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Abstract
Archaeologists and historians nominate structures to the Colorado State Register of
Historic Properties (SRHP) to list them as a cultural resource worthy of preservation efforts. The
crux of a successful SRHP structure nomination is the Significance Statement, on which the
SRHP board assesses the structure’s ability to contribute to Colorado heritage. Researchers must
present evidence to argue one of the five significance criteria (A-E); connecting the property to
events (A), people (B), periods (C), geography (D), or new discoveries into history (E).
However, no registrant has effectively argued the significance of a railroad passenger shelter
under one of these criteria, resulting in no passenger shelters listed by the SRHP. Here I advocate
for the nomination of the South Fork, Colorado Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW)
‘Waiting Shed’ continued to be used from 1912 to 1942 due to its architectural components, historical
context, and inscriptions. Specifically, I argue that the waiting sheds’ dated passenger
inscriptions from 1912 to 1965—ranging from the journalistic to the perverse—warrant its
eligibility under Criterion E: “The property contains the possibility of important discoveries
related to prehistory or history” (History Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic
Preservation 2018:10). My results demonstrate how the waiting shed nomination has the
potential to fill the gap in railroad structure types listed in the SRHP and contribute to our
understanding of passenger lifestyles during Colorado’s railroad period (1869-1967)