Originally called Pinkerton-in-the-Pines, this hot springs resort located 14 miles north of Durango was established in 1925 at the site of a stage stop on the way to Silverton. The stop, Pinkerton Springs, was named after Judge James H. Pinkerton, who homesteaded the property in 1875 and was known for its 13 hot spring pools. Water from the springs was bottled and sold throughout the surrounding area. After being renamed El Rancho Encantado for a time, it was sold in 1959, becoming the Golden Horseshoe Ranch and Resort. With cabins, a restaurant, swimming pool and dance hall, it became one of the most popular entertainment venues for Durangoans through the 1960s. By the mid-1970s, the rerouting of U.S. Highway 550 hastened its demise as motorists no longer drove by the business on their way to Purgatory and Silverton. It was sold in 1978, becoming Colorado Timberline Academy. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, [email protected] (Catalog Number: 03.44.1 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)
