Old Post office and garage in La Plata City. The Alexander house is visible in trees. Circa 1950’s
Hardy individuals in search of gold, and ambitious entrepreneurs established La Plata City in the mid-1870s to reap the mineral wealth located in the La Plata Mountains. It wasn’t until the boom of 1884 that La Plata City took on the semblance of a “full-service” town hosting stores and bars.
Houses and businesses stretched one-half mile on the west side of the La Plata river, starting at the schoolhouse and heading north. Most residents were miners and mill workers while some worked in support industries and businesses. Most bachelor miners stayed in commercial boarding homes in town or in barracks on the mine sites.
The city lays at an elevation of about 9200 feet and receives considerable snow during the winter, necessitating workers be close to the work site. They used homemade skis and snowshoes to make infrequent trips to the City to buy necessities.
We don’t know the exact year Gus and Charlie first laid eyes on the Canyon, speculating it was sometimes just before or just after the turn of the 19th century, ultimately taking up residence at the north end of town. They too faced the same winter issues as the earlier miners; I heard numerous stories about homemade skis, snowshoes and multi-person sleds to make emergency exits from the canyon.
One particular winter, after a series of overwhelming snowstorms and ensuing avalanches, the Canyon became impassable. Many of the miners’ family members and friends in Durango and Hesperus had heard about the massive avalanches and were worried about the miner’s safety. Charlie Ekburg braved the weather and skied to Hesperus, then hitched a ride to Durango to let people know everyone was fine. He was a hero for a day.
A few cabins remain to this day, many occupied as summer homes. Many of these existing cabins are visible in older photography.
La Plata City lies in the midst of the San Juan National Forest. Private ownership came about by these early miners patenting their mining and (mostly) placer claims. This is true for all the private grounds in the La Plata Canyon ranging from May Day at the entrance of the Canyon to the private grounds at the highest elevations.
A bit of irony stems from this fact. Several residents in the May Day area have posted signage protesting mining in the Canyon, but had it not been for mining there would be no private property for their summer cabins.
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Edwin Ekburg and Arvid Alexander Sr. on skis behind Axel Cedarwall's cabin, in La Plata City Colorado. Circa 1940's
Garage and/or blacksmith shop just south of Post Office in La Plata City, Colorado. Probably first snow. Circa 1925-29 ?
Ekburg/Alexander house (the Blue House). Gus's house.
Old cabins in La Plata City. This old building is visible in Beda's vegetable garden picture.
La plata City Post Office and store 2014
2014 cabins seen in the older black and white Ekburg photos. The barn and chicken coop and outhouse.
Cabin in La Plata City, Colorado. 2014
North end of La Plata City. The post office is the building with the shiny roof. The Ekburg/Alexander house is located i the trees. Circa 1950's.
The "Square House", Gus and Signe's home in La Plata City, Colorado - 2013
Locals Skiing in La Plata City. Charlie Ekburg and his brother Gus
Skiing in La Plata City, Colorado. Charlie Ekburg on the left and the other fellow is his brother Gus
Local La Plata City residents standing by a raging Borne Creek.
The family believes the standing Couple is Gus Ekburg and his first wife, Maria.
A group of skiers in La Plata City, Colorado
Unknown rider on horseback next to a chained-up old model car, La Plata City.
Kid horseback in La Plata City, we think he is Verner Ekburg. Circa 1924-25
Arvid and Elvira (Ekburg) Alexander in La Plata City, Colorado. Circa 1944-45
Riderless Ekburg horse at La Plata City, Colorado school house. Circa 1927-28 ?
Axel Cedarwall, Arvid Alexander and Edwin Ekburg at Axel's cabin in La Plata City, Colorado. Circa 1944-45
A view of La Plata City, Colorado taken from the bridge over Borne Creek Just up the road. Circa 1920's
House next to Borne Creek La Plata City, Colorado
La Plata City school house with old boarding house behind, both are gone. Circa 1950's
Old boarding house for the Honeydew mine, between La Plata City and Gold King mill. Circa 1950's
Remnants of "downtown" La Plata City. Circa 1950's.
Basin Creek emptying Tomahawk Basin, below the Black Di'Mond mine, La Plata Canyon. Circa 1984.
Old Post office and garage in La Plata City. The Alexander house visible in trees. Circa 1950's
Old Post office and garage in La Plata City. Circa 1950's
Remnants of "downtown" La Plata City. Circa 1950's.
La Plata City, Colorado 1894. Photo credit - Colorado archives.
Bay window on false-fronted building in La Plata City. Edwin Ekburg tore one of these building down for the lumber to construct a house in Hesperus. This may be the building. Circa 1950's
La Plata city in its prime 1884. Photo credit Colorado archives.
May Day Colorado at the mouth of the La Plata Canyon, Colorado. Circa 1950's
A second shot of the bay window house in La Plata City. Circa 1950's
A Colorado state archive photo of the Gold King stamp mill located just north of La Plata City. Probably after the first snow. Circa ??
Gold King Mill north of La Plata City, Colorado. Circa 1930's
Gold King Mill remains, north of La Plata City, Colorado. Circa 1973