Photo; Post office construction 1928

Construction engineer F.M. Beaudreau took this photo on July 31, 1928, as the walls to the new Durango post office took shape. The cornerstone was laid in 1928, but construction was not completed until 1929. This location, at the corner of 11th Street and Main Avenue, served the community for 49 years until the present post office was built in 1979. The original building was restored in 1985 and has served various functions since, most recently as office space for La Plata County. Note the Herald Publishing Co. building on the adjacent corner, home to The Durango Herald Democrat in the 1920s. There has since been a building constructed south of the Herald building, but astute observers can still see the faded lettering that once dominated the side of the building. Currently, The Wells Group offices are housed there. Read more about local history at durangoherald.com/westishistory.<br><br>Ed Horvat for The Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org