Situated near the San Juan River in southern Colorado are the remnants of a lumber mill community. Developed in the late 1800’s, Pagosa Junction was a railroad town through which the Denver & Rio Grande serviced Pagosa Springs.
Station house, Pagosa Junction; the yellow flowers are Rabbitbrush.
The town, according to history, reached a population of around 450. It included a lumber mill, hotel, restaurant, post office, boarding house, general store, stables, station house for the narrow gauge railroad, pump house, and a church. Several buildings, railroad trestle, pump house and rail car still exist.
Railroad trestle and spur.
Pumphouse detail. It appears that the boiler provided steam to run the pump, which pulled water from the nearby river and filled the water tank, which was used to fill the steam engines. The wooden water tank is present, but has collapsed from aging.
Narrow gauge freight car on rail spur; station house in distance.
On a nearby hillside sits the community’s church, St John the Baptist Catholic Church. Built in 1927, the church still holds Mass once a year.
St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Pagosa Junction, CO.
Iglesia de San Juan
St John the Baptist Catholic Church
The community began to lose viability in the 1930’s, the post office closed in 1954, and the small school lingered until the early 1960’s.
A nice find along a beautiful river valley drive!!