La Junta in Otero County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
City of La Junta
Photographed by Leslie Eudy, October 5, 2025
1. City of La Junta Marker
City of La Junta
Enjoy the present, Explore the past, Gaze into the future;
The local tradition of studying Native American lore began in 1933 with a group of young boys who gathered to study archaeology and Southwest cultures, taking inspiration from art, books, and personal acquaintances. They dubbed themselves Koshares, a term that in the Puebloan culture means fun marker or clown.
The first leader, James Francis Buck Burshears, formed a group for the study and interpretation of Native American songs and dances. Upon graduation, each class purchased Native American art as a gift to the Koshare Museum. Today, this art collection numbers over 13,000 pieces, many from well-known Southwestern artists.
Historic City Park offers a shady oasis for picnics, and opportunities for youngsters to fish, feed the geese, or ride in a skate park. Between 1933 and 1941 local workers employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built City Park with materials available locally. This federal relief program proved to be financially critical to Colorado families during the Great Depression, and the stonework they created still stands today as a monument to their resourcefulness and artistry. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Junction:
The
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 37° 59.234′ N, 103° 33.217′ W. Marker is in La Junta, Colorado, in Otero County. It is on Warren Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in La Junta on the west side of town, south of Hwy 50. Turn south on Barnes Ave, left on Belmont Ave and left on Warren Ave. Marker is across the parking lot from the AT&SF Locomotive 1024. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: La Junta CO 81050, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas River Valley and in the Eastern Plains. It is also in the American Mountain West, on the Great Plains, on the Southern Plains, on the High Plains, and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Comancherνa, the Dust Bowl, and the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bent's Old Fort along the Santa Fe Trail (here, next to this marker); Railroads Built this Town (here, next to this marker); Explore the La Junta Region (here, next to this marker); Recreation on the Comanche Grassland (here, next to this marker); Ranching and Farming (here, next to this marker); A Cast of Colorful Characters (approx. 7.7 miles away); No Fur, No Fort (approx. 7.7 miles away); Mountain Men to Merchants (approx. 7.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in La Junta.
Photographed by Leslie Eudy
2. City of La Junta Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2025, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. This page has been viewed 60 times since then and 20 times this year. Last updated on October 12, 2025, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 11, 2025, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
