06/08/2026
11 August 1879, Ute Pass, Colorado, USA. The road was 4 feet wide. The drop was 1,000 feet. The river was Fountain Creek. The wagons were 10. The men were freighters. The freight was lumber. For Leadville. Silver boom. 1877. The road was built in 1860s. By hand. By pick. The guard rail was new. 1878. After 3 wagons fell. The drivers walked. Horses could not turn. The pay was $3 a ton. The risk was death. The photographer was William Henry Jackson. USGS. He climbed the cliff. Wet plate camera. 20 pounds. The photo sold west. It said “Come.” And they did. 100,000 by 1880. The road is Highway 24 now. The pass is safe. The photo shows grit. And gravity.
