This is a newly discovered image of Rosita, Colorado in the 1870s, and is taken from near the summit of Game Ridge and looking to the west. There are not many buildings visible, which places this exposure very early in the history of the town, probably 1873. The few buildings in the picture appear to be a small cluster of log cabins in the center of the townsite, near the current intersections of County Road 323 and County Road 328. Those would soon be replaced with businesses. Euclid and Grouse or Quartz streets are platted and built in this picture. The era of building cabins anywhere did not last long, and the neatly graded and parallel streets being built in the photo are the beginning of town lots being sold, developed, and then the the Wild West was over almost as soon as it began. Cabins made way for hotels, boarding houses, and rentals.
This image was discovered in a pile of unmarked antique photos, and came with no real provenance or context. It is unusual in the respect that it is an overview of a townsite without the town! My guess is that this exposure was intended as a promotional material for the town, and was used to sell lots in town to investors. The picture provides an interesting and rare view of the early town on the cusp of profound transformation.
The Rosita Museum 