1810 REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 



from the mouth of Junction Creek, about 13 miles to the north, an especially beautiful 

 and fertile valley, with an elevation from 6,500 to 6,800 feet, having already been 

 almost wholly occupied. 



Animas City referred to is a new and growing town on the right bank of the Animas, 

 just above the mouth of Junction Creek, at an altitude of 6,450 feet. It is not laid 

 down on any Hay den or Wheeler map, and must not be confounded with the "Animas 

 City" of Wheeler, which is an old, deserted place, about 12 miles above, and on the 

 other bank of the river. The opening of the Jicarilla Apache reservation to settlement 

 has during the past year drawn a considerable number of emigrants to the San Juan, 

 the Lower Animas, and the La Plata. 



The most thickly settled locality is in the vicinity of the town, where were counted 

 38 cabins, houses, and various buildings, not including a few corrals. The population 

 was given at 250 (September), the winter force dwindling down, it was said, to 15 or 

 20 families. There were four stores, hardware and general merchandise, and every- 

 thing had a brisk look in the way of business ; containing, also, a post-office, cigar 

 store, barbe] -mop, &c. Three quarter-sections were occupied as the town site, which 

 was handsomely located at the lower end of the park, upon the right or west bank of 

 the river, some six or eight cabins only being on the other. The town and vicinity is 

 accredited with a population of 450. 



At Hermosa, near the mouth of Hermosa Creek, some 8-£ miles above Animas City, 

 in the Park, a dozen scattered dwellings were observed.. From the best information 

 that could be gathered, the total population may be placed at 60. 



In this La Plata country there were stated to be 11,000 sheep and 5,000 head of 

 stock, mainly in the Animas Park. 



The only other town in the Lower San Juan is 



PARROTT CITY, 



to the west upon the La Plata, at an altitude of 8,650 feet 18 miles by a trail, scarcely 

 two more by the toll-road, elsewhere described. It contains some 40 houses, possess- 

 ing in general a handsome appearance for the size of the place, and is the county seat 

 of La Plata County, for which honor Animas City now contends. The number of reg- 

 istered voters in Parrott, an election being held within a month thereafter, was 61 ; 

 the population of a permanent nature was stated to be 100, and its summer population 

 was given as 400 to 500. While this was undoubtedly possessed in earlier mining days, 

 no such population existed at the time of the visit. Its class of buildings are superior 

 to those of Animas City and included the offices of the county officials, post-office, a 

 store, blacksmith-shop, &c. The accredited population of the place is 125. Both 

 here and at Animas City a weekly mail is received via Silverton all the year round. 

 Entering the mining regions, the first place worthy of note is the promising town of 



SILVERTON, 



situated in Baker's Park, of which the town site occupies 360 acres, its altitude being 

 9,300 feet. It is situated upon a fine level above the river, is well laid out, and is sup- 

 plied with irrigating ditches and shade-trees. 



It contained about 175 buildings of all sorts and descriptions, of brick, frame, and 

 log construction, including eight supply-stores for general merchandise, drug-stores, 

 blacksmith-shops, saw-mill, bakery, and butcher-shops, barber-shops, a number of 

 saloors, and a post-office, and possessed in addition an enterprising weekly newspaper, 

 the La Plata Miner. 



Greene's Reduction Works are in the immediate town, and those of Melville & 

 Summerfield a short distance below. It is the county-seat of San Juan County, the 

 offices of which are of course located here. Notwithstanding its lack of roads, every- 

 thing indicated present and future prosperity. The great mass of incoming supplies 

 and outgoing shipments of bullion are by pack-trains over the range via Cunningham 

 Gulch. 



All of its rapid outer-communication is via Lake City, there being a biweekly coach, 

 a private enterprise to that town. To and from Lake City, 4 mails per week, we were 

 informed, were each way exchanged, and during the same time there were 3 from Del 

 Norte. 



The county officials were again here consulted, and there were found registered for 

 the approaching election in the entire precinct 400 voters, of whom it was estimated 

 that 250 belonged to the town and the balance to the immediate vicinity. The basis 

 of a rude census or an estimate of the population which obtains in the cities and towns 

 of the East is wholly inapplicable in the mining districts. Presuming upon the ma- 

 jority of voters being family men and increasing the number from five to seven times, 

 will there often give an approximate if not an almost accurate result. Here it would 

 be wholly erroneous and great inaccuracy would result. With but few exceptions pro- 



