Colorado s Firsts and Oldest in the San Luis Valley. by Kat Olance and Kyli Kehler

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1 Colorado s Firsts and Oldest in the San Luis Valley by Kat Olance and Kyli Kehler Most of us know that the historic town of San Luis is the oldest town in Colorado, and R&R Market located in San Luis is the oldest continuously operated business in Colorado but there are more, lots more. The San Luis Valley is home to many of Colorado s first and oldest. Former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has discussed cultural preservation of some of these vary sites/areas of the Valley in a proposed conservation area as does the goal of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. With the help and input of the museum directors from across the Valley this article will highlight and celebrate the First and Oldest that we hold near and dear to us here in the San Luis Valley. First let s go to the quaint town of San Luis incorporated in 1851 making it the oldest town in Colorado. It sits in Colorado s first colonized area dating back to 1540, according to the Costilla County website. The town has kept it s old world charm with a number of smallbusinesses lining Main Street like Ventero Gallery; Café Rosa Mystica Coffee House; artist Huberto Maestas; or the Stations of the Cross Shrine sitting majestically up on the hill overlooking the town. The charm continues with R&R Market the oldest continuously operated business in Colorado since Don Dario Gallegos is credited with establishing the first mercantile business in Colorado as well as helping to establish the first water rights in Colorado, the People s Ditch. The state s first and oldest water rights irrigation ditch called La Vega also referred to as The People s Ditch was established in The ditch was hand dug by the town s residents as a means of providing water for the neighboring farms and the community as

2 a whole. Just recently the Trujillo Homestead has been designated as a National Historic Landmark with its original homesteader Teofilo Trujillo is one of Colorado s first permanent residents. Going west out of San Luis just a quick jog on Hwy 142 into the sleepy little town of old San Acacio and the location of Colorado s oldest church building, the Mission of San Acacio or San Acacio Viejo, built in the early 1860 s. According to the SLVHeritage.com website, the church is, constructed with 24-inch adobe walls the mission underwent extensive restoration during the 1990s. Preservation of such sites looks to continue in the counties of Costilla, Conejos and Alamosa as part of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. Going back into San Luis and heading north on Hwy 159 into Ft. Garland we stop in at the Ft. Garland Museum established in 1858, making it the oldest standing military fort in Colorado. According to the Fort Garland webpage on the museumtrail.org website, It was named for Brevet Brigadier General John Garland, then in command of the Department of New Mexico. Built on land that was part of the Sangre de Cristo Grant, leased by the United States government The Fort was also the station for the, the Ninth Cavalry of the famed Buffalo Soldiers stationed at the Fort between 1876 and 1879 after having served in Texas. The fort is managed under the auspices of the History Colorado. The archaeological site of Fort Massachusetts established in 1852 is located about 6 miles north of Ft. Garland would make it the first military fort in Colorado. ASU s Fort Massachusetts Field School is currently

3 excavating the site, built on the west bank of the Ute Creek, under the direction of Dr. Richard Goddard. Driving west on Hwy 160 we head past such great sites as Mt. Blanca, standing a majestic 14,345 ft. tall, and the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Maybe the Dunes is not an oldest or first in Colorado but they are the tallest sand dunes in North America. According to Resource Management Specialist, Fred Bunch, the Dunes is the location of the Stewart Cattle Guard Site that is the site of the Folsom bison kill site and one of the oldest archaeological sites in North America (9,000+ years ago). The Great Sand Dunes is also one of the quietest National Parks in the system based on 2008 recordings by the National Park Service s Natural Sounds Program. According to an article published in the Crestone Eagle, The 2008 measurements document the fact that the Sand Dunes area is on par with some of the quietest places in the country, according to Emma Lynch, an acoustic resource specialist with the Natural Sounds Program. Neighboring the Dunes is the Medano Zapata Ranch one of the oldest continuously operated ranches in the Valley. According to the Nature Conservancy, the area is also the location of many rare biologically significant items such as, the Slender Spiderflower, one of the world s largest populations; the Ant- like flower beetle (found no where else on Earth); and the Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle (also found no where else on Earth). We continue our journey heading south on Hwy 285 down to the town of Conejos. Conejos is home to Colorado s oldest parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe. The parish will have celebrated its 155 th anniversary in 2013, having been established in According to an article written by Lance Hostetter for the Valley Courier in July, 2008:

