The mystery of the moved ruins The history of a ruin that left
the Southwest In the year 1906, 40 box cars rattled their way
down the train tracks and out of Dolores - nothing new for the
time, a time when freight was big business in Dolores. Boxcars
of cows, sheep and apples often left daily to other
destinations. But these boxcars were filled with something
different, something irreplaceable - a ruin that would forever
leave Southwest Colorado. The ruin rocks' final destination was
Manitou Springs, just west of Colorado Springs. There a wealthy
group rebuilt the ruins in the side of a blasted-out cliff. The
ruin was constructed to look like Mesa Verde National Park and
was geared to bring in visitors at 25 cents a piece. It was
promoted as a cheaper and easier way to see a cliff dwelling.
The real thing - Mesa Verde National Park - was far away and
involved a long journey that included a day of horseback riding.
But where exactly did those ruin rocks come from? That is a
question that has puzzled historians