And the West is History: Animas City panorama – 1897

On a clear November day in 1897, Whitman Cross and A.C. Spencer lugged their heavy cameras up Animas Mountain to take this panoramic view of Animas City for the U.S. Geological Survey. The view looks southeast across the valley. By 1897, Animas City had lost its status as the predominant retail hub of La Plata County to the upstart Denver & Rio Grande Railroad town of Durango. The bridge crossing the Animas River at today’s 32nd Street is visible at the center of the photograph. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum (Catalog Number: 03.37.2 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)