Top 10 True Western Towns of 2013

#5 Durango, Colorado Like many a boomtown, Durango got its start when prospectors found gold in the area. But the arrival of railroads actually fueled the region’s rapid growth. Lines from the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Durango in 1881 and, within 12 months, the town had 134 businesses, including doctor’s offices, newspapers and, of course, saloons. The railroads ensured Durango’s importance as a center of industry and commerce, especially when the Silverton Branch, which s