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L.L. Nunn, Pinheads, and the birth of the Western power grid
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L.L. Nunn, Pinheads, and the birth of the Western power grid

An electrifying piece of San Juan Mountain history

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Jonathan P. Thompson
Nov 07, 2023
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The Land Desk
The Land Desk
L.L. Nunn, Pinheads, and the birth of the Western power grid
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On a summer’s day in 1881, a 28-year-old named Lucien L. Nunn set off for Telluride from Durango with his friend and business partner Malachi Kinney. They were on foot, carrying everything they owned on their backs, not because they were some kind of early day ultra-athletes, but because they couldn’t afford a single horse. 

When Nunn made the 70-mile tr…

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