with impressions of shells. Experts who have studied these shells say that at one time each was 

inhabited by an animal that lived in the sea and that when the animal 

died the shell was filled with the dark mud that has since been consolidated into shale. The form and all the delicate markings of these 

shells have been well preserved. The general distribution of this 

shale in New Mexico, northeastern Arizona, eastern Utah, Colorado, 

Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota shows that the 

sea in which it was deposited must have been of great extent and that 

the Rocky Mountains of to-day could not then have been in existence. 

Geologic evidence over all the world shows that its surface has been 

continually changing. At one time a region may be covered with 

water; at another time it may have been a plain much like that which 

the traveler crossed east of Denver; and at still another time it may 

have been high land, with mountains. Such a succession of changes 

has been repeated many times, with infinite variations, through all 

the ages, and the present age is no exception but is also a scene of 

general change or transformation. Such a transformation is going 

on to-day as in the past, but we are scarcely aware of it, for it is so

intervene between that beautiful land, 

the balmy region in the great west, 

and this, the desert home of the poor 

Nu-ma.

" This trail was the canyon gorge of 

the Colorado. Through it he led him, 

and when they had returned the deity 

exacted from the chief a promise that 

he would tell no one of the joys of 

that land lest, through discontent with 

the circumstances of this world, they 

should desire to go to heaven. Then 

lie rolled a river into the gorge, a mad, 

raging stream that should engulf anyone that might attempt to enter thereby.

" More than once have I been warned 

by the Indians not to enter this canyon. They considered it disobedience 

to the gods and contempt for their authority and believed that it would 

surely bring upon me their wrath."

One of the Indians described to 

Powell the fate of some members of his

tribe who attempted to run one of the 

canyons of Green River in the following graphic manner:

"'The rocks,' he said, holding his 

hands above his head, his arms vertical, and looking between them to the 

heavens, 'the rocks h-e-a-p, h-e-a-p 

high; the water go h-oo-woogh, h-oowough; water pony [boat] h-e-a-p 

buck; water catch 'em; no see 'em 

Injun any more! no see 'em squaw any 

more! no see 'em papoose any more!'"

Despite these admonitions Powell 

made preparations to undertake the 

descent of the canyons, and on May 24, 

1869, he floated away from the frontier settlement of Green River, Wyo, 

with a party of ten men in four boats. 

One of the boats was wrecked in the 

canyon of Lodore, where the river cuts 

through the great mass of the Uinta 

Mountains, but none of the party was 

lost. The expedition passed what was 

then called Gunnison's Crossing, now
206 GUIDEBOOK OP THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

slow that even during the entire period of human history it has made 

but little progress.

After the train surmounts the slight rise out of the valley of 

Green Eiver the traveler will see spread wide before him one of the 

most desolate landscapes that he has thus far passed in his western 

trip. For miles the surface of the plain consists of bare clay or 

shale without so much as a clump of sagebrush or greasewood to 

break its monotony. The soil is the same as that about Green River 

and at Grand Junction and Montrose, in Colorado, and all that it 

needs to transform it from a scene of desolation to one of peace 

and plenty is water. To-day it is desolate and waterless, far from 

the homes of men, inhabited only by, beasts and birds of prey. Even 

these are not always seen, and the traveler who is unfamiliar with 

the country may imagine that it is totally without animal life; but 

should he camp here in the desert for a time he would find that at 

morning and evening it is alive with birds and animals eagerly seeking food and ready to fight for it.

West of the crossing of Green River, at what is now the town of 

Greenriver, the old Spanish trail divided. The main trail, which

Greenriver, Utah, on July 13, and 

thence went into the Grand Canyon of 

the Colorado. Here they met many 

mishaps but found no falls over which 

they could not take their boats, and in 

time they reached the deepest part of 

the canyon; but they had lost their 

instruments and had no means of estimating the distance yet to be traveled 

to the Mormon settlements at the 

mouth of the Grand Wash. Their 

progress was slow, too, and provisions 

began to run short, and several of the 

party became discouraged and dissatisfied. Powell did all he could to induce 

the men to remain with the expedition, but three of them decided to 

abandon the river and attempt to climb 

out of the canyon. These men succeeded in reaching the plateau only to 

be killed by the Indians, who did not 

believe their story about coming down 

through the canyon but thought they 

were white men from across the river 

who had killed a squaw in a drunken 

brawl. What made their fate more 

tragic was the success of Powell and 

his remaining men, who continued 

down the river and on the next day 

reached the mouth of the canyon, and

on the day following arrived safely 

at the mouth of Virgin River.

No romance is more entertaining 

and exciting than the account of this 

expedition, told in the plain, simple 

language of Maj. Powell, or than the 

account by Dellenbaugh of Powell's 

second trip, made in 1871 and 1872, to 

verify and extend the fragmental 

scientific observations recorded during 

some parts of his first trip. To-day a 

fitting monument to Maj. Powell stands 

on the brink of that titan of chasms 

at Grand Canyon to commemorate his 

exploration.

The pioneer trips thus made by Maj. 

Powell in hardship and peril prepared 

the way for the topographic engineers 

and geologists of the Geological Survey, who to-day, more than 50 years 

later, guide their motor boats with 

confidence, though even yet not without danger, over stretches of the river 

traversed by the Powell party. These 

engineers are doing pioneer work of 

another sort, for they are making 

plans by which the river can be used 

for irrigation and for generating 

power, so that men can make homes 

in this still wild country.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 207

led to southern California, turned to the south and crossed the 

Wasatch Plateau at Emery Canyon; the other branch of the trail 

turned to the north and followed practically the present line of the 

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. By crossing southern Utah 

over the old Spanish trail the early travelers gained a general 

knowledge of that country. It was soon settled by bands of Mormons sent out by Brigham Young, and its settlement led to the 

location of the first capital of the Territory of Utah in its southern 

part.67

The train pursues a westerly course through the barren wilderness 

of clay flats, low shale hills, and dry beds of the desert watercourses. 

Water is so scarce in this region that at each siding the railroad company has built cisterns to which it hauls water in tank cars for long 

distances. The rainstorms here are generally violent; the water falls 

in torrents, the desert becomes a sea of mud, and the rushing streams 

cut deep channels and dissolve their banks as if they were made of 

sugar. At times even the railroad trains have been engulfed by 

streams which during more than eleven months of the year carry not 

a drop of water.

The great south face of Beckwith Plateau, a point that runs off 

southward from the main mass of the Book Cliffs, looms up prominently on the north (right), as shown in Plate LXXXV, but in the 

other direction there is no prominent feature to attract attention; one 

can look southwestward across the adobe plain as far as the eye can 

see and distinguish nothing but the dim outline of the Henry Mountains, far away in the hazy distance.

Six miles west of Greenriver, at milepost 561, the railroad curves 

to the north and follows the shale valley on the west side of the Beckwith Plateau. As the train goes around the curve the traveler may 

get on the left an excellent view of the east side of the San Raf ael 

Swell, a great uplift of the rocks that involves all the geologic formations he has seen on his journey and even the underlying granite in 

a large area in the middle of the uplift. The sedimentary rocks on 

the east side of this elongated dome have been sharply upturned, and 

the heavy beds of sandstone, between the notches cut by the streams

07 It was originally planned to locate 

the capital of Utah at Salt Lake City, 

but when the Territory was created 

in 1850 it was decided that the capital 

should be more nearly in the center 

of the Territory. The County of Millard was therefore created, and on 

October 29, 1851, the city of Fillmore 

was laid out as the capital, both the 

city and the county being named for

Millard Fillmore, then President of 

the United States. A State house was 

begun but never finished. The legislature held but one full session at Fillmore that of 1855-56. Several succeeding legislatures met there in order 

to comply with the law but did no 

business except to adjourn to Salt 

Lake City, which was finally made the 

capital.
208 GUIDEBOOK: OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

have been left standing as great tables tilted to the east at an angle of 

30° or 40°, which as seen from the train resemble the teeth of a gigantic saw. This line of tilted sandstone can be followed by the eye for 

many miles, but in the distance it fades into the misty blue of the 

desert. The beds nearer the traveler are upturned less steeply and 

have not been removed by erosion, so they form a great swell, but 

even where the rocks lie nearly flat the streams have cut into them 

deep canyons, having nearly or quite vertical sides, which measure 

hundreds or perhaps a thousand feet in height. The profiles are all 

angular; they are composed of straight lines; and when viewed from 

a distance these immense pinnacles of rock resemble the ruins of 

some ancient city, and in imagination one can see in them the remains 

of temples, pyramids, columns, and arches standing in grandeur amid 

the wreck of the structures of which they once formed a part. Here 

one can not resist the temptation to let the imagination have free 

rein to rebuild these ruins as wonderful habitations of ancient 

giants and to picture the dramas that may have been enacted in 

them. If the traveler is fortunate enough to see these ruins when the 

sun is just setting behind their massive piles and suffusing their 

domes and pinnacles with great golden halos he can readily understand how a savage race might have here received the inspiration to 

build a magnificent temple to the sun, which to our minds might 

rival the most wonderful temples of the Egyptian kings.

At the point where the'railroad makes the turn around the Beckwith Plateau it is at a considerable distance from the front of the 

plateau, but farther north it approaches the front more and more 

closely, until near the siding called Desert it is so close that the 

traveler may see, if the light is just right, all the delicate lines of 

erosion that the rain has cut in the shale slope.

The great anticline called the San Rafael Swell extends far to 

the north, and the rocks of the Book Cliffs bear the same relation 

to those in the anticline as the rocks of the Book Cliffs at Grand 

Junction bear to those of the Uncompahgre Plateau. The Book 

Cliffs west of Green River look different from those with which the 

traveler is familiar east of it. East of Green River the rocks weather 

into.many projecting points or salients of hard rock, and between 

these points there are deep notches or reentrant- angles. In addition, 

the upper beds of sandstone have weathered back much farther than 

the lower beds, but each layer is characterized by the same kind of 

salients and reentrant angles. The result of this form of weathering 

is a front that is extremely irregular and jagged. West of Green 

River the front of the Book Cliffs is very regular; it shows no 

tendency to weather into long points. This difference is probably due
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 209

Mesaverde formation

to the absence of streams and to the presence of a greater number of 

beds of sandstone in the west than in the east, as well as to the more 

massive character of these beds and to the greater dips which prevail in this part of the plateau, for all these characteristics would 

give a very different result in the forms produced by erosion. The 

Book Cliffs west of Green River are characterized by many bands 

of sandstone, which may be followed by the eye for long distances 

and which produce slight benches on the slope. A profile of a part 

of the front of the Beckwith Plateau is shown in figure 55.

A geologist accustomed to interpret the meaning of land forms 

sees almost everywhere in these shale areas fragments of older surfaces of the land, preserved in terraces and benches. Some of these 

remnants of an older surface were pointed out west of Grand Junction and again near Thompson. West of Green River they grow 

more and more prominent as the traveler approaches the head of the 

stream. They stand at 

different heights above 

the present general surface, but commonly 

some particular terrace one that ranges 

in height from 50 to 

200 feet above the present surface is more 

prominent than the 

rest. The old surface 

in this region was 

probably more nearly 

smooth and regular than the surface of to-day, and its slope 

was doubtless not so great as that of the present surface. After: 

this old surface had been well developed, the lower country, though 

it showed considerable differences in elevation between the higher 

and the lower parts of its slopes, must have formed one general 

plain. Then came a change, either an uplift of the land or an increase in the rainfall. At any rate, the streams were able to cub 

deep trenches in this old surface, and their work has been continued 

so long that it has left, here and there, only remnants of the once 

continuous surface, and these remnants are the terraces and benches 

that we see to-day. Terraces are very prominent in places west of 

Woodside, and the traveler may be interested in studying them, not 

as terraces but as remnants of that old surface. Indeed, he may be 

able in imagination to reconstruct from them the old surface as it 

existed before the streams had cut into it and carved the valleys of 

to-day.

Mancos shale

FIGURE 55. Profile of front of Beckwith Plateau.
210 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The railroad rises steadily until it reaches a local summit at Cliff 

siding, between mileposts 574 and 575, and then begins a rapid descent to Price Elver, the master stream in the north

fliff end of Castle Valley. This stream heads on the 

Wasatch Plateau, far to the northwest, and flows 

across the north end of the San Bafael Swell, beyond which it joins Green Biver through a deep canyon cut in the 

Book Cliffs just north of the Beckwith Plateau. The traveler may 

see the entrance to this canyon by looking ahead on the east (right) 

after passing Cliff siding.

The line of cottonwood trees that marks the course of Price Biver 

may be seen long before the train has reached the bottom of the valley, 

and their soft green color is very refreshing to the eye that has been 

gazing on the barren expanse of desert just crossed. At Woodside 

the railroad crosses Price Biver, which the traveler 

Woodside. unaccustomed to this region may not be willing to 

Elevation 4,645 feet, call a river unless he remembers that most of the 

Denver's infles water it normally carries is withdrawn for irrigation farther upstream, and then he may wonder 

that any water at all is left in it at Woodside.

For a distance of about 3 miles the railroad follows the east bank 

of the river through groves of cottonwood trees and small irrigated 

farms. Its course here lies near the west margin of the belt of shale, and 

the underlying sandstone (Dakota) and the red and green rocks of the 

McElmo may be seen at many places across the river on the left. 

Near milepost 583 the river ceases to follow the shale and swings in 

from the west, where it has cut a deep and narrow canyon in the 

hard rocks across the north end of the San Bafael Swell. The railroad engineers sought to avoid this canyon by following the broad 

valley that Grassy Creek has cut in the shale. This valley is the 

extension of the one that the train has followed ever since it left 

Green Biver.

The valley was not formed by a downfold in the rocks but simply 

by the erosion of the soft Mancos shale. The traveler may understand this easily by looking at the higher rocks in the face of the 

Book Cliffs on the east and the lower rocks in the San Bafael Swell 

on the west and noticing that they dip in the same direction toward 

the northeast. From time to time as the traveler may be able to 

look ahead he can see that apparently the valley is filled and cut off 

by terraces that rise 100 feet or more above the level of the track, 

as shown in figure 56. These terraces appear to bar the further passage of the railroad, so it turns to the left a short distance beyond 

Grassy siding and climbs out of the shale valley. In making this 

climb the road turns and twists about some of the barren shale hills,
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist C. H. BIRDSEYE. Chief Topographic Engineer 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

E White shale and sandstone (Green River formation)

Asre Thickness 

in feet

I, Tertiary 

[ (Eocene)

2,600

3.000

2,200

F Red sandstone and conglomerate (Wasatch formation) J

H Sandstone, shale, and coal beds (Mesaverde formation)

. Dark marine shale < Mancos shale) ; in lower part Upper Cretaceous 3,000

J sandstone (Perron sandstone member, Fat) I

M Brown sandstone (Dakota sandstone)

Variegated shale and sandstone (McElmo 

formation and La Plata sandstone)

Cretaceous 1?) and , Q/V1 Jurassic 1>80°

___ Fault

HO

Scale 500,000

Appioximately 8 miles to 1 inch 

0 5________ 10 Miles

10 15 Kilometers

The distances from Denver. Colorado, are shown every 10 mile: 

The crossties on the railroads are spaced I mile apart

BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 8

COLORADCKRIVETR

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XI. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

BEGKWITH PLATEAU.

Bcckwith Plateau is one of the landmarks west of Green River. The coal-bearing sandstone 011 the 

are marvelously sculptured by the rain. It stands in the midst of one of the most desolate flaa shrub or plant of any kind breaks the monotony of this expanse of barren clay. Photograp
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXXVI

A. BAND OF SHEEP.

One of the important industries in this part of Utah is sheep raising. The bands of sheep, 

each band under the guidance of a herder or two, range from the low grounds of the 

desert in the winter and early spring to the highest ridges and plateaus in midsummer. 

Photograph by Frank R. Clark.

B. COKE OVENS AT SUNNYSIDE.

The Sunnyside mine of the Utah Fuel Co. is not on the main line of the railroad, but it is 

served by a branch which connects at Mounds. The coal mined at Sunnyside is the only 

coal in the Slate that will make commercial coke. Photograph by Frank R. Clark.

C. CLIFFS ABOVE HELPER.

The cliffs of sandstone underlain by shale are sinking features as the traveler looks up at 

them from Helper, but when seen from the top they aro equally interesting, for one can 

follow, with the eye, the various beds and note the form of sculpture of each particular

layer. Photograph by Frank R. Clarke,
DENVER & Eld GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 211

cuts through others, and finally, at Cedar siding, approaches the 

margin of the shale and at the same time attains the level of the 

great terraces that were so conspicuous from points near Grassy 

siding. When seen from their own level these terraces are very 

extensive and appear like a vast flat plain.

Cedar.

FIGURE 56. Terraces at head of Grassy Creek valley.

In the vicinity of Cedar siding the lower part of the shale contains many beds of sandstone and some conglomerate. This part of 

the formation thickens considerably toward the south for 20 or 30 

miles to a place where it contains several valuable 

beds of coal and is known as the Ferron sandstone.

About a mile west of Cedar sidinS a sharP upward 

bend of the rocks terminates the outcrop of the 

shale and brings to the surface the Dakota sandstone and, underlying 

it, the maroon and green beds of the McElmo. The railroad at this 

point is on the bank of a creek called Sunnyside Wash, and it follows the valley of this stream to the north until near inilepost 600 

the railroad passes from the varicolored beds of the McElmo into a 

broad, flat valley cut in the Mancos shale.

On the right may be seen the branch line of the Denver & Eio 

Grande Western that kads to Sunnyside, one of the largest coal 

mines in the district and the only one that produces a merchantable 

quality of coke.68 Plate LXXXVI, B, shows the coke ovens at Sunnyside. The two lines run nearly parallel for some 

distance but finally unite at the station of Mounds.

( See sheet 9> P- m) To the casual traveler the 

country over which he has been riding, as well as 

that which he can see about Mounds, probably appears to be barren and valueless, but should he- pass this way in sheep-shearing time

Mounds.

88 The following description of the 

mines at Sunnyside is given by Frank 

R. Clark, who has made a careful geologic survey of the region:

Coal has been mined at Sunnyside 

since about 1900. The town, mine 

tipple, and coke ovens are in the mouth 

of Whitmore Canyon at the end of the
212 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

and have a few hours to examine the shearing plant which stands 

just north of the station, he might change his mind, for this is the 

center of a large sheep industry. It is said that 100,000 sheep were 

sheared at this plant during the season of 1916 and that many sheep 

were turned away.

It must be remembered, however, that the sheep sheared here do 

not depend upon this immediate vicinity for their pasture, for the. 

sheep herder wanders with his flock during the summer into the 

high country of the San Eafael Swell (see PI. LXXXVI, A) and 

in the winter seeks the protection of the lower valleys. The sheep 

would soon starve on a small area, but there is much open range 

that is, unfenced Government land in this country and by constant 

migration the sheep-do well.

From the vicinity of Mounds the traveler may see that the Book 

Cliffs, which he has been following, continue northward only a few 

miles beyond the mine at Sunnyside, which generally can be located 

by its smoke, and there swing to the northwest to the head of Price 

River, near Helper, and there again change their course to a direction a little west of south that is, they encircle the north end of 

the San Eafael Swell. The name Book Cliffs, however, is applied 

only to the part that lies east and north of the Denver & Rio Grande 

Western Railroad; the part that lies south of the railroad is known 

as the edge of the Wasatch Plateau. All these features can readily 

be seen from the train in the vicinity of Mounds.

Sunnyside branch, about 18 miles east 

of Mounds. Two beds of bituminous 

coking coal, separated by 5 to 25 feet 

of sandstone and shale, are mined here. 

The lower and thicker coal bed ranges 

in thickness from 5 to 14 feet and the 

upper bed from 3 to 6 feet.

Mine development has been rapid 

and continuous since the beginning, 

and now the workings cover several 

square miles. An electric plant furnishes power for hoists and hauling 

motors, and light for town and mines. 

Power is also carried by a high-voltage 

line eastward over the mountain into 

Range Creek, a distance of 5 miles, 

where it drives pumps which deliver 

all the water used at Sunnyside for 

domestic purposes and for steam boilers. The daily output of the mines is 

about 2,500 tons of coal, most of which 

is converted into coke in beehive ovens.

The coke and coal are hauled by 

" locals" from the mines to Helper, 

where through freight trains are made 

up. Most of the coke from Sunnyside 

is shipped to the smelter at Anaconda, 

Mont.

The coal at Sunnyside and throughout the Book Cliffs has been generally 

burned at the outcrop, producing a 

reddish color in the associated rocks. 

The burning has advanced inward 

along the coal bed at many points for 

more than 1,000 feet and beneath 

1,000 feet of overlying material. The 

mine workings at Sunnyside have in 

several places surrounded the burnedout areas, thus showing the extent of 

the burning. The fire has penetrated 

the coal farther on the points of ridges 

between drainage channels than it did 

where the coal outcrop crosses the 

stream courses.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 213

 Just west of Mounds curious hard masses of rock which on account of their nearly spherical shape are frequently referred to as 

" cannon balls" may be seen in the shale that forms the cut edge of 

one of the terraces. These round masses of rock are known to 

geologists as concretions,69 and they were undoubtedly formed in the 

shale after it was deposited as mud in the bottom of the ocean.

From the uplands at Mounds the road descends westward to Price

River, which it reaches at milepost GOT. Here the traveler is once

more gladdened by the sight of green trees and small irrigated farms

in the river bottom. The valley becomes rather nararn am. row^ aiicj ^ jrarnnam the bluffs of shale encroach

DenVTer06no95Ss*^ closely uPon the river bottom. The shale hills are 

gray and barren, but they form a background that 

serves to heighten the color of the fields and trees.

From Farnham the railroad follows Price River practically to its

head. Irrigation is generally practiced in the valley, but the .supply

of water is not sufficient to serve all the land that is

Wellington. otherwise favorably situated. Towns have sprung

Elevation 5,415 feet. up ai0ng the railroad and are achieving more or

Population 534. ^ 6 ;& . Denver 614 miles. less success, ihe next town to be passed is Wellington, which appears to be a thriving village, whose 

most prominent building is a modern schoolhouse.

Northwest of Wellington the valley is more open, and well-irrigated farms are abundant. The country on both sides of the river is 

served by canals that take their water from the river 

Price. several miles above Price. Price is the county seat 

Elevation 5,546 feet, of Carbon County, which was so named because of 

Denvefeio milts'. ^e great beds of coal that are found in the Book 

Cliffs. It is a general supply point for the ranches 

in Duchesne Valley, north of the Book Cliffs, and in Castle Valley, 

south of them.

