The building of the D. & R. G. Railroad started northward up the Animas Canyon, a natural route, soon to be blasted out by the construction force. This closed the toll road, as much of the road was to be used for the railroad bed. The train reached Silverton July 18, 1882, over forty-five miles of one of the D. & R. G.’s most scenic routes. The first steel rails made by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Works of Pueblo went into this track at a price of $70.00 a ton. Previously, all rails had been made of iron. The pioneers thought their transportation troubles were over, but they soon learned the elements were unbeaten. Snowslides, washouts, and floods were unconquered, and there were plenty of all before too many years. However, the “Silverton” has the longest record of continuous operation of any narrow gauge railroad in the country, and does the greatest passenger business per mile of any scheduled train in the United States. Silverton’s first telegraph came with the arrival of the train service.
Toll Road Between Ouray and Silverton. Present Day Million Dollar Highway
The rich discovery of the Yankee Girl Mine in Ironton Park made necessary a road from Ouray to Red Mountain, and Otto Mears, with his associates, built 12 miles. About half of this was cut into solid rock walls of the Uncompahgre Canyon. The road was then extended twelve miles from Red Mountain into Silverton. This Ouray-Silverton road, through the Uncompahgre Canyon and over the gorgeous Red Mountain, constitutes Mr. Mears’ most spectacular accomplishment, and still remains the most scenic of all Colorado highways. This was the route used by the famous Circle Route Stage for years. It was a daily service by stage coach and horses and later by automobile. There was a toll gate at Bear Creek Falls that operated from 1887 to 1900. A little cabin in which the attendant stayed, was built near the creek and a big pole laid across the bridge. When anyone drove up, he shouted for the toll keeper who came out, lifted the pole, and collected the fee, which was $5.00 for a single team, and $1.00 for each additional head of stock.
A water system for Silverton was built by a group of Denver and Kansas City capitalists. The source of supply was from Boulder Creek and a five-inch pipeline was laid from there to the present reservoir at the upper end of Greene Street.
The Famous Grand Imperial Hotel
The Grand Hotel was the finest, and an elegant structure when built in 1883. From without it looks exactly as it did when it opened; however, the inside was restored and refurbished in 1952. Originally, it had fifty-four rooms and three baths, but today offers travelers forty rooms with bath. The beautiful mahogany bar was built for the Grand in 1882 in Denver and shipped by the railroad in sections, and the three plate glass mirrors in the back bar are the originals purchased in France. Today it again is the finest of resort hotels, and is open the year around. This is the birthplace of the famous song, “There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight”. One night a stranger was sitting in the bar when the wife of a colored porter came hurrying into the hotel lobby saying, “If I don’t find that coon, there will be a hot time in this old town tonight”. The words inspired the stranger and he took a piece of paper from his pocket and wrote the song. The Hub Saloon, which was located in the Grand, never closed its doors nor locked its safe except to turn on the safety catch. One night a new porter twirled the tumbler and the place had to operate on borrowed funds until a safe man could get here from Denver to open it. Jack Slattery, owner of the Hub, once hired major league baseball players to play ball in Silverton just for his entertainment.
St. Patrick’s Church was organized, and in 1883 a new church building was erected. The colored people of the town purchased the old Catholic church building and had it moved to a lot on Mineral Street. This year the I.O.O.F. was instituted.
