Historical Survey Report 1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The railroads began developing their own coal mines for fuel, with abundant supplies above and beyond the railroad's needs finding eager markets in Denver and Boulder. As early as 1859, the first settlers had used coal for heating; which they found occasionally in outcroppings. By 1862, Joseph Marshall began developing the Marshall Mine to produce coking coal for his iron foundry. Near Erie, George Wilson had also made early discoveries. But these ventures were hampered by the high costs of transportation andequipment which ate away at potential profits. The railroads dramatically changed this situation. The completion of the Golden, Boulder, and Caribou line from the Marshall Mine to Boulder in 1878 was another triumph and led to the creation of the town of Langford/Marshall. Boulder had now become not only an important supply town for the mountain mining areas, but also an important coal distribution center. The Hayden Geologic Survey lauded the extensive northern coal fields in that pivotal year of 1870. "Nowhere in the world is there such a vast development of the recent coal measures, and in few places is their existence more necessary to the ad/ vancement and improvement of the region in which they occur.' The coal was principally sub -bituminous lignite; for the most part free of sulphur and soot. It was entirely sufficient for steam power, smelting and domestic use. Running in a southwest to northeast direction in what is called the Laramie formation, the northern coal fields brought forth the development of several towns in the 1870's in addition to Louisville. Davidson, (platted in 1874), and Canfield, ('75), were both coal mining towns which preceded Louisville in the area. LOIIISVILLE*S DEVELOPMENT In retrospect, the odds for successfully establishing the new town of Louisville were quite favorable. As has been seen, the Colorado Central had reached -as far as Longmont in 1873, but the depression of that year slowed furthur progress until 1877 when the line reached the U. P. west of Cheyenne. C. C. Welch, vice president of the Colorado Central, financed the drilling of the Welch Mine, (later the Louisville Mine), in August of 1877.