1905 Denver and Rio Grande R.R. View of Chipeta Falls, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado

This is a c. 1905 Muller and Luchsinger colorized photolithographic view of Chipeta Falls and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River, Colorado.

A Closer Look

Chipeta Falls erupts dramatically from the canyon wall on the view's right. In the foreground, a Denver and Rio Grande steam locomotive pulls two cars. Four well-dressed individuals (including a woman) on the flat car admire the scenery. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison stretches into the background.

Source Material

This view is a reduced full-color print of a black-and-white photograph taken by celebrated American photographer William Henry Jackson (1843 - 1942).

Chipeta Falls, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad

Chipeta Falls is a natural waterfall named after the wife of Ute Chief Ouray. It is in the modern-day Curecanti National Recreation Area, just east of the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad first passed through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in August 1882. For the next 67 years, the DGR route through the Black Canyon was a cornerstone of their 'Scenic Line of the World' advertising campaign. Thousands of passengers admired the incredible landscapes, although train crews dreaded the dangerous canyon, especially in winter when landslides and avalanches derailed many trains. Passenger service through the canyon ran until 1940, and freight trains until 1949.

Publication History and Census

This view was published by Muller, Luchsinger, and Company c. 1905. We have been unable to trace the source of this view. This is the only known cataloged example.