Cumbres History

Who Knows What?
Two of us from the Friends are in the process of developing a walking tour guide for Cumbres pass. We (or I) have some old maps and stuff published in books but there are many gaps to putting together a comprehensive hjistory and outline of what relics are still there. During the early August work session we spent half a day dodging rain drops and photographing all that we could find of the remains up there. I know that the Lively (? sp) family lived up there and the father was the agent for many years and took lots of pictures. Were they not published in a book? There was a "car inspector" or "car repairman" who lived there. Does any one know who that was? or why the rio grande felt compelled to have that job there just 14 miles from a repair facility? We found the remains of a work car body with a shack sort of attached to it behind the car inspectors house along the left side of the road to the inspectors house. WE think we also found the location of the gas station, and what appears to have been a dwelling behind it. There are no remains of the gas station but there is a flat spot right by the main road before the branch to the car inspectors house and up on a small rise. Seems to fit the pictures I have seen of the gas station. Also back behind the car inspectors house and to the right is a small building in good repair with sort of a hole in the floor that reminded us of a spring house or well house. it is near the tail track of the wye. I did not realize the tail of the wye was as long as it is or that it curved. There is also a foundation for what looks like a log cabin on the east side of the tail track. These are most of the features we found besides the tumbled down outhouse and ???? behind the car inspectors house. It appears that it was more than just an outhouse, more like a storage building with an attached outhouse. We also went to the south side of Col 17 and photographed the spring house there up on the hill.
One last observation. At the back of the snow shed is a newer building stradling the tracks, whose sides are obviously four roundhouse doors on their sides. Who knows anything about this strange animal?
All for now. If anyone has maps or pictures or such that they could send us to help you can E-mail me for an address. We would be happy to hear from you.
Frank