For a distance of 4 miles above Price the course of the river is 

southeastward and its bottom lands are fairly wide. The railroad 

is in this bottom and affords good views on both sides of the best 

part of the irrigated district. From this open valley the traveler may 

see the shale terraces extending toward the river from both sides, like 

long fingers, and at milepost 623 they approach so closely that the 

river flows in a veritable shale canyon, with steep walls on either 

hand that rise to a height of nearly 100 feet.

"The origin of concretions is not 

well understood, but they are supposed 

to be due to the collecting together in 

the mud of certain mineral particles, 

in much the same manner as the 

molecules of a mineral unite to form 

80697° 22 15

a crystal. Concretions, however, are 

generally rounded, or at least they are 

without sharp corners or straight 

sides, though they may take on a 

variety of forms, some of which are 

very complex and fantastic.
214 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

At this point the river also changes its course, coming out of the 

Book Cliffs in a course nearly due south. The valley continues narrow, with shale bluffs and a narrow strip of irrigated bottom land. 

Just beyond milepost 625 a branch line on the east (right) leads to 

Kenilworth, a mining town that produces a notable part of the coal 

shipped from this region. About a mile farther north, in a valley 

so narrow as scarcely to provide room for a single 

Helper. street, is the railroad town of Helper, which was so 

Elevation 5,840 feet, named because here are kept the light engines that

Population 1,606. . r. to ®

Denver 627 miles. serve the regular trains as helpers " up the heavy 

grade north of the town. The town is at the mouth 

of the canyon that Price Eiver has cut in the plateau of which the 

Book Cliffs are the front. These cliffs loom up 1,500 feet above the 

station and seem to interpose a blank wall against the further 

progress of the railroad, but like many other things in this world 

their appearance is deceptive, for the railroad has succeeded in following the stream through the narrow cleft. A view of the cliffs 

from above is shown in Plate LXXXVI, C.

The canyon above Helper shows at close range the character of the 

coal-bearing (Mesaverde) formation. The lower part of the cliff 

overlooking Helper is composed mainly of shale (Mancos), which 

originated in the sea and therefore contains no coal. The rocks above 

this shale are mainly sandstones, but there are also many beds of 

shale, and in places there are coal beds, which range in thickness from 

a few inches to as much as 20 feet. An old prospect in one of the thick 

beds is shown in Plate LXXX, B (p. 195). The coal beds, however 

thick they may be, can not generally be seen from the car windows, 

for they are the softest members of the formation and consequently 

weather back faster than either the shale or the sandstone, so that 

their outcrop becomes covered with soil and broken rock. Sandstone 

makes up the greater part of the formation, and its general color is 

light gray or nearly white. It has been described as red, but this is a 

mistake, as the formation contains no red sandstone, though a ledge 

on weathering becomes a rusty brown, or if a coal bed below it has 

been burned it may have become a bright red, but these are not the 

inherent colors of the sandstone. 70

70 The following description of the 

coal beds and. the associated rocks in 

the vicinity of Castlegate is given by 

Frank R. Clark:

At the mouth of Price River canyon 

nearly vertical cliffs of sandstone 

and shale rise 1,500 feet above 

the river bed. These cliffs are capped 

by beds of sandstone that form the

lower part of the Mesaverde formation. The beds that compose the cliffs 

were laid down in fresh water or on 

the land. They rest upon soft dark 

shale (Mancos), which was laid down 

in a shallow sea that covered most of 

the country. The line between these 

formations is generally drawn at the 

base of the heavy ledge-making sand-
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 215

Half a mile above Helper a branch railroad turns back to the left 

up Spring Canyon to coal mines at Storrs, 'Standardville, and other 

towns where mines have recently been opened, and about 2 miles above 

Helper the Utah Railway, a new line built to replace the one from 

Price to Hiawatha, connects the mines at 

Hiawatha, Mohrland, and Wattis with 

the Denver & Rio Grande Western.

The scenery in Spring Canyon, as in 

many others on the road, is dominated 

by great sandstones. This dominance is 

shown particularly by the narrowness 

of the canyon. Where the base of the 

cliffs is composed of shale the canyon 

is wider, as can be seen in the first 2 

miles above Helper, but where the canyon walls are composed largely of sandstone, as they are farther up, the canyon 

is narroAV, barely affording room for the 

automobile highway, the railroad, and 

the river. The walls of the canyon also 

show the effect of the different rocks; 

where they are mainly shale they have a 

pronounced slope, but where they are 

mainly sandstone they are precipitous 

and in places vertical. Each spur that projects into the canyon is preserved by heavy sandstone, and therefore the characteristic feature 

of the canyon is the many sandstone points which stand up like walls 

or dikes.

1,500-Feet

Vertical scale

FIGURE 57. Geologic section at 

Castlegate.

stone oi1 at the top of the main mass 

of marine shale. The upper part of 

the Mancos shale in Price River canyon contains several prominent beds 

of sandstone (see fig. 57), which wedge 

out toward the east. The lowest of 

these beds crosses Price River about 

3 miles below (south of) Helper, and 

the upper one crosses the river about 

midway between the town of Panther 

and the tipple of the Panther Coal Co. 

The Mesaverde contains several coal 

beds which differ in thickness from 

place to place but where thickest are 

of great value. Coal is mined on a 

large scale along Price River canyon 

and its tributaries at Kenilworth, 1\ 

miles east of Helper; Panther, half a 

mile south of Castlegate; Castlegate;

Cameron, 1£ miles northwest of Castlegate; Storrs, 34 miles northwest of 

Helper; Standardville, 4$ miles northwest of Helper; and Hiawatha, 13 

miles southwest of Price. The coal at 

Castlegate was formerly coked, but as 

the Sunnyside coal proved to be better 

adapted to coking, the Castlegate coping plant was abandoned. Three coal 

beds are mined at Kenilworth. The 

upper and lower ones are 18 to 20 feet 

thick, and the middle one is 4 to 6 

feet thick.

The Castlegate group includes four 

coal beds, which differ greatly in thickness from place to place but are locally 

minable. At Cameron the coal does 

not come to the surface but is reached 

by a slope. The two beds that are
216 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

As the coal beds occur well up in the Mesaverde formation, they 

lie near the tops of the ridges at the mouth of the canyon, and the 

coal mines here must lower the coal by long inclined tramways to 

the tipple,71 which is at railroad level. This form of handling the 

coal is well illustrated at the Panther mine, near milepost 629. Farther up the canyon the coal beds lie nearer the creek level, and they 

finally pass below water level and are seen no more. 

Castlegate. The most prominent mine and mining town on the 

Elevation 6,120 feet, main line is Castlegate, at the mouth of Willow 

Denver^somifes' Creek, which enters the main stream from the east 

(right). The mines are on both sides of the valley 

a few rods above the mouth of Willow Creek, and the coal taken 

from them comes to a common tipple, which spans the railroad at 

this place.

The name " Castlegate " was taken from that of the peculiar gatelike passage 2 miles above the town, the sides of which seem to be 

walls or dikes of sandstone projecting from the sides of the canyon. 

When viewed from a point directly opposite it the rock wall on the 

right looks like a thin finger, as shown in Plate LXXXVII, (7, but 

when seen from a point farther up the canyon the walls on the two 

sides seem to project so far into the canyon as almost to obstruct it 

and to bar the railroad from further progress. This aspect of the 

gateway is shown in Plate LXXXVIII. As a matter of fact the two 

walls are not directly opposite, though this fact is not indicated in the 

illustration, but are offset a considerable distance, so that the opening 

is not so narrow as it appears. It is, however, a striking feature of 

the canyon and well deserves the name " Castlegate." The spurs that 

form the gate are not the only projecting ledges of sandstone, for each 

point or spur, whether it is at railroad level or high on the mountain 

side, is bounded by great cliffs of gray sandstone hundreds of feet 

high.

mined are probably part of the Castlega'te group. On the north side of the 

river, at Carueron, a massive sandstone crops out in a vertical cliff about 

450 feet high. This sandstone is locally known as the Castlegate " reef " 

and crops out for many miles from east 

to west. (See Pis. LXXXVII, C, and 

LXXXVIII.) The sandstone gradually becomes thinner toward the east 

and at Sunnyside is only about 150 

feet thick.

The section shown in figure 57 includes the rocks exposed from the diversion dam on Price River 3 miles 

south of Helper to the Castlegate 

" reef " sandstone at Cameron.

71 The term " tipple " is applied in 

the soft-coal regions of the United 

States to the platform or building to 

which the coal is delivered from the 

mine. The tipple generally stands well 

above the railroad so that when the 

coal is dumped from the mine cars it 

descends by gravity through screens 

and is thus sorted into different sizes 

or grades before it reaches the railroad 

car in which it is shipped to market.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN7 707 PLATE LXXXVII

A. INCLINED NORMAL FAULT.

Displacement, 8 or 10 feet. As the 

surface is not offset by the fault the 

movement must have taken place 

long before the present valley was 

cut. Photograph by D. K. Winchester.

B. VERTICAL NORMAL FAULT.

Displacement, 60 or 80 feet. Photograph by M. A. Pishel.

C. CASTLEGATE, SIDE VIEW.

The sandstone pillar on the east (right) side of the canyon. From this point of view it appears 

like a slender tower of the native rock almost ready to fall from the vibration of the passing 

trains, but, when looked at from the north after having passed through the "gate" the picture is 

different, as shown in Plate LXXXVIIL Photograph by Shiplers, Salt Lake City.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CASTLKGA.TE.

Projecting points of gray sandstone close in on the valley, leaving only a narrow passage resem

The grade for the west-bound trains is heavy, and the canyon is generally filled with smokWestern Railroad.
DENVER & GKANDE WESTEKN EOUTE. 217

Throughout the main part of the canyon the railroad climbs steadily 

in order to cross over the top of the Wasatch Plateau. For about 10 

miles out of Helper the grade is 127 feet to the mile, and though such 

a grade is not excessive it necessitates the use of extra engines on some 

of the heavy trains to get them to the summit.

Northward the canyon gradually grows less and less rugged and the 

walls decrease in height until just above the1 first tunnel, 1£ miles above 

Nolan, the thick ledges of sandstone give place to weaker beds of 

muddy sandstone, shale, and fresh-water limestone. Although these 

beds are in general gray, they belong to a different geologic formation from that which carries the coal beds at Castlegate. This formation, the Wasatch,72 which appears just above the first tunnel, is generally red, and in many places it is very coarse, but here it is light in 

color and is composed of fine material. Where the less resistant rocks 

form the surface the slopes become smoother and less steep and the 

general aspect of the canyon is much subdued. These gray beds 

continue to a point about half a mile above the station of Kyune.

The upper part of the Wasatch is composed mostly of red clay or 

shale and appears to contain only a few beds of sandstone. Some 

of these beds have been quarried extensively above 

Kyune, where this part of the formation first makes 

its appearance. As the upper part of the Wasatch 

formation in this locality is composed largely of 

soft material, the slopes are gentle and the immediate hills are 

low. Here and there a harder or a thicker bed appears at the 

surface, and at these places the valley becomes more like a canyon.

Kyune.

Elevation 7,013 feet. 

Denver 639 miles.

"The Wasatch formation was one 

of the first to be laid down in the 

Tertiary period. At the beginning of 

this period there was a wide uplift of 

many mountain ranges, and as soon 

as these ranges attained considerable 

height above sea level they were vigorously attacked by streams, which 

rolled great boulders down the steep 

slopes and deposited them at the foot. 

The finer material was carried away 

from the mountains by the streams, 

as similar material is to-day carried 

far away from the place where it 

originated, and was distributed over 

the fairly even surface. As water 

tends to drop coarse material first, the 

boulders, gravel, and sand were 

dropped near the mountains, but the 

clay was carried farther off, and 

finally all the earthy material found 

a resting place on the surface of the

land or at the bottom of a lake. Such 

a lake probably existed in the Castlegate region, and in it were deposited 

the fresh-water limestones and shales 

which in this region constitute 700 or 

800 feet of the lower part of the formation.

From the very manner of its origin 

and mode of transportation the Wasatch formation varies greatly in its 

composition, which depends upon the 

source of its material and the distance 

to which it has been carried. Such 

differences will be seen by the traveler 

long before he reaches the end of his 

journey. One feature of the Wasatch, 

however, is remarkably constant its 

red or maroon color, which is characteristic of the formation generally 

throughout the Rocky Mountain region and is the most reliable means 

by which it can be identified.
218 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The railroad follows the boundary between the gray and the red 

parts of the Wasatch formations for some distance above Kyune, 

cutting in places into the gray beds and in places into the red ones. 

A short distance west of milepost 643 the railroad leaves the red 

beds and for a mile it traverses the light-colored limestones and shales. 

In these rocks the stream has cut a canyon, which bears: off to the 

southwest. On rounding the point of the spur that projects from 

the north the traveler comes into an open valley that trends northward, and on the farther (west) side of this valley lie the bright-red 

beds of the upper part of the Wasatch formation. These beds are 

brought down into view again by a northward-trending fault, which 

has cut the rocks for a long distance on either side of the railroad and 

has dropped those on the west side at least 200 feet. This fault, which 

passes a few hundred feet east of the station at Colton, has caused

the formation of the north-south valley. From 

Colton. Colton a branch railroad extends1 southward up 

Elevation 7,170 feet the valley of West Fork to the towns of Scofield, 

Denver 645 miles. Winterquarters, and Clear Creek, where coal of

about the same quality as the Castlegate coal is 

mined. The surface of the plateau, being composed of soft rocks, is 

not rugged, and it does not seem to be very high, yet several points 

near Colton stand nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. The plateau 

is a fine summer range for stock and affords1 pasturage for thousands 

of sheep.

From Colton the railroad runs up a broad but short valley in the 

Wasatch formation to the crest of the plateau at Soldier Summit,

where the main line of the Denver & Rio Grande

Western Eailroad reaches its highest point in the

State of Utah- The summit of this Pass was so 

named because some soldiers under Gen. Albert

Sidney Johnston, who were returning from the Salt Lake Valley 

at the end of the " Mormon war," were buried here. A brief account 

of this "war," taken almost wholly from Bancroft's "History of 

Utah," is given in the footnote.78 Recently the railroad company has 

built an extensive yard on the summit to facilitate the movement of 

freight.

Soldier Summit.

73 The so-called " Mormon war " was 

the result of friction and misunderstanding between the Federal judges 

and other officers of the Territory of 

Utah and the Mormon people. As the 

Mormons had settled here before the 

region had passed into the hands 

of the United States, and as they had 

increased greatly in numbers, they

thought they should be allowed to 

conduct their affairs as they saw fit. 

Accordingly the legislature of the new 

Territory proceeded to pass laws that 

were acceptable to the church but that 

were apparently obnoxious to some of 

the Territorial officers. As the Mormons regarded the Federal officials as 

"carpet baggers" there was increas-
DENVER & RIO GRAttDE WESTERN ROUTE. 219

On approaching the summit the traveler may notice on the north 

side of the valley, only a short distance from the track, a mine at 

which considerable work has been done. This mine, as well as one 

north of Colton and some others on the west side of Soldier Summit,

ing ill feeling on both sides. On one 

occasion the records of the United 

States district courts were taken from 

a judge's office during his absence and 

a bonfire was made of his books and 

papers. He of course supposed that 

the records were also consumed and 

so made affidavit on his return to 

Washington. The records had, in fact, 

been removed and were in safekeeping ; but this escapade of the mob was 

noised abroad with many exaggerations and excited much unfavorable 

comment.

After several years of friction no 

Gentiles could be induced to accept 

office in a land where, according to 

common belief, they could perform 

their duties only at the peril of their 

lives. Bancroft sums up the situation 

as follows:

" It was now established, as was 

supposed, on sufficient evidence, that 

the Mormons refused obedience to 

Gentile law; that Federal officials had 

been virtually driven from Utah, and 

that one at least of the Federal judges 

had been threatened with violence 

while his court was in session; and 

that the records of the court had been 

destroyed or concealed. With the advice of his cabinet, therefore, and 

yielding perhaps not unwillingly to 

the outcry of the Republican party, 

President Buchanan determined that 

Brigham Young should be superseded 

as governor, and that a force should 

be sent to the Territory, ostensibly as 

a posse comitatus, to sustain the authority of his successor."

In July, 1857, Albert Gumming was 

appointed governor and at about the 

same time a force of about 2,500 men 

was sent from Fort Leavenworth to 

put down the rebellion in Utah. This 

army was harassed by a band of Mormon forces, and when it reached Fort 

Bridger, Wyo., late in the autumn, 

found itself with supplies sufficient 

only to carry it through the winter 

and without stock to transport its 

equipment into Utah even if the way 

had been open. The commander, Brig. 

Gen. A. S. Johnston, decided that nothing could be done until the next summer, so he went into winter quarters 

near Fort Bridger.

During this unexpected delay President Buchanan was persuaded by Col. 

Thomas L. Kane, of Philadelphia, a 

Mormon sympathizer, to send him as 

a commissioner to Utah to investigate 

matters and see if a peaceable settlement could not be effected. Kane 

reached Salt Lake City in February, 

1858, and arranged a general conference, which showed that most of 

the charges were without foundation. 

When matters reached this happy 

stage of adjustment the new governor 

was sworn in, the President's proclamation of amnesty was read throughout the Territory, and it was agreed 

that the army should enter Salt Lake 

Valley without molestation.

In accordance with this agreement, 

Gen. Johnston with his command entered the valley by way of Emigration 

Canyon on June 26, 1858, and marched 

to Cedar Valley, 6 or 8 miles west of 

Utah Lake. Here he established a 

camp, which he named Camp Floyd. 

Gen. Johnston left Utah in March, 

1860, and the next year was given a 

command in the Confederate Army. 

The soldiers under his command were 

sent in parties to other camps as the 

threatening cloud of rebellion grew 

blacker, and it was some of these parties that followed the trail eastward 

over Soldier Summit and gave it its 

name.
220 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

were opened on veins of ozokerite,74 but the operators have had difficulty in competing with ozokerite shipped into this country from 

Galicia, and the mines have never been fully developed.

As originally built the railroad on the west side of the divide followed Soldier Creek from its head to Thistle, where the creek 

joins Spanish Fork. This route made necessary the exceptionally 

steep grade of 4 per cent, or 211 feet to the mile. The operation of 

the road over this steep grade was very expensive, for three or four or 

even five locomotives were required to get a heavy train from Thistle 

to the summit. Recently the railroad company has abandoned this 

steep grade and has constructed an entirely new line which begins at 

Soldier Summit and extends westward for a distance of 15 miles. 

The new line has a grade of 2 per cent, or 106 feet to the mile, and 

one locomotive can haul as many cars on it as three locomotives could 

haul on the old line. The new line also gives the traveler a much 

better opportunity to see the surrounding country than the old line, 

which ran in the bottom of the valley.

The rocks exposed in the numerous cuts on the new line are generally red or at least are banded with red. These red rocks are the 

continuation of those that were seen about Colton and are undoubtedly the upper part of the Wasatch formation. The rocks dip to the 

north (right) at about the same angle as the slope of the mountain 

side, but the rocks across the ravine on the north side of the old line 

of the railroad are very white and carry no trace of red material. It 

is therefore fairly evident, as shown in figure 58, that the rocks 

in the cuts along the new line belong to the uppermost beds of 

the Wasatch. and that the white shale and sandstone across the valley 

are in an overlying formation which geologists have named the Green 

River formation, from its wide distribution in the Green River Basin, 

Wyo. This formation as especially prominent at the town of Green74 Ozokerite, or mineral wax, is a 

mixture of various hydrocarbons, generally supposed to belong to the paraffin series. It varies in color from 

black or dark brown to light yellow, 

but some specimens are greenish. It 

may be as soft as tallow or as hard as 

gypsum. The lighter-colored varieties 

yield the largest amounts of cerasin, 

-which is the refined product. The 

melting point of ozokerite is considerably above that of commercial paraffin. It occurs in fissures in the rocks 

and is thought to have been deposited 

from petroleum that formerly circulated through these fissures. The deposits are of different thickness, ranging from mere films to masses nearly 

3 feet thick.

Ozokerite is used extensively for insulating electric conductors, for making candles, for adulterating beeswax, 

as a foundation for other waxes and 

polishes, to protect metal surfaces, and 

for making wax figures and wax dolls.

It is reported that the Utah field has 

produced 750,000 pounds since 1886, 

but this amount is insignificant when 

compared with the annual imports, 

which from 1910 to 1920 have ranged 

from 900,000 to more than 8,000,000 

pounds.
DENVER & KIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 221

river, on the Union Pacific Railroad, and forms the picturesque buttes 

back of the town.

The formations in this vicinity are the same as those that the 

traveler saw in Grand Valley, Colo., between Rifle and De Beque 

variegated Wasatch shale at the base and white shale of the Green 

River formation above it. (See p. 148.)

At the siding of Scenic, 5 miles west of Soldier Summit, the traveler may look down on the north (right) and see not only the old 

line of the railroad 439 feet below him but also 

°* the loop over which he will pass in a few minutes. 

The difference between a 4 per cent and a 2 per 

cent grade is here brought out clearly, even to 

those who are not familiar with the engineering problems of railroad construction. Two miles farther on the road makes a broad

Elevation 6,968 feet. 

Denver 657 miles.

Elevation 6,529 feet. 

Denver 661 miles.

FIGURE 58. Section at Gilluly, showing relation of the northward-dipping red Wasatch 

to the white Green River formation.

loop to the right, still in the Wasatch formation, and returns along 

the mountain side at a lower level. A reverse 

Gllluly< loop is made under the old roadbed at the station 

of Gilluly, and from this point down through the 

canyon the railroad follows the right wall, but 

far above the level of the old line.

The rocks which form the mountain side above the tracks and 

which have been deeply cut in order to provide a roadbed are all 

in the Green River formation. They are naturally dark, but on 

weathering they turn intensely white. Experiments h'ave shown 

that oil in commercial quantity may be distilled from many beds of 

this shale, and it is possible that gasoline and other grades of oil, 

as well as fertilizer, may some day be extensively manufactured 

here.75

78 As stated on p. 149, the Green River 

shale is continuous north of the railroad from Rifle, Colo., to Soldier Summit, Utah. The beds from which oil 

may be distilled are not so thick in 

Utah as in Colorado, but recent work 

done in this region by D. B. Winchester has shown that a great quantity of

this shale is available in Utah and that 

it may yet be a valuable source of 

petroleum when the fields that are now 

productive approach exhaustion. The 

white shale which occurs at Soldier 

Summit will yield on distillation at 

least 16.8 gallons of crude oil to the 

ton.
222 GUIDEBOOK OP THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Where the Green River formation is first seen it dips to the north 

(right) 25° or 30°, but beyond the curve to the right, above the 

abandoned station of Tucker, on the old line, the beds are somewhat 

disturbed, and between mileposts 663 and 664 they are thrown into 

a well-marked synclinal fold, which may be seen on the right.

