| Show 1 F r fy b r s NESTLED IN A VALLEY of the Colorado Is Durango surrounded almost completely by mesa and high peaks Durango is well known as the narrow gauge railroad capital of the world and approximately people reside there Durango is the county seat of La Plata county and is the home of Fort Lewis A M College Durango Is Only Railroad Center in Great Southwest Colorado Tourist Center Too Fifty miles east of or Cortez on U. U S. S Highway is Durango Colo population about site of one of the largest uranium processing pro plants in the world But Durango is better known the world over because of or being the narrow narrow- t. t gauge railroad capital of the U. U S. S The only railroad passenger service service servo ice into the southwestern corner of Colorado is a Denver Rio Grand Western narrow-gauge narrow line running from Silverton to Durango during the summer months as a tourist attraction Otherwise there is narrow-gauge narrow freight service from Alamosa but no passenger service Because of being the only city in fn southwestern Colorado with rail service Durango is considered the rail shipping capital of that area Also numerous truck lines operate through the city adding considerably to the quantity of goods handled and to fo the economy of the district Not far away is La Plata Canon I site of or famous gold mines of yesteryear yesteryear yes yes- and of the ghost towns of Parrott City and La Plata City Among the famous old mines are the Mayday Idaho Gold King and others Twenty one miles southeast of or Durango at Ignacio is the burial place of famous Ute chiefs Ouray Ignacio and Buckskin Charlie At Atthe Atthe the Consolidated Ute Agency there is an Indian school hospital and administrative offices of the Ute Reservation According to the Durango Chamber Chamber Chamber Cham Cham- ber of or Commerce the present rate of growth has not presented many problems which cannot be solved immediately other than housing Erection of new homes in the town is progressing rapidly and it itIs itis itis is possible the current housing n shortage will have bave been eliminated by mid Native labor Is plentiful to meet demands the C of or C relates although although al al- though there is some shortage of skilled workers in some fields There is not much unemployment although much of the work around Durango is seasonal in nature Durango is growing too along with the entire Colorado Plateau |
