Marshall Pass

When William Marshall first crossed the pass he realized that it would be a good route for a road, and shortly after this a company was organized to build a toll road.{{cite book| first=Marius R.| last=Campbell| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FeUkAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA165| title=Guidebook of the Western United States, United States Geological Survey Bulletin 707| publisher=Government Printing Office| year=1922| page=165| via=Google Books}} (see extended footnote on that page) The Marshall Pass Toll Road was completed in 1880, with stagecoach service from Gunnison to the Arkansas River where it connected with the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.{{cite book| last=Cleora| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0G9NAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA123| via=Google Books| title=Guide to Colorado| publisher=Belford Clarke & Co.| year=1880| page=123}} (part of a larger publication entitled Where to Go to Become Rich) This announces the opening of the toll road and stage line as imminent. The new road at the pass summit was barely passable, and the grades on both sides of the pass were reported to be very steep.{{cite magazine| first=Fred M.| last=Amelung| title=Lake City, Colo. Mines| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oEXnAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA421| via=Google Books| magazine=Engineering and Mining Journal| volume=XXIX| issue=25| date=June 19, 1880| page=421}}{{cite book| first=G. Thomas| last=Ingham| chapter=Chapter XX: Over Marshall Pass| chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ypE_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA349| via=Google Books| title=Digging Gold Among the Rockies| publisher=Edgewood| year=1882| pages=349–353}} describes the stagecoach trip over the pass.

In 1881, the narrow gauge mainline of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad was built across Marshall Pass on the way from Denver to Salt Lake City. This railroad line was completed before the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad completed the Alpine Tunnel, so it was the first crossing of the continental divide in Colorado by any railroad. The line reached Sargents, Colorado in August 1881.{{cite magazine| title=Railway News| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T7YxAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA784| via=Google Books| magazine=Railway World| volume=7| issue=33| date=August 13, 1881| page=784}} bottom left, top right. By 1884, the line was complete from Ogden, Utah to Denver.{{cite book| author=The Denver & Rio Grande Railway| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VcZ4AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA185| via=Google Books| title=Chataqua, Historical and Descriptive| publisher=Fairbanks, Palmer & Co.| year=1884| pages=183–188}} Marshall Pass is discussed on page 185.{{cite book| chapter=Route No. 45a, Denver to Salt-Lake City| chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIEDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA241| via=Google Books| title=The Englishman's Guide Book to the United States and Canada| publisher=Edward Stanford| location=London| year=1884| pages=241–243}}

The line saw the daily Shavano passenger train until closure. Interestingly, there are many reports of a phantom train chasing the Shavano along the route. The line closed with the Gunnison Division in 1955, and the rails were removed the same year.

Marshall Pass, Colorado was a small settlement, railroad station and post office, located at the pass. The population was 11 in 1948; there were six buildings then. Time Magazine called it "the U.S.'s smallest post office."{{cite web| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804799,00.html| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718073808/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804799,00.html| archivedate=July 18, 2013| url-access=subscription| title=COLORADO: Letters for Gus| website=Time magazine| date=November 1, 1948}}

File:Larkspur Ditch.JPG

In 1939, the Catlin Canal Company built the Larkspur ditch to divert water from upper Harry Creek (a tributary of Marshall Creek and eventually Tomichi Creek) south over the continental divide at Marshall Pass, delivering its water into Poncha Creek and thence to the South Arkansas River. The {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} ditch has a capacity of approximately {{convert|8|ft3/s|m3/s}} and average annual deliveries between 1990 and 1999 were {{convert|31|acre-feet|m3}}.{{cite web| first=John N.| last=Winchester| url=http://westernriversinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/USCID-Transmountain-Paper-.pdf| title=A Historical View: Transmountain Development in Colorado| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807061159/http://westernriversinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/USCID-Transmountain-Paper-.pdf| archivedate=2015-08-07| date=2000}}

The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District entered a cooperative agreement with the Catlin Canal Company to improve the ditch in 2004, doubling the length of the ditch and increasing its average annual delivery to over {{convert|300|acre-feet|m3}}. The water district completed purchase of the ditch in 2011.{{cite news| first=Chris| last=Woodka| title=The Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District files change case for the Larkspur Ditch| work=The Pueblo Chieftain| date=December 6, 2006| url=https://coyotegulch.wordpress.com/category/colorado-water/ark-valley-consumptive-use-rules/page/2/| via=Ark Valley Consumptive Use Rules| page=2| access-date=August 14, 2015| archive-date=March 4, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304214519/https://coyotegulch.wordpress.com/category/colorado-water/ark-valley-consumptive-use-rules/page/2/| url-status=dead}}

File:Marshall Pass sign.JPG

Marshall Pass is just a few miles south of Monarch Pass, and in fact, both were considered as potential routes for U.S. 50, with the latter ultimately being chosen. Today, a gravel road still follows the old railroad route over Marshall Pass. In the summer and late fall, this drive is especially beautiful. It may be driven by regular passenger cars in good conditions.

From the east, take U.S. 285 south from Poncha Springs (near Salida) about 6 miles to County Road 200 and turn right; from the west turn right off U.S. 50 at Sargents. While grades are gentler (the railroad had a ruling grade of 4%) than on U.S. 50 over Monarch Pass (7% grades), please note that the Marshall Pass Road is closed to wheeled vehicles during the winter months. Marshall Pass is usually—but not always—a better route for small aircraft passing over the Continental Divide than is Monarch Pass.

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File:MarshallPass1947.jpg|A great deal of Philatelic mail originated at the post office at Marshall Pass

File:Marshall Pass, D&RG train, c.1890.jpg|Denver & Rio Grande Railroad train at Marshall Pass, around 1890. Photo by William Henry Jackson.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Marshall Pass}}

• [http://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-marshallpass.html "The Phantom Train of Marshall Pass"]

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Category:Rail mountain passes of the United States

Category:Mountain passes of Colorado

Category:Sangre de Cristo Mountains

Category:Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad

Category:Landforms of Saguache County, Colorado

Category:Transportation in Saguache County, Colorado