The siding of Detour marks the junction of the old and new lines 

and also the termination of this narrow part of the valley. Below 

Detour the valley is more open, at least as far as Narrows siding, 

where it is again constricted by the appearance of harder rocks.

Immediately below Narrows siding the lowest beds of the Green 

River formation rise downstream, and half a mile beyond milepost 

672 the red beds of the Wasatch make their appearance beneath the 

gray beds of the Green River. The Wasatch is bright red, and the 

change in color is very striking. This outcrop of the Wasatch is 

very different in composition from that east of Soldier Summit. 

There it is generally clay or soft shale; here it is largely a mass of 

conglomerate composed of boulders of all sorts of rock that occur 

in the Wasatch Mountains. The presence of such masses of conglomerate made up of boulders of this size is a sure indication that 

the material was derived from high mountains and that it was not 

carried far by the streams before it was dropped to form great 

boulder beds that now are consolidated into massive rock. It therefore seems certain that a high range of mountains once existed in 

this region when the Wasatch formation was deposited in the early 

stages of the Tertiary period. This range must have been old as 

measured by the standard in this mountain region, whereas the 

present Wasatch Range is supposed to be comparatively young. 

These statements, however, are not so contradictory as they appear, 

for most mountain ranges have a complex history, involving many 

movements up and down, and the Wasatch may not be an exception. 

It may have had its beginning as a mountain range in early geologic 

time, but that old range may have been worn down to a rolling plain 

and later it may have been uplifted into a range like the present 

Wasatch. In fact, such changes may have occurred several times.

The conglomerate has been a formidable barrier in the pathway 

of the stream, and it therefore forms a canyon which is scarcely 

wider than the stream that occupies it and which has given rise to 

the name "Narrows" for the siding at its upper end. The conglomerate is TOO or 800 feet thick and forms the sides of the valley 

for several miles. The character of the rock, as well as its brilliant red 

color, gives to the canyon an individuality that distinguishes it from 

all the other canyons on the line.

Soldier Creek flows directly west, and the railroad takes a course 

toward a high mountain peak, one of the southern points of th©
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 223

Wasatch Range, which lies due west of Thistle. The most southerly 

point of this range is Mount Nebo, a peak which lies so far to the south 

(left) that it is obscured by the low hills in the foreground.

The appearance of the valley improves in its lower course; more 

of the ground is irrigated, and there are indications that the train is 

approaching a town or a railroad junction. Just before reaching 

the station at Thistle there is a complete change from the soft rocks 

of the Wasatch formation to the hard blue limestone and red and 

gray sandstone of the Jurassic system, which form a decided constriction in the width of the valley.

The railroad turns abruptly north and is joined at Thistle by a 

branch line which traverses the rich Sanpete Valley and extends as 

far south as Marysvale. This valley was early 

settled by Mormon families sent out from Salt 

Lake City by Brigham Young for that purpose, 

and in 1849, in order to protect these outlying settlements as well as those in the Salt Lake Valley, 

the State of Deseret 76 was organized. The organizers passed through 

much the same experience as those who attempted to organize the 

State of Jefferson in what is now Colorado, but their motives were 

obviously quite different. The State of Jefferson was organized to 

protect the people and their property from the lawless hordes that 

would be attracted to the country by the discoveries of gold, whereas 

the State of Deseret was organized to protect and strengthen the 

Mormon Church by having the machinery of government controlled 

by the dignitaries of the church.77

Thistle.

Elevation 5,033 feet. 

Population 417. 

Denver 681 miles.

79 The word " Deseret" is taken from 

the Book of Mormon and means honeybee. It is written in the Book of 

Ether of the people who came over 

the great water from the old world to 

the new: "And they did also carry 

with them ' deseret,' which, by interpretation, is a honeybee." The 

honeybee, or rather the beehive, is one 

of the important symbols of the Mormon Church, and the word " deseret" 

is used as the name of the most influential church newspaper, the Deseret News.

"Bancroft, in his History of Utah 

(pp. 439-440), describes the situation 

as follows:

" Until the year 1849 the Mormons 

were entirely under the control of their 

ecclesiastical leaders, regarding the 

presidency not only as their spiritual

head but as the source of law in temporal matters. Disputes were settled 

by the bishops, or, as they were also 

termed, magistrates of wards, appointed by the presidency. The brotherhood discountenanced litigation, but 

the population did not entirely consist 

of members of the church. There was 

already in their midst a small percentage of Gentile citizens gathered 

from nearly all the civilized nations of 

the earth. It was probable that, as 

the resources of the territory were developed, this number would increase 

in greater ratio, and it was not to be 

expected that they would always remain content without some form of 

civil government. Not infrequently 

litigation arose among the Gentiles, or 

between Mormon and Gentile; and 

though strict justice may have been
224 GUIDEBOOK OP THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Soldier Creek, which the railroad has been following from Tucker, 

is here joined by Thistle Creek, and together the two streams form 

the Spanish Fork. The canyon at Thistle is narrow, and its walls 

are composed of bluish limestone on the east and banded red and 

gray sandstone or quartzite78 on the west. The blue limestone contains marine shells which show that its age is Jurassic. It normally 

belongs beneath the Cretaceous rocks, which are so conspicuous along 

the railroad from Green River nearly to Kyune. Near Thistle 

the rocks dip steeply to the east, but toward the north the dip decreases until they lie nearly flat. They also change in character, 

for they become much softer downstream and ace composed almost

done by the bishops, it was difficult for 

the latter to believe that such was the 

case. * * * The Saints regarded 

their courts as divinely commissioned 

and inspired tribunals; but not so the 

Gentiles, by whom reports were freely 

circulated of what they termed the 

lawless oppression of the Mormons. 

Thus it became advisable to establish 

for the benefit of all some judicial 

authority that could not be questioned 

by any, whether members of the 

church or not, and this authority must 

be one that, being recognized by the 

Government of the United States, 

would have the support of its laws and 

the shield of its protection. Further 

than this, if the Mormons neglected to 

establish such government, the incoming Gentiles would do so ere long."

To accomplish this purpose a convention composed of " the inhabitants 

of the part of upper California that 

lies east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains " was called to meet in Salt Lake 

City on March 4, 1849. A constitution 

was drafted for the State of Deseret, 

which was defined as extending from 

latitude 30° to the border of Oregon, 

and from the Rocky Mountains to the 

Sierra Nevada, together with considerable territory that is now within the 

Republic of Mexico. A general election was held at Salt Lake City on 

the 12th of March, and Brigham Young 

was chosen governor of the new State. 

On July 2 the general assembly convened, and on the next day Willard

Snow, being appointed speaker of the 

house of representatives, administered 

the oath or affirmation to the executive 

officers. Bancroft (History of Utah, 

p. 443) says:

" Thus did the brethren establish, in 

the valley of the Great Salt Lake, the 

State of Deseret. It was certainly a 

novel and somewhat bold experiment 

on the part of the Saints, mustering 

then little more than one-sixth of the 

number required for the admission as 

a State, thus to constitute themselves 

a sovereign and independent people, 

with a vast extent of territory, and 

calmly await the action of'Congress 

in the matter."

On July 5 Almon W. Babbitt was 

elected delegate to Congress, and on 

the next day a memorial to Congress 

was adopted, asking for admission as 

a State. Babbitt proceeded to Washington, but Congress refused to recognize him as a delegate from a State 

which had no legal existence. The 

Territory of Utah was provided for by 

an act of Congress September 9, 1850, 

and President Fillmore appointed Brigham Young its first governor.

"Quartzite is a term applied to a 

sandstone that has been changed into 

a hard, dense flinty rock by the deposition around the sand grains of silica 

from percolating water carrying material of that kind in solution. A 

quartzite is much harder than a sandstone, is more resistant to the weather, 

and is generally nearly pure silica.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 225

entirely of soft red shale with some beds of sandstone. Beyond 

milepost 681 this sandstone has been extensively quarried for building stone in Salt Lake City, but the growing use of cement has led 

to the abandonment of the quarries.

Spanish Fork is here joined by Diamond Fork, a stream coming 

from the northeast (right), which, though rather small, has been 

utilized by the United States Reclamation Service to bring water 

from Strawberry River, a tributary of Green River, through a dividing ridge, to irrigate some barren land in Salt Lake Valley.79 The

FIGURE 59. Map of Strawberry Valley reclamation project. The dash line shows the 

boundary of the Green River drainage basin.

water obtained by damming Strawberry River is carried through 

the ridge by a long tunnel and discharged into one of the head 

branches of Diamond Fork. From this point it flows by gravity 

into Spanish Fork and is diverted lower down, where it is most 

needed. The traveler may see the diversion canal near the lower 

end of the canyon.

'"The Strawberry Valley diversion 

(see fig. 59) is one of the large projects that the United States Reclamation Service has carried to a successful 

completion. By this project water that 

is not needed where it falls is taken 

over into another drainage basin and 

given to the thirsty land. As shown on 

the map (fig. 59) Strawberry River is 

one of the head branches of Duchesne

River (du-shayne'), a stream that enters Green River from the west. 

Strawberry River heads in rather open 

country near the Wasatch Range, 

which has an average elevation of 

about 8,000 feet above sea level. At 

that altitude the cultivation of any but 

the most hardy grains and vegetables 

is impossible, so that the water is of 

little value where It falls, but over the
226 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Castilla.

Elevation 4,912 feet. 

Denver 685 miles.

The Triassic red beds extend nearly a mile west of the mouth of 

Diamond Creek, to a place where they are probably terminated by a 

fault which separates them from the Carboniferous and older rocks 

that form the cor© of the Wasatch Range. The 

rocks of the mountains are of Carboniferous age 

but are so poorly exposed and so complicated in 

structure that it is useless to attempt to describe 

them. From some limestones of this formation comes the hot 

sulphur water which has made Castilla (cas-tee'yah) Hot Springs a 

noted resort.

The Wasatch Mountains, although not equal in height to the Rocky 

Mountains of Colorado or the Sierra Nevada of California, are nevertheless one of the dominating ranges of the continent, and their 

peaks range in elevation from 10,000 to more than 12,000 feet. The 

impressiveness of the range is due more to its situation than to its elevation, but both unite to make it a noteworthy group of mountains. 

During the great ice age this range supported a number of glaciers 

(see the map opposite p. 244), but the glaciers were neither so large 

nor so numerous as those of the Rocky Mountains.

Since leaving Canon City the traveler has been either in the Rocky 

Mountains or in what is generally known as the Plateau country, so 

called because it is made up of a series of plateaus of different elevations, but when he passes through this canyon and emerges on the 

west front of the Wasatch Range he finds himself in a country that is 

very different from any that he has yet seen on this journey. This

mountains on the west there is not 

sufficient water to irrigate all the land 

that is well adapted to farming. The 

problem, therefore, was to bring the 

water of Strawberry River across the 

divide to the lands that needed it so 

greatly. To accomplish this feat a 

darn 72 feet high was built across 

Strawberry River at a place called the 

" Narrows," a constricted point in the 

valley below a part that is open and 

well adapted to form a reservoir. A 

tunnel was then driven from one of the 

tributaries of Strawberry River 

through the divide for a distance of 

19,897 feet (nearly 4 miles), so as to 

allow the water of the reservoir to 

flow through and discharge into the 

head of Diamond Creek, a tributary 

of Spanish Fork. The water flows 

down Spanish Fork to the west side of 

the Wasatch Mountains, where it is

again diverted into a canal for utilization, first for the development of electric power and later for irrigation. 

The hydroelectric plant is 3$ miles below the diversion dam in Spanish Fork, 

and the power is generated by dropping the water to the level of that 

stream, as shown in Plate LXXXIX, 

B. The water is then carried to the 

south end of Utah Lake and distributed to the land at that place and also 

on the east side. This land has been 

partly settled since 1847 but has not 

been fully developed because of the 

shortage of water. The supply from 

Strawberry Valley will be sufficient to 

irrigate about 54,000 acres of this land, 

and thus a great addition to the productive power of the State is made at 

the expense of a very slight loss to 

that part from which the water is 

taken.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 227

region is known as the Great Basin, a land of desert basins and of 

barren mountain ranges, which in general trend north and south. 

The precipitation here is slight, ranging in this latitude from 5 to 8 

inches, and that which falls finds its way into some deep basin in the 

interior like Great Salt Lake, where the water, when it evaporates, 

leaves the mineral matter that is carried in solution to form beds of 

salt or soda.

The walls of the canyon, although steep, are generally smooth 

and are covered, except in the higher parts, by brush and dwarf trees 

of many kinds. In summer they are clothed in a soft, beautiful 

green, with here and there an evergreen tree to accentuate the softness of the foliage o,f the other trees, but in September, after the 

frost has touched the dwarf maples of the higher slopes, the coloring is magnificent. Many of the slopes are a blaze of scarlet from 

top to bottom, and others show scarlet interspersed with brown and 

green. The clumps of aspen give the landscape a touch of gold, and 

the whole scene presents an unexcelled splendor of autumn colors.

The canyon grows broader to the west, and the railroad is built 

along its north wall. On the opposite side, near milepost 687, is the 

headgate where the water of Spanish Fork, including that from 

Strawberry River, is diverted into a large canal, which is soon lost 

to view as it follows the south wall of the canyon to the mouth and 

there turns to the left to the area where its waters are most needed.

The outlet of the canyon is not like the outlets of most of the canyons that the traveler has seen but seems to be dammed or choked by 

a great mass of .gravel. Where first seen, a little below the intake 

of the canal, the gravel is at railroad level, and its top is flat, as if 

it had been washed down the cany on .and deposited as a delta in standing water. An examination of the opposite slope shows a terrace of 

similar material about 100 feet higher. This terrace also appears 

to have had a similar history, except that as it is the older of the two 

deposits most of its gravel was washed away when the second terrace was formed, and so only fragments remain where they have been 

protected on the side slopes. These terraces are of the greatest significance in the interpretation of the late geologic history of this 

region; to the geologist they have much the same value that the cliff 

dwellings or tables of cuneiform writing have to the archeologist. 

They constitute the record of one of the most remarkable geologic 

events in this country the flooding of the basin of Great Salt Lake 

during the ice age to a depth of more than a thousand feet. When 

these terraces in the Spanish Fork canyon were formed the water 

of Lake Bonneville, as it has been called to distinguish it from the 

present lake, entered the mouth of the canyon at the level of the 

highest terrace, and if a traveler had then attempted to make a westward journey here he would have been confronted by an inland fresh-
228 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

water sea that extended from the Wasatch Mountains to the west

line of the State.80 (See fig. 60.)

Some of the most prominent of these old shore lines have been

named. The highest, the 

one visible as a terrace 

about 100 feet above the 

track, is called the Bonneville shore line. The one 

at railroad level, which has 

not been named, represents 

a later stage of water, 

when the northern outlet 

had been cut down below 

its first position but not so 

low as it became later. It 

probably records the position of a harder bed of 

rock, which the outflowing 

waters encountered when 

they had partly cut the 

barrier that held them in 

place, and this hard bed 

held the stream so long 

that it permitted Spanish 

Fork to build at this 

height a delta of considerable extent.

In its descent to the 

lower level of the valley 

the railroad cuts deeper 

and deeper into the delta, 

and finally, near milepost 

689, it comes out on a still

lower plain, which represents a later and lower stand of the

waters. This plain is extensive, and from its even surface the

Lake Bonneville, in honor of Capt. 

B. L. E. Bonneville, who in 1832 to 

1836 explored much of the region formerly occupied by its waters.

The late G. K. Gilbert, who was recognized as the leading authority on the 

history of Lake Bonneville, said, in 

speaking of the highest shore line 

(U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. 1, pp. 94r-99, 

1890) :

" If the Bonneville shore line were 

far less deeply engraved than it is it

FIGURE 60. Map of Lake Bonneville (the area 

indicated by diagonal shading).

- 80 The Bonneville shore lines and 

broad flats that the traveler has already seen at the mouth of Spanish 

Fork canyon and the others that he 

will see before he reaches Salt Lake 

City will doubtless convince him that 

at some time long ago the drainage 

basin of which the present Great Salt 

Lake occupies only the deeper part 

was filled with water to the highest 

shore line, or about 1,000 feet. This 

old and vanished lake has been named
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE LXXXIX

.1. liOMNKVTLLI-: SHORE LINE.

Lake Bonneville shore line as it is marked on the west face of the Wasatch Mountains at the mouth 

of Hobble Canyon, back of Springville. Above this line the rocks are bare, and there is no trace 

of wave action; below it the slopes are covered with mud washed into the lake when it stood at 

this height, ^holograph by G. II. Richardson.

B. HYDROELECTRIC PLANT OF THE STRAWBERRY VALLEY RECLAMATION

PROJECT.

After the water of Strawberry Valley is carried by a lone; tunnel through the Wasatch Mountains 

into Spanish Fork it is diverted into a canal and dropped several hundred feet to the plant shown 

in this viow. The electric power which it generates is sold to near-by towns, and the water is then 

used for irrigating the land. Photograph by the U. S. Reclamation Service.
U. S. GEOLOOICAL SURVEY 

TIMPANOGOS PEAK.

Timpanogos Peak is one of the most prominent and beautiful peaks of the Wasatch Range. 

the plain, and the outlook from its summit is said to he magnificent. Provo River, a cleapeak. Photograph furnished hy the Denver & Rio Graude Western Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 229

traveler may get his first general view of the Great Salt 

Lake basin. Originally this plain was only a desert, but now it is

would still be conspicuous by reason 

of its position. As it is, no geologic 

insight is necessary to discover it, for 

it is one of the pronounced features 

of the country. It confronts all beholders and insists on recognition. 

The tourist who visits Ogden and Salt 

Lake City by rail sees it on the 

Wasatch [Mountains] and on the 

islands of Great Salt Lake and makes 

note of it as he rides. The farmer 

who tills the valley below is familiar 

with it and knows that it was made 

by water; and even the cowboy, finding an easy trail along its terrace as 

he ' rides the range,' relieves the monotony of existence by hazarding a 

guess as to its origin."

Gilbert followed this shore line, 

studied it in detail, and mapped it 

throughout most of -its sinuous course. 

The map copied from his report (see 

fig. 60) shows the greatest extent of 

Lake Bonneville as compared with the 

present Great Salt Lake.

The history of Lake Bonneville goes 

back to a time before man was known 

on the globe, or possibly about to the 

time of his first appearance, but in 

any event the conditions that led to 

the formation of that great body of 

water could not have been due to 

man's activities and hence must have 

been the result of climatic change. 

Gilbert (U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 612, 

pp. 96-97, 1915) gives the history of 

Lake Bonneville as follows:

* " The latest of the periods into 

which geologists divide past time witnessed a series of climatic changes 

which affected the whole earth, and.

* * * the element which recorded 

its changes most clearly was temperature. There were several epochs of 

cold, and they were separated by 

epochs of warmth. During the cold 

epochs the high parts of the Wasatch 

Range held a system of glaciers, and 

in one of them several ice tongues protruded so far beyond the mouths of 

80697° 22 16

the mountain canyons that they 

heaped their moraines on the floor of 

Jordan Valley, only a few miles from 

the place where Salt Lake City now 

stands. In that epoch of cold the rate 

of evaporation was far slower than 

now, and evaporation was at so great 

a disadvantage in its contest with 

precipitation that there was immense 

expansion of the water surface. When 

the lake was largest it was comparable 

in area and depth with Lake Michigan; it had eleven times its present 

extent. In attaining this great expanse the water surface rose to a position more than 1,000 feet above its 

present level.

" To this great body of water geologists apply a distinctive name Lake 

Bonneville and they have given much 

attention to its history, which is written in shore lines, deltas, channels, deposits, and fossils. The shore lines [Pis. 

LXXXIX, A, and XCVI, £] appeal 

most to the traveler and may be seen 

from car windows at several points.

"As a matter of definition a shore 

is merely the meeting place of land 

and sea, or of laud and lake, but as 

a matter of land form it is much more. 

At the shore the lashing of storm 

waves works changes in the land, giving it new shapes. At some places the 

land is carved away; at others it is 

made to encroach on the water. 

Where it is eroded the limit of erosion 

is marked by a cliff, and below the 

water is a shelf of gentle slope. 

Where additions are made they take 

the for.m of beaches or bars, which rise 

little above the water level and are 

composed of sand or gravel. At some 

places a bar spans a bay from side to 

side; elsewhere it is incomplete, projecting from a headland as a spit.

" The waves of Lake Bonneville were 

as powerful as those of Lake Michigan 

and fashioned the shore into an elaborate system of cliffs, beaches, and spits, 

and when the waters finally fell to the
230 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

dotted with farms, each protected by a line of tall poplars that may 

be seen far across the valley. Utah Lake, a body of fresh water 30 

miles long and 6 to 10 miles wide, lies in the middle of the basin,

lower levels they left behind the shapes 

their waves had made. The base of 

each surviving shore cliff is a horizontal line, and so is the crest of each 

beach, bar, and spit, and these features 

in combination trace the outline of the 

old lake as a level contour about the 

sides of the basin and the faces of 

mountains that were once islands in 

the lake.

" In rising and falling the waters 

lingered at many levels, and so there 

are many ancient shore lines, but two 

of them are more conspicuous than the 

rest and have been named. The highest of all is the Bonneville shore line, 

and 375 feet lower lies the Provo shore 

line. The Bonneville line represents a 

relatively short stand of the water and 

is conspicuous chiefly because it marks 

the upper boundary of wave action. 

All the slopes below it have been more 

or less modified by the waves, but 

the slopes above it retain the shapes 

which had been given them by other 

agencies. The Provo line represents a 

long stand of the water and is conspicuous because it is strongly sculptured.

" In all the early history of the great 

lake its basin was closed, like that of 

the modern lake. The water surface 

rose and fell in response to climatic 

changes like that of its modern remnant. The last great rising was the 

highest and terminated the series of 

oscillations by creating an outlet. The 

lowest point of the basin's rim was at 

Red Rock Pass [130 miles by rail 

north of Salt Lake City], and when 

the water rose above that level the 

stream which began to cross the pass 

descended to Portneuf River, a tributary of Snake River, the chief branch 

of the Columbia. Through the creation 

of this outlet the Bonneville Basin, 

which had previously contained an independent interior drainage system, became part of the drainage system of 

the Pacific Ocean. * * *

"The formation at the summit [of 

Red Rock Pass] consisted of soft 

earth, and as soon as overflow began a 

channel was formed. The deepening 

of the channel increased the volume of 

the stream by lowering the outlet of 

the lake; the greater stream was more 

efficient in deepening the channel, and 

these two causes interacted -until the 

stream became a stupendous torrent. 

