What: The camp/town of Woodstock, Colorado was completely destroyed by an avalanche. 18 people were buried, 13 died, six were children. A train approaching the Alpine Tunel blew its whistle setting off the avalanche. Woodstock began as a construction camp on the western side of the Alpine Tunnel in 1881. Soon it was a permanent camp with a depot, telegraph office, section house, saloon, hotel, cabins and other buildings.
When: March 10, 1884.
Who: Once the highest railroad tunnel in the world, at an altitude of 11,523 feet, it was the first tunnel to be built through the Continental Divide. All along the tracks were a number of small settlements, some to service the railroad and others that housed the many miners of the area. These included Woodstock, Quartz, and Sherrod, as well as Pitkin at the western end, and St. Elmo on the eastern end of the line.
Where: Located roughly 18 miles southwest of Buena Vista.
Significance: The single most deadly avalanche in Colorado history. The settlement, which had as many as 200 residents was never rebuilt. Most of its residents moved to nearby Sherrod and a new water tank for the railroad was built about ½ mile down the grade. All that remains today of Woodstock are a few stone foundations, some rotting timbers and a historic marker. The railroad company gave up on the dangerous and accident prone tunnel. The last train came through in November, 1910. A decade later, the vast majority of all of the old track had been removed.
When: March 10, 1884.
Who: Once the highest railroad tunnel in the world, at an altitude of 11,523 feet, it was the first tunnel to be built through the Continental Divide. All along the tracks were a number of small settlements, some to service the railroad and others that housed the many miners of the area. These included Woodstock, Quartz, and Sherrod, as well as Pitkin at the western end, and St. Elmo on the eastern end of the line.
Where: Located roughly 18 miles southwest of Buena Vista.
Significance: The single most deadly avalanche in Colorado history. The settlement, which had as many as 200 residents was never rebuilt. Most of its residents moved to nearby Sherrod and a new water tank for the railroad was built about ½ mile down the grade. All that remains today of Woodstock are a few stone foundations, some rotting timbers and a historic marker. The railroad company gave up on the dangerous and accident prone tunnel. The last train came through in November, 1910. A decade later, the vast majority of all of the old track had been removed.
Bringing out the dead from Woodstock. Courtesy of Frontier Historical Society, Glenwood Springs.
