Rio Grande County, Colorado

70 topographic sheets cover 19 settlements here, and 13 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

13 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Colorado within the United States

Rio Grande County within Colorado

What the record shows

359 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
13 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 8 buildings, 3 structures and 2 districts.
The Geographic Names Information System records 19 populated places in this county; 19 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Property	Type	Listed	Reference
Carnegie Library	building	1995	95000439
Central School Auditorium and Gymnasium	building	1996	96000274
Creede Branch, Denver and Rio Grande Railroad	district	2002	02001408
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad South Fork Water Tank	structure	2002	02001132
El Monte Hotel	building	1990	90000870
First Methodist Episcopal Church	building	2003	03001011
Keck Homestead	building	1998	98000437
Monte Vista Downtown Historic District	district	1991	91001612
Monte Vista Library	building	1995	95000782
Spruce Lodge	building	2008	08001009
Sutherland Bridge	structure	1985	85000234
US Post Office and Federal Building-Monte Vista Main	building	1986	86000182
Wheeler Bridge	structure	1985	85000235

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

258 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 258 of them, burning about 9,696 acres. 75 started naturally and 16 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	97
Natural	75
Recreation and ceremony	43
Arson/incendiarism	16
Smoking	9
Equipment and vehicle use	6
Debris and open burning	5
Power generation/transmission/distribution	3
Misuse of fire by a minor	3
Fireworks	1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
19 June 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	9,294 acres	Rio Grande National Forest	MILLION
18 April 2011	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	120 acres	Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters	DEL NORTE
4 April 2007	Natural	51 acres	Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge	UNIT 7
13 March 2000	Debris and open burning	30 acres	Rio Grande National Forest	RIO GRANDE CO ASSIST
18 April 2011	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	25 acres	Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters	SOUTH FORK
3 April 2005	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	20 acres	CSFS-Alamosa District	not named
10 April 1993	Recreation and ceremony	15 acres	Rio Grande County	not named
9 August 2009	Natural	9.0 acres	Rio Grande National Forest	HANDKERCHIEF MESA

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1955 to 2024

35 of 35 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 35 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $22,013,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event	Reports
Hail	21
Heavy Rain	4
Thunderstorm Wind	3
Tornado	2
Wildfire	2
Flash Flood	2
Funnel Cloud	1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 2002	Wildfire	South Fork	$11,000,000	no account filed
June 2002	Wildfire	South Fork	$11,000,000	no account filed
September 2012	Tornado (EF0)	Del Norte	$5,000	A strong storm produced a non-mesocyclone (landspout) tornado just south of Del Norte. There was minor damage to several properties...including one property which sustained damage to a camper and minor structural damage to the house.
July 1994	Hail	South Fork	$5,000	A spotter reported marble-size hail caused damage to homes east of South Fork (38 miles west northwest of Alamosa), and stripped leaves off of trees.
June 1995	Tornado (F0)	Monte Vista	$3,000	Tornado moved haying machine and knocked over a towed camper on Highway 15.
August 2024	Hail	Monte Vista	-	A trained spotter reported hail of 0.88 inches in diameter.
August 2024	Hail	Monte Vista	-	A public report via CoCoRaHS reported hail of 0.75 inches in diameter.
August 2024	Heavy Rain	Monte Vista	-	A COOP Observer reported 0.87 inches of rain, which fell in a short period of time and was produced by a strong thunderstorm.
October 2022	Heavy Rain	South Fork	-	Heavy rainfall of 1.17 inches.
October 2022	Heavy Rain	Del Norte	-	Heavy rainfall of 1.19 inches.
October 2022	Heavy Rain	Del Norte	-	Heavy rainfall of 1.07 inches.
August 2003	Flash Flood	South Fork	-	Heavy thunderstorm rains caused Beaver Creek road...Mill Creek road and some secondary roads to be closed due to water. Mud and debris flowed across the roads inundated drainage ditches in and near the Million Burn scar.
August 2003	Flash Flood	South Fork	-	Heavy thunderstorm rains caused Beaver Creek road...Escondida road and Skyline road to close due to high water and mud and ash flows.
June 1995	Hail	Center	-	The barley and potato crop sustained extensive damage in a 12- by 3-mile swath from a portion of southern Saguache County to northern Rio Grande County from the Gunbarrell Station to Rio Grande County's mile road.
July 2012	Hail	South Fork	-	no account filed
May 2008	Hail	Monte Vista	-	no account filed
July 2006	Hail	South Fork	-	no account filed
June 2004	Hail	Del Norte	-	no account filed
April 2002	Funnel Cloud	Del Norte	-	no account filed
June 2000	Hail	Del Norte	-	no account filed
September 2000	Hail	South Fork	-	no account filed
June 1999	Hail	Del Norte	-	no account filed
June 1999	Hail	Monte Vista	-	no account filed
September 1998	Hail	Del Norte	-	no account filed
July 1998	Hail	Del Norte	-	no account filed
April 1990	Thunderstorm Wind	not stated	-	no account filed
September 1986	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed
April 1981	Thunderstorm Wind	not stated	-	no account filed
April 1977	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed
August 1973	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed
August 1973	Thunderstorm Wind	not stated	-	no account filed
July 1971	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed
July 1967	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed
September 1960	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed
July 1955	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed

