And the West is History: Porter coal mining in Wildcat Canyon – ca. 1910

The next time you drive Wildcat Canyon Road (County Road 141), pay special attention to the wide area a mile or so south of U.S. Highway 160. Though very difficult to envision today, the area shown here, was once the site of one of the most productive coal mines in La Plata County, the Porter Mine, and the village of Porter. Drilling started in 1889 with production of coal the next year. Today, a careful observer can still see the remnants of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad’s track bed near the road. The railroad’s depot and water tower can be seen at top left of this photo. John Porter, one of Durango’s founders, was a mining engineer who managed the New York and San Juan Smelter in Durango from its inception in 1881 until 1888. He started the Porter Fuel Co. in 1890, opening this mine in Wildcat Canyon and another in Hesperus in 1892. Peak production of the company was in 1907 and 1908. In April 1908, the trestle in this photograph collapsed under a strong wind. Then in June a major fire destroyed almost every mine building shown in this photo. The mine was forced to close even though coal reserves were still plentiful. Attempts to reopen the mine in 1916 and 1917 failed because of labor shortages and weather-related difficulties. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 14.20.51 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)