And the West is History: Durango residents downtown – ca. 1881

Early photos from around the time of Durango’s founding are rare. This photo is from a collection donated in 2023 by descendants of Sophie Schluter. Sophie arrived in Durango with her three sons and first husband, Henry Klahn, in 1881. These boys are likely August, Emil and Henry Klahn. The children and burro are standing east of the newly laid railroad tracks through Durango. Behind them is a “squatter” settlement illegally built on the western side of the railroad right-of-way. To the left is a Denver & Rio Grande boxcar. Stacks of ties are to the right. Perins Peak dominates the skyline beyond. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 23.54.629.2 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)