Little Bookcliff Railroad

“In the late 1800s, when coal and wood were used primarily for heat and when a ride on the local trolley was 25 cents, a great discovery was about to unfold in the Grand Valley.

George W. Smith, a newcomer to the valley, was hiking the rugged terrain of the Book Cliffs, when he came upon a large coal vein.

Within a few weeks, Smith had begun his venture of digging deep into the Book Cliffs to extract the rich, bituminous coal. He and his partners worked hard for several years, but could not produce or transport enough coal to supply heat for the residents of the valley. He had been hauling the coal by wagon, and that just wasn’t fast enough for the growing Grand Junction area…”

Read more about the Little Bookcliff Railroad here. Thanks to the Beacon and author Sandy Barney for sharing “Local Lore” with us.