Early roads and an auction

Photo courtesy John M. Motter
This circa 1886 photo of Pagosa Springs probably shows the building owned by W.S. Peabody that remained in the middle of San Juan Street just to the right of the bridge in the center of the photo. Fort Lewis is on the left side of the bridge, the town on the right side.

We’ve been writing about the first county road system created after the county was formed in 1885. Road locations are historically important because where the roads were, that’s where the people were.

We continue from last week.

Adopted into the county road system were the following roads: the old military road running up Spring Valley to Tierra Amarilla, the Alamosa-Pagosa Toll Road, the Durango road and the Pagosa Springs-Amargo road.

Bridges were built over the major streams and road overseers appointed. D.W. Scott was road overseer for the southeastern part of the county, and Mason Farrow in the western part. Roads were supported by a road tax. A man could contribute labor for road maintenance in lieu of paying the tax.

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