Durango Colorado History

• 1880 Durango, Colorado established and grows into the stereotypical 'old west' town. As with most rowdy towns of the time, saloons and unsavory characters were a sign of the times.
  
  
• 1881 Durango incorporatedto form a local goverment to address the bad element of town, growing out of control. Shootings, vigilante hangings, and prostitution were not uncommon.
  
  
• 1889 A devastating fire in Durango claims seven city blocks. Martial law is declared and the city is rebuilt.
  
  
• 1890 Durango population grows to over 3000.
  
  
• 1893 Silver prices crashed, sending mining communities into a deep, financial depression. Many businesses lost, many lives ruined.
  
  
• 1894 Durango's first school system was created.
  
  
• 1901 Devastation strikes again with the worst flood in the town's history.
  
  
• 1902 The first automobile arrived in Durango by train. the first airplane in 1913, the first motorcycle, a Harley Davidson JD, in 1927. Before that you either walked, rode a horse, or rode the train. There were no ROADS in and out of Durango, and what there were, were mainly used by horses and bicyclists.
  
  
• 1907 The public library was built.
  
  
• 1910 The population of Durango, Colorado had grown to over 4500.
  
  
• 1916 Prohibition hit Durango, shutting down the saloons.
  
  
• 1918 A flu epidemic hit, killing scores of people. Silverton lost 10% of it's population.
  
  
• 1919 With a fully understanding of the natural beauty of the area, Durango began to promote itself as a tourist destination for the first time.
  
  
• 1929 With the mining business beginning to resurface, Durango's first airport...all looked optimistic. Then the Great Depression sent the entire country reeling economically.
  
  
• 1941 Residents moved from Durango to find work at defense plants in support of the war effort.
  
  
• 1951 Tourism was on the rise. Money was coming into Durango and the changes chased some longtime residents away, but more would come. Mesa Verde attracted more tourists each year and combined with the train, the development of Lemon reservoir and Vallecito Lake, Durango was indeed on it's way to becoming the magnificient tourist destination that it is today.
  
  
  
  Durango Colorado Lodging