The lower image, I really believe, has long been mis-identified. I believe it actually is Alpine (later Fisher). Note the station overhang on the left but the water tank is missing...it burned in the late '80s.
I've given a lot of thought about that Kiercy Collection Murphy's Switch photo in the past month. I think this is around 1883. It IS where Romley would be, and the Eating House sits almost exactly where the Hancock depot would be moved in 1887 when the place was renamed Romley. The sidings were much expanded (to nearly 30 car capacity) around 1886/87. The Mary Murphy ore house is the big building in the background and the trestle and spur arrangement by it has been a bit perplexing. The near spur services a powerhouse for the mine. The Pomeroy Gulch bridge, just the iron bridge at that time, is beyond the ore house. Half a mile down in the distance is the Lady Murphy ore house, spurs (coal and ore) and a water tank, the original water tank in the area until it disappears around 1889 and the GSL&P Crisman water tank is moved into Grizzly Gulch.
The spur into St Elmo did exist, there are at least three photos of it. It was in at least by 1893 to service the Pawnee and very possibly as early as 1886/87 to provide a link into town at a better level. It started just west of Grizzly Gulch, where the Aspen Mill spur is on the ICC map, and extended about 1000' or so to get it to Poplar Street. It would be a slight downgrade, no switchback necessary. The mainline was climbing steeply at that point but the switch was fairly close to the level of the upper end of Main Street.
I just found an article that may push the date of your photo back a few years to 1885 when the South Park was trying to grab the Aspen traffic business and upgraded St Elmo station grounds for it, building a freight building and expanding the spur. It could very well be the freight shed seen in the photos.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2022 06:32PM by degg13.
