For the last two days, I have written about the gleeful anticipation with which Golden awaited the Colorado Central Railroad in 1870. Today's article describes a moment in time at the other end of the railroad's life.
98 Years Ago
The September 23, 1926 Colorado Transcript describes a dispiriting meeting held at the Hotel Berrimoor (now the Table Mountain Inn). Representatives from the mining towns—Central City, Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Silver Plume, and Lawson—met with the attorney for the railroad. The Golden and Arvada Chambers of Commerce were there as interested parties in the continued existence of the railroad.
There were two points at issue—passenger service and freight service. Bus service had been instituted in Gilpin County, and most felt that it was an adequate substitute for rail passenger service. It seemed likely that bus service could be extended to the other mountain towns.
Of greater concern was freight service. As a Clear Creek County attendee explained:
...their great fear is that the discontinuance of passenger trains will be the first step toward the removal of freight trains and ultimate abandonment of the railroad line. They point out that in the event of the discontinuance of freight trains, the mining towns would be absolutely ruined, as it would be impossible to ship ore by truck. It was also pointed out that the prospect of taking off the passenger trains already has greatly injured the mining, as many investors and mine owners have called off mine improvements and operations. With the discontinuance of passenger service, mining operations are certain to cease on many properties and as a result freight shipments will slump and then the railroad company will have greater arguments for the taking off of freight service.
Golden resident Richard Broad pointed out that "fifty-six years ago this week the people of Golden were celebrating the advent of the railroad, and that now they were discussing its prospective obsequies." He agreed, however, that the railroad could not continue operating at such a loss.
The Railroad's representative said that, if the railroad could reduce the losses they were incurring by running passenger trains, they should be able to keep the freight trains running.
Passenger service through Clear Creek canyon ended in 1927. Freight service ended in 1946.
Many thanks to the Golden Rotary Club for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of September.
