Rear View Mirror

Colorado before the highways

Look at this Map

Originally published in the Rocky Mountain Motorist, 1932

Consider it. HERE IS OUR STATE, here the Rocky Mountains rise to their greatest height. Here live over a million citizens with many forms of activity, farming, laboring, trading, all wanting contact with each other and the outside world.

HERE IS OUR STATE, the greatest recreational area in America, here to be visited and enjoyed by means of good roads, easily eighty per cent of our visitors come in their own automobiles.

Quite a job of road building, over the plains, thru the Rockies by engineering skill and men’s sweat and labor.

There is much work yet to be done. Every individual citizen, whether he owns a small farm or labors in the city, is entitled to have some access to markets and some means whereby customers can come to him. There is a great job yet to be done. The work is on the “pay as you go” plan, the user paying as he buys his gasoline. We would not favor a higher gas tax. Colorado’s gas tax at 4c seems to be reasonably fair in view of all the facts. It is below the average gas tax in the country and below the average of the Western States. The visitor pays his share of this. With the return of better times, he will pay a larger and larger share.

Colorado has not gone wild on roads, there is but a few dollars of state bond issue yet unpaid, there is no general state tax for road purposes, and there are no county bond issues to build roads as in most other states. We have gone along sensibly using the “pay as you go” plan, let us keep the 4c gas tax for a while yet and finish the job.

Ouray, County Seat

Originally published in the Rocky Mountain Travel Directory, 1947

The city of Ouray has been designated by authorities writing of mountainous beauty and grandeur as the Switzerland of America and the Gem of the Rockies. All tourists visiting Ouray agree the scenery is unparalleled.

Home of the romantic Camp Bird Mine, inspiration for Evalyn Walsh McLean’s book “Father Struck It Rich,” Ouray continues to prosper as a mining camp.

Located at the northern approach to the “Million Dollar” highway U.S. 550, four hotels, three motor courts and three well equipped garages make every effort to accommodate the tourist in friendly, economical and efficient manner.

Swimming in natural hot mineral water out-door pool, horseback and hiking trips over Forest Service maintained trails, skiing in season aids in giving the utmost to your vacation.

Of Colorado’s sixty-three countries, Ouray County is numbered fifty-six as classified by Colorado Motor Vehicle law. If classified by scenic beauty and mountain grandeur it would rate, even in Colorado, as number one of the counties.

Metal mining is the principal industry in the south half of the County. Approximately $1,000,000 worth of lead-zinc-copper ore was mined and milled last year from old mines, some with national and international known names such as Camp Bird, Treasury Tunnel, Genessee and Bachelor. Owing to the war effort and W.P.B. ruling L-208 only ore with high base metal content and low gold and silver values was produced. Local mines, normal producers of gold and silver ores only, did not operate during the war period.

Ridgway is the cattle raising section of the County. Each Labor Day a barbecue, rodeo and junior fair is sponsored by the County and conducted by the Ridgway Rodeo Association. Besides the home folks this event attracts many out of the country contestants and spectators.

The Assessors’ rolls show 6,000 head of cattle, mostly White-face Herefords, a few $750.00 bulls and 12,000 head of sheep.

Besides the usual grade schools there are two high schools in the County, one at Ouray and one at Ridgway.

Ouray County has no debt. Assessed valuation is $2,560,000.00. Population approximately 2,500. County Commissioners are Buel H. Adams, Harry McClure and William McCullough.