Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot, Crested Butte Colorado
The Crested Butte branch line was a part of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad's Third Division. The narrow gauge railroad was organized in 1870. The D&RG was originally projected as a north-south line linking Denver with El Paso, Texas, and points in Mexico. As new mining discoveries were made in the Colorado mountains, the D&RG's focus turned westward toward new sources of mineral wealth, building to Leadville, Gunnison, Aspen, Durango, and, eventually, Salt Lake City, Utah. The D&RG arrived in Gunnison in early August 1881, nearly thirteen months before the arrival of its competitor, the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railway. The DSP&P built a branch line northward to Baldwin, but did not compete in completing track to Crested Butte.
More...