Pueblo Railroads

The Kellys are going to guide you through history and talk about the railways of Colorado and how they shaped the state. Not that we're going "off the rails" for you, as we'll take you to Historic Downtown Pueblo and show you the amazing sites, from the old Pueblo Union Depot to the warehouse's "now-made" museum, right down to the old newspaper building and town hall.

Starting at the Pueblo Union Depot, we'll guide you not just down the streets but through time. The state of Colorado was kicking off during the industrial revolution. Apart from railroads connecting pioneer towns to major cities, factories with access to quick resources were a bonus, especially the gold and silver in the mountains. As a result, the railway helped bring a lot of booming businesses everywhere.

Not all was glamorous, as it usually is in these cases. Life working the railway was rough, especially for the immigrants who acquired the lowliest jobs. It was highly unsafe if you didn't know what you were doing. Even if you did, environmental hazards tore the rails apart. For Pueblo, the worst case was the 1921 flood that turned the railcars into boats, ramming them into the buildings as they were washed away.

We'll be walking for half a mile, encircling the historic district. Though it's an easy trek, wear comfortable shoes. The tour will meet behind the Pueblo Union Depot, where we'll enter the building and get a glimpse of the world from the 1880s to the 1950s along the railway lines. We'll mainly be outside for the majority of the tour, so dress accordingly to the weather.