The Colorado Midland

Page last updated: August & October 2021.

Recently added are:

B&W Postcard - Ute Pass & State Hwy (Click Here)

Postcard Folder (Click Here)

MT Bad Order Card (Click Here)

Firemans' Pay Schedule (Click Here)

Wildflower Brochure (MT) (Click Here)

Ticket Page (Click Here)

1899 CM Pass (Click Here)

MT 1931 (2nd) & '32 - '34 Passes (Click Here)

Black & White Postcards (Click Here)

Color Postcards (Click Here) and (Click Here)

and (Click Here)

CM Auditor's Ticket Stub (Click Here)

Rio Grande Jct. Stock Cert. (Click Here)

Shop Order (Click Here)

Photo: Wildflower Excursion, 7/25/17 (Click Here)

1923 Rent Bill (Click Here)

The Colorado Midland Railroad operated through the central mountains of Colorado from 1886 until 1918 and was the first standard gauge line to pierce the Rockies. It ran west from Colorado Springs to New Castle, west of Glenwood Springs. From there, the road merged with the Denver & Rio Grande and continued to Grand Junction. The company's terminus was actually in Colorado City, a few miles west of Colorado Springs. Along its 222 miles of mainline track, the "Midland" served the towns of Manitou Springs, Woodland Park, Divide, Florissant, Hartsel, Buena Vista, Leadville, and Basalt. One of the road's two branches extended to the rich mining town of Aspen. The Continental Divide was crossed at Hagerman Pass, named for the railroad's founder. Later, much of the "High Line" over the pass was abandoned, in favor of the lower, 1.78 mile long Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel.

Even though it was constantly plagued with extreme financial woes, it was a vital link for the communities it served. Beyond that, it became as much of a part of Colorado as the rugged mountains themselves.

The railroad ceased operations in August 1918, when the U.S.R.A. diverted all traffic that originated beyond its terminals to the rival Denver & Rio Grande. Most of the trackage was torn up within a few years and the motive power and rolling stock were either scraped or sold to various companies. The line from Colorado Springs to Divide were eventually sold to the Midland Terminal Railroad Company, which had operated from Divide to Cripple Creek. That company managed to continue its operations until February 1949. The employees of the Midland Family scattered to countless destinations and many found work with other companies. For more information, the reader is referred to Richard Stamm's home page.

My great-grandfather, Alvin White, was one of those men. He served as the General Car Foreman from 1909 until 1917. His 42 year railroad career began around 1885 with the Hannibal & St. Joseph. From there, he worked for the St. Louis & San Francisco, the Denver & Rio Grande, and the Santa Fe, finishing his career as the Chief Inspector for the Pueblo (Colo.) Joint Interchange Bureau. Some of his papers remained in the family and I now possess them. Those papers were the beginning of the collection on this site.

My grandfather, Ralph B. Ellison, also was employed by the Midland in the 1910s. Not much is known about his tenure, although he worked in the Colorado City machine shop and at Arkansas Junction and Cascade as a car inspector. His brother, Robert S. Ellison, was a Colorado Springs attorney early in the century. As such, he represented the Midland Terminal Railway for a time, as evidenced by his 1905 CM pass, which is pictured on this site. R. S. Ellison later owned and resided in the Briarhurst mansion in Manitou Springs. Eventually, he was elected mayor of that city. He was also a noted Wyoming historian.

The purpose of this short history is only to give a brief overview of the road. There have been many comprehensive books published which are vastly more informative. I hope you find your visit here enjoyable and useful. Check back from time to time as these pages will be refined and updated. Of course, I am always interested in adding to the collection. My thanks go out to Mel McFarland, whose outstanding works include the book "Midland Route: A Colorado Midland Guide and Data Book". Mr. McFarland identified two of the photographs used on this site. Thanks are also in order to Sue and (the late) Bill Knous, noted railroadiana experts, authors, and dealers, for their advice regarding the switch key and early lock. And of course, I'm grateful and indebted to my cousin, Michael Ellison. The material contained in these pages may not be used for commercial purposes nor reproduced without express permission from myself and certain portions are protected under copyright laws.

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		C. R. Hatch
		Colorado Springs, Colo.