History La Plata 1 May 5, 2013 Vol. xIX A Publication of the la plata County historIcal society History La Plata 2 May 5, 2013 Vol. xIX EMPLOYEES FROM THE DIRECTOR Carolyn Bowra Carolyn Bowra, Museum Director W e’re here! Whether we arrived at will explore the many ways people have Jan Postler, Curator of Collections Mercy Hospital or the La Plata County travelled to our area, and what compelled Brianna McCormick, Museum Assistant Airport, we are here. Some arrive by car them to do so. for a vacation, others have been here Journey Stories is part of Museum on BOARD OF DIRECTORS for generations, but we are all here. The Main Street, a collaboration between the stories of how we came to be in La Plata Smithsonian Institution and State Hu- Kathy McKenzie, President Gay Kiene County are part of our history. This manities Councils nationwide. Support Rani Holt, Vice-President Marilee Jantzer-White edition of History La Plata tells some of for Museum on Main Street has been Marie Roessler, Secretary-Treasurer Bruce Spining those stories. From the earliest travelers provided by the United States Congress. Charles DiFerdinando Jennifer Stollman who passed through southwest Colo- Locally, it is supported by Colorado Jeff Johnson Duane Smith (emeritus) rado on their journeys of exploration to Humanities. One fifth of all Americans modern tourists visiting to explore the live in rural areas and one-half of all U.S. scenic beauty of La Plata County, all have museums are located in small towns. MUSEUM HOURS a story to tell. Through traveling exhibits, residents of In 2014 we will tell more of those rural areas may experience the Smith- 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (May – October) stories with help from the Smithson- sonian in their own hometown. It is an 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (November- April) ian Institution. From January 17 to opportunity not to be missed. March 18 the Animas Museum will host The Smithsonian comes to Durango in The Animas Museum is located at 3065 West 2nd Avenue in Durango Journey Stories, a traveling Smithson- January 2014 but there is no need to wait on the corner of 31st Street and W. 2nd Ave. ian exhibition. The exhibit will explore that long to visit a museum. The Animas modes of travel and Americans’ desire Museum’s current exhibits include to feel free to move. It is the large stories “Forged by Flame” and “Law & Disorder” of immigration, migration, innovation which illustrates that truth, can indeed, and freedom. It is the smaller stories of be stranger than fiction. And as long as family vacations and packing a truck to you are journeying to a museum, visit move for a new job. Additionally, the the other museums in Durango and then Animas Museum is planning an exhibit venture out of town. Many area commu- to compliment the Smithsonian exhibi- nities have wonderful historical and art tion which will tell La Plata County’s museums. Pay them a visit and celebrate journey stories. “Wish You Were Here” how happy we are to be here! PRESideNT’S MESSAGE Kathy McKenzie ust like fingerprints, our own personal journey is unlike any other person’s story. Animas Museum staff, from left to right: Carolyn Bowra, Brianna McCormick, Jan Postler J Even if we have had company on this journey, our experience is unique to us. Docu- menting and sharing our experiences can be a precious gift to family, friends and even people who will never know us. With technology changing faster than many can keep up with, we need to document our story in a form that will not become obsolete. In fact, many museums are now going back to storing information on paper for just that reason. So whether you are a visitor to our area, a college student or a fourth generation La Plata County family, your journey story is worth preserving. We also need to consider what else, besides events, has become a part of our lives. Many of us have irreplaceable objects we treasure because of their unique past. Writing stories or even simple information about the journey of our keepsakes is very valuable to the present, as well as future generations. So take time to document the history of your mother’s squash blossom necklace or that unusual wooden mask from Ecuador. Mon. - Fri., 8am - 11pm Slip a handwritten note into Grandma’s carnival glass vase so others understand its past. 3124 Main Ave, Durango, CO • (970) 247-0939 Sat., 9am - 11pm • Sun., 9am - 9pm So often we are the only keeper of these journey stories which should not be lost. A Publication of the la plata County historIcal