Pagosa Junction, elevation 6,267 feet (1,910 meters), is a railroad ghost town in Archuleta County, Colorado, U.S.[1]
Pagosa Junction
Gato | |
|---|---|
.JPG) St. John the Baptist Mission Church in Pagosa Junction (2024) | |
  Pagosa Junction Location within the state of Colorado | |
| Coordinates: 37°2′17.02″N 107°11′57.15″W / 37.0380611°N 107.1992083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Archuleta |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Elevation | 6,267 ft (1,910 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| [1] | |
History
editOriginally established as a stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad's Alamosa–Durango line (also called the San Juan Extension), the location was originally called Gato when a station house was first built there in 1881.[2][3]
In 1899-1900 a branch railroad line called the Rio Grande, Pagosa, and Northern Railroad was built between Gato and Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It was a logging railroad, bringing timber and lumber from the Pagosa Springs area to the main line in Gato. In 1899, as the population grew to 200 people, a post office was built in Gato, and the name was changed to Pagosa Junction.[2][3]
By 1930, Pagosa Junction's population had grown to 447. However, the branch to Pagosa Springs closed in the 1930s, and the town's population began to decline. Today, completely abandoned, some of the town's buildings remain, including St. John the Baptist Mission Church, located on a hill above the town.[2][3] It was built on the hill in 1927, replacing two earlier churches — the first built in 1911 — that were destroyed by floods on the San Juan River that flows through the town.[4]
The town now lies on Southern Ute Indian Reservation land. County Road 500 (Trujillo Road) goes through the town.[3][5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Pagosa Junction". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. October 13, 1978. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c Motter, John M. (March 23, 2000). "Pagosa Junction loses noted landmark". The Pagosa Springs Sun. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Steve; Gary; Cat; Jim (n.d.). "Pagosa Junction, CO". Western Ghost Towns. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ Vance, Norm (2018). "St. John the Baptist Church Pagosa Junction, Colorado". Hispanic Settlement in Pagosa Country. Pagosa.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Scenic drives" (PDF). Visit Pagosa Springs. n.d. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
External links
edit
Media related to Pagosa Junction, Colorado at Wikimedia Commons
