And the West is History: 858 Main Ave., Durango – 1886

Founded in 1880, the Goodman Paint and Wallpaper Co. operated multiple locations in Durango throughout its 113 years in business. In this 1886 photograph, the store inhabited what is now 858 Main Ave. Pictured from left to right are Vic Coulson, John Moser and George Goodman. Moser, a coal dealer, displayed a pile of large coal chunks in front of his neighboring store. Upstairs, the building housed three offices: the Russell & McCloskey Law Firm, the S.W. Pingrey Law Office and the Perins Surveying Co. Charles Perins was responsible for laying out the Durango townsite for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and is the namesake of the prominent mountain landmark west of the city. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum (Catalog Number: 89.38.4 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)