The Santa Fe Trail was a major trade route to and from Santa Fe, New Mexico, between 1821 and 1880, and wagon ruts visible from the highway show the thousands of caravans that used it during its 59 years of operation. It began as a foot path, then became a horse trail, a wagon route, a railway, and finally a 20th century highway. Raton Pass was a major obstacle on the Mountain Branch, and the difficulties of travel there led to the creation of Trinidad as a place for rest, refreshment, and resupply. Stage coaches ranged from simple wagons to elaborate Concord coaches, drawn by two to six horses or mules depending on road conditions; drivers changed teams about 10 or 12 times in 24 hours in an average of four minutes, and stages normally traveled 8-10 miles an hour. On February 14, 1880, a Santa Fe newspaper marked the arrival of the railroad with the declaration, "The Old Santa Fe Trail Passes Into Oblivion." The railroad was faster and more efficient in transporting goods to and from Santa Fe, and railroad lines competed heavily for the best routes; the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reached Trinidad, Colorado, in 1878. El Moro also reflects a long history of Native Americans, Spanish explorers, Mexican farmers, trappers, traders, and later settlers from diverse countries who came to mine cut stone, coke coal, or provide services around local coal mining camps. Coal mining began in this area as early as 1861, supported by a favorable climate, ample water, and timber for underground mines, and El Moro mine became the state's largest producer of both coal and coke for a decade, though eventually the higher cost of underground extraction compared with open-pit mining led to the closure of all coal mines in the Trinidad fields. Trinidad Street Railway, established in 1882, began with mulecars, changed to horsecars in 1891, and was replaced in 1904 by the Electric Railway and Gas Company, which opened with five miles of track and five cars in town; nine miles of track and three cars connected urban areas, fares were five cents in town and 15 cents interurban, and two cars ran hourly to coal camps. By 1922 the automobile had greatly reduced streetcar ridership and the local lines closed.