Historic Helper

A lot has changed in Helper over the years, much of it revolving around the decline in rail traffic since the height of the Denver & Rio Grande Western days. Falling demand for coal and shifting traffic patterns after the UP takeover have reduced rail volumes considerably, UP's LROHP (Roper to Helper local) that day a microcosm of today's reality, hauling only a single hopper for the trip east. One could say a sad state of affairs; although we'd all love to see Rio Grande's 2020 leading passenger trains again in place of armor yellow, that won't be happening anytime soon. Any town that suffers a structural decline in economic activity has to try to reinvent itself, this mural attempting to depict the "new" Helper hoping to bring in some tourism dollars, while acknowledging its roots, for better or for worse.

 

For those that need glasses like me, the mural reads:

Welcome to Historic Helper

Check out Our… Art (brothels)

food & retail (company store)

1(3) bar(s) + coffee shop :)

hiking, biking, (gambling), museum & pool

Done