▁community ▁center ▁for ▁the ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁far mers ▁and ▁ran ch ers ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁in h osp itable ▁region , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁prominent ▁sh ipping ▁point ▁for ▁cattle ▁that ▁were ▁run ▁in ▁the ▁Book ▁Cl iffs ▁area . ▁Stock men ▁from ▁both ▁San ▁Juan ▁and ▁Grand ▁count ies ▁used ▁Thompson . ▁ ▁Thompson ▁gained ▁importance ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁coal ▁mines ▁in ▁S ego ▁C any on , ▁north ▁of ▁town . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁min ing ▁in ▁S ego ▁C any on ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁and ▁that ▁year ▁the ▁Ball ard ▁and ▁Thompson ▁Rail road ▁was ▁constructed ▁to ▁connect ▁the ▁mines ▁with ▁the ▁rail head ▁at ▁Thompson . ▁The ▁rail road ▁branch ▁line ▁and ▁mines ▁continued ▁operating ▁until ▁about ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁served ▁by ▁various ▁D & R G W ▁passenger ▁trains , ▁including ▁the ▁Sc en ic ▁Limited , ▁the ▁Ex position ▁Fly er , ▁the ▁Pro spect or , ▁the ▁California ▁Ze ph yr , ▁and ▁the ▁Rio ▁Grande ▁Ze ph yr . ▁Although ▁Am tra k ▁( the ▁National ▁Rail road ▁Pass enger ▁Corporation ) ▁took ▁over ▁nearly ▁all ▁passenger ▁rail ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁the ▁D & R G W ▁continued ▁service ▁through ▁the ▁area ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁Sub sequently , ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁four teen ▁years