The volume of water discharged before 

the flow became steady was enough to 

supply Niagara River for 25 years, but 

the record of the torrent's violence 

leads to the belief that it lasted for a 

much shorter period. * * *

"The draining of the lake down to 

the Provo level reduced its area by 

one-third and correspondingly reduced 

the quantity of water annually evaporated. Two-thirds of the inflowing 

water was then disposed of by evaporation, and the remainder was discharged through the outlet. Only a 

great change of climate could restore 

the balance between inflow and evaporation, and the change was slow in 

completion. At last, however, the pendulum of temperature swung far 

enough on the side of warmth. The 

outlet channel ran dry, the lake basin 

was again separated from the drainage system of the Pacific, and the lake 

began to shrink. So long as there was 

outflow the water was fresh, but when 

the outflow ceased there began that' 

accumulation of salt which has made 

the water of the present lake a concentrated brine.

"At times in the history of the lake, 

especially while the Provo shore line 

was being formed, the tributary 

streams brought down sand and 

gravel, which they dropped at their 

mouths, building deltas. When the 

water fell these deposits remained as 

fan-shaped benches having steep 

fronts. The streams that built them 

then dug channels through them. * * *
DENVER,'& BIO GEANDE WESTEEN EOUTE. 231

and beyond it are the barren slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains 

(o'queer). Most of these desert ranges are not very high, but they 

are striking features, for they rise, island-like, out of a wide expanse 

of desert.

The plain upon which the railroad is built is another of the numerous unnamed terraces that mark the shore line of Lake Bonneville and represent pauses of longer or shorter duration in the gradual lowering of the water in the basin. This is well 

Mapleton. developed about the station of Mapleton. The vieAv 

Elevation 4,724 feet. from the railroad at this point is particularly fine

Population 586. , . , . L , L , , . J

Denver 691 miles, because it embraces what appears to be the bottom 

of the valley, so wide is it and so completely cultivated. On the right stands the great blank wall of the mountains, 

across whose front the Bonneville shore line (see PL LXXXIX, A) 

can be seen as a mere thread separating the slopes above characterized by gashes cut by streams from those below, in which all 

roughness and angularity have been concealed by the material deposited in the ancient lake. Along the foot of the slope, within the 

irrigated lands, stretches a belt of sloping plain on which most of 

the homes of the region are built. Each house has its protecting row 

of slender poplar trees, which give the scene an aspect so foreign that 

one seeing it might almost imagine himself on the plains of northern 

Italy looking at the slopes of the Alps, instead of in the Salt Lake 

Valley looking at the slopes of the Wasatch Mountains.

The abrupt change from the steep slope of the mountain front to 

the nearly flat surface of the desert plain, except where deltas and 

bars were built in the waters of old Lake Bonneville, is very striking 

and doubtless will attract the attention of many travelers. The 

traveler sees no foothills, no indication of a mountain front, until 

he reaches the foot of the slope. What does the abrupt change from 

mountain to plain mean, and has it any connection with the geologic 

history of the region ? It assuredly has a meaning, and the processes 

that produced these mountains have had a most striking effect in 

determining not only the surface features of this region but its 

climate and its arid conditions. Long ago, as man measures time, 

the rocks composing the crust of the earth broke along a line that 

now coincides with the west front of the Wasatch Eange, and the

" In quality of water and in temperature Lake Bonneville was as well 

fitted for abundant and varied life as 

the Bear Lake to-day, and though the 

only remains yet found in its sediments are fresh-water shells, we need 

not doubt that its waters teemed with 

fish. We may confidently picture its

bordering marshes as fields of verdure and its bolder shores as forest 

clad; and we may less confidently 

imagine primitive man as a denizen of 

its shores and an eyewitness of the 

spectacular deluge when its earthen 

barrier was burst."
232 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNI-TED STATES.

part on the east side of that break or fault was forced up many 

thousand feet, or the part on the west was dropped an equal distance, or both movements took place to a lesser degree. It matters 

not which side moved, for in any event the part east of the fault now 

forms mountains because it was uplifted relative to the other, or the 

other is now a low basin because it was depressed relative to tlie part 

on the east.81 Although the principal movement probably took place 

long ago, slight movements have occurred so recently that they have 

broken across alluvial cones formed by small streams flowing out 

of the mountains.

A short distance beyond Mapleton the railroad cu'rves to the right 

and approaches the edge of the plain. There it begins to descend to a 

lower plain, which stretches away in the distance as 

far as the eye can see. 'Before reaching the level of 

the lower plain the railroad passes through the 

flourishing town of Springville (see sheet 10, p. 244), 

which is surrounded not only by fields of grain, 

alfalfa, and sugar beets but by orchards that stretch out mile after 

mile until they seem to be interminable. It is indeed a land of peace 

a«nd plenty, and an added beauty is given to the scene by the still 

waters of Utah Lake shimmering in the bright sunshine. A branch

Springville.

Elevation 4,555 feet. 

Population 3,010. 

Denver 696 miles.

81 The entire Great Basin, which extends from thfe Wasatch Range on the 

east to the Sierra Nevada on the west, 

is characterized by faulted mountains 

like the Wasatch. Such mountains 

are generally known as "block mountains," for the reason that the crust 

of the earth has been broken into great 

blocks by the faults and later these 

blocks have been tilted in different 

directions. In the central part of the 

basin the faults and consequently the 

block mountains trend north and 

south, as may be seen on any good 

map of the region. The beds of rock 

of which such a mountain is composed may originally have had a simple structure or they may have been 

folded and broken in a most complex 

manner. But no matter how complex 

the folding the block has acted as a 

unit and has been tilted in the same 

manner as the horizontal rocks.

In the tilting the edge of the great 

block that was elevated produced a 

mountain and the edge that was depressed formed a deep basin, which

later was partly filled by sand and 

gravel washed in from the surrounding slopes. In many places the loose 

rock filling has a depth of more than 

a thousand feet. Such a basin is generally deepest in the center, and the 

slight precipitation that falls on the 

surrounding slopes finds its way to the 

lowest point, where it forms a shallow lake, but the water is soon carried off by evaporation and there rer 

mains in its place only a dry lake bed, 

known in the Southwest by the Spanish name of " playa." The entire 

basin is also frequently spoken of as 

a "bolson" (bowl-sown'), a Spanish 

name meaning purse, which has been 

applied to the basin because it resembles in shape a Spanish purse.

Great Salt Lake is said to lie in 

such a basin, though it really lies in 

several basins, which are so shallow 

that the water extends from one to the 

other. In time of drought it too 

would disappear were it not for the 

large supply of water it receives from 

the high ranges on the east.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 9

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engin 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

Lake Bonneville at its highest stage and the 

sediments deposited in its waters

White shale and sandstone (Green River formation)

Red shale, sandstone, and coarse conglomerate 

(Wasatch formation)

H Sandstone, shale, and coal beds (Meeaverde formation)

.. Dark marine shale (Mancos shale) ; in lower part

* sandstone (Ferron sandstone member, Fer)

M Brown sandstone (Dakota sandstone)

Variegated shale and sandstone * McElmo 

formation and La Plata sandstone)

O Limestone and sandstone 

P Bright-red sandstone and shale 

Q Limestone, sandstone, and shale 

___ Fault

Age 

Pleistocene

, Tertiary 

(Eocene)

> Upper Cretaceous

Cretaceous,?, 

and Jurassic

Jurassic 

Triassic 

Carboniferous

Scale 500,000 

Approximately 8 miles to 1 inch 

0 5 10 Miles

10 15 Kilometers

Elevations in feet above mean sea /eve/

The distances from Denver. Colorado, are shown every 10 mile 

The crosslies on the railroads are spaced I mile apart.

R «//»/ shod Ing by R. W. Btrry
DENVER & BIO GRAKDE WESTERN ROUTE. 233

railroad turns to the south (left) and runs to the Tintic mining district, 43 miles distant. The 'town was named Springville because 

of a large hot spring which issues from the base of the mountain in 

Hobble Canyon just east of the-town. This spring and the stream 

into which it flows provide an unfailing supply of pure water for 

the State fish hatchery, which is about a mile from the town on the 

right of the track.

East of Springville the Bonneville shore line is beautifully developed on the mountain front (see PI. LXXXIX, A) ; above it 

the normal mountain slopes appear, but below it all is covered with 

the sediment deposited in the old lake.

In a short distance the railroad descends to the lower plain, which

it follows to the town of Provo. The shore line in this vicinity is

remarkably well preserved and has been named the

Provo- Provo shore line. At Provo a branch line of the

Elevation 4,512 feet, railroad turns directly through the town and the

Population 10,303. ,, . . , , J . °. , , ^

Denver 701 miles. well-irrigated tarms to the north and ascends Provo 

Canyon, which cuts across the Wasatch Range. The 

canyon winds about the base of Timpanogos Peak, on the north, and 

here many views of this beautiful peak may be obtained. (See PL 

XC.) The branch line is 26 miles long and terminates at the Mormon 

town of Heber, which is beautifully situated in one of the level mountain valleys at an elevation of 5,559 feet above the sea.

Provo, one of the wealthiest of the Mormon towns, has large manufacturing industries. The following description of the town is given 

by Stanley Wood:

This pretty little city belongs to the best type of Mormon towns, and a description will serve to give the reader a good idea of the characteristics of all 

the towns built by the Mormons. The dwellings as a rule are comfortable but 

not imposing in appearance. Many of them are constructed of adobe or sundried bricks, and all are situated in lots of generous proportions and surrounded 

by ornamental and fruit trees. Water for irrigating purposes flows down each 

side of the streets, and shade trees in abundance and of luxuriant growth render 

the walks cool and inviting. Gardens filled with fruit, flowers, and vegetables 

are the rule, and a quiet, peaceful, industrious, semirural life is the good fortune 

of the residents here. * * * Provo River furnishes excellent water power, 

while inexhaustible supplies of artesian water are to be found at a depth of 

from 40 to 200 feet. The city has, in fact, tlie finest water supply in any section 

of Utah. Provo has an excellent public-school system and is the seat of the 

Brigham Young Academy, which was amply endowed by the first president of the 

Mormon Church, from whom the school takes its name. Its churches and public 

buildings, including an opera house, are a credit to its people, who are of a 

literary taste and inclined to liberality of thought.

One who is not familiar with the development of the Salt Lake 

Valley can hardly realize that it was first settled little more than 70 

years ago, when there were no green spots in the valley except where 

the mountain streams first spread their waters out upon the valley
234 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

floor and when most of its surface presented to the eye only the dull 

gray of the desert. To Brigham Young and the first Mormon settlers must be given credit for far-sighted vision and steadfastness of 

purpose in carrying out their plan of making this land, where the 

conditions seemed so unfavorable, a rich agricultural region. Who 

to-day, without capital other than brains and muscle, would care to 

undertake the task of making homes in such a place ?

In the vicinity of Provo the traveler may have many fine views of 

the towering wall of the Wasatch Range, deeply cut by canyons and 

crowned by some of the highest peaks in the region. A little to the 

north stands the monarch of them all, Timpanogos Peak (PI. XC), 

whose barren rocky walls tower 11,057 feet above sea level, or nearly 

1£ miles above Provo station. In this western country mountains 

of this height are not uncommon, and the traveler in his trip across 

Colorado has seen many that are higher, but seldom can one look 

from a plain at a wall-like mass such as Timpanogos, whose front is 

unbroken by cleft, ravine, or spur. The great mass is awe-inspiring, 

and whoever sees it can only wonder how it was uplifted and whether 

the movement was rapid enough to have been perceptible had man 

been there to witness the uplift.

At Provo the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad is paralleled 

on the left by one of the lines of the Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, which divides at Lynndyl; the main line keeps to the west 

through Stockton and comes into Salt Lake City from the west, and 

the other, a subordinate line, turns to the east through Nephi and 

Provo and enters Salt Lake City from the south. Provo is also connected with Salt Lake City by an interurban trolley line, which may 

be seen on the right on the outskirts of the town.

The country between Provo and Utah Lake is not only well supplied with water from the mountain stream but also has many flowing wells, which are used extensively for irrigation. Many of these 

wells may be seen from the passing train not only about Provo but 

also as far west as Lehi.

Two miles out of Provo the railroad crosses Provo River, which 

heads far to the east in the Wasatch Mountains and reaches the low 

plains and Utah Lake on the west through Provo Canyon. About 5 

miles from Provo the Los Angeles & '.Salt Lake Railroad crosses the 

Denver & Rio Grande Western and continues on the east side to Salt 

Lake City.

From Provo to Lehi the railroad takes a northwesterly course, 

following closely the shores of Utah Lake.82 At first the lake is a

m Utah Lake is 30 miles long and 6 

miles wide at its widest point. Its 

supply of water is derived from the 

mountain streams, American Fork, 

Spanish Fork, Provo Biver, and Salt,

Peteetweet, and Hobble creeks. It is 

not salt like many of the desert lakes 

that have no outlet, but its surplus 

waters flow through Jordan Iliver into 

Great Salt Lake.
DENVER & BIO GBANDE WESTEBN ROUTE. 235

mile distant, but farther to the northwest the railroad approaches 

more and more closely, until at the siding of Geneva the waters come 

to the right of way. The lake is very shallow, and consequently 

bathers can go out a long distance without danger of entering water 

beyond their depth.

From Provo to Lehi the railroad passes through some of the best 

farming land in the valley, and orchards and fields of grain, alfalfa, 

and sugar beets are on every hand. After passing the point of the 

lake the next object of interest is the great sugar mill on the right 

in the suburbs of Lehi. Not only are the beets 

kehi' crushed and the syrup extracted here but much 

Elevation 4,550 feet. svrup js refined that is produced at other plants and

Population 3,078. i r, .LU r i v m. j. Denver 717 miles. pumped here through long pipe lines. I he town 

abounds in shade and fruit trees, which give it a 

very pleasing and restful appearance, especially when seen on a hot 

midsummer day.

East of Lehi the foot of the mountain is 5 or 6 miles from the railroad, but north of the town the mountain bends suddenly to the west 

and a long spur is thrust out into the-middle of the valley. This

FIODBH 61. Provo and Bonneville lake terraces at the Narrows of Jordan Valley, looking

southeast.

long spur on the west face of the Wasatch Eange is matched by an 

equally long, low spur which projects eastward from the Oquirrh 

Eange, nearly cutting off the valley of Jordan River. These projecting points are merely remnants of a lava flow (andesite) that long 

ago, in Tertiary time, probably filled the valley from the base of one 

range to the base of the other. This flow may indeed have originally 

dammed Jordan River, forming a large lake, but if so the river 

later succeeded in cutting through the barrier a channel that is now 

known as " The Narrows." During the existence of Lake Bonneville 

these barriers of lava caused the currents in the lake to set in certain 

directions, and large quantities of gravel and sand were deposited 

around and over them in the form of bars or beaches. These terraces, as they appear from the northwest, are shown in figure 61.

Just before reaching Mesa siding (milepost 716) the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western crosses first the interurban trolley line, which spans
236 GUIDEBOOK OF THE 'WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Jordan River and proceeds northward along the west side of that 

stream, and second a branch of the Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, 

which connects the line running down Salt Lake Valley with the 

main line at Boulder south of Stockton. The Denver & Rio Grande 

Western Railroad descends at a steep grade, and at milepost 721 it 

runs on the right bank of Jordan River, which has gravel bluffs 

rising more than 100 feet on both sides. The top of the first terrace 

(about 250 feet above the river), which is crossed by the Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, corresponds with the Provo shore line 

and doubtless was a gravel bar built out across the channel when the 

waters of the lake stood at the Provo level. The material composing 

these terraces is well shown in the numerous cuts of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western Railroad and the trolley line across the river and 

in an immense gravel pit open on the right at a siding called Nash, 

at the lower end of the Narrows. At this place several large flumes 

on the left take water from Jordan River and distribute it over the 

low plain to the north.

The river valley below the Narrows is well farmed and makes 

a pretty picture as the traveler catches glimpses of it here and 

there, but the river swerves to the west away from the railroad and 

the traveler sees it no more. Near the siding of Olivers the railroacl 

emerges upon the plain, and the traveler has spread before him on 

the right the south end of the broad valley in which Salt Lake City 

is situated, bounded by the great wall of the Wasatch Mountains, 

as shown in Plate XCI. Here again the shore lines of Lake Bonneville are the most conspicuous features of the landscape. The traveler may readily follow the uppermost or Bonneville shore line by 

the slight horizontal line across the mountain front which separates 

the more rugged slopes above from the smoother and more gentle 

slopes below. Below the Bonneville is another shore line, which 

in some respects is much more prominent, as it is represented by 

the uppermost terrace or the great bar built out from the mountains to the east. Below this bar is the terrace which was made when 

the lake stood at the Provo level and which is crossed by the Los 

Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad in its course from Salt Lake City to 

Provo. These terraces are shown in figure 61.

On the left stands the Oquirrh Range in all its barrenness. The 

traveler may think that this range is the very type of desolation 

and of worthless barren rock, but if the atmosphere 

Riverton. mountam carefully, he

see smoke arising from a canyon nearly opposite the station of Riverton, and he may be surprised 

to learn that in this canyon is the largest copper mine in Utah 

and, when the method of mining is considered, probably the most
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 237

wonderful mine in the world. This is the Bingham mine, in Bingham 

Canyon, a description of which is given on pages 255-259.

North of Kiverton the plain upon which Salt Lake City is built 

stretches to the foot of the terrace at the base of Ensign Peak and 

eastward to the foot of the mountains. Everywhere in this wonderful valley there are now fine farms, with trees, and in places there 

are manufacturing plants of different kinds. To-day it is a land 

of plenty, but it was not so on that memorable 24th of July, 1847, 

when Brigham Young and his band of faithful followers first looked 

out over this same valley from the mouth of Emigration Canyon. 83

83 The early history of Utah is a history of the Mormon Church and people, 

their endeavor to find a home where 

they would be at liberty to establish 

their church and social customs without interference and persecution, and 

the resolute courage of their leading 

men, who faced the hardships of 

mountain and desert that they might 

carry out what was to them the will 

of God. The tale is fascinating and 

should be read by all who wish to 

know something of the early struggles 

of this people and of the great and 

wealthy State which they have been 

largely instrumental in producing.

The story has been simply told by 

Lev! Edgar Young, grandnephew of 

Brigham Young, and the writer can 

do no better than to quote his words:

" The first permanent settlement in 

Utah was made at Salt Lake City by 

a band of Mormon pioneers from the 

State of Illinois. This was on July 

24, 1847.

" During the winter of 1845-46 the 

Mormons were making extensive preparations to leave the city of Nauvoo, 

in the State of Illinois, and to make 

homes somewhere in the Far West. 

Their leader [Joseph Smith] had been 

killed, their property ruined by people 

not of their religious faith, and, convinced that they could not make a 

home in Illinois, they had but one recourse they could move to lands farther west. * * * The Mormons 

collected all the wheat, corn, bacon, 

and potatoes that they could and exchanged their land for cattle, horses,

and wagons. On February 10, 1846, 

the first team crossed the Mississippi, 

and in a few weeks Nauroo was deserted.

" The Mormons slowly wended their 

way across the Territory of Iowa and 

established winter quarters on the 

banks of the Missouri nearly opposite Council Bluffs. Here they sojourned during the winter of 1846-47. 

They built 700 log cabins and 150 dugouts. * * * At Winterquarters and 

Kanesville, the two chief camps on 

the Missouri, about 12,000 people were 

gathered during the winter. Many 

died of cold and hunger, for the season 

was severe. * * *

"The first company of pioneers 

under Brigham Young left winter 

quarters in April, 1847. There were 

143 men, 3 women, and 2 children. 

They struck off due west and upon 

reaching the Platte River continued 

along its north bank. * * * The 

company was well organized. Every 

morning at 5 the bugle sounded to 

awaken the camp. All assembled 

for prayers, then took breakfast,

 and the second bugle was sounded 

when the company began to march.

* * * In June they reached the 

Black Hills and Fort Laramie. From 

here they followed the Oregon trail, 

through South Pass to Fort Bridger. 

There they were given some idea of 

the kind of country in the vicinity of 

the Great Salt Lake, but as to the 

fertility of the soil everyone was 

doubtful. From Fort Bridger the 

party went through Echo and Emigra-
238 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

Then it was a desert covered with stunted sagebrush and greasewood, except in places where the mountain streams furnished a supply of water.

The train runs along through the valley, with good farms on 

both sides and the bare walls of the mountains as a background, 

until it reaches the next station, Midvale, which is 

Midvale. the junction point of branch lines running to 

Elevation 4,365 feet. Bingham, 14 miles to the west. At Midvale is a 

large mill and lead smelter built for the reduction 

of some of the ores of the Bingham district. This 

smelter is known as the smokeless smelter, for it was one of the 

first smelters to recover and utilize the substances contained in the

tion canyons to the Salt Lake Valley. 

Orson Pratt, Erastus Snow, and some 

others were sent ahead and entered 

the valley of the Great Salt Lake July 

21. They explored some parts and on 

the 23d staked off land and turned the 

waters of City Creek onto the soil. 

This was the beginning of irrigation 

in the West. The main party, under 

Brigham Young, arrived on July 24, 

and it is out of respect for him and 

the main company that this day is 

taken as Utah's natal day. * * *

" The pioneers settled on the present 

site of Salt Lake City. The nrst 

camp was made about where the 

Knutsford building [Auerbach's department store] now stands at the 

corner of Third South [Broadway] 

and State streets, on the banks of City 

Creek. * * * At a conference held 

on August 22 it was decided to call the 

town Great Salt Lake City. * * * 

Wilford Woodruff says in his journal: 

'We have laid out a city 2 miles 

square and built a fort of hewn timber and of sun-dried bricks or adobe. 

This fort incloses 10 acres of ground, 

40 rods of which are covered with 

blockhouses.' [This was called Old 

Fort and stood on what is now known 

as Sixth Ward Square, or the park 

near the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad station, now called Pioneer 

Square.]

"After the first company, headed by 

Brigham Young,, left for the Rocky 

Mountains, extensive preparations

were made for others to follow. The 

'First Immigration,' so called, consisted of 1,553 souls under the command of Parley P. Pratt. It left 

winter quarters on July 4, 1847. 

* * * There were 580 wagons, 2,213 

oxen, 124 horses, 887 cows, 358 sheep, 

35 hogs, and 716 chickens. This company arrived^ in Salt Lake City on 

September 19. By the end of the year 

some 4,000 people had settled in the 

valley of the Great Salt Lake.

" One of the saddest episodes in the 

history of Utah is the story of the' 

handcart companies. Every year 

thousands of people from Europe and 

America gathered at the Missouri 

River points en route to Utah. * * * 

How to bring them across the plains 

was a problem. * * * There was 

not enough money to provide transportation by wagon for such a multitude, so Governor Young hit upon a 

unique plan. * * * [The plan was 

to make handcarts and have the emigrants push them across the plains, 

with a cow or two for every ten 

persons.]

