Colorado's MuseumTrail.org

12/21/2022

Esteban Salazar one of two valley residents to receive 2022 Boettcher Fellowship

Congratulations to Esteban Salazar
https://alamosanews.com/article/esteban-salazar-one-of-two-valley-residents-to-receive-2022-boettcher-fellowship

In July of 1863, President Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November as a National Day of Thanks. While that tradition has evolved into a day where families – with the means to do so - gather for a day of feasting and fellowship, gratitude for and recognition of those who strive to better t...

12/09/2022

Good Morning Sunshines..with well over 30 vendors this is going to be amazing!!.come out and get your Christmas shopping done..we will have music 🎶..prizes..Santa will be visiting and taking your Christmas lists..our very first annual Biscochito contest..don't miss it! 10-4PM December 10th...also admission to museum is FREE and the gift shop will be offering 10% off. Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center

11/12/2022

Stargazing at the Great Sand Dunes

Stargazing at the Great Sand Dunes

11/06/2022

Join us on Saturday & Sunday, October 22-23 for Local Appreciation Weekend!

Residents of the San Luis Valley & Huerfano county will enjoy FREE admission and 10% off Gift Shop purchases all weekend long!

This is the final weekend to view award-winning artist Gregg Deal's exhibit 'Merciless Indian Savages'. Also on display is 'Cruzando los Traques' about the 1914 Maestas school desegregation case, the Dia de los Mu***os Community Ofrenda, and more!

Museum hours are 9am-5pm.

10/21/2022

SdCNHA’s Scary Stories, Folklores, and Legends, no. 7

-A Horse Named Snippy-

One of the biggest unsolved mysteries to ever take place in the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area is a true story that happened in Alamosa on September 7, 1967. On that day a three-year-old Appaloosa named Snippy did not return home to the fence behind a ranch owner, Harry King’s home for her usual water and treat. Two days later Mr. King went out looking for the horse, he sadly ended up finding her remains around a quarter mile away from the ranch house. What he saw next was bone chilling and unexplainable. According to Mr. King, Snippy’s neck and head had been completely stripped of their flesh, leaving nothing but bare bone visible. However, the rest of Snippy’s body had remained unscathed. No blood was found around the body, and the flesh had been removed with extreme precision. Around one hundred yards away from the body there were a series of six small, round indentions in the ground that had flattened shrubbery. There were other strange reports surrounding the body, such as reports of a “sickly-sweet smell” around the body, and the exposed bones appearing bright pink to one person. With these strange reports and the incident itself being unexplainable at the time, including rumors of unexplained lights in the sky of the area during that time, amateur mystery solvers began to attribute Snippy’s death to aliens. Such an event shocked the agricultural communities of the Valley, and many newspaper articles were published around this time period with different reports of what may have happened to Snippy. While today, we cannot be sure what happened to Snippy, UFO believers and enthusiasts alike are drawn to this local story that no one can seem to explain.

For more information visit: https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/ufos-and-horse-called-snippy

10/08/2022

SdCNHA’s Spooky Stories, Folklores, and Legends, no. 1

-The Story of La Llorona-

The story of La Llorona is one that has been told for generations in many Hispanic households, and very often from older generations to younger children so that they do not wander outdoors after dark or stay awake after lights out. The story is thought to have originated in New Spain during the sixteenth century, eventually being told into the Mexican period, and later the American period by generations of family story tellers. While the story has had many variations throughout centuries of southwestern and Mexican history, one version is as follows:

La Llorona, or “the weeping woman,” is a story about a woman named Maria, whose startling beauty captivated the residents of her humble Mexican village. Even though being born into a peasant family, her beauty attracted the admiration of both men rich and poor. In time, Maria captured the heart of a wealthy gentleman, and the two were wed and later welcomed two children. The family was happy for many years until the gentleman began to lose interest in his stunning bride, leaving her to raise their two young ones alone. One evening, Maria and her children were walking along the road which ran alongside the river when suddenly a carriage passed by the three. Maria caught sight of her husband, flanked on both sides by attractive young women. In a fit of jealous rage she grabbed both of her children, flung them into the river, and proceeded to drown them in the bleak, dark water. Upon her emotions subsiding, Maria came to terms with what she had done and succumbed to her grief, weeping and sobbing, her cries heard throughout the dark night. She would go on to spend the rest of her days wailing along the river’s edge in search of her two innocent children.

This story seems to be the one that sticks most with young Hispanic children, being that many adults tell it to them so that they will not go outside at night, stay away from the windows after dark, and do not stay up past their bedtimes, for if they do, La Llorona one night may mistake them for her own children, and take them away with her into the dark.

