And the West is History: Not the first Ironhorse Race! – ca. 1911

It would be fascinating to know what brought these 14 horsemen and a lone bicyclist together for this photo taken in the early 1900s south of Durango. The only rider identified is the man with the cocked hat on the horse turned toward right of center, Timothy McCluer Jr. His father, Timothy McCluer Sr., his mother and two older siblings were the first homesteaders on the Florida Mesa, arriving in 1875. His father became a very successful cattleman and was instrumental in keeping the peace with the nearby Ute tribe, becoming good friends with Chief Ignacio. Timothy McCluer Jr. was a bit of a celebrity in his own right. He became sheriff in 1910 and was later appointed U.S. deputy marshal in 1915. While serving as marshal, he seriously injured his left foot, requiring amputation. Never really healing properly, the foot injury eventually led to his death in 1920 at the age of 44. He is buried in Greenmount Cemetery in Durango. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 11.19.17 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)