Laserfiche WebLink
10 • <br />This site currently acts as a bank of Chandler Creek, which is located directly adjacent. <br />The grade is approximately 14 m in width at its base and about 2 m wide at the top. The height <br />is about 7 m from the creek bed to the top and about 1.5 m from the surrounding ground surface. <br />A wider ditch, likely the borrow ditch used during construction, parallels the grade on the south <br />side and is about 50 cm deep and 7 m wide. Scatters and small concentrations of red brick were <br />observed within this ditch. All rails, spikes, and ties were previously removed. No ballast <br />materials were in evidence, so it is possible the ties were laid directly on the earthen grade, or the <br />ballast material used was local sands and gravels. At the crossing of the proposed access road, <br />the grade is in good condition, although it is severely eroded in various portions along the <br />recorded length, particularly to the southwest where Chandler Creek encroaches on the grade. <br />This railroad grade was a spur servicing a single mine, which connected it to the main <br />D&RG, later Union Pacific, line that runs between Canon City and Pueblo. It provided some of <br />the coal for the iron smelters in Pueblo, which supplied iron throughout the country. Because the <br />site serviced only one small mine, SGN1810, recommended to be eligible, it was not critical in <br />the development of industry in the area and does not meet the requirements of Criterion a. It was <br />also not associated with any person important in the history of the area (Criterion b). While the <br />grade retains its integrity of setting within a largely undisturbed corridor, it does not retain <br />physical integrity and is actively being eroded by Chandler Creek. Additionally, it does not <br />exhibit integrity of design, workmanship, or material (Criterion c); there are no remaining <br />bridges over the creek and no areas of stream rectification. Finally, no associated features were <br />noted, which limits the archaeological research potential (Criterion d). The site does not meet <br />any of these criteria, outlined in more detail in Fraser and Strand (1997) for multiple properties, <br />and in Church et al. (2007), and is therefore recommended to be not eligible for inclusion on the <br />NRHP. No further work is recommended. <br />SFN2220. This site is a historic inscription located on the south side ofeast-flowing <br />Chandler Creek. The inscription panel is on the east face of a large boulder that spalled off the <br />sandstone cliffs to the south and came to rest on this small bench above the valley floor. Surface <br />sediments in the area consist of a medium brown colluvial loamy sand with a few gravels and <br />cobbles. Vegetation is dominated by open pinyon/juniper woodlands on the surrounding slopes, <br />with oakbrush, mountain mahogany, some sagebrush, prickly pear cactus, cholla cactus, various <br />bunch grasses, and numerous forbs present on the bench. Ground visibility is relatively good at <br />about 50%. The area is largely undisturbed, with evidence of modern camping activity in the <br />form of two recent hearths on the south side of the boulder as well as additional, undated <br />inscriptions. The boulder lies within the subsidence zone of the proposed coal mine. <br />The site consists of an inscription stating "die 1926 Harley Huston" with an arrow <br />pointing to the ground. A small shallow overhang is below the inscription, which has been <br />impacted by erosion with small portions of the main boulder spalled onto the ground. There are <br />some scratches to the left and below the main inscription, but they are unreadable. No artifacts <br />were observed in the area. <br />U <br />