Current and historic US Highway ends
in Trinidad CO and vicinity

Originally, in 1926, Trinidad was served only by US 85 and US 350. From the north, US 85 came in on Linden Avenue, west on North Avenue, south on Arizona Avenue, southeast on Commercial Street, southwest on Main Street, and south on Santa Fe Trail (pink line). US 350 came in on Main, and ended at its junction with US 85 at Commercial (blue line):

US 160 doesn't show up until the 1931 CDoT map - and although it seems likely that the designation would've been co-signed with US 350 to US 85 in Trinidad, the detail map of Trinidad indicates the designation ended at Beshoar Junction. That may have been an oversight, though, because the 1934 detail map of Trinidad still doesn't show any US 160 shields... even though by then that designation had been co-signed north with US 85 through Trinidad to Walsenburg, and then west via what had been US 450.

One more thing: notice the odd route of 160, east of Beshoar (yellow line). Until about 1950, traffic was routed south and east from there, through the towns of Trinchera and Branson, and then north to modern 160 via today's CO hwy. 389. Today's more direct corridor was shown as "under construction" on the 1949 map; "graded" in 1951; and "surfaced" in 1952. Also in about 1959, the US 85 (and US 87) designations were moved over to what is now I-25 (below):

The US 160 and US 350 designations were extended southwest along former US 85; they then ended at I-25. In about 1992, Kit Carson Trail was built so US 160 traffic could avoid congested downtown Trinidad with its narrow brick streets. Probably at the same time, the US 350 designation was truncated to Beshoar (which was unnecessary - why shouldn't it be co-signed to I-25?)

The photo below is looking north on I-25, which curves off to the left:

me, Feb. 2002 (center panel removed by June 2006, because exit 14A no longer exists)

The exit to the right serves Main Street, which used to mark the west beginning of US 350 (when I-25 was first built). By then, Main was also US 160... but as you can see, that designation has now been shifted to Kit Carson Trail.

After making a right turn down by the Conoco station, you're on the segment of Main that was the original US 85 through town. In a few blocks, you reach an intersection with Commercial Street:

me, Feb. 2002

That's looking northeast on Main. Northbound US 85 took a left here on Commercial, and straight ahead was the original west beginning of US 350 (and probably the west beginning of US 160 in 1930). Today you have to continue ahead about a mile-and-a-half to reach US 160 (at the Kit Carson bypass), and then another 5 or 6 miles beyond that to reach the modern west beginning of US 350:

me, Feb. 2002

This is still looking northeast, towards La Junta. This place is known as Beshoar Junction, named for a nearby railroad siding. This junction was upgraded in 2004; here's a more recent view from that same perspective:

me, June 2006

Today eastbound US 160 takes a right here, and eastbound US 350 begins straight ahead. But from 1926-1995 this was all US 350, and it's possible that between 1930 and 1934 the west beginning of US 160 was to the right. Traffic coming from the right (west on US 160) would've just passed the sign shown below:

me, June 2006

Today US 350 begins to the right, but it used to also go left. This could've been the original west end of US 160, but I believe it was more likely co-signed with US 350 into Trinidad. (Incidentally, you can see one of the Spanish Peaks behind the sign, as well as part of the Culebra Range at far left; both figure prominently on the horizon in this part of the world.) If you turn right there, you'll see the first eastbound US 350 marker:

me, June 2006

Below is the "End" sign assembly heading the opposite direction at Beshoar Junction, for southwestbound travellers coming from La Junta:

me, June 2006

As I've said, westbound US 350 used to continue ahead with US 160. Continuing that way a few miles, the highway becomes Main St in Trinidad. Today US 160 traffic is routed across the north end of town via the Kit Carson bypass, but originally highway traffic continued straight ahead on Main. The intersection with Commercial marked the original end of US 350, and probably the first end of US 160 as well:

me, Feb. 2002

That's looking southwest on Main. Southbound US 85 was ahead, and northbound was to the right on Commercial. In 1934, the US 160 designation was extended through Trinidad, so it would've followed US 85 north from there. After I-25 was built, US 85 was routed onto it. So the US 350/US 160 designations were extended a bit further ahead on Main. US 350 ended at its junction with I-25 (interchange 13B):

me, June 2006 (unchanged since at least Feb. 2002)

That's still southwest on Main. Note the now-incorrect US 160 sign, which probably dates to before the Kit Carson bypass. One more shot - this is looking southeast on Commercial:

me, Feb. 2002

Originally this was southbound US 85, which continued to the right ahead on Main. The original west beginning of US 350 was to the left. After 1934 this was also eastbound US 160, which continued to the left with US 350. Incidentally, the distinctive flattop mountain in the background is Fisher's Peak, which is a Trinidad landmark.