"The plan was put in operation in 

the spring of 1856 and worked well for 

those companies that started early 

enough to reach Salt Lake City before 

winter. In the early autumn of 1856 

three large companies of nearly 500 

people each arrived in the valley of 

the Great Salt Lake. They had 

tramped more than 1,300 miles from 

Iowa City to Salt Lake City, drawing
tJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

WASATCH MOUNTAINS.

The Wasalch Mountains have a very bold and rocky face on the west, and when the tops are covered 

taken from the level valley floor a short distance south of Salt Lake City. Ph
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XCII

A. STATE CAPITOL OF UTAH.

On the high terrace north of the city stands the beautiful new granite Capitol of Utah. It overtops 

all the business houses below and ean be seen from almost all parts of the valley. Photograph by 

Shiplers, Salt Lake City.

B. EAGLE GATE AM) LION AND BEEHIVE HOUSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG.

The most interesting features in Salt Lake City are the buildings and institutions of the Mormons. 

This view shows the famous Eagle Gute, erected by Brigham Young in 1853, and the Lion and 

Beehive houses, where several of his wives lived. Photograph furnished by the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western RailroaJ.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 239

Murray.

gases, which usually .go off into the air to poison and kill vegetation. 

(For further information regarding smelters, see pp. 252-254.) At 

several places along the line the traveler may obtain glimpses of 

the Wasatch Mountains, and at almost every place he will see the 

Bonneville shore line as a faint line across the mountain front or 

the Provo shore line marked by great terraces or embankments of 

gravel.

The smelting industry has for many years been an important one 

in the Great Salt Lake Valley, and many smelters have been built 

at or near the station of Murray. Many of these smelters have 

been abandoned or consolidated, so that only one 

now remains the Murray smelter, of the American 

Elevation 4,310 feet. Smelting & Eefining Co., which may be seen on the

Population 4,584. . - u * TU- i * n i -i Denver 739 miles, right from the train, ihis plant smelts only silverlead ores, and the great bulk of the copper ores 

from the Bingham mines are being treated at the Garfield smelter, 

the smoke of which may be seen rising over the extreme northern 

point of the Oquirrh Range on the west (left).

The most prominent object seen by one approaching Salt Lake City 

from the south is the new State Capitol (PI. XCII, A), which 

stands on a commanding terrace north of the city, directly beneath 

Ensign Peak. The tall buildings also attract attention, though they 

are not particularly different from tall buildings in other cities. A 

little farther to the right the traveler may notice the large letter U 

on the mountain slope far back of the city. This letter was put 

there by some class of the University of Utah, which stands on the 

terrace directly beneath it.

their supplies in handcarts. * * * 

For pluck and endurance this is a 

record that has rarely been equaled. 

"Five companies in all undertook 

the journey that first year, but the two 

that started last had a dreadful time. 

James G. Willie commanded one and 

Edward Martin the other. They had 

been delayed in leaving the Missouri 

River and were caught in the piercing 

blasts of winter on the Platte and 

Sweetwater. * * * Some of the 

handcarts broke down; sickness and 

lack of proper food dispirited the 

marchers. * * * Thinly clad and 

poorly fed they labored on and on, and 

then they were put on half rations 

when not more than half of the 

journey was completed. Despair seized 

them. The company under Edward 

Martin made a camp in a ravine between the Platte and the Sweetwater 

in the latter part of October. Food 

became so scarce that the marrowless 

bones picked up from the prairies were 

boiled for soup. * * °

" Brigham Young received word of 

the sufferings of the emigrants on the 

plains. He immediately sent a company of the strongest men with wagons 

and supplies under the command of 

Joseph A. Young. This rescue party 

found the companies in a most miserable condition, fed them, and brought 

them to Salt Lake City. That is, they 

brought the survivors, for 250 * * * 

had died on the plains.

" During the four years extending 

from 1856 to 1860 more than 4,000 

emigrants crossed the plains in this 

manner, and the total number of 

deaths was less than 300."
240 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

On the same terrace, but a little to the right, may be seen the buildings of Fort Douglas, which has been occupied continuously as an 

army post since 1862. Still farther to the right is the rather insignificant Emigration Canyon, down which Brigham Young's party came 

on July 24,1847, and took possession of the valley. (For a description of the route followed by the pioneers, see p. 248.)

Many travelers unfamiliar with this region imagine that Salt Lake 

City stands on the shore of Great Salt Lake, but in fact the nearest 

point of the lake is 10 miles distant. The site of the city was chosen 

not because of its nearness to the shore of the lake, but because of the 

abundance of fresh water which comes from the mountains. The 

city, however, appreciates the value for recreation of such a body of 

water as Great Salt Lake, and a pavilion called Saltair has been built 

at the beach, which affords bathing facilities to those who wish to try 

a dip in the heavy waters (PI. XCIV, B). It is a popular resort, 

easily reached by electric train during the season. Saltair is described more fully on page 244.

The next stop in this journey is at the new passenger station of the 

Denver & Eio Grande Western Eailroad in Salt Lake City, the 

metropolis of the Great Basin and the home of the hierarchy of the 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known 

as the Mormon Church. Salt Lake City, the capital of the great 

State of Utah, is in the eastern part of the Great 

Salt Lake City. Basin, at a point where several routes of travel 

?o^Sa*ii8110' &om tne Pacifi° coast converge into main eastern 

Denver 745 miles, trunk lines. It has direct connection with Los 

Angeles on the southwest by the Los Angeles & Salt 

Lake Eailroad; with San Francisco on the west by the Western Pacific 

and Southern Pacific railroads; with Portland and Seattle on the 

northwest by the Oregon Short Line and the Oregon Eailroad & 

Navigation Co.'s line; with Butte and Helena on 'the north by the 

Oregon Short Line; and with the East by the Denver & Eio Grande 

Western and Union Pacific railroads. The Union Pacific trains run 

over the tracks of the Oregon Short Line to Ogden, and the Denver & 

Eio Grande Western main line also extends to Ogden.

Salt Lake City is the center of a large and prosperous metal-mining district; it has almost unlimited fuel resources in coal fields that 

lie 100 miles to the southeast, and it stands in the midst of a rich 

agricultural region that can supply food for many times its present 

population.

The general traveler, however, will find the chief interest in 

Salt Lake City in the Mormon people, their mode of life, and the 

peculiar institutions they have built up.83a

" See footnote 83, p. 237.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 241

On July 24, 1847, Brigham Young, at the head of the Mormon 

pioneers who had traversed the plains and hewed a way through the 

mountains, as he stood on the foothills after he had emerged from 

 the rocky walls of Emigration Canyon, uttered these memorable 

words: "This is the place." This statement determined the location of Salt Lake City. Wilford Woodruff in his journal says:

We gazed in wonder and admiration upon the vast valley before us, with the 

waters of the Great Salt Lake glistening in the sun, mountains towering to 

the skies, and streams of pure water running through the beautiful valley. It 

was the grandest scene that we had ever beheld till this moment. Pleasant 

thoughts ran through our minds at the prospect that not many years hence 

the house of God would be established in the mountains and exalted above the 

hills; while the valleys would be converted into orchards, vineyards, and fruitful fields; cities erected in the name of the Lord, and the standard of Zion 

unfurled for the gathering of the nations.

The pioneers began at once to cultivate the land, but before any of 

the land was assigned the city was laid out essentially as it is to-day. 

As each square was planned to contain 10 acres the present city blocks 

are very long, and one may walk a mile without crossing many of the 

city streets.

Until about 1871 Salt Lake City was strictly Mormon, but with the 

development of the railroads and mines Gentiles began to flock in, 

and to-day the city is, thoroughly cosmopolitan.

The chief point of interest to the general traveler is Temple 

Square (see PI. XCIII), the center or nucleus around which the 

city was planned and built. This square contains the temple, the 

tabernacle, and several other minor buildings. The exterior view of 

the Mormon temple is familiar to most persons. The temple was 

built of granite obtained in Little Cotton wood Canyon, about 20 

miles southeast of the city. It was 40 years in building, and each 

stone was selected with the greatest care, so as to avoid flaws that 

might ruin the building in later time. The walls are said to be 9 

feet thick and are built throughout of solid granite, and the height 

to the top of the angel Moroni is 222 feet. As the construction was 

begun before the days of the railroad most of the stone was hauled 

by ox team. In view of the fact that it was built without the aid 

of an architect, the result is surprising, for the temple is indeed an 

imposing structure and one that would attract attention and command respect and admiration anywhere. No one save the elect of the 

church is permitted to enter the temple, so that it has an air of 

mystery which to most persons is an added attraction.

The tabernacle, designed .as the assembly room for the church 

conferences, is even more wonderful than the temple. It has a 

seating capacity of 8,000, but occasionally 12,000 persons have been 

crowded into it. It was built in the early days, when the people
242 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

were poor and before the advent of the railroad, and so perforce it 

was built with home-made materials and by the members of the 

Church. The roof is the wonderful part of the tabernacle it was 

built entirely of wood and is without a single supporting column.' 

The wooden trusses are held together by wooden pins and in places 

are bound by rawhide. The building is elliptical in shape, 250 

feet long, 150 feet wide, and 80 feet high. The acoustic property 

of the tabernacle is perhaps its most wonderful feature. The dropping of a pin may be heard distinctly the entire length of the building more than 200 feet. In the belief of the Mormons the architect of these buildings was God, and all their wonderful features are 

directly due to His beneficent direction.

Many persons are attracted to the tabernacle each week day at 

noon to hear the organ recitals, which are given free for the 

entertainment of visitors in the city. The organ, like almost all 

other parts of the tabernacle, was built before the days of railroad 

transportation, and so most of its parts were manufactured on the 

spot. Recently it has been rebuilt, without, however, changing the 

architectural effect, and now it is said to be the largest organ in the 

world. The total number of pipes is between 7,000 and 8,000.

Temple Square is a delightful park in the heart of the city, and 

with its flowers, trees, and greensward it forms a beautiful setting 

for the massive buildings. One of the most attractive and interesting 

monuments recently added to this park is that of the Sea Gulls (see 

PI. XCIV, A) , which was designed by Mahonri M. Young, a grandson 

of the great pioneer leader. This mpnument commemorates an incident in the experience of the early pioneers which shows their 

implicit faith in the protecting power of God. The gulls which inhabit the shores and islands of Great Salt Lake are held in high 

regard, if not reverence, by the Mormon people, for the reason that 

they saved the pioneers from starvation in the early days. As the 

story is extremely interesting it is given in full, as narrated by those 

who are supposed to know.

The pioneers reached the valley in the summer of 1847 with few 

personal possessions besides those which they carried on their backs. 

They at once made preparations to plant, so that the colony might 

have food for the coming year, but as they arrived in midsummer 

little could be grown that year. The next spring 5,000 acres of wheat 

were planted, and the prospects seemed good for an abundant crop. 

During the last week in May, however, the black crickets began to 

attack the growing wheat, as well as everything else that was green. 

At first the crickets were confined to certain fields, but soon they 

spread, and in a few days they had swept much of the valley.

As soon as the extent of the impending calamity was realized the 

people began to fight the common pest at every point, They drove
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

TEMPLE SQUARE, SALT LAKE CIT

The central point in the plan of Salt Lake City is Temple Square, whieli is a beautiful park containing Ih

gray granite building which, with its graceful towers, dominates the view in this part of the 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A. SKA GULL MONUMENT, SALT LAKE CITY.

A monument lo commemorate the destruction by sea gulls of the 

hordes of crickets which, in 1848, threatened the crops and indi- rectly the lives of the pioneers in the Salt Lake valley. Their intervention is regarded by the Mormon people as due to Divine Providence, and this beautiful column is intended to express their 

gratitude. Photograph by the Utah Photo. Materials Co.

BULLETIN' 707 PLATE XCIV

B. BATHING IN GHKAT SALT LAKK.

The opportunity to bathe in the heavy waters of Great Salt Lake 

attracts many travelers. The lake is so shallow that the bather may go far out without getting beyond his depth, and even when lie 

is in deep water the amount of salt in the water is so great that sinking is almost impossible. Photograph furnished by the Denver 

& Rio Grande Western Railroad.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 243

them into ditches and upon piles of burning reeds, striving in every 

way to stop the flood of destruction, but all in vain. The people 

then became greatly alarmed lest their whole crop should be destroyed and they should be left to starve, so a day of fasting and 

prayer was appointed, as the people had great confidence in the 

power and willingness of God to help the faithful.

The result has been regarded by all the people of Utah as a miracle 

and as a direct answer to their supplications. From the shores and 

islands of Great Salt Lake came myriads upon myriads of gulls 

until the sky seemed dark with their wings and the air seemed to 

pulsate with their wild cries. The people were fearful that a new 

enemy of destruction was upon them until they saw the gulls alight 

on the fields and begin to devour the crickets. As the gulls came 

by thousands it was but a short time until the fields were cleared of 

the pest, and then the gulls wheeled into the air and departed for 

their island homes. It is no wonder that the people look upon the 

advent of the birds as a direct answer to their appeal to God and 

that even/ to-day the gulls are regarded as the great protectors of 

the Mormon people.

The gull has been selected as the emblem of the State, and the 

monument recently erected in Temple Square (PI. XCIV, A) is intended to express the gratitude which the Mormon people feel for 

the deliverance from the disaster that threatened the early settlers. 

The gull also appears on the main piece in the handsome silver 

service given by the State to the battleship Utah.

Temple Square is the center of the Mormon stronghold in the 

city, for around it are clustered many buildings of historic interest 

and also those used by the church at the present time. These buildings include the new Utah Hotel, built by the church, the church 

tithing house, Lion House, Beehive House (the home of Brigham 

Young and his many wives), Amelia Palace, and Eagle Gate, 

erected by Brigham Young (PI. XCII, B). Across the street is 

the great Zion Cooperative Mercantile Institution or Z. C. M. I., 

as it is familiarly called. The Deseret News, founded in 1851, occupies the other corner, and many other buildings belonging to the 

church are scattered throughout the city. There are also fine clubhouses, a public library, and numerous skyscrapers and manufacturing plants.

The city derives its water supply from the many canyons that 

seam the front of the Wasatch Mountains. The first of these 

streams to be utilized was City Creek, which cuts through the terrace east of the new Capitol Building. City Canyon has been made 

into one of the most charming parks in the country, so that it serves 

the double purpose of keeping the water supply uncontaminated
244 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

and providing an outing place for the people. The streams in the 

other canyons have been requisitioned by the city, and now much 

of the water comes from Big Cottonwood Canyon, more than 20 

miles to the south.

The city is noted for its fine shade trees and for the beautiful 

velvety lawns which abound almost everywhere, especially around 

the public buildings and the handsome residences on Brigham 

Street. There are some warm sulphur springs and bathhouses at 

the foot of the terrace in the northwestern quarter of the city.

ONE-DAY TRIPS BY RAIL FROM SALT LAKE CITY.

A few one-day trips may be made by rail from Salt Lake City, 

either for pleasure, for seeing the surrounding country, or ior 

studying some of the larger mines or mining districts.

SAI/TAIR BATHING BEACH,

As Great Salt Lake is the one natural feature which can not be 

duplicated in any other part of the country, people are naturally 

curious to see it and to have a chance to bathe in its waters. Many 

are familiar with the salt water of the ocean, but a large lake containing salt water is to most people a novelty. As the shores of 

Great Salt Lake are 10 miles from the city, the trip is generally 

made by rail. A large and ornate pavilion, called Saltair, has been 

built at the water's edge, and the traveler may enjoy bathing in the 

salt water or dancing in the pavilion. The facilities for dancing are 

not out of the ordinary, but the bathing, on account of the high 

mineral content of the water and its consequent density, is peculiar. 

Only with difficulty can the bather keep his feet from rising to the 

surface, and if he balances himself in an upright position only the 

lower part of the body is in the water and the head and shoulders 

rise above it. On account of the heaviness of the water the traveler 

may be interested in knowing something of the history of Great 

Salt Lake, as it is known to geologists, and the reason for its intense 

saltiness.8 *

84 The following description of Great 

Salt Lake was written by G. K. Gilbert, who made an exhaustive study of 

the subject:

"Great Salt Lake has no outlet. 

Jordan River, which enters it from the 

south, is the outlet of Utah Lake. Bear 

River, coming from the north, carries 

the outflow from Bear Lake. The 

waters of Utah and Bear lakes and of 

Jordan and Bear rivers are fresh, and 

so is the water of Weber River, the

third great tributary of Great Salt 

Lake, but the lake into which the three 

rivers flow is saline. It is saline because it has no outlet. The fresh 

waters of the rivers contain some saline 

matter, but the quantity is too small 

to be discovered by taste. As stated 

by the chemist, in parts per million, the 

quantity seems minute, but when account is taken also of the tdtal volume 

of water brought by the streams to the 

lake in a year their burden of saline
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 SHEET No. 10

GEOLOGIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

OF THE

RIO GRANDE ROUTE

From Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah

Compiled from United States Geological Survey atlas 

sheets and reports, from railroad alinements and profiles supplied by the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad Co., and from additional information collected with the assistance of that company

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

DAVID WHITE, Chief Geologist 

M. R. CAMPBELL, Geologist

C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer 

A. C. ROBERTS, Topographer

1922

EXPLANATION

Age Thickness 

in feet

Mountain glaciers as they were during the 

Great Ice Age

_ Lake Bonneville at its highest stage and the 

** sediments deposited in its waters

White shale and sandstone (Green River formation)

Red shale, sandstone, and conglomerate 

(Wasatch formation)

 Pleistocene

., Tertiary 

(Eocene)

	Shale and sandstone (Mancos shale) 

O Limestone and sandstone 

P Bright-red shale and sandstone

_ Red sandstone and J (Park City formation)

' conglomerate j (Weber quartzite)

U Limestone

V Shale and quartzite

W Quartzite, schist, and slate

Y Lava flows (andesite)

Igneous intrusive rocks (granite, diorite, 

and porphyry)

Upper Cretaceous

Jurassic

Triassic

Carboniferous 

(Permian and 

Pennsylvanian)

f Carboniferous 

J (Mississippian) 

) Devonian 

I. Cambrian

Cambrian

P re-Cambrian

Tertiary

9,000

7,000

2,000

12,000

.__ Fault

77)e geology of the region about Salt Lake City is very complicated, and it has 

not been mapped in detail except in the mining districts. The map here given 

is based largely on that of the Fortieth Parallel Survey, modified to fit, as well 

as possible, the present work

UTAH

The distances from Denver. Colorado, are shown every 10 miles 

The crossties on the railroads tre spaced I mile apart.

msfWCTu4T[o JHROUWA

>WKH)FABOIIT/6ir[[TIHTH[tASJ6ir[Aas

on HCHS'1909.

WHICH"IS IDFTSUOWrHfHIGHCST HKOflDSheet No.9 III 30'
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 245

PARLEYS CANYON AND PARK CITY.

An interesting trip from Salt Lake City is that by way of the 

Denver & Kio Grande Western Kailroad through Parleys Canyon 

to Park City. This trip has much of interest to almost every traveler, for the route follows for a distance the old Mormon trail by 

which many of the immigrants reached Salt Lake City, thus giving 

it a historic interest, and it ends at the mining town of Park City, 

one of the great gold, silver, and lead camps in the State.

The route lies south along the main line of the railroad to Boper, 

a distance of 2£ miles from the station at Salt Lake City. Here the 

road turns to the east (left) and pursues a nearly direct course to

matter is found to be really great, 

amounting annually to more than 500,- 

000 tons. Year by year and century by 

century the water which they pour into 

the lake is evaporated, but the dissolved solids1 can not escape in that

the rivers are swollen by the melting 

of snows in the mountains. Each year 

there is a fall, beginning in summer, 

when the hot air rapidly absorbs the 

water, and continuing in autumn, when 

the rivers are smallest. This annual

18

14 

12 

10

a

6

4

n

'

1

1

1

A

xrH

r\ /

\ /

\_-^ ^

v /

^

N /

\ : 

^r> * \

Nrv . -

rv-K /

N /

V, 4ff

\^

1870 1380 1890 1900 1910

FIGURE 62. Fluctuation in level of Great Salt Lake from 1850 to 1914, as determined by 

gage readings or computed from precipitation records.

way and therefore remain. They have 

accumulated until the lake water is 

approximately .saturated, holding 

nearly as much mineral matter as it 

can retain in solution. The lake contains over 5,000,000,000 tons of common salt and about 900,000,000 tons of 

Glauber's salt, or sodium sulphate, as 

well as other mineral matter.

" Another consequence of the lack of 

outlet is that the lake varies from time 

to time in size. Whenever the gain 

from inflow is greater than the loss 

from evaporation the level of the water 

surface rises; when the loss is greater 

it falls. Each year there is a* rise, beginning in winter, when the cool air 

has little power to absorb moisture, 

and continuing through spring, when 

80697° 22 17

oscillation amounts on the average to 

about 16 inches.

" In some years the rainfall and 

snowfall are greater than in others, 

and then the lake usually receives more 

water than it parts with, so that the 

surface is left higher than it was before. In a series of wet years the lake 

level progressively rises; in a series of 

dry years it progressively falls; and 

as the rainfall is irregular the fluctuations of the lake are conspicuous. 

Since definite knowledge of the lake 

began in 1850 there have been five 

periods of increase and four of decrease. (See fig. 62.) The summer 

levels of ^1868 and 1877 were more than 

10 feet above the summer level of 1850, 

and those of 1903 and 1905 were 4 feet
246 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

the mouth of Parleys Canyon, so named in honor of Parley P. Pratt, 

the leader of the " First Immigration," or handcart companies. In 

crossing the valley the traveler may obtain a good idea of its productiveness, for here he sees all kinds of agricultural activities 

truck gardening, fruit growing, and live-stock raising. The area 

passed through is largely suburban, with comfortable bungalows 

embowered in shade. Just beyond the station of Sugar House is 

the State penitentiary, on the left.

From time to time in passing across this low land the traveler can 

see the terraces back of the city, the State Capitol, the University of

below that of 1850. The level of 1914 

was 6 feet above that for 1905.

"The land bordering the lake has 

in many places a slope so gentle that 

a small change in the height of the 

water surface makes a great change 

in the area of the lake. On a map 

completed in 1850 the area shown is 

1,750 square miles; on a map made in 

1869 it is 2,170 square miles. In the 

interval between the two surveys the 

lake had risen 10 feet and this rise 

enlarged the area about 24 per cent. 

