Los Caminos Antiguos

Los Caminos Antiguos. Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway. , You have entered the land of the Rio Bravo del Norte, the northernmost outpost of sixteenth century Spain. To the Spanish people, the San Luis Valley was a wild and unexplored place known only to the Native people. Amid the beauty and towering peaks of the valley, the area became the center of conflict and wars born of a clash of cultures.

“We arrived in the San Luis Valley with our religion and culture looking for fertile ground to raise our families. We laid out our plazas, shared common ground, and relied on each other to survive in an unknown place.” , “We did not understand the Native beliefs and soon found ourselves in conflict with the Native people. We fought great wars to protect our Spanish communities. Distance cut off our colonies from our homeland.” , “We were alone on the frontier.” , “Over time, we wove a culture that was closely tied to our religion and to nature making the San Luis Valley a unique culture of its own.” , , The People of the San Luis