History Littleton Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot, Littleton Colorado

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Littleton, Colorado was a small agricultural community at the time the first railroad (D & RG) came through it in 1871. It was named for Richard S. Little, who settled there in 1860. Although it had been known for several years as "Littleton," the name did not become official until June 3, 1872, when the town was platted. The D & RG had officially opened for business on January 1st of that year. The first stretch of their road ran from Denver to Colorado Springs. Littleton just happened to be on the way.

The D & RG was the third railroad in Colorado. Its founder, William Jackson Palmer, envisioned a north-south railroad linking Denver and El Paso and eventually continuing to Mexico City. Since Colorado was at that time sparsely settled, his plans were based on his faith in the future possibilities of the area's untapped agricultural and mineral resources.

Part of Palmer's plan involved the founding of a fashionable resort near the mineral springs around Colorado City. The first of Palmer's dreams were realized in 1871 when the Colorado Springs Company was formed and the railroad between Denver and the new town was completed. On October 26th, the first train made the trip, carrying many local dignitaries The trip took five hours at 15 MPH. Regular service began on January 1, 1872.

Littleton was listed as a stop for three trains on the first D & RG time table. Littleton's growth continued, indirectly affected by the state-wide population increase encouraged by further railroad construction. However, the real impetus for the expansion of Littleton came a few years later:

  • On February 10, 1889, the first schedule for a new Denver and Rio Grande run took effect. This was a small commuter or "suburban" train called the Uncle Sam. It had been scheduled mainly to service the new military post at Fort Logan with easy access to Denver. With little inconvenience to the railroad the line was extended as far as Littleton. Initial service provided four trains per day in each direction. This number added to seven other first class passenger trains stopping in each direction every day in Littleton made it quite convenient and quite inexpensive to get back and forth to Denver (40 minutes one way at 25 cents a round trip). The run was extremely successful and the number of trips was increased to five per day and eventually included a late night theater train. A person could now live in rural Littleton and yet shop and find entertainment in sophisticated Denver. (Nippert 1974, p.22).

The service provided by the D & RG, coupled with that of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, which completed its line through Littleton in 1887, stimulated the growth of a suburban movement. Wealthy Denverites retreated to the Littleton area, building substantial brick houses. The 1890s through the first decades of the 20th century saw the growth of manufacturing, merchandising, and the trades in the small town, also made possible by the railroads.

The Littleton Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot may also have served the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe in its early years. Before the AT & SF completed its own line, it contracted with the D & RG to use its tracks from 1881 to 1887, and the Littleton AT & SF Depot was constructed in 1888. The D & RGW Depot ended its service as a railroad depot on December 31, 1981. It was being used at that time as a freight depot and as the office of an agent-operator, who relayed operating information to the trains. In this capacity it once again served both the D & RGW and the AT & SF railroads in recent years. Passenger service at this location terminated in 1967.