From the greater surface the evaporation was of course greater, and 

the dependence of evaporation on area 

is thus an important factor in regu: 

lating the size of the lake. The effect 

of a long series of wet years is somewhat reduced by the resulting increase 

of evaporation surface, and the effect 

of a series of dry years is lessened by 

the resulting reduction of surface exposed to evaporation. This natural 

and automatic control limits the range 

of oscillation and gives a certain permanence to what may be called a normal or average level. A change in 

the normal can occur only when some 

new factor is introduced.

''Both man and nature have introduced new factors and thus have produced changes in the normal level. 

The occupation of the surrounding 

region by white men has recently 

modified the face of the land in ways 

that have a recognized influence on 

the water level; and the ancient history of the lake includes enormous

modifications in response to changes 

of climate,

" Of human influences the most telling has arisen from the development 

of agriculture with irrigation. In 

irrigation the water of rivers and 

creeks is diverted to cultivated fields, 

which first absorb it and then through 

evaporation feed it to the air; and the 

water thus consumed by utilization 

is lost to the lake. With the gradual 

enlargement of the irrigated area the 

normal level of the lake is inevitably 

being lowered, and engineers are already confident that the high-water 

mark of 1877 will never again be 

reached. On the other hand, there is 

no reason to expect the lake's extinction, for there is a limit to the possibilities of irrigation.

"The fresh water brought by the 

rivers mingles gradually with the 

brine, and as the river mouths are on 

or near the eastern shore the brine is 

not so strong at the east as afc the 

west. Analyses of samples of the 

brine gathered at different points and 

in different years report the dissolved 

solids as from 13.7 to 27.7 per cent by 

weight. A sample taken in August, 

1914, contained 18.9 per cent of solids. 

At the present time the average salinity of the lake is about 5i times that 

of the ocean, and its density is 14.5 

per cent greater than that of fresh 

water. * * *

" The brine is weakest in the northeastern arm. * * * This arm has 

been partitioned from the main body
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 247

Utah, and Fort Douglas. Parleys Canyon is the second one south 

of the fort and the next one south of Emigration Canyon.

The canyon is narrow and somewhat winding and in its lower part 

is rather rugged and rocky. The red sandstone and quartzite which 

form so conspicuous a feature of the Wasatch Range show on the 

left, but in a short distance they are cut through by the canyon, and 

then they make the great mountain slope on the right. The rock 

is resistant to weathering and stands out in great cliffs and ribs of 

red that cross the slope nearly at right angles. Farther up, the

by the embankment of the Southern 

Pacific Co. and is continuously supplied with fresh water by Bear River. 

Ice can form on the stronger brine 

only in zero weather, but this arm 

is frozen from side to side every 

winter, and sleighs have been driven 

across it.

" The only climatic element with 

which the lake oscillations have been 

connected by direct observation is precipitation the lake rises or sinks as 

the fall of rain and snow is great or 

small but it is easy to understand 

that the balance between supply and 

loss of water may also be disturbed 

by any change of climate which affects 

the rate of evaporation. As every 

laundress well knows, evaporation is 

favored by heat, by dryness of the air, 

and by strength of wind and is retarded by cold, by moisture in the air, 

and by calm. So there are at least 

four ways in which changes of climate 

may cause the lake to expand or contract. * * *

" The only permanent animal inhabitant of Great Salt Lake is a tiny 

'brine shrimp,' a third of an inch in 

length. A more conspicuous temporary resident is a minute fly, which 

passes its larval stage in the water 

and when its transformation takes 

place leaves behind1 it the discarded 

skin. These flies are so numerous in 

their season that even the passing tourist should feel grateful that they do 

not bite. Their brown exuviae darken 

the water edge and often sully broad 

belts of the lake surface. More decorative denizens are gulls and pelicans, 

which find safe nesting ground on some

of the smaller islands. There are no 

shoal-water plants, and the salt spray 

of the beach is fatal to all land vegetation along the shores.

"When the lake is low its salt is 

segregated and deposited in shallow 

lagoons at its margin, to be redissolved when the water rises. Each 

autumn, as the water cools, deposits of 

hydrated sodium sulphate (Glauber's 

salt) coat piles and other fixed objects 

near the water surface, and the deposits increase as the temperature 

falls. * * * Calcium carbonate 

the mineral constituting limestone, 

travertine, and chalk is continuously 

and permanently separated from the 

water, which is unable to retain that 

which is brought to it by the rivers. 

Along the shores it forms minute balls, 

which together constitute sand, a sand 

quite distinct from the siliceous sand 

of ordinary beaches.

" Man makes little use of the lake. 

On its shores there are neither fisheries nor ports, and commerce finds it 

an impediment rather than an aid. 

Its deposits of Glauber's salts, which 

it offers for the gathering, are neglected because the world's demand is 

small and is cheaply met in other ways. 

Its common salt is harvested with 

great economy of effort, for impurities 

are easily excluded, and the work of 

evaporation is performed by the sun. 

The present annual output of 40,000 

tons must be multiplied fivefold before it can commence to weaken the 

brine. For the rest, man is content to 

resort to its shore for bathing and to 

realize a new sensation as he floats 

upon its surface."
248 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

canyon is cut entirely in gray limestone and calcareous shale, and 

here the slopes are generally smooth and the canyon, though Vshaped, has not particularly steep walls. The canyon continues to 

widen and the surrounding hills to diminish in height until about a 

mile above the station of Dale the valley is very broad and shallow. 

Here the creek forks and the railroad follows the south fork to its 

head. If the traveler will observe closely the slope north of the 

stream at the point where it divides he will see an old road winding 

up over the low ridge which separates it from Emigration Canyon. 

This road is the old Mormon trail. It crossed the high mountain 

that may be seen on the left, came down the north fork of the 

creek, and then crossed the divide to Emigration Canyon, in which it 

may still be seen at the point.where it comes down to the creek. As 

the traveler who makes the journey from Salt Lake City to Park 

City has an opportunity to see some of the country crossed by the 

Mormon pioneers a more extended description of the route they followed and the reasons for so doing are given in the following footnote. 85

85 Although it is probable that between the years 1825 and 1840 most of 

the streams, valleys, and passes of the 

region about Great Salt Lake had been 

traversed by hunters and trappers in 

search of the beaver, these dauntless 

explorers left few if any records of 

their explorations, and the credit for 

the discovery of new routes and the 

making of new trails must be given to 

those who first gave to the world a 

written description of their travels. 

This is undoubtedly, true of the route 

that the Mormons followed down Emigration Canyon. It is probable, indeed almost certain, that Jim Bridger 

was familiar with every valley and 

canyon and mountain pass in this 

region long before the advent of the 

Mormon pioneers, but the information 

was never published, and it was circulated only from one trapper to another 

by word of mouth.

The main route through this western 

country until 1846 was the Oregon 

Trail, which crossed southern Wyoming to Jim Bridger's fort, near the 

southwestern corner of the State, and 

then turned sharply to the north and 

passed through Idaho. Emigrants to 

Oregon and California traveled together by the usual route up Platte 

River, along the Sweetwater, and 

through South Pass to Fort Bridger 

and then to Bear River valley. They 

followed this stream as far as the soda 

springs, where those for Oregon turned 

north to Fort Hall, and those for California followed Bear River southward, 

until at a point within 10 miles of 

Great Salt Lake they turned to the 

west to Ogden (Humboldt) River. 

(See fig. 63.)

The route thus described was followed until 1846, when the emigrants 

destined for California were met in 

the region of Fort Bridger, which previously had been abandoned, by Lansford W. Hastings and James M. Hudspeth, guides, who induced the emigrants to try shorter routes than that 

by the soda springs. One of the parties, which was guided part of the 

way by Hudspeth and equipped with 

pack mules, followed down Echo 

Canyon and Weber River along the 

present route of the Union Pacific 

Railroad to Great Salt Lake. This 

party had little difficulty and was one 

of the first of the season to reach California. Two parties guided by Hastings had much difficulty in finding a
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 249

The railroad climbs steadily and makes several loops in order to 

decrease the grade and finally arrives at the summit at the siding 

of Altus (6,900 feet), about 2,700 feet above the starting point at 

Salt Lake City. By several loops and curves it descends on the east 

to East Canyon Creek at Gogorza and then follows up that stream

114" 113°

IHT 109*

100 Miles

FIGURE 63. Map showing old trails for Oregon and California. 1, Weber Canyon route; 

2, East Canyon route; 3, Parleys Park route.

to Kimball. Although the original trail by which Brigham Young 

and his party of pioneers entered the valley of Great Salt Lake came 

up East Canyon Creek and crossed the crest of the mountains north 

of Altus at nearly its highest point, this trail was used only a short

way for their wagons through Weber 

Canyon and were so much delayed that 

they were the last to cross the Sierra 

Nevada that season. On account of 

the difficulty experienced in Weber 

Canyon, Hastings advised some of the 

parties following to take a route 

farther south, passing around the south 

end of Great Salt Lake. This was 

partly explored the previous year by 

Fremont and later became known as 

the " Hastings cut-off."

The ill-fated Donner party, which 

left Fort Bridger on July 28, 1846, 

were undecided which route to take. 

As they were only a few days behind

Hastings a messenger was sent ahead 

to confer with him. He advised the 

" cut-off," and as a result the party 

proceeded down Weber River only to 

the head of the dreaded canyon, 6 

miles below the mouth of Echo Canyon, at a point where the station 

of Henefer is now situated on the 

Union Pacific Railroad. Here they 

turned to the left and crossed over a 

divide and down a ravine to what is 

now known as East Canyon Creek, a 

route probably as rugged as the one 

they were trying to avoid. They followed this stream up for a distance of 

about 8 miles through a very rocky
250 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTEEN UNITED STATES.

time, for three years later the incoming bands of Mormons, instead 

of following Weber River downstream from the mouth of Echo 

Canyon, turned up Weber River and were soon in the open valley 

where Coalville now stands. They continued up the Weber to Wanship, where they turned to the west, and after crossing a low, flat 

divide reached Parleys Park at Kimball. From this point their 

route practically followed that of the railroad, crossing the summit 

at Altus and continuing down Parleys Canyon to the Salt Lake 

Valley. Over this trail came the "handcart companies" of 1856 

and most of the Mormon emigrants who entered the valley prior to 

the building of the Union Pacific Railroad.

The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad continues to the 

southeast from Kimball through a wide flat known as Parleys Park, 

crosses a divide so low that it is all but imperceptible, and then follows up one of the head branches of Weber River to Park City. 

Parleys Park is at so high an altitude that the ordinary crops can 

not be grown satisfactorily, so it is devoted almost exclusively to 

stock raising. It contains fine fields of hay and pasture, and the 

surrounding mountains afford ample range.

The Wasatch Mountains are noted for the brilliancy of their autumn coloring, and should the traveler pass this way in the early 

autumn, after the first week in September, he will doubtless see a

canyon and then turned to the right 

and ascended a tributary stream which 

heads in one of the high summits of 

the Wasatch Range. They crossed 

this summit and descended the northern branch of what is now known as 

Parleys Canyon. This they followed 

until the canyon closed in about them 

and then they crossed the low ridge 

on the right into what is now called 

Emigration Canyon, and this they descended to the main valley. The road 

was so rough and mountainous that 

it took them 16 days to travel from 

Fort Bridger to the valley of Great 

Salt Lake. This delay and the difficulty which the party experienced in 

the desert around the south end of 

Great Salt Lake caused them to be 

overtaken by winter in the Sierra Nevada, and here the whole party would 

have perished had they not been rescued by men sent out from" the mining 

camps of California. At any rate, 39 

of the 87 persons in the party died of 

cold and starvation.

Many have wondered why the Mormon pioneers followed this route instead of keeping down Weber Canyon 

and reaching the valley at Ogden. It 

seems almost certain that they had, 

while at Fort Bridger, determined 

upon their future location, provided 

the soil was found to be suitable for 

agriculture. As the location was practically decided upon it was only natural for them to take the most direct 

route, which was evidently the so: 

called Hastings cut-off, or the Emigration Canyon trail, as it was known in 

after years. Besides, they knew that 

the trail was passable, for the Donner 

party had cleared it out the year before. A glance at the map will show 

that the Mormon trail is a much 

more direct route from Fort Bridger 

to Salt Lake City than the route 

through Echo and Weber canyons by 

way of Ogden. Some of the old trail 

is still visible in Emigration Canyon, 

which is one of the points of interest 

about Salt Lake City.
DENVER & BIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 251

riot of color on the mountain sides, the dwarf maples showing great 

streaks and splotches of the most vivid scarlet and the aspens rivaling 

them with a blaze of yellow.

The ores mined at Park City carry silver, gold, lead, zinc, and 

copper. At the end of 1920 the camp had produced 142,490,000 

ounces of silver, gold valued at $4,603,000, 661,000 tons of lead, 

37,000 tons of zinc, and 17,000 tons of copper. This was marketed 

for over $183,800,000. The ore occurs as vein fillings or in bedded 

layers in the sandstone and limestone of the Carboniferous system.

BINGHAM, THE GREAT COPPER CAMP.

A visit to Bingham can hardly fail to interest the traveler, for 

almost everyone enjoys seeing the wonderful things man is accomplishing, even though he may not be interested in them financially or 

professionally, and nothing more spectacular than the mining in 

Bingham Gulch can be imagined. In a visit to most mining districts 

the traveler actually sees little of real interest. He may be told that 

this or that mine has produced so many millions of dollars, but great 

dump heaps and mine buildings are about all he sees, and he generally leaves the camp with a very hazy idea of what actually takes 

place in the mine, for he can not see the work that is being done; but 

in Bingham it is different. Here he can see the work actually in 

progress, and he can almost watch the movement of the ore from the 

time it is gathered up by the giant steam shovels until it is delivered 

to the smelter. It is a wonderful sight that can be rivaled only at 

some of the great iron-ore mines of Minnesota.

In order to reach Bingham the traveler has the choice of three 

routes: He may go by train on the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad or the Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, or he may go 

by automobile stage or private conveyance. As the camp should be 

approached by the route that will give the best view with the least 

effort, for the sake of first impressions, the writer would recommend 

that the traveler take the Los Angeles & Salt Lake route, and then 

he may return if he wishes by any other of the routes mentioned.

In going to Bingham by way of the Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad the traveler goes to Garfield on the main line toward Los 

Angeles. In this part of his journey he has a good opportunity to 

see the great flat plain at about the level of the lake, which stretches 

from Salt Lake City to Garfield, a distance of 15 miles. Near Garfield he may see on the north (right) the pavilion at Saltair and 

some of the salt-manufacturing plants in the vicinity, but they are 

so far away that he may not be able to distinguish details. He 

sees little or nothing of the lake, for it is far to the north. The 

town of Garfield was built to accommodate the workers in the Gar-
252 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

field smelter, which was put in operation in 1906. The smelter is 

not visible from the train, but the high stack rises from behind the 

sharp point of rocks on the right as the train makes the curve into 

Garfield. As few travelers are familiar with the smelting of ores, 

a brief description of the work carried on in the Garfield smelter, as 

well as in those seen at other places along the railroad, is given by 

C. N. Gerry in the footnote.86

*8 A smelter is an establishment 

where ores are reduced to the metallic 

state or to matte (pronounced mat; 

crude metal containing sulphur, which 

needs further purification) by melting in a furnace. This statement is 

simple, but the actual working out of 

the process is often lengthy and complex. There are many kinds of smelters iron, zinc, copper, and lead smelters in the East and principally copper 

and lead smelters in the West. Some 

plants are equipped for smelting both 

lead and copper and for producing at 

the same time gold and silver and perhaps the rarer metals in the base bullion. The smelter at Garfield, Utah, 

produces blister copper (crude pig copper, so called from gas blisters that 

form on the surface while cooling), 

from which gold, silver, and copper are 

afterward refined. The dust from the 

furnaces is also saved, and from it are 

obtained gold, silver, and lead. The 

smelter at Murray ^produces principally 

lead bullion containing a small percentage of silver and gold, a matte 

containing copper as well as the precious metals, and arsenic from the flue 

dust. At the Midvale smelter the products are much the same as those of the 

Murray smelter, but in addition the 

metal cadmium is obtained. Some 

smelters operate concentration mills 

in conjunction with the furnaces, in 

order to make a higher grade of ore 

by rejecting a part that is worthless 

or to separate one kind of ore from 

another.

In the early days some of the mines 

were equipped with small furnaces, 

but as these were generally crude the 

losses in slag and fumes were great. 

Mine smelters have been generally

abandoned, and now it is more economical and convenient to ship the 

ore to a centrally located custom plant, 

where it is smelted with ores from 

other mines or even other districts. 

The ore when received is usually 

crushed and carefully mixed, and a 

small sample is taken that will represent the entire lot. This sample is 

" assayed" both by the mining company and the smelting company. That 

is, it is tested to ascertain how much 

of each of the metals it contains. The 

assay at the smelter is often watched 

by representatives of the mining companies called " moochers." If the assays of the owner and of the smelter 

do not agree closely an umpire assayer is called upon to analyze a third 

sample, and the differences are adjusted by arbitration. The ore is then 

paid for according to current metal 

prices less fixed deductions for losses 

in the process, penalties for objectionable ingredients, and a definite charge 

' for smelting all these items being 

frequently covered by contract. The 

ores that reach a custom smelter differ 

greatly in their composition; some contain lead or copper as sulphides with 

gold and silver; others are oxides or 

carbonates that have lost the sulphur. 

Pyritic or iron sulphide ores often contain gold and silver, and a familiar 

ore is one that contains much silica 

or quartz with gold and silver. The 

western sulphide ores frequently contain much zinc, which is objectionable 

in lead smelting and is ordinarily penalized by the smelters when above a 

certain percentage. If the ore contains much sulphur, as it commonly 

does, it receives a preliminary treatment in roasters. Some of these roast-
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 253

From Garfield the route lies almost south along the eastern foot 

of the Oquirrh Range. At Arthur and Magna there are large mills 

for crushing and concentrating the copper ores of the Bingham district. The Magna plant (see PL XCVI, ^4.) has a capacity of 14,000 

tons daily of low-grade ore, and the Arthur plant of 10,000 tons. 

From Magna southward the train runs over the tracks of the Bingham & Garfield Railway, which was built in 1911 for the sole purpose of transporting ore from Bingham to Garfield. This road is 

said to handle a greater tonnage of freight to the mile than any 

other railroad in the United States.

After leaving Magna the track wjnds up the slopes of the mountain, but as it traverses mainly the sand and gravel deposited in 

ancient Lake Bonneville, there are few rock cuts. In this interval 

the traveler has several excellent views of the terraces of Lake Bonneville (see PL XCVI, Z?), and as the track enters, tihe mouth of Bingham Canyqn the road has attained about the level of the highest or 

Bonneville shore line.

ers are circular, about 22 feet in diameter, and have a number of hearths 

on which the ore is slowly " rabbled " 

or raked by arms that extend from 

the center. After entering at the top 

and passing over the hearths it has 

been relieved of most of its sulphur 

and is then dumped into cars. Another type of roaster produces a coherent mass called sinter, which naturally makes a less dusty charge for the 

blast furnace. In some places, a series 

of pots are use<J in which the sulphur 

is burned off by the aid of a blast 

after the introduction of burning coal. 

Years ago at Butte, Mont., the ore was 

roasted in the open air on piles of 

cordwood, but the farmers objected to 

a process which permitted the escaping gases to destroy vegetation. In 

most places, therefore, the smoke and 

gases are now carefully diverted and 

treated. The result is that farms now 

thrive close to smelter stacks, and the 

smelters make a much better saving 

of metal.

The blast furnace in common use is 

upright and has a rectangular cross 

section. It is cooled by a water jacket, 

and the charge on the hearth receives 

an air blast, as its name implies. For

the best results the charge must be 

carefully calculated and weighed.. It 

usually consists of about 75 per cent 

of ore that has been previously 

roasted, mixed with coke, limestone, 

and old scrap iron or slag. After 

smelting has been in progress several 

hours lead bullion forms in the crucible, if the charge consisted of lead 

ores, and slag and matte flow into 

special cars. The bullion is skimmed 

to remove the dross or impurities and 

then cast into bars, which are shipped 

to refineries where the gold, silver, 

and lead are separated. The slag, 

which contains iron, silica, and other 

substances, is discarded, and the matte, 

which contains gold, silver, copper, 

and lead, is either crushed and returned to the blast furnace or shipped 

to a refinery. Some plants use reverbatory furnaces in smelting lead ores 

that contain little silica. These furnaces are horizontal and combine 

roasting with reduction. The product 

is lead bullion and a residue which 

may be treated in a blast furnace. In 

all these operations, but especially in 

the operation of the blast furnace, the 

draft of air takes up small particles of 

ore, and the intense heat volatilizes
254 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

By climbing steadily from Garfield the railroad is here about 200 

feet above the bottom of the canyon, and the traveler may look 

down on the left and note all the activities of a mining town. (See 

PI. XCV, A.) The canyon is very narrow, and the town consists of 

a single street with scarcely room enough for houses on both sides. 

The view from the train would be fine were it not that the road is 

chiefly carved through the mountains. From time to time the train 

emerges from the portal of a tunnel and crosses one of the side canyons on a steel trestle 200 feet or more high. The traveler may then 

have a good view of the canyon, but the mines are mostly above the 

town, so that they are not visibte until the train stops.

When the traveler alights from the train he finds himself high up 

on the side of the canyon and at its largest fork. He may well stop 

here to look at the surroundings, for it is doubtful if he will find as 

good a viewpoint without considerable climbing. He may look in 

vain for the mines, but instead he will see the wall of ihe canyon 

before him creased with horizontal benches and on each of these 

benches an enormous steam shovel lifting the ore and its overburden

some of the metals, such as lead, zinc, 

and arsenic. The fumes are therefore 

turned down into long semicircular 

flues, where the dust particles collect, 

or they are cooled and condensed to 

solids in chambers. In some plants 

the particles are collected by being 

passed through pipes fitted with a central insulated wire, the pipe and wire 

forming the two poles of a high-tension 

electric field. The dust becomes 

charged with electrostatic energy and 

is driven to one pole of the field, where 

it accumulates and is periodically collected. Arsenic is also saved by passing the fumes through thousands of 

woolen bags treated with zinc oxide or 

lime. At present many plants use the 

fumes in the manufacture of sulphuric 

acid, which is again utilized in the 

leaching of copper ores. These devices 

have brought a great change in smelting. Many years ago a dense volume 

of smoke marked the position of the 

smelter stack, but now the smoke nuisance is largely abated.