Art by Diana Bryer

10/07/2022

09/28/2022

Photos from Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center's post

08/01/2022

Covered Wagon Days to celebrate the Golden Years

https://delnorteprospector.com/article/covered-wagon-days-to-celebrate-the-golden-years

DEL NORTE — For the past 50 years, Del Norte has paid homage to its historical heritage during August with celebrations honoring days from the past. The first-ever Covered Wagon Days event took place in 1972 when the town decided to host a bicentennial festival that eventually turned into the cele...

07/22/2022

The Valley's soil was exceedingly rich but totally worthless without water. This wide irrigation canal is being dug across the north end of what was then Costilla County.

Information from: "Colorado's San Luis Valley, a Pictorial History" Leland Feitz

07/22/2022

Photos from Francisco Fort Museum's post

06/22/2022

06/14/2022

In January of 1807, Zebulon Pike’s expedition arrived in the San Luis Valley. They were weary, hungry, and several were injured, so they used the last of their strength to construct a stockade of logs to provide shelter from the elements. But this crude little structure was only used for about a month before forces from Santa Fe arrived to arrest them.

Pike’s party had crossed into the territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, then a territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. To this day it is debated whether Pike was simply lost, or was scouting out Spanish settlement in the region to determine if the U.S. could one day annex the territory.

In 1952 Pike’s Stockade was reconstructed on the original site near the headwaters of Red River, and in 1961 it was declared a National Historic Landmark. The reconstruction is maintained by History Colorado and is open seasonally. This summer, it opens tomorrow (May 28th). If you’re in the valley, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Learn more: https://www.historycolorado.org/pikes-stockade

Image: Pike's Stockade reconstruction in the summer. Photo by Eric Carpio.

06/14/2022

La Veta is a gem located in the Cuchara River Valley of Colorado

La Veta is a gem located in the Cuchara River Valley of Colorado

06/07/2022

‼️TODAY ‼️ Join for a wonderful day full of Embroidery knowledge & experience 🧵🪡

Many of you had wished for a Saturday class, so in honoring those needs Sandy Dolak will be offering a
Colcha Embroidery Class on Saturday June 11 th at the Francisco Fort Museum Capps Building (115 W.
Francisco) from 10-3. We will break from noon to 1 for lunch and/or enjoying a free tour of our
wonderful museum. In the morning, it will be mostly a repeat of our introduction to Colcha Embroidery
Class and beginning stitchery. In the afternoon, we will have show and tell and explore the many
options for your ongoing work. We will be joined by one of my favorite Colcheras from San Luis, Donna
Hernandez. She is inspirational! Contact Sandy Dolak at [email protected] or text 719-251-
1271. This is made possible through collaboration with Think Art 360, Huajatolla Heritage Foundation
and Francisco Fort Museum.

05/27/2022

Memorial Day is Monday, May 30th! That means that THIS WEEKEND is Fort Garland’s Memorial Day Encampment! Join us for family fun this weekend to learn history of the Victorian time period and Fort Garland!

Buffalo Soldier living history presentation at Fort Garland, Courtesy History Colorado

05/26/2022

Photos from Huajatolla Heritage Festival and Foundation's post

05/19/2022

Photos from Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center's post

05/09/2022

Photos from Huajatolla Heritage Festival and Foundation's post

04/23/2022

“Black Sunday” swept through Baca County on April 14, 1935. This was one of the largest storms of the Dust Bowl, causing a seven-state blackout. History Colorado reports that this was the storm that coined the name “dust bowl,” which caused the most damage beginning in 1935. The Black Sunday storm had winds of up to 30 miles an hour, and reduced visibility to 60-300 feet. It was almost as dark as midnight for long stretches during the afternoon. This storm impacted the states of Kansa, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. This event was categorized as “one of the worst ecological disasters in US history.”

"Black Sunday," Courtesy Colorado Virtual Library

04/11/2022

Great Sand Dunes announces “We Love Our National Park” celebration in April

https://alamosanews.com/article/great-sand-dunes-announces-we-love-our-national-park-celebration-in-april

To honor the Great Sand Dunes National Park, and to celebrate Alamosa, Visit Alamosa will launch the second annual, month-long ‘We Love Our National Park Celebration’ on April 1, 2022.

04/04/2022

Last week, Colorado celebrated the 58th anniversary of adopting our current state flag! The design of the flag is super specific to the things that Colorodians are proud of.

The blue in the flag is meant to represent Colorado’s expansive blue skies. The middle stripe is white, meant to represent the snowcapped Colorado Rockies. The “c” is the same color as the red in the United States flag, and takes up ⅔ of the length of the flag. This red also represents the color of the soil in many states. The golden circle inside the “c” is meant to represent the nearly 300 days of sunshine that Colorado experiences.

