RAILWAYS OF YESTERYEAR The creation of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad was fueled by the silver boom and mining industry. It also served to tie Denver to the cattle and lumber markets in South Park and south-central Colorado. Tourism brought additional dollars to the railroads until 1900. With the event of World War I, all United States railroad were managed by the U.S. Railroad Administration. When the war ended, management rights were returned to individual railroads. On April 10, 1937, the last passenger train rain from Leadville to Denver; the line was dismantled in 1938.