Copper smelting to a certain extent 

is similar to lead smelting, but the 

products must be treated somewhat 

differently. Roasters, reverberatories, 

and blast furnaces are used, but the

operation of the blast furnace, instead 

of making copper bullion, results in 

copper matte, a product that contains 

copper, sulphur, and iron. This matte 

is again treated in converters which 

have an opening in the top to dispose 

of the fumes and to receive the matte 

when the converter is charged. An 

intense blast of air is forced in from 

the sides, allowing oxygen to combine 

with the sulphur and form sulphurous 

gases which are led away from the 

top, and after about 2 hours the matte 

is " blown " into the product known as 

blister copper, which contains about 

98 per cent of pure copper. If much 

gold and silver is present the blister 

copper is further refined.

A large copper smelter in operation 

is a most impressive sight. It consists of a row of blast furnaces belching forth white-hot slag. Strings of 

cars take the fiery material to the slag 

dump, and glowing streams of the 

melted matte flow from the furnaces 

into large kettles. Traveling cranes 

pick up the kettles and pour the molten 

matte into the converters, where, with 

an intense light, the work of " blowing" begins, which changes the matte 

to blister copper,
XT. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 707 PLATE XCV

A. BINGIIAM CANYON.

View of the canyon above the mouth of Carrs Fork from the station of the Los Angeles & Salt 

Lake Railroad. The copper ore is mined by steam shovels and loaded directly into railroad cars, 

which are run on all the levels. It is then taken to the mills for concentration, and the concentrate goes to Garfield for smelting. Photograph by Shiplers, Salt Lake City.

B. BINGHAM MINK OF UTAH COPPKH CO.

Near view of the copper mine, showing most of the 24 levels upon which excavating work is going 

on. The levels extend from the bottom to the top of the canyon wall, a vertical distance of about 

1,600 feet. About 21,000 tons of material is handled daily in this mine. Photograph by Shiplers, Salt Lake City.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLKTTN 707 PLATE XCVI

A. MAGMA MILL OF THE UTAH COPPER CO.

The Magna mill, at the north end of the Oquirrh Mountains, was built to concentrate a part of 

the copper ore mined at Bingham. It treats more than 10,000 tons of ore daily. Ahove the 

mill may he seen some of the terraces of old Lake Bonneville; the uppermost is the Bonneville 

shore line. Photograph by Shiplers, Salt Lake City.

B. BONNEVILLK SHORK LINK ON WASATCH MOUNTAINS.

Near view of the west face of the Wasatch Mountains showing the horizontal band across the mountain front that looks like a well-graded road. This is the beach cut by the waves of Lake Bonneville when it stood 1,000 feet higher than the water stands to-duy in Great Salt Lake. Photograph. 

by Shiplers, Salt Lake City.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 255

upon waiting cars.87 (See PI. XCV, B.) When the cars are full 

they are drawn away and made up into trains to be sent to the concentrators at Magna and Arthur. The side of the canyon in front of 

the traveler is 1,600 feet high, and it is divided into 24 steam-shovel 

levels, on each of which is a railroad track. At present about 60,000

81 C. N. Gerry gives the following account of the development of the mines 

at Bingham and the wonderful work 

that is now being done there.

About 25 miles southwest of Salt 

Lake City, in a narrow canyon, is the 

town of Bingham, which has been a 

mining center since 1865. Recently the 

camp has assumed great importance, 

and at the present time it is unique 

among producing regions in that it has 

the largest single copper mine in the 

United States. Up to 1900 the camp 

had been producing metals valued at 

more than a million dollars a year, and 

that was regarded as a large output. 

The production jumped to $3,000,000 in 

1901, to $39,000,000 in 1915, and to 

$72,000,000 in 1917. In 1918 it fell to 

$62,800,000, in 1919 to $27,900,000, and 

in 1920 to $27,500,000. As a spot of 

beauty or a model of cleanliness the 

place is not worth noting, but its 

gigantic mining operations are certainly impressive.

The history of the first mineral discovery is unusual, for ore was found 

in 1863 by soldier prospectors under 

Gen. P. E. Connor, who was stationed 

at Fort Douglas. While the Indians 

were quietly hunting and the Mormons 

were peacefully pursuing agriculture 

and irrigation, the soldiers, who were 

from California, were engaged in the 

search for mineral wealth.

Although the district was never 

famous as a source of free gold, considerable placer mining was done about 

1865 in the vicinity of the present 

town of Bingham and for several 

miles east along the canyon. The first 

shipment of copper ore, which was 

made in 1868, was hauled to a station 

on the Union Pacific Railroad and 

was shipped to Baltimore. Not until 

1873 did railroad connection with the 

outside world give an impetus to

genuine development. About this time 

the adverse attitude of the Mormons 

changed, and the church began to encourage the mining industry. Then 

followed a period of lead mining, 

which was fairly successful while the 

oxidized zone was being exploited. In 

the early eighties several stamp mills 

were erected to treat oxidized gold 

ore. Then other lead carbonate bodies 

containing silver were successfully 

mined until the decline in the price of 

silver in 1893. This period was followed by the development of the heavy 

copper and iron sulphide ore, which is 

a conspicuous ore of the camp even at 

the present time. It contains about 30 

per cent of iron, 30 per cent of sulphur, and a few per cent of copper. 

The problem of economically treating 

it was not solved until 1899, when efficient smelting plants were constructed. 

Most of these plants were built in the 

Salt Lake Valley east of Bingham. 

As the lead mines became deeper sulphide ore began to appear, which 

added other difficulties to be overcome. 

Some of this ore was sufficiently rich 

to be shipped at a profit, but much of 

it required concentration, so plants 

using crushers, rolls, jigs, and concentration tables were erected. Several times these plants, as well SB 

dwellings, have met with disaster 

when a large boulder or even a derailed engine rolled down the steep 

hillside. When much zinc sulphide occurred with the lead the smelters imposed a penalty, but later, when the 

zinc was separated, it became a valuable product. Not until 1909, however, was the zinc product sold. At 

present the entire output of the district is shipped and concentrated, or 

separated, and smelted. So the camp 

has had a great variety of ores, from 

simple free-gold ore and oxidized cop-
256 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

tons of material is being handled daily, of which 38,000 tons is cap 

rock and 22,000 tons ore.

As seen from the station of the Bingham & Garfield Eailway 

the canyon resembles a fairy scene. Here and there on the mountain 

side gnomes and dwarfs are digging their way along its front. Puffs 

of steam show the location of tiny steam shovels laboring away to

per and lead ores to difficult sulphides 

of iron, lead, copper, and zinc, even 

down to the famous low-grade disseminated ore containing specks of 

copper sulphide that constitutes the 

bulk of the copper ore mined at the 

present time.

The treatment of the ore has kept 

pace with discovery, gradually developing from the panning of placer 

gold and the amalgamation and cyanidation of gold and silver ores to the 

concentration and separation of copper, lead, and zinc ores. The smelting 

has grown from the old furnace that 

looked like a stove to a plant that 

covers hundreds of acres.

About 1900 events of real importance to Bingham's growth began to 

occur. In that year the output of 

gold, silver, copper, and lead had a 

value of over $1,500,000, and there was 

a general consolidation of mining 

property in order to effect economy in 

operation, and the building of large 

smelting plants to treat these ores 

began.

In 1902 the United States Smelting & 

Refining Co. constructed a plant at 

Midvale, east of Bingham, to treat 

1,000 tons of copper ore a day, and 

later the company built a lead plant to 

treat 400 tons a day. At present this 

plant has developed into one that 

treats 1,500 tons a day, and the copper 

furnaces are idle. A copper plant was 

also erected in the Salt Lake Valley 

by the Bingham Copper & Gold Co., 

which owned large interests at Bingham. The Highland Boy mine developed so extensive a body of copper ore that a smelting plant was 

built near Murray. Both these plants 

operated for years but were afterward 

dismantled. Ore from the Yampa mine

was treated in a copper plant in the 

canyon below the town. The American 

Smelting & Refining Co.'s lead plant 

at Murray, with eight blast furnaces, 

was erected in 1901; it had much to 

do with the exploitation of lead ores 

from Bingham. There have been several concentration mills close to the 

mines, such as the Utah, Apex, Bingham, New Haven, and custom mills, 

but a considerable proportion of the 

lead-zinc ore is now shipped to Midvale, where it is concentrated and separated into lead and zinc products.

The operation of these mines created 

a maze of underground workings, miles 

in extent. Without a map or guide 

traveling in the tunnels is dangerous.^ 

Some years ago a Mexican criminal, 

by his knowledge of the workings of 

the Apex mine, succeeded in eluding 

the sheriff who was pursuing him. 

How he got out and where he went is 

one of the mysteries of Bingham.

In 1905 the 21 mines in operation produced more than a million tons of ore, 

which was valued at nearly $10,000,000. 

As many of the mines are several miles 

from the railroad terminus, it was 

necessary to haul the ore by teams or 

to use transportation tunnels or aerial 

tramways. Several tramways lead 

 down the canyon or over the crest of 

the range to the International smelter 

at Tooele (too-ell'y), which in October, 

1916, was treating 1,200 tons of copper 

charge and 1,500 tons of lead charge 

daily.

Although the ores mentioned have 

played an important part in the past 

development of Bingham, they are now 

of less relative value, for the great 

work of to-day is the mining, concentrating, and smelting of copper ore, 

which averages about 1.5 per cent of
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 257

help tear down the mountain. Locomotives with long lines of ore 

cars shuttle back and forth across the face of the mountain, at times 

directly above the spectator, then again far below. It seems to be 

pandemonium let loose, but out of it comes the ore in a steady stream 

that makes the spectator wonder.

metallic copper. This ore occurs as 

grains of copper sulphide disseminated 

in a large mass of monzonite.

From 1903 to 1909 the Boston Consolidated Mining Co., which operated 

on part of this ground, used steam 

shovels and produced over 43,000,000 

pounds of copper. The ore averaged 

1.65 per cent copper, or only 33 pounds 

of copper in 2,000 pounds of ore. The 

loss in milling reduced this figure to 23 

pounds actually recovered.

In 1904 the Utah Copper Co. built 

the Copperton mill for experimental 

work in the lower canyon. As the 

work progressed the mill was increased in size until it could treat 900 

tons of ore a day. At the same time 

underground development was proceeding, and in 1906 it amounted to nearly 

18 miles. The plan was to extract ore 

by the caving system, but when some 

idea was gained of the extent of the 

ore body and the amount that would 

be required to make a sufficient tonnage of commercial concentrate, steam 

shovels were put to work. These 

shovels have been used ever since, 

partly to load ores on cars for milling 

and partly to remove the top or cap of 

the deposit, a brown oxidized material 

from which part of the copper has been 

removed by natural leaching. A photograph taken in 1906 shows only one 

steam shovel, and that one was at 

work on the capping. Trees still grew 

on the hillside, where apparently slight 

change had been made on the surface.

In 1909 the property of the Boston 

Co. was consolidated with that of the 

Utah Copper Co., which thus acquired 

740 acres of mineralized territory, 

most of which is north and west of 

the main canyon. When the first mill 

at Copperton proved that the ore 

could be successfully treated the

Magna mill (PI. XCVI, A), 15 miles 

north of Bingharn, was constructed, 

section by section, until its capacity 

was 4,000 tons of material a day. 

The ore was concentrated at the ratio 

of 20 tons of ore containing less than 

2 per cent to 1 ton of concentrate containing about 25 per cent copper, leaving 95 per cent of the original material 

to be discarded as tailing. The development proceeded so rapidly that 

the company was reorganized many 

times. In 1904 it was capitalized at 

$4,500,000, and in 1910 its capitalization reached $25,000,000. To increase the extraction of ore the only 

thing necessary was more steam shovels. The solitary shovel of 1906 had 

22 companions in 1910. But transportation and milling had to keep pace 

with mining. The Garfleld branch of 

the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad 

hauled an immense tonnage, but in 

1911 the Utah Copper Co. constructed 

a railroad from Bingham to Garfield, 

a distance of 20 miles, in order to meet 

its needs.

After the property of the Boston 

Consolidated Co. was taken over the 

3,000-ton mill near Garfield was remodeled and enlarged. This mill was 

later called the Arthur plant. It 

treated 8,000 tons of ore a clay in 1910 

and 15,000 tons in 1918; the Magna 

mill treated 10,000 tons of ore a day 

in 1910 and 18,000 tons in 1918. The 

Magna plant was shut down in February, 1919. In 1920 the Arthur plant 

treated 5,500,000 tons of ore. A mill 

treating 500 tons is considered- a fairsized plant, but these mills require 12 

trains a day hauling 40 cars of 50 

tons of ore each. The Magna plant 

alone covers 20 acres, and the company owns an immense acreage for the 

disposal of the tailings. Like most
258 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

The town of Bingham may be as interesting to the traveler as the 

great mines that give it life. Through force of circumstances it is 

a one-street town, and this street winds and twists with the winding 

and twisting of the narrow canyon. The street is so narrow that 

the traffic is accommodated with difficulty. By patience teams and 

wagons are maneuvered so as to allow automobiles to pass, but even 

these autocrats of the highway are sometimes involved in an almost 

hopeless tangle. Residences have been built wherever there was 

space; if this space was on level ground so much the better, but it

plants of this character, it is built on a 

hillside so that the ore may pass by 

gravity from one process to another. 

The ore is ground very fine. After the 

material has been well classified it 

reaches tables and vanners. The table 

has a plane surface, which is tilted at 

an angle and partly covered with riffles 

or strips of wood./ As the machine is 

agitated the water carries the lighter 

gangue or waste material over the 

edge, separating it from the heavier 

copper and iron minerals held by the 

riffles. A well-managed table will 

sometimes distinctly show three different minerals, such as lead, zinc, and 

iron sulphides, which have been separated because of their difference in 

weight. This machine applies the principle of wet concentration. The principle of flotation is the direct opposite of this principle, for the heavy 

metallic particles in the flotation process float on a froth after the finely 

crushed ore is mixed with oil and air. 

Experiments with flotation are going 

on at Magna and Arthur, and if this 

system is used in conjunction with wet 

concentration the saving from losses 

in tailing will probably be increased 

about 20 per cent. At present the 

mills save 63 per cent, or about 18 

out of 28 pounds of copper. A ton 

of the ore treated would make a cube 

about 28 inches on a side, but the 

copper recovered would be only about 

a 4-inch cube. An additional 5 pounds 

to the ton amounts to a large, increase 

in production if 8,000,000 tons are 

treated each year. If flotation can 

make a better saving on the sulphide

ore and the leaching process can be 

used in treating the oxidized portion 

the future will be bright, especially as 

the company estimates the life of the 

mine at over 60 years. When copper 

is 25 cents a pound ore is worth over 

$4 a ton at the present rate of saving, 

and all costs of mining and treatment 

are less.than $1.

The great work of mining may be 

observed from the station of the Bingham & Garfield Railroad. In the view 

looking south, as shown in Plate XCV, 

B, the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

tracks circle the hills on several levels. 

The northern side of the canyon is 

served by the Bingham & Garfield 

road. The work of the steam shovels 

can be seen to better advantage if one 

walks along the main canyon. The ore 

body is about a mile in length and 

approximately 1,500 feet above the 

level of the road. Over 43,000,000 tons 

has already been removed from the 

mine, and drilling in various parts of 

the area has shown that a total of 

390,000,000 tons is available. Steam 

shovels (PL XCV, B) operate on a 

great many levels, from the base of the 

hill up to the very summit, where the 

cap is being removed and dumped near 

the old Jordan mine. In each scoopful 

the steam shovel lifts 4 tons of the 

ore into cars. The mining, handling, 

and concentrating on a large scale by 

the Utah Copper Co. of this great mass 

of low-grade ore, which for a long time 

was considered too poor to be of value, 

has revolutionized Bingham. The output of the Utah Copper Co. has grown 

rom 3,000,000 pounds of copper in 1903
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 259

was not left vacant even if it was on the steep mountain side. 

People live almost in the midst of the great excavation, and they 

soon become accustomed to the rumble of the train above, below, 

around, and in fact on ajl sides.

When the traveler has satisfied his curiosity regarding both the 

mine and the town he can return by way of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Western Railroad, which runs in the bottom of the canyon, 

to Salt Lake City to resume his westward journey, if he has not 

reached the end of his route.

to a maximum of 206,000,000 pounds in 

1917; in 1920 it was 106,600,000 

pounds. The aggregate production for 

the district to the end of 1920 has been 

2,100,000,000 pounds. In 1915 the gold 

and silver were about ten times, the 

lead twenty times, and the copper 

thirty times the output in 1900. 

Bingham should hare celebrated its 

fiftieth anniversary in 1915, but the 

date was forgotten in the anxiety to 

add to a record of metal output valued 

at nearly $280,000,000 in 50 years. 

The total value at the end of 1920 

was $538,000,000.

Several large low-grade deposits are 

worked in other States at Ely, Nev.; 

Ray and Miami, Ariz.; and Chino, 

N. Mex. but these do not compare in 

size or output with the mine of the 

Utah Copper Co. Credit for the great, 

achievement must be given to many. 

Col. E. A. Wall always had implicit 

faith that this grade of mineral would 

eventually become commercial ore. 

The Boston Consolidated Co., with Mr. 

J. A. Bettles, worked out many of the 

mining and milling difficulties, and 

credit for organization and financing 

is due to Col. D. C. Jackling,

INDEX OF PLACES AND SPECIAL FEATUKES.

[Italic numbers are used for views.]

A.

Page. Sheet.

Acequia, Colo_____________ 23

Adobe, Colo __ ____

Akin siding, Colo_______ 152

Allenton, Colo______________

Altus, Utah___________ 249 

American Fork, Utah _______

Americus, Colo______ __ 

Anaconda mine, Colo _ __ 4S 

Animals In national forests 82, in 

Antlers, Colo___,_______

Apple trees in bloom____ 205 

Arena, Colo________ _ 

Arkansas River valley and

canyon ____ 76, 80, 90 

Austin, Colo ___________ 180

Avon, Colo _______ 122-123,128

B.

Badger, Colo ________

Badger Creek, Colo______ 88 

Badlands at foot of Book

Cliffs______ 19T 

" Balanced Rock," Colo 36 

Baldwin, Colo_________ 169 

Battlement Mesa.Colo. 144,145,146-

147, 148, 150, 151, 180 

Bear Creek canyon, Colo _ 46 

Bear Lake, Utah________'. 244 

Beaver, Colo__________ 66 

Beayertail tunnel, Colo_ 152 

Beckwith Plateau, Utah___ 202, 

207, 208, 209, 210 

Beehive House, Salt Lake

City __.______________ 239

Belden, Colo______ _ 118

Belleview, Colo _____

Bingham, Utah_______ 251-259 

Bingham Canyon, Utah __ 251, 254 

Bingham mine, Utah____ 236-

237, 254, 255-259

Bitter Creek, Utah______ 195

Black Canyon, Colo __ 171,

172, 173, 173-174, 175

See also Gunnison River.

Black Mesa, Colo_____ 173

Blue Creek, Colo____-___ 173

Book Cliffs, Colo.-Utah_ 156,186,187,

190, 197, 199, 200, 201,

202, 207, 208-209, 210 

Borst, Colo ________________

Brewster, Colo 69 

Bridgeport, Colo ______ 182,183

80697° 22 18

1

2

7

4

10

10

2-4

4

3

10

10

7

7-9

1

Page. Sneet.

Brown Canyon, Colo______ 92,93 3 

Brush Creek, Colo_______ 128 4 

Buena Vista, Colo_______ 97-98 3 

Bull Hill, Cripple Creek district J,9 

Burnham, Colo__ _ 22 

Burnito siding, Colo __ 75 

Burro, patient__________ 105 

Buttes, Colo ___________ 56 2 

Buxton, Colo ______ ___ 3

. C.

Cactus Valley, Colo____ 144 

Calcite.Colo__________ 87 3 

California Gulch, Colo__ 104,105 

California Mesa, Colo____ 179-180 

Cameo, Oolo__ 155 7 

Cameron, Utah _______ 215,216 

Canon City, Colo ______ 70,

71-72, 79, 80, 140 2 

Canon City coal field 68-69 

Carbonate Hill, Leadville__ 104 

Carlile, Colo___________ 2 

Castllla, Utah__________ 226 9 

Castlegate, Utah_______ 155,

156, 214-216,216, 217 9 

Castle Rock, Colo___ 21,25-26 1 

Cathedral Rocks, Colo____ 48 

Cebolla, Colo________ 172 6 

Cedar Creek, Colo_____ 177 6 

Cedaredge, Colo________ 180 

Cedar siding, Utah_______ 211 8

Cerro Summit, Colo ___ 175,176 6 

Chacra siding, Colo______ 140 5 

Chalk Creek canyon, Colo 94, 95 3 

Charcoal kilns, old____ _ SO 

Cheesman Lake, Colo 21 1 

Cherry Creek, Colo_______ 22 1 

Chester, Colo__________ 167 3 

Chipeta, Colo __________ 6 

Cimarron, Colo________ 173,175 6 

Cimarron Creek and canyon,

Oolo__ _ 174,176 6 

Cirque on a mountain side 92 

Cisco, Utah.__ 197 7 

City .Creek, Utah;_______ 243 

Clear Creek, Colo., canyon of- 15 1

wheat field on __ 7 

Clear Creek, Utah _____ 218 9

Cleora, Colo____________ 3

Cliff siding, Utah________ 210 8 

Clifton, Colo__________ 157 7 

Coal bed, thick________ 195

261
262 INDEX OF PLACES AND SPECIAL FEATURES.

Page. Sheet.

Cochetopa Creek, Colo____ 169 6 

Coke ovens at Sunnyside,

Utah______ m 

Collegiate Range, Colo ____ 94 

Colorado, relief map of- 2 

Colorado State capitol 6 

Colorado State flower_ 10 

Colorado City, Colo 35 2 

Colorado National Monument- 188 

column of sandstone in 189 

Colorado River ___-_ 110, 131, 

132,134,135,138, 

152-154, 157, 158 4-8 

valley and canyons of 132, 

133, 136, 156, 184, 185, 

190, 193, 195, 197, 203 

See also Grand Canyon 

and Ruby Canyon.

Colorado Springs, Colo 34,39 2 

Colorado-Utah State line __ 195 1 

Colton, Utah_________ 149,218 9 

Continental Divide__ 110, 111, 136 

Copperton, Utah_______ 257 10 

Corona, Colo __ 7,12 

Cotopaxi, Colo _________ 84 3 

Cottonwood, Utah _______ 195 7 

Cottonwood Creek, Utah__ 195 8 

Cottonwood Hot Springs,

Cv>lo_______ 98 

Craig, Colo _____ 145 

Cranes Park, Colo_____ 4 

Crescent siding, Utah_____ 201 8 

Crested Butte, Colo____ 169,181 

Crews, Colo __ 2 

Cripple Creek, Colo______ 46-47 2 

Crookton, Colo __________ 167 3 

Cross-bedding in sandstone 179 

Cross Creek, Colo_____ 119, 120 

Curecanti, Colo_________ 173 

Curecanti Needle, Colo__l 173, W

D.

