PIONEERS, PROSPECTORS AND TROUT: LA PLATA COUNTY’S RURAL LEGACY

Durango, CO – At 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at the La Plata County Board of County Commissioners’ Planning meeting, Ruth Lambert, San Juan Mountains Association, and Jill Seyfarth, Cultural Resource Planning, will be presenting the results of the La Plata County cultural survey Pioneers, Prospectors and Trout: La Plata County’s Rural Legacy.  Citizens will have the opportunity to obtain an insider’s look at La Plata County’s past as Ms. Lambert and Ms. Seyfarth reveal La Plata County’s rural heritage through its enchanting homes, barns, mining and railroad structures, schools, big fish and stories of pioneer families.  This special presentation was originally scheduled for December 8, 2009, but was cancelled due to winter weather conditions.

During this project, Ms. Lambert and Ms. Seyfarth photographed, recorded and documented 100 important historic sites across the County, and produced a historical overview of La Plata County.  “We have photographed and recorded the sites, but it is the stories that bring these places to life,” noted Ruth Lambert.  “We have a new appreciation for the hard work, courage and tenacity it took to settle and survive here.  Above all, we have come to understand how fortunate we are that descendants of these early pioneers still are among us and how important it is to collect their stories and histories for our children.” 

In 2004, the Board of County Commissioners established a Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) to provide for designation of local historic sites within the boundaries of La Plata County.  In 2007, the HPRC identified the need for a County-wide recognizance survey to catalog sites of historical significance.  This endeavor was funded by a $93,792 grant from State Historic Fund with a 25% match from La Plata County and has been managed by Juanita Sauvage, La Plata County Planner.

The HPRC encourages County residents to promote the value of responsible stewardship towards preservation of historically significant landmarks in their decision-making, thereby preserving a legacy for future generations.

“This is the picture of my granddad (we always called him “Pop”), who was a barber in Durango…but he only did that to pay the bills, he actually was a hunter-fisherman whenever possible.  He did catch this rainbow in the lake itself, in the Pine channel, not too long after it became a lake.  This was the largest rainbow caught in the State of Colorado that year.  Pop won the “Dave Cook Fishing Contest” with it.  (Dave Cook was a large sporting goods dealer in Denver, in later years they gave new boats, motors, etc. for winning…Pop won a woven bamboo creel!)

This fish is on the wall at the travel bureau now & creates lots of comment from clients.  We sort of chuckle at the picture, with Pop’s cigarette, but that was pretty standard at that time I guess…a lot of people smoked then.”

 ~ Fred W. Klatt III, La Plata County Commissioner, January 1991 – November 2002

For additional information about the County-Wide cultural survey or the presentation on

January 19, please contact Juanita Sauvage at (970) 382-6264 or by email at [email protected].