Photo Dispatch

They were built. They were used. They were abandoned.

Remnants of life long gone still speckle Southern Colorado.

A new year to most people signifies an opportunity to start anew. The marking of the beginning lends itself to resolutions, as beginnings are rarely blemished and bring a sense of refreshment.

The feelings associated with a new year are often over-simplified. Flaws still exist — many that are unchangeable. Even among the landscape that is obvious.

As the west was being settled, men built homes, livestock housing and pens, storage facilities, factories and schools. When some of these facilities were no longer deemed useful, due to a failing economy or newer facilities being built nearby, they were simply left behind, serving as a reminder to a more prosperous time. Even well into the 20th century that practice existed. Simply abandoning a setting when it no longer served a purpose.

The photos in this essay were photographed around Pueblo County and in Rocky Ford. While the use of some of the buildings photographed is obvious some are not so obvious and their former use must be derived at by the viewer.

Unlike the wanders of a new year, these buildings have a history. One that is all but forgotten in structure. And much like our own lives, the shells of another life showcase that starting anew often means leaving something behind that is not as easily expunged — even if neglected.

— Words and photos by Jason Prescott.

Rocky Ford

Vineland, Pueblo County

Pueblo County