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Photo postcard of two hay wagons being driven on a street in Como, Colorado, ca. 1904 – 1918. (Photo by Mr. Reed)

Como, now an unincorporated town of about 240 people, is located on Highway 285 just east of Fairplay.  It is believed that the town was named by coal miners who hailed from Como, Italy.  

From Como, which is in Park County, one can take County Road 10, also called the Boreas Pass Road, north over the Continental Divide to Breckenridge, which is in Summit County.  It’s about a 22-mile trip.     Known as Breckenridge Pass in the 1860’s, this route initially provided access to the gold mines in the area. The first gold strike was in 1859 at a place near Como called Tarryall.   In 1866 the route was widened to allow stagecoach traffic.  By 1871, Como was experiencing a coal mining boom. Then, in 1879, tracks were laid on this route for the narrow gauge Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad, and Como blossomed, becoming the biggest town in Park County, with a population of nearly 500.    In July of that same year, the Como post office was established.  

The founder of the railroad was Dr. John Evans, former governor of Colorado Territory from 1862 to 1865.  He  had travelled extensively in Colorado by stagecoach and horseback and was aware of the treasure of mineral, agricultural and timber resources in the state.  The railroad reflected his belief in providing reliable transportation into the “back country.”

The “South Park” part of the railroad’s name is a reference to the high-altitude alpine basin formed by the Mosquito and Park Mountain ranges.  It encompasses about 1,000 square miles at elevations of about 9,000 to 10,000 feet and includes the towns of Fairplay (the seat of Park County), Alma, Como, Jefferson, Tarryall, Hartsel, and Guffey.  South Park’s sister alpine valleys to the north are Middle Park and North Park.   The term “park” was coined by early trappers and explorers who came upon these “high, treeless mountain meadows” (as described by blogger K. F. Baugh). 

News from 1895 told of the re-establishment of the South Park railroad’s headquarters in Como.  This would mean the relocation of the line superintendent and dispatchers to Como and the refurbishment of the shops left behind there some years before when the headquarters had been moved out of Como. All repairs would be made in these shops.  This was welcome news for Como, as it meant the return of railroad workers and their families.  Como became a hub for the railroad, with up to 26 trains passing through it each day. In addition to a depot, it would eventually have a railroad roundhouse, a now-retired structure which still stands.    

The bodies of the two hay wagons in the photo, when looked at from the front, are in the shape of flat-bottomed V’s.  I’d never seen this shape before and did some looking on-line.  I thought perhaps with its design it could also serve as a feeder, but the gaps between the rungs look too narrow.  Here’s a link to a photo of a leiterwagen: leiterwagen photo – Google Search .

I think hay wagons were probably a common sight in Como.   Although South Park’s elevation makes for a short growing season for traditional crops, it’s abundant native hay and grasses encouraged the raising of livestock.    

The reverse of this postcard is inscribed as follows:  “Willie Turner and Gilbert Osier in front of the Methodist Church in Como.  (Taken by Mr. Reed.)”  I searched for information on Turner and Osier but had no luck. 

Baseball appeared to be very popular in Como and surrounding towns.   An article from the August 2, 1907, “Fairplay Flume” newspaper described a very-well attended Sunday face-off in Como between the Como and Breckenridge teams.  There is no mention of school names associated with the teams, so maybe this was an inter-community league.   There’s also no mention of this game being part of a tournament or other special occasion.  Yet, the “Flume” reported that “a special train of three coaches” brought the Breckenridge brass band and about two hundred additional passengers for the event.  In addition, there was “a large attendance” of folks from the towns of Jefferson and Fairplay, as well as from surrounding ranches. The article goes on to say that the crowd “expected a good exhibition of the national game and it was not disappointed.  The game was hotly contested and proved of intense interest from start to finish.”  Como won, 6 to 5.

Three years earlier, in a game played in the nearby town of Jefferson as part of a multi-town 4th of July celebration, Como was scheduled to play Fairplay.  The game was scheduled for early afternoon, and Como’s pitcher, identified only as “Ryan” by the “Fairplay Flume,” was traveling to the game by train.  However, due to a wreck in Platte Canyon, his train would be delayed by three hours.  In a remarkable show of sportsmanship and perhaps a reflection of how hungry they knew the fans were for the game, the Fairplay team agreed to await Ryan’s arrival.  He did arrive, late. As a result, the game didn’t start until after 4:00.   Como got shellacked, 15 to 8. 

REFERENCES:

  • “What’s with all the Parks?,” blog by  K. F. Baugh, September  5, 2017.

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