This flag design has actually been around since 1911, when Andrew Carlisle Carson created it. The Colorado General Assembly started using the flag on June 5th of 1911, but there were no specified measurements for the stripes or the size of the “c,” or the exact colors that are used. March 31st, 1964, was the date that both the colors and proportions were standardized, leaving us with the flag that we see today.

📸: Colorado State Capitol. Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM, Courtesy Uncover Colorado

03/15/2022

Today is National Pi Day! The team at Fort Garland is celebrating by enjoying a variety of Amish fried pies, made locally in the San Luis Valley.

Amish fried pies, also known as Amish hand pies, are irrestible hand-held pies in a half-moon shape, that can be fried or baked and are drizzled with a sweet glaze. Flavors include cherry, apple, pecan, chocolate, peach, and more! They can be found at various coffee shops, gas stations, outdoor markets and Amish-owned businesses throughout the valley.

You might be interested to learn that the San Luis Valley is home to a thriving Amish community, which you can learn more about by watching this video by the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0p5Md0hXr4

Happy Pi Day!

03/07/2022

Photos from Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area's post

02/04/2022

Timeline photos

The Buffalo Soldiers were (now well known) African American soldiers who served on the Western frontier after the Civil War. The six all-black cavalry and infantry regiments, made up of over 10,000 men, were created in 1866. Congress had just passed the Army Organization Act, allowing former slaves to serve during the Civil War. The soldiers received $13 a month as well as food, clothing, and shelter when involved in the army.

The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center’s Exhibit Buffalo Soldiers West focuses on the opportunities that black soldiers found in the military, the controversies that surrounded these soldiers, and their careers. Throughout the month of February, this account will tell stories of different Buffalo Soldiers and historic black figures in CO history each week, and continue to educate readers about the lives of black Coloradans every month of the year.

📸: Buffalo Soldiers of Colorado and Beyond, Courtesy History Colorado

01/20/2022

Did you know?....
Sustaining the Fort's Regiment required an incredible amount of supplies. Some estimated supplies for a year included 52 Tons of beef, 24 or more tons of bacon, one ton of ham, 86 tons of flour, 13 tons of sugar and cornmeal, 7 tons of coffee, 3 tons of hominy and rice, 1 1/2 tons of dried potatoes, a ton of dried vegetables, 2, 200 Gallons of sweet molasses, 1500 gallons of vinegar, 160 bushels of beans, and 100 pounds of salt. (Definitely the phrase "are you feeding an army?" comes to mind)
Brokers brought fresh stock, hay, and grain from the valley's Hispano Placitas. Those placitas included San Luis de la Culebra, San Acacio, as well as Guadalupe, San Jose, and San Rafael which were settlements along the Conejos River. Fort Garland created a local market for cattle, grain, flour, and produce, all raised in the San Luis Valley.
With the arrival of the railroad in 1877, the Fort became a point of procurement for product to be sent to Fort Union other places outside of the valley. Advertisements for bids to Santa Fe and Taos were sent in both Spanish and English. Quartermasters dealt with corn and wheat by the fanega, a spanish term of measure eqaul to 1 1/2 bushels.
Soon though, the contracts for corn, hay, wood, and charcoal the local Hispanos depended on, soon went to the new busnessmen, who flooded the valley after the end of the Civil War. Fueling the tensions of the local hispanos and the new settlers of the San Luis Valley.
(I told ya History is more interesting than you think!)
The photo taken July 4th 1929, by OT Davis at an early twentieth-century reenactment accurately captures a common scene of incoming supplies during the Fort's heyday.
Warmest Regards,
Jo😎

01/19/2022

Explore Walsenburg | Spanish Peaks County - Explore Southern Colorado's rich history, natural wonders, and artistic inspiration

https://spanishpeakscountry.com/explore-walsenburg/

Spend the whole day exploring Walsenburg. From history and art to a refreshing hike filled with breathtaking scenery, this full-day itinerary has it all… and with minimal driving!

01/19/2022

Timeline photos

01/13/2022

San Luis Southern Railroad
The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area was once home to the shortest standard gauge railroad in the world, the San Luis Southern. A group of Colorado Springs investors purchased a part of the original Sangre de Cristo Land Grant and their development company built a 31.38-mile standard gauge railroad from Blanca to connect the planned communities of Hamburg, Jaroso and the railroad headquarters town of San Acacio. The town plan for Hamburg was large, with street names in German, and was expecting an influx of German immigrants from Hamburg, Iowa. When that didn’t happen the town name and town plan was changed to Mesita. After 15 years, the settlements were unsuccessful and the railroad was purchased by a group of businessmen from Denver who changed the name to the San Luis Southern Railway, the name changed again in 1954 to the Southern San Luis Valley Railroad Company. One original engine is now housed in the Railroad Museum in Golden, Colo. By 1957 the miles of track had been abandoned. You can still see the San Acacio station in San Acacio on road 142 between San Luis and Manassa.