Daly, Utah ____________ 8 

Dawson Butte, Colo _____ 27 1 

De Beque, Colo_________ 150 5

bare hills opposite IJfi

sculptured butte near__ 149 

Deen, Colo____________ 115 4 

Deer Run, Colo_________ 7 

Delta, Colo _______ 179,180,181 6 

Denver, Colo _________ 3-7, 110 1

State capitol at_____ .6 

Denver & Rio Grande Railroad as originally planned, 

map of __ 56 

Desert, Utah ________ 8

Deseret State _______-__ 223 

Detour, Utah, __'_______ 222 9 

Devils Head, Colo_________ 27

Devils Slide, Colo_'- ____ 46 

Diamond Fork, Utah____ 225, 226 9 

Dillon, Colo___________ 110 

Dinosaurs__ ___ 70

tracks of __ _ 71

Page. Sheet. 

Dome Rock, Platte Canyon,

Colo______ 21 

Dominguez, Colo _ 7 

Dotsero siding, Colo____ 131.132 4 

Douglas, Colo __^__ 1 

Doyle, Colo ___________ 168 3 

Durango, Colo_________ 178 

Durham, Colo __ _ 7

' ' E.

Eagle, Colo __________ 128, 129 4 

Eagle Gate, Salt Lake City__ 239 

Eagle Park, Colo______ 113-114 

Eagle River, Colo _____ 114, 

115-116, 117, 119, 

1'23, 125, 130, 131 4 

canyon of __ 105,117,118 4 

valley of _ 118 

lava flow in_____ 119 

recent volcano in__ 119 - 

East Canyon Creek, Utah__ 249 

East Fork of Arkansas River.

Colo______ 109,110 4 

East Fork of Eagle River.

Colo-:_____ 113, 114 

Echo, Colo _______ 3 

Eden, Colo ___________ 56 2 

Edgerton, Colo________ 32-33 2 

Edwards siding, Colo_____ 123 

" Egyptian Priests " _____ 194 

" Elephant Rock " ____ 32 

Elgin, Utah___________ 203 6 

Elk Creek, Colo. (near Belden) _____ 119,120 4 

Elk Creek, Colo. (near Cebolla) ____ 172 6 

Elkhorn, Colo__________ 171 

Elko, Colo_____ ____ 3 

Emigration Canyon, Utah__ 237 10 

Englemann spruce_ ____ 29 

Ensign Peak, Utah_______ 237 

Erosion, intricate._______ 132 

Erosion columns, earth____ 105 

Escalante, Colo ________ 182 7 

Evergreen Lake, Colo ____ 109

F.

Fairview siding, Colo_____ 178 6 

Farnham, Utah ________ 213 9 

Faults, inclined and vertical- 216 

Fernleaf, Colo_________ 3 

Fillmore, Utah_________ 207 

Fire-lookout station_____ 31 

Fish, stocking a stream with__ in 

Flattops, Colo_________ 180 5 

Florence, Colo _________ 67, 68 2 

Forest fires, results of___ 28 

Forest nursery________ 30 

Fort Douglas, Utah_____ 240, 247 

Fort Logan, Colo________ 19, 22 1 

Fountain, Colo_________ 55 2. 

Fremont Pass, Colo__ 109,110,115 4 

Front Range_________ 163,181 

Fruita, Colo_________ 185,188 7

G. 

Game in national forests 82, JU2
INDEX OF PLACES AND SPECIAL FEATURES. 263

Page. Sheet.

Garden of the Gods_____ 36-40 2

gateway to 35

gateway and spires of__ 37

geologic map of __ 38

Garfleld, Utah _________ 239,

251-253, 254, 257 10 

Garfleld smelter____ 239,252-254 

Geneva, Utah ________ 10

Georgetown, Colo_ 13,17 1 

Gilluly, Utah__________ 221 9 

Gilman, Colo_________ 117-118 

Glade, Colo____________ 1

Glen Eyrie, Colo., the " Major

Domo " in __ 33 

Glen Park, Colo________ 1 

Glenwood Springs, Colo__ 132-133,

137, 137-138, 144 5 

Gold dredging 81 

Golden, Colo _____ ___ 13,14 1 

Goldfleld Junction, Colo__ 47 

Goodnight, Colo__ 2 

Gore Canyon, Colo_ 131 

Gores Creek, Colo_____ 121-122 4 

Gorge, Colo ____________ 76-77

Grand Canyon ________ 204-206

Grand Hogback, Colo__ 139, 140,

142, 144, 147, 151 5 

Grand Junction, Colo_ ___ 143,

158, 181, 184-185 7 

Grand Mesa, Colo_______ 145,

155, 157, 180, 181, 183 5 

Grand River _____ 110 

Grand Valley, Colo__ 148,149,150 5 

cliffs of_____^_______ 148

.Grand Valley irrigation project,

Colo_____ 152-154 '7 

Granite, Colo _________ 101 4 

Granite, natural monument of 98 

potholes in boulders of 98 

Grassy Creek valley, Utah. 210, 211 

Grassy siding, Utah_____ 210 8 

Gravan, Utah ________ 10

Grays Peak, Colo 18 

Grays siding, Colo_______ 164

Great Basin _________ 229,232 

Great Salt Lake________ ° 203,

240, 243, 244-247 10 

Green River _______ 202,203,204 8 

Greenriver, Utah ____.,__ 202, 204 8 

Greenhorn Mountains, Colo 82 

Greenland, Colo ________ 31 1 

Grizzly Creek, Colo______ 136 5 

Grizzly siding, Colo______ 136 

Gunnison, Colo_____ 168,169 6

Gunnison Butte, Utah- 197,202-203 8 

Gunnison River valley and

canyon 158,169, 

171, 172, 173, 176, 

n9, 180, 182-184 6,7 

See also Black Canyon. 

Gunnison tunnel Jf75,177 6 

Gypsum, Colo_____ 129,130 4 

Gypsum Creek, Colo _ 129 4

H.

Hagerman Pass, Colo 110,136 4 

Hanging Lake, Colo- 137; 138

Hecla Junction, Colo ____. 

Helper, Utah__________ 214

Page. Sheet. 

93

9

cliffs above_______ 211 

Henkel, Colo__________ 2 

Henry Mountains, Utah__ 198, 207 

Hiawatha, Utah,________ 215 9 

Hierro siding, Colo______ 171 6 

High Line irrigation canal,

Colo _____ 152-154, 7

184,190

diversion dam of____ 153 1 

Hobble Canyon, Utah_____ 233 10 

Holy Cross Mountains. See 

Sawatch Range. 

Holy Cross National Forest,

Colo_____ 112-113 

Homestake Creek and valley,

Colo__ 115,116,117 4 

Homestake Glacier, map of_ llfi 

Homestake Peak, Colo _ 111 

Hotchkiss, Colo________ 180 6 

Howard, Colo __________ 83,86-88 3

Husted, Colo 1_ _ 1 

Hydroelectric plant on Spanish Fork ___ 228

I.

Idaho Springs, Colo 16 1 

lola, Colo-1- 171 

Iron Spring, Canon City,

Colo _______ 74 

Irrigation, control of, in

orchards __ 188 

results from _ 178 

two crops from _ 188 

Ives, Colo 5

J.

James Peak, Colo 11

Jefferson Territory and State- 62-

65, 223

Jordan River, Utah 235-236, 244 10 

Jordan River valley, Utah__ 235 10 

Juab, Utah__ 149

K.

Kahnah, Colo , 7

Keeldar, Colo______ 4

Kelker, Colo_______ _ 2 

Kenilworth, Utah 214, 215 9

Kent siding, Colo _ 127 4

Kezar, Colo__ _ __ 6

Kimball, Utah __ 250 10

Kobe, Colo_ _____ _ 4

Kyune, Utah_________ 217 9

Lacy, Colo 5 

Lake Bonneville and its shore

lines-___ 239,228- 

231, 235, 236, 239, 255 

Lake City, Colo ______ 172,173 

Lake Creek, Colo______ 102,103 4 

Lake Forki Colo_______ 110,173 6 

Lake Junction, Colo_____ 6 

Lakota, Utah 10 

La Plata Peak_______ 102,103 4
264 INDEX OF PLACES AND SPECIAL FEATURES.

Page. Sheet.

Larkspur, Cola_________ 28 1 

Larkspur Butte, Colo_____ 30 

La Sal Mountains, Utah__ 196,197 

Leadville, Colo__ 103,104-109, 110 4 

Leadville National Forest__ 95-97 

Lehi, Utah_________ 234,235 10 

Lion House, Salt Lake City 239 

Little Book Cliffs, Colo__ 156, 167 1 

Littleton, Colo _________ 23 1 

Livesey siding, Colo 65 

Lodgepole pine forest _ 76 

Loma, Colo_____-___ 152,190 . 7 

Loretto Academy, Cblo____ 22 

Louviers, Colo _________ 24, 25 1 

Lynndyl, Utah_________ 234

M.

Mack, Colo ___________ " 190 7 

Magna, Utah ________ 253, 257 10 

Magna mill ___________ 255 

" Major Domo," Glen Eyrie,

Colo_______ -S3 

Malta, Colo___________ 104 4 

Manitou, Colo____ _____ 35 2

geologic map of ____ 38 

Mapleton, Utah __________ 231 9

Marble, Colo__ ______ 138

Marshall Pass, Colo____ 158,159,

160,162,163,165-166 3 

Mary McKinney mine, Colo- 49 

Marysvale, Utah 223 

Maxwell, Utah ______ 9 

Mears Junction, Colo___ 161-162 3 

Meeker, :Colo_________ 144-145 

Menoken, Colo ___ 6 

Mesa, Utah____ __ 10 

Middle Park, Colo_______ 131 

Midvale, Utah________ 238,256 10 

Midway, Colo__ _______ 3

Mill Fork, Utah__ ____ 9 

Minnequa, Colo __ 61 

Minturn, Colo 115,116,121 4 

Mitchell, Colo__________ 112 4 

Moab, Utah___________ 201

plateau near _ ____ 197 

" Moffat road," mountain

front on ___ 7

tunnels on ________ 10 

Monarch, Colo J_ __ 160 3 

Montrose, Colo__ 173,176,178-179 6 

Monument, Colo _ 1 

Monument Park, Colo., capped

pinnacles in _ 33 

Mora, Utah,___________ 8 

Mormon trail, Utah _____ 248 

Morris, Colo _ __ 5 

Morrison, Colo_ __ 19 1 

Mosquito Range, Colo___ 103,114 4 

" Mother Grundy " 14 

Mounds, Colo 6 

Mounds, Utah________ 211,.212 9 

Mount Chipeta, Colo_____ 159 

Mount Elbert, Colo __ 99,102/104 4 

Mount Evans, Colo______ 103 4 

Mount Harvard, Colo_ 94,95,98,99 3 

Mount Logan, Colo 147 5

Page. Sheet. 

Mount McClellan, Colo __ 18, 19, 110 

Mount Massive, Colo__ 99,102, 104 4 

Mount Nebo, Utah_______ 223 

Mount of the Holy Cross,

Colo_ 112, 116, 119-120 4 

Mount Princeton, Colo _ 93,94,98 3 

Mount Richthofen, Colo___ 131 

Mount Shavano, Colo__ 94,159-160 3 

Mount Sheridan, Colo__ 103 4 

Mount Sherman, Colo____!__ 103 4 

Mount Sopris, Colo ______ 138 

Mount Yale, Colo _____ 94,98 3 

Mountain sheep_________ 132 

Murray, Utah_________ 239 10

N.

Narrows siding, Utah____ 222 9 

Nathrop, Colo_________ 95-96 3 

National forest, animals in_ 82,112 

stock fence in_______ 149 

stocking a stream in 112 

summer home in____ 82 

National Radium Institute__ 22 

Nephi, Utah ___________ 234 

Newcastle, Colo~ 140,142,143,155 5 

Nolan, Utah__________ 217 9

Noname Park, Colo___ 136,137 

«

O.

Oak Creek, Colo. (near Florence)_____ 68 2 

Oak Creek, Colo. (near Texas

Creek) _____ 83 3 

Oil Creek, Colo_________ 70, 71 2 

Olathe, Colo ____-____- 179 6 

Olivers, Utah _ _ 10 

Oquirrh Range, Utah ____ 235, 236 10 

Orchards, methods of irrigating________- 188 

Oregon Trail 248 

Oro City, Colo _____ 105,106 4 

Ortega siding, Colo 127 4 

Otto, Colo __ 3 

Ouray Junction, Colo___ 178 

Ouray Peak, Colo 91,

' 159,162,163, 164,179 3

P.

Paonia, Colo 1 181 6 

Palisade, Colo ______ 152,156-157 7 

Colorado River valley below_______- 156 7 

Little Book Cliffs at__ 157 7 

Palisade Canyon, Colo 151,

152,154,155,156 7 

High Line diversion dam

' in ________ 1|5S 7 

Palm-leaf fan grown in Colorado ___ 139

Palmer Lake, Colo_____ 31-32, 32 1 

Pando, Colo ______ 113,114,115 4 

Panther, Utah _________ 215 9 

Panther mine, Utah___ 216 9 

Park City, Utah_______ 245, 251 10 

Park (Mosquito) Range, Colo_ 103 4 

Parkdale, Colo 81-82 2
INDEX OF PLACES AND SPECIAL FEATURES. 265

Rainbow Highway, Colo ____ SI, 91

tunnel on_ ___ 80 

Range Creek, Utah____ 212

Redcllff, Colo_______ 116,117 

Reforestation, a place for__ SI 

Rex siding, Colo__:___ 119 

Rhone, Colo________________

Rifle, Colo__ 126,143,144-145,146 

Rio, Utah_________________

Riverside, Colo_________ 99 

Riverton, Utah_________ 236 

Roan Creek, Colo______ 150,151 

Roaring Fork, Colo_______ 110, 

136,137,138

Roches moutonn^es 118 

Rocky Mountain peneplain__ 41 

Rollinsville, Colo_______ 10 

Roper, Utah ______ __ 245 

Roubideau. siding, Colo 181 

Royal Gorge of the Arkansas 71. 

72, 76, 77, 78, 72-78, 79, 173 

Ruby Canyon, Colo- 191,193, 19!,, 195

Page. Sheet.

Parleys Canyon, Utah 245-248 10 

Parleys Park, Utah ______ 250 

Parlin, Colo _________ 168-169 6 

Perry Park, Colo _______ 28-30 1 

Petersburg, Colo 1 

Pike National Forest ____ 28-31 

Pikes Peak, Colo _______ 34, W

38-45, 105, 163 2

Pikeview, Colo _________ 33 2 

Pillars of Hercules, Colo_ 50 

Pine Creek, Colo 3 

Piney Creek, Colo _____ 111-112 

Pinnacles in Monument Park,

Colo _______ 38 

Pinto, Utah _________ _ 8 

Plainview, Colo ________ 8 

Plateau, Colo _ __ 

Plateau Creek, Colo ___ 154 

Platte Canyon _____ _____ 20 

Pleasanton, Colo _______ 85-86 

Plum Creek, Colo _______ 24 

Pocono, Colo ____ 

Point Sublime, Colo _____ 1,6 

Poncha, Colo __________ 160 

Poncha Creek valley and canyon, Colo- 91, 161, 162

Poncha Pass, Colo 162, 163

Portland, Colo _______ 66

Price, Utah ___________ 213

Price River, Utah ______ 210,

213-214, 215, 216

valley and canyon of _ 210,

213, 214-216, 227

Pring, Colo ___________

Provo, Utah _________ 233-235

Provo River, valley and canyon ______ 233,234 

Pueblo, Colo _________ __ 58-61

R.

Railroad locomotives, old and

3

3

2

9

8-9

8-9

1

10

10

2

Page. Sheet.

Ruby siding, Colo_______ 192 7 

Rulison, Colo_________ 146 5

O

Sagers, Utah__________ 8 

Salida, Colo______ 89-90, 90, 158 3 

Saltair, Utah ________ 240, 244 10 

Salt Creek valley, Colo___ 192 7 

Salt Lake City, Utah_____ 237-

244, 239, 21,2, 2J,3 10

Salt Wash, Colo______ 188-189 7 

Sandstone, cross-bedded____ 179 

Sangre de Cristo Range 83,

85, 90,163,164,169 3 

San Isabel National Forest_ 82 

San Juan Mountains, Colo__ 176, 

178,179

San Luis Park, Colo____ 162, 164

San Rafael Swell, Utah___ 202,

207-208, 210, 212

Sanpete Valley, Utah_____ 223 

Sapinero, Colo _ ____ 172-173 6

rock spires near 163 

Sargent, Colo __________ 167 8 

Sawatch Range___90, 91, 92,113,

119,123,125,128-129 3, 4 

Scenic siding, Utah______ 221 9 

Scofleld, Utah_________ 218 9 

Sculpture of a butte by water 152 

Sea Gull Monument, Salt Lake

City_______ 243 

Sedalia, Colo__________ 25 1 

Seven Falls, Colo_______ 51 

Shale, Colo _______ 7 

Shawano, Colo ___ 3 

Sheep in pasture._______ 163,211 

Sheridan Junction, Colo_ 19 

Shirley, Colo__________ 3 

Shoshone, Colo_______ 110,134 5 

" Siamese Twins " _____ 36 

Silt, Colo-____________ 144 5 

Silver Cascade, Colo____ _ Ift 

Silver Plume, Oolo_______ 18 

Skyline Drive, Canon City,

Colo _______ 73,74 

Snowden, Colo 4 

Soda Springs, Colo_______ 109 

Soldier Creek, Utah____ 220, 224 

Soldier Summit, Utah___ 218, 220 9 

Solitude siding, Utah ___ 202 8 

Somerset, Colo_______ 180,181 

South Arkansas River, Colo__ 158 3 

South Canyon, Colo_ __ 139 

South Cheyenne Canyon, Colo_ 48-53 2 

South Platte, Colo_______ 20, 21 1 

South Platte Canyon, Colo 18-21 1 

Spanish Fork, Utah____]_ 225, 226 9 

Spanish Fork canyon, Utah. 224,

226,227 9

Sphinx, Utah _________ 8 

Spring Canyon, Utah_____ 215 

Spring Gulch, Colo_______ 137 

Springville, Utah______ 232-233 10 

Spruce, Colo 1 

Spruce Creek, Celo 4
266 INDEX OF PLACES AND SPECIAL FEATURES.

Page. Sheet.

Standardville, Utah 215 9 

State Bridge, Colo__ __ 126 

State capitol of Colorado 6 

State capitol of Utah _ 259 

State flower of Colorado __ 10 

State flower of Utah. 196 

State line, Colorado-Utah__ 195 7 

Steamboat Springs, Colo 126 

Storrs, Utah__________ 215 9 

Strawberry River, Utah __ 225, 

226,227 

Strawberry Valley diversion- 225

hydroelectric plant of 228 

Sugar House, Utah ______ 246 

Sunnyside, Utah 155, 211, 212, 216 8

coke ovens 211 

Sunnyside Wash, Utah__ 211,212 

Sunshine, Colo_________ 137 

Swallows, Colo_________ 66, 67 2 

Swissvale, Colo ________ 88 3

T.

Telluride, Colo_______ 178,179 . 

Temple Square, Salt Lake

City _______ 242 

Tenderfoot Hill, Colo ___ 172 

Tenmile Creek, Colo____ 109,110 4 

Tennessee Pass, Colo_ __ 111 4 

Texas Creek, Colo _______ 83-84 3 

The Narrows, Utah____ 235, 236 

Thistle, UJtah ________ 223, 224 9 

Thompson, Utah ____ 200-201 8 

Timber, marking __ __ 29 

Timpanogos Peak, Utah. 229, 233, 234 10 

Tolland, Colo ________ li 

Tomichi Creek, Colo____ 167,169 3, 6 

Tomichi Dome, Colo____ 167-168 3 

Tongue Mesa, Colo__ 176 

Torrys Peak, Colo-______ 18 

Triceratops ___________ 70 

Tucker, Utah __________ 222 

Tunnel siding, Colo_ _ 152 

Tunnels in Eagle River canyon, Colo __ 105 

on the " MoflEat road "_ 10 

Twin Lakes, Colo __ 103 4

U.

Uinta Basin ___ 143,148,150,156 

Una, Colo 5 

Unaweep, Colo 7 

Uncompahgre Peak, Colo 178 

Uncompahgre Plateau, Colo 157, 

176,180,181,185 

Uncompahgre River and valley _______ 173, 6

175, 176-178,180

University of Utah ____ 246-247 

Utah, relief map of 2

Page. Sheet. 

Utah Lake____________ 226,

230, 232, 234-235, 244 10 

Utahline, Colo _________ 195 7 

Utah State capitol______ 239 

Utah State flower_______ 196 

Ute, Colo____________ 7 

Ute Pass, Colo________ 41

V.

Vallie, Colo_________._ 86

Verde, Utah___________ 9 

Vernal Mesa, Colo:__ 177,179, ISO 6 

Vista, Utah___________ 8 

Volcanic rock intricately

eroded __ _ 163 

Volcanic-rock spires______ 163

W.

Waco, Colo___________ 4 

Wanship, Utah____1____ 250 

Wasatch Mountains____ 226, 235, 

236, 238, 239, 

247, 250-251 9, 10

Wasatch Plateau, Utah__ 207, 217 9 

Waterton, Colo_________ 20 

Watson, Utah_________ 190 

Watts, Colo ___:______ 4 

Waunita Hot Springs, Colo__ 168 

Weary Man's Creek, Colo__ 116 4 

Weber River, Utah______ 244 

Webster Park, Colo_____ 81 

Wellington, Utah_______ 213 9 

Wellsville Springs, Colo___ 88-89 

West Elk Mountains, Colo_ 180-181 6 

West Fork of Price River,

Utah._____ 218 9 

Westwater, Utah_______ 195 7 

Wheat field in Clear Creek

valley, Colo _ 7 

White Cliffs, Colo_______ 150 

Whitehouse, Utah_______ 8 

White River Plateau, Colo 131,142 5 

Whitewater, Colo______ 183 7 

Widefield, Colo_________ 2 

Wigwam, Colo_________ 2 

Wild Horse, Colo_______ 3 

Wildhorse Canyon, Colo___ 98 

Willard, Colo__________ 19,20 

Williams Canyon, Manitou_ W 

Willow Creek, Utah_____ 216 

Winterquarters, Utah____ 218 9 

Wolcott, Colo_____ 124, 126-127 4 

Wolhurst, Colo________ 23 1 

Woodside, Utah______ 209,210 8

Y.

Yankee Doodle Lake, Colo_ 12 

Yellow pine _ 80
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