society History La Plata 3 May 5, 2013 Vol. xIX EARLy Journeys into LA PLATA COUNTY On the cover: An early touring car receives help from a team of horses in 1910. Photo courtesy Animas Museum Photo Archives. PASSING ThroUGH LA PLATA COUNTY… IN 1776 I n July 1776 events in Philadel- dium sized and smaller than that phia laid the foundation for our of Los Pinos. It rises in the same nation. Out West, important events sierra farther to the west, and were also occurring. Two Fran- where we crossed it has a larger ciscan missionaries were search- meadow, of good land for farm- ing for a route from Santa Fe, in ing with the aid of irrigation. The today’s New Mexico, to Monterey pastures on the meadow are good, in California. With their party of but not in the immediate vicin- eight other men, they explored ity, although it evidently has them along a route of over 2,000 miles in wet years. Having crossed El and peacefully encountered more Río Florido, we traveled west two than a dozen native tribes. leagues and west-northwest a little Francisco Atanasio Domínquez, more than another two. We went Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and down a rocky and not too lengthy their party left Santa Fe on July 29. incline and arrived at El Río de las The journal kept by Fray Escalante Ánimas, [Animas River] near the provides us a detailed account- western point of La Sierra de la ing of their journey, and a written Plata [La Plata Mountains] where than a quarter of a league. We and August. Among the fruits men- account of some of the earliest it has its origin. We crossed it and entered a narrow valley of abun- tioned there grows a small one of non-native visitors to southwest halted on the opposite side [approxi- dant pastures [Ridges Basin] trav- black hue, pleasant taste…We did Colorado. Excerpts from that jour- mately 4 miles south of downtown eled through it one league to the not proceed ahead today because nal follow. (From The Domínquez- Durango, near today’s aptly named west, and turned west by north- the mounts had not fed enough the Escalante Journal, translated by Escalante Middle School.] It is as west; then after going through a night before and were rather weak Fray Angelico Chavez) large as El Norte [Rio Grande] and leafy forest of good pasturage, we by now, and also because a thick August 7 “…Here it has a large now carried somewhat more water reached El Río de San Joaquin de and prolonged heavy downpour meadow, very abundant with and with greater rapidity, because La Plata.” [La Plata River] made us halt.” [This campsite was pastures, especially of grama grass, here its currents, which run from “It rises at the same point of La near today’s Hesperus.] extensive and good lands for farm- north to south, have a steeper fall… Sierra de la Plata and descends They headed west toward the ing through irrigation, with all the Through here it runs through a box through the same canyon in which Mancos and then Dolores rivers, rest that may be desired for a goodly channel, but farther down it is said there are said to be veins and then north to the Grand Mesa settlement. We stopped in it, nam- to have good meadows. Today eight outcroppings of metallic ore…the and well into Central Utah. The ing it La Vega de San Cayetano. [flat leagues, a little more. [21 miles] terrain is very moist, since it rains expedition turned south passing land along the Pine River, south of There is no good pasturage here, but very frequently because of its prox- through northern Arizona and today’s Ignacio] Today a little more there is some a little farther on.” imity to the sierra; as a result, both back to Santa Fe. Even though than six leagues” [nearly 16 miles] August 9 “…ascended the in- in the mountain forest – which they did not reach Monterey it was August 8 “ …we set out west- cline west of the river, although it consists of very tall and straight a remarkable journey. northwest from La Vega de San is not too lengthy, is quite difficult, pines, scrub oak, and several kinds Cayetano and Río de los Pinos, consisting of plenty of rock and be- of wild fruits- and in its narrow Compiled by Animas Museum staff [Pine River] and at the end of four ing very steep in places. We passed valleys there are the prettiest of leagues arrived at El Río Florido, the small forest on its crest with pastures. The climate here is exces- [the Florida River] which is me- which it must measure a little more sively cold even the months of July A Publication of the la plata County historIcal society History La Plata 4 May 5, 2013 Vol.