01/12/2022

Timeline photos

While sheep herding is believed to have come to Colorado with Spanish colonizer it didn't really take off until the 1870s and by 1886 there were an estimated 2 million sheep in the state.

Many of these sheep belonged to Hispanic ranchers who lived in the Borderlands of Southern Colorado.

Expansion of the sheep industry was met with resistance by Anglo cattlemen who competed for the same range lands and believed that sheep would over graze the grasses.

This conflict over grasslands resulted in splits of rancher organization as well as a series of Range Wars across the state.

In the San Luis Valley one particularly telling incident in 1902 involved the targeting of Teofilo Trujillo in Alamosa County by a local cattleman, George Dorris.

When Trujillo refused to remove his sheep from public lands, Dorris sent armed men who "proceeded to enforce their injunction by the shooting process,” resulting in more than 300 dead and dispersed sheep.

The Trujillo family attended the resulting trial and while away several buildings on their ranch were set ablaze and more of their herd was killed.

The charges against Dorris’ men were eventually dropped, which contributed to the reality that nothing was being done to protect Hispanic sheepherders from Anglo cattlemen.

01/11/2022

Curious Colorado tales highlight new season of award-winning podcast

https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/curious-colorado-tales-highlight-new-season-of-award-winning-podcast/article_a7268988-7030-11ec-9ac6-47989ae9a72a.html

History Colorado's award-winning documentary podcast, "Lost Highways: Dispatches from the Shadows of the Rocky Mountains," is back for its third season with more insight into some of Colorado's most notorious

01/09/2022

Photos from Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area's post

01/05/2022

RG County considers purchase of land by DN airport

https://southforktines.com/article/rg-county-considers-purchase-of-land-by-dn-airport

RIO GRANDE COUNTY — After several conversations, the Rio Grande County Board of County Commissioners has decided to pursue the potential purchase of a 30-acre parcel of land near the Kent Rominger Airport located north of Del Norte.

01/05/2022

Creede Historical Society seeks new members

https://mineralcountyminer.com/article/creede-historical-society-seeks-new-members

CREEDE — The Creede Historical Society was formed in 1964 and started out with a few historical artifacts, a small gathering of volunteers and more than 100 years of history to record. As the society grew, more and more private citizens and donors gave artifacts, pictures and interviews which resu...

01/03/2022

Over $7.2M in preservation grants awarded across state

https://conejoscountycitizen.com/article/over-72m-in-preservation-grants-awarded-across-state

DENVER — History Colorado announce Wednesday, Dec. 8, a newly completed State Historical Fund (SHF) grant round that provides more than $7.2 million in grant funding for preservation efforts across the state, including organizations in Conejos and Saguache counties.

01/03/2022

From Pike National Historic Trail Association

One of our missions is to educate the public about Zebulon Montgomery Pike. Soo...

We present a contest Contest Name- I Like Pike

Our Purpose- To encourage people to learn about General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, use our website zebulonpike.org and to research about Pike’s life.

CONTEST 1 of 5-

Where was Pike depicted in each of the paintings?

The deadline for entry- Mon Feb 28, 2022 9pm

fil:///C:/Users/17195/OneDrive/Pictures/4%20Oct-Dec%202021%20Fall%20Contest%20Announcement%20issue.pdf

Merry Christmas,

Pike National Historic Trail Association

12/31/2021

Traditional use of natural resources defines community

https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/rocky-mountain-pbs/rio-culebra-watershed-part-3/

Heritage high-desert water systems face challenges. What the challenges are, and how to approach them, depends who you ask.

12/31/2021

18 Colorado Adventures That Will Take Your Breath Away (Literally)

4 of the 18 Adventures are right here in the Mystic San Luis Valley!
- Wheeler Geologic
- Crestone Ziggurat
- La Ventana ARch
- and the Great Sand Dunes Natl Park and Preserve

Atlas Obscura
https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/18-colorado-adventures-that-will-take-your-breath-away-literally

From the highest peaks to the most beautiful views, the road less-traveled in Colorado is made for all who seek adventure.

12/22/2021

A Grim, Long-Hidden Truth Emerges in Art: Native American Enslavement

A Grim, Long-Hidden Truth Emerges in Art: Native American Enslavement

Two exhibitions highlight stories of Indigenous bo***ge in southern Colorado, in an effort to grapple with the lasting trauma.

12/07/2021

Volunteer project highlights trail history: Canyonlands Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen installed sculptures on Old Spanish Trail

Volunteer project highlights trail history: Canyonlands Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen installed sculptures on Old Spanish Trail

In the opinion of the Canyonlands chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen, the reason Moab was originally founded is because of a geographic oddity: the Moab fault, which created an accessible