And the West is History: Rodeo at Fairgrounds – ca. 1911

The Fairgrounds was created in 1892 by the Durango Railway & Realty Co. on land purchased from Robert Dwyer. It was conceived as a venue for horse racing and agricultural fairs that would be large enough to accommodate crowds and be accessible by streetcar line. This photo captures an impromptu rodeo scene at a horse-racing event near the finish line. A chalkboard on the observation stand is where race results were posted. The Fairgrounds was sold to La Plata County in November 1916 for $7,537.69. To cover the purchase price, the Board of County Commissioners levied one-half mill. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 87.07.190 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)