Russell Colorado – September 2020

After seeing what remains it is hard to imagine what was once here. Most travelers on the highway would not even notice that once a roundhouse, a frame depot, a water tank, a general stores, saloons, sawmill, school, hotel, post office and the usual assortment of houses and tents with a population of about 200 stood here.  A post office was established in 1876. The town was originally call Placer after the deposits located in Grayback Gulch. They used both hydraulic and dredging operations to get the gold. The Railroads were all narrow gauge and when the decision was made by the RR to go to standard gauge to haul bigger loads the town was bypassed. That spelled the demise of Russell. So, the steam locomotives stationed at Russell were used to push trains over La Veta pass were eliminated.