Durango: A Silver Past, A Golden Future tells the story of a town founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The narrow gauge railway extension, connecting the towns of Durango and Silverton, has endured for over a century. At its inception, the railway was built to carry supplies up to the miners working in the San Juan Mining District. On its return, the railway carried ore for the smelters in Durango to process. Durango became known as the Denver of the Southwest, thanks to its boosters and businessmen who carefully guided Durango's growth and economic opportunities. Residents of Durango have always believed that their Golden Future would be attainable. Otto Mears astounded the world with his narrow-gauge mountain railroading, connecting Ridgway and Durango with the Rio Grande Southern line. The Silverton Northern, the Gladstone and Northerly, and the Silverton Railroad, also owned and built by Mears, were feeder lines that went up to the mining camps beyond Silverton. Photographer William Henry Jackson traveled the narrow gauge train lines, both the Denver & Rio Grande and the Rio Grande Southern, in a special car built for his equipment and darkroom. He prepared many promotional photographs for the railroads. He is an important player in the history of Durango, Silverton, and the narrow gauge railway systems that crossed southwestern Colorado. For over 130 years, the narrow gauge line traveling between Durango and Silverton stubbornly hung on. This forty-five mile extension of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad declared as a Registered Historical Landmark by the National Park Service, is known today as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. An eclectic assortment of graphics including antique prints, historical photos, old paper memorabilia, paintings, maps, and vintage postcards illustrate the history of Durango, Silverton, and the network of railways that connected the San Juan Basin. An extra: Inside you will find 18 postcards to pull out, send to friends, or share with family. They will help you to remember Durango, Silverton, and the narrow gauge railroad that connects these two towns.