Mines and quarries

123 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 123 workings inside this county. 4 still produce and 119 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity	Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction	52
Copper	23
Gold, Silver	21
Gold	20
Silver	8
Pumice	4
Zinc	3
Aluminum	3
Volcanic Materials	2
Silver, Gold	2
Perlite	2
Stone	2
Asbestos	2
Copper, Lead, Silver	2

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Alum Creek Property	Copper, Molybdenum	Occurrence	Galena, Molybdenite, Sphalerite
Decatur Ne District	Gold, Lead, Silver, Copper, Aluminum, Asbestos, Zinc	Producer	1870, 1874, 1939
Golconda Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead	Past Producer	Galena, Sphalerite
Guadaloupe Claims Group	Silver, Copper, Gold, Iron, Zinc, Lead	Unknown
Guadaloupe Mine	Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper, Zinc	Past Producer	1875, 1930
Ida Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer
Lady Bug Mine	Silver, Zinc, Lead, Gold, Copper, Cadmium, Bismuth	Occurrence	1896
Lady Bug Mine	Silver, Gallium, Indium, Lead, Zinc	Past Producer
Little Annie	Gold, Copper, Silver, Lead	Past Producer
Marble Mountain Deposit	Aluminum, Potassium	Occurrence	1915
Miser Mine	Lead, Copper, Gold, Silver, Zinc	Past Producer	1875, 1930
Shaws Spring	Geothermal	Producer
Spiegel	Iron	Past Producer
Summitville District	Silver, Lead, Copper, Gold, Aluminum, Molybdenum, Zinc	Past Producer	1870, 1971
Summitville Mine	Silver, Gold, Copper, Lead, Zinc	Producer	1971
Treasure Comstock Group	Copper, Lead, Gold	Occurrence	Chalcopyrite
Unnamed Prospect	Silver, Copper, Lead	Occurrence	Pyrite
Aztec Tunnel	Gold, Copper, Lead, Silver	Past Producer
Bobcat	Gold, Copper, Lead, Silver	Past Producer
Iowa Mine	Silver, Gold, Copper	Past Producer	1882
Jasper	Asbestos, Gold	Occurrence
Perry Mine	Silver, Gold	Past Producer	1874, 1875
St Christopher Perlite	Perlite	Unknown
St. Christopher Perlite No. 1,2,3	Perlite	Occurrence
Unk	Stone	Unknown
Unk	Stone	Unknown
Unk	Asbestos	Unknown
Unknown	Volcanic Materials	Occurrence
Unknown	Volcanic Materials	Occurrence
South Mountain	Aluminum	Occurrence
Unknown	Aluminum	Unknown
Pumice Deposit	Pumice	Occurrence
Unknown	Pumice	Occurrence
Unknown	Pumice	Occurrence
Unknown	Pumice	Occurrence
Golconda Group	Gold, Silver	Past Producer
Perry Mine	Gold, Silver	Past Producer
Robert Burns Claim	Silver, Gold	Past Producer
Summitville Mine	Gold, Silver	Plant	1873, 1986
Treasure Comstock Group	Gold, Silver	Unknown
Unknown	Silver, Gold	Past Producer
Annie	Gold, Copper	Past Producer
Beverly Shaft Mine	Gold	Past Producer
Bowen Placer	Gold	Past Producer
Little Annie Placers	Gold	Past Producer	1870, 1875
Rio Grande Granite Quarry	Gold	Unknown
Unk	Gold	Unknown
Unknown	Gold	Unknown
Unknown	Gold	Unknown
Unknown	Gold	Unknown
Aztec Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1870
Bob Tail Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1870
Chandler Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1875, 1876, 1957
Copper Hill Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	Surface/Underground
Del Norte Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1873
Dexter Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1873
Esmond Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1872
French Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1872, 1880
Highland Mary Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1875
Hugh Bly Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	Surface/Underground
Ida Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1872
Iowa Mine	Copper, Gold, Silver	Unknown
Missionary Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1874
Montroy Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1879, 1880
Mt Morriah Mining Co	Copper, Gold, Silver	Past Producer
Narrow Gauge Mine	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	Underground
Pickens Cut	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	1926, 1931
Reynolds Mine	Copper, Gold, Silver	Unknown
Science Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Occurrence
Winchester Tunnel	Gold, Silver, Copper	Past Producer	Surface/Underground
Chandler Mine	Copper	Past Producer
Mathias North Pit & Plant	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Pog Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk Pits	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence
Unknown	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence	Gravel
Unknown Pits	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown

Every populated place in the county

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Alpine

Del Norte census division · 81154 · Near Gerrard Gulch · South Fork East quadrangle

21 sheets, 1914 to 2001
Ansel

Sargent census division · 81125 · Center South quadrangle

17 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Baxterville

Del Norte census division · 81154 · On South Fork Rio Grande · South Fork West quadrangle

22 sheets, 1914 to 2001
Del Norte

Del Norte census division · 81132 · Near Lookout Mountain · Del Norte quadrangle

19 sheets, 1915 to 2001
Dunul

Sargent census division · 81144 · Center South quadrangle

17 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Evansville

Del Norte census division · 81132 · On Dry Pole Creek · Del Norte quadrangle

19 sheets, 1915 to 2001
Gerrard

Del Norte census division · 81154 · In Gerrard Gulch · South Fork East quadrangle

21 sheets, 1914 to 2001
Hanna

Del Norte census division · 81132 · On Bowen Creek · Indian Head quadrangle

19 sheets, 1915 to 2001
Homelake

Monte Vista census division · 81144 · Homelake quadrangle

16 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Jasper

Del Norte census division · 81132 · On Spring Creek · Jasper quadrangle

22 sheets, 1922 to 2001
Maxeyville

Sargent census division · 81144 · Monte Vista quadrangle

18 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Monte Vista

Monte Vista census division · 81144 · Monte Vista quadrangle

18 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Sevenmile Plaza

Del Norte census division · 81144 · Near Peñascito · Sevenmile Plaza quadrangle

17 sheets, 1915 to 1982
South Fork

Del Norte census division · 81154 · On South Fork Rio Grande · South Fork West quadrangle

22 sheets, 1914 to 2001
Sugar Junction

Monte Vista census division · 81144 · Homelake quadrangle

16 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Summitville

Del Norte census division · 81154 · On Cropsy Creek · Summitville quadrangle

24 sheets, 1913 to 2001

No longer a settlement
Torres

Monte Vista census division · 81144 · Near Nicomodes Gulch · Monte Vista quadrangle

18 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Vastine

Sargent census division · 81144 · Center South quadrangle

17 sheets, 1915 to 1982
Zinzer

Monte Vista census division · 81144 · Homelake quadrangle

16 sheets, 1915 to 1982

The vanished settlements of Rio Grande County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.