Durango in La Plata County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Santa Rita

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 16, 2025

1. Santa Rita Marker

Inscription.
Since the days of Spanish explorations and colonization in “New Spain,” Spanish-speaking people have given Colorado many place names — San Juan, Sierra de La Plata, Los Pinos, Piedra, Hermosa, Rio de las Animas, and Colorado… to name but a few.

In a land of opportunities, Durango's early history saw Hispanic families separated from the rest of the populace. At the south end of town, west of the railroad tracks, was Santa Rita, one of a number of Hispanic neighborhoods in the area. It was a rich, vibrant community, comprised of people of Spanish or Mexican descent with distinct cultural roots, strong family ties, and a deep love of their ancestral Spanish language. Some families moved away in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Highway construction and fires eliminated what was left of this neighborhood in the late 1960s. Hispanic families who once lived along the banks of the Animas River were scattered throughout Durango… but the memory Santa Rita remains.

Erected by Colorado Historical Society and City of Durango.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Hispanic Americans • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 37° 15.641′ N, 107° 52.685′ W. Marker is in

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Durango, Colorado, in La Plata County. It can be reached from Santa Rita Drive just west of South Camino Del Rio (U.S. 160/550). The marker is near the interpretive kiosk at the southeast corner of the parking lot in Santa Rita Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 South Camino Del Rio, Durango CO 81301, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain West

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Welcome to the San Juan Skyway (here, next to this marker); Vanishing Homeland (here, next to this marker); Santa Rosa Community, circa 1948 (within shouting distance of this marker); Durango's Smelter (within shouting distance of this marker); Rose Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Emma Sweeny — Movie Star (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hollywood of the Rockies (about 400 feet away); Let The Good Times Roll (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Durango.

Also see . . . Santa Rita Park: Durango's Riverside Oasis (evendo.com).

Excerpt: Originally named Gateway Park in 1980, it was renamed Santa Rita Park in 1999 to honor the Hispanic neighborhood that once occupied the area. The Santa Rita neighborhood, also known as “Mexican Flats” or “El Parral,” was a vibrant community of primarily railroad workers and their families. In the 1960s and 70s, the area
Courtesy Adonias (Joe) Rael

2. Marker detail: Hispanic Community
The Hispanic community of Santa Rita was a self-sufficient neighborhood. It had a spring for water, a recreation center, a grocery store, and a small medical clinic. Residents remembered Dr. McKinley, who delivered many of the babies al the clinic.
was purchased by the Colorado Highway Department to construct a new route for U.S. Highway 550-160, displacing the residents. Today, the park stands as a tribute to this rich history.

(Submitted on January 14, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: Most families in Mexican Flats and Santa Rita planted vegetable gardens image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Adonias (Joe) Rael

3. Marker detail: Most families in Mexican Flats and Santa Rita planted vegetable gardens

Marker detail: The communities of Santa Rita and Mexican Flats, circa 1930 image. Click for full size.

Animas Museum, La Plata County Historical Society

4. Marker detail: The communities of Santa Rita and Mexican Flats, circa 1930

Looking north toward Durango.

Marker detail: The same view nearly 70 years later, showing Gateway Park image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Fort Lewis College

5. Marker detail: The same view nearly 70 years later, showing Gateway Park

Looking north toward Durango; previously the site of Santa Rita and Mexican Flats.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 16, 2025

6. Santa Rita Marker

The Santa Rita Park parking lot is in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 13, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 87 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on January 13, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 14, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.