4 The first jacal, or wooden and mud church was built a few miles from the church s current location. Soon after the construction of the first church, a second church was built under the direction of the church s second pastor Fr. Jose Vigil. The second church, however, was built around the first church, eliminating the need for a new building, and so religious services would not be interrupted. Our Lady of Guadalupe was almost lost to the power of fire on Ash Wednesday, An electrical fire broke out and destroyed all but a few walls and the two towers. Luckily, the fire spared all of the record books. The first thought after the fire was to rebuild the church in Antonito. But, in order to preserve the church s standing as the oldest church [parish] in Colorado, the final decision was to rebuild the Conejos parish, where it would remain in its original site. The church stands strong today. People have been attending religious services at Our Lady of Guadalupe for 150 years. The town of Conejos is also home to Colorado s first Lieutenant Governor, Major Lafayette Head who is also considered one of the founding members of Our Lady of Guadalupe church. The Valley Courier s Rabbitbrush Rambler recently published a multi-part article detailing Head s life and contributions. Head was selected as Colorado s first Lieutenant governor when Colorado became a state in Conejos and Costilla Counties are two of the oldest original 17 counties in Colorado, established in Nov 1, 1861 as the Territory of Colorado. While in the area make sure to visit the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Station and Conejos Museum, recently designated as a National Historic Landmark by former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. And don t miss the Costilla Crossing Bridge (located on Cnty Rd G, east of Antonito) listed as

5 the oldest vehicular truss bridge in southern Colorado; The San Rafael Presbyterian Church in Mogote on the state registry; the F&CC Railroad Car No. 60, the only surviving example of a combination passenger-baggage car in the US; and pop in to the Sanford and Jack Dempsey Museums to help round out the full history of the area. As we drive back north along Hwy 285 then heading west on Hwy 160/285 towards Monte Vista we take a jog just north of the highway to Homelake Veterans Center, Colorado s first Veterans home, originally named Colorado Soldiers' and Sailors' Home. According to the Homelake Veterans History Museum website; The home was established by an act of the Colorado State Legislature in 1889 at the behest of the Grand Army of the Republic to provide a home for the aging and disabled veterans of the Civil War. The first resident was admitted in November, Entering into the town of Monte Vista we have the home of Colorado s oldest Pro Rodeo, SLV Ski-Hi Stampede that will be celebrating its 93 rd year this summer. The Monte Vista Crane Festival hosts the migrating path of the oldest migratory bird species the Sandhill Cranes. You can also expand your history knowledge at the Monte Vista Historical Society Museum and the Transportation of the West Museum. We haven t even mentioned Monte Vista s 12 national and state registry locations including the Carnegie Library, El Monte Hotel, the Downtown Historic District, the Fassett Department Store just to name a few.

6 As we drive north along Hwy 285 heading towards Saguache we pass a number of the Valley s potato farms, the oldest potato growing area in Colorado, and noted as the highest elevation potato farms in the U.S. The town of Saguache is the home to the Saguache Crescent one of the oldest Hot-lead press newspapers in the country in its 134 th year. The town holds an old jail and schoolhouse now the Saguache County Museum that includes such history as the infamous Alferd Packer. The town is also the location of a number of buildings on the State Registry. The town s Grist Mill (Flour Mill) is listed on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks. According to History Colorado s website listing, It is believed to be one of the few remaining water powered grist mills in Colorado. As we go further west into Del Norte there is a bridge listed on the National Registry as the longest and oldest Howe construction bridge, the Wheeler Bridge located just off Hwy 160 east of Del Norte. On main street (Grand Ave) is the oldest continuously operated hotel in Colorado, the Windsor Hotel. This is only one of 4 locations listed on state and national historic registries such as the Keck Homestead located at County Rd 15. Don t forget to stop by the Rio Grande County Museum for a peek at other contributions made to Colorado history like Del Norte native and NASA Astronaut Kent Rominger. Well as you can see the San Luis Valley is the home to Colorado s Oldest and First history though not the oldest or first we do live in the largest alpine valley in the world. Did we forget any of Colorado s oldest or first?? Feel free to us at

7 Let s rally together to highlight the much-overlooked historical importance of the San Luis Valley to Colorado s history. For more in-depth information on the history of the Valley make sure to visit one of the 16 museums in the Valley. Go to the SLV Museum Association s for a listing with hours and locations, Your pathway to the history of the San Luis Valley.