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• 2.04.4 Cultural and Historical Resource Information There are no known cultural or historical features listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places within the permit area or adjacent area. This has been verified with the Colorado Historical Preservation Office, the State Archaeological Office, and the Colorado State Office of the Bureau of Land Management. Upon consultation with the State Historical Preservation Office and the National Register, it has been determined that the Huerfano County Courthouse and the Huerfano County Jail in Walsenburg are the only sites in the county which have been nominated or have been determined eligible for the National Register. The Huerfano County Courthouse and the Huerfano County Jail are located in downtown Walsenburg more than 4 miles from the permit area. Archaeological Resources A file search has been conducted by the State Archaeological Office to determine the archaeological resources of the permit area and adjacent areas. None have been identified within the permit area. Historical Resources • Commercial coal mining began near Walsenburg at the Walsen Mine in 1881. Only a few years earlier, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad reached the town of Trinidad, Colorado. The area around Walsenburg and Trinidad became Colorado's most important coal producing region by 1890. Approximately 400 coal mines have been active in the Walsenburg and Trinidad area since mining began in the 1800's. During the coal development period, the largest mines in the Walsenburg/Trinidad areas were owned by the Colorado Coal and Iron Company, which merged with the Colorado Fuel Company in 1892 to form the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I). CF&I built a complex of smelters and steel mills near Pueblo, Colorado. The smelters and steel mills of CF&I used most of the coal production from the Walsenburg and Trinidad mines. The steady expansion of the population in Walsenburg and Trinidad because of the coal mining activities also created a local market for agricultural products. Likewise, the railroad brought the ranchers and farmers into contact with distant markets. Along with coal mining, the major economic base of the area at the turn of the century was ranching and farming. Underground coal mining activities began in the permit area of the Colorado Coal Mining Company back in 1897 with the opening of Maitland No.l Mine. Coal production from various operations in this area continued for over seventy years until the Maitland No. 2 Mine ceased operations in 1972. Underground coal mines which were identified in the • permit area are listed in Table 2, with surface disturbance shown on Map 2, Vegetation. 2.04-6