Ridgway is 130 years old next month. Ridgway’s story is also a railroad tale, so let’s look back.

Silver and gold were found in the San Juans in the years following the Civil War, and newcomers “rushed” into southwest Colorado. Otto Mears, the problem-solver and opportunity-seeker, quickly constructed an intricate network of narrow toll roads into the mountains and their mines. He dreamed even bigger. With rail transportation now crossing the continent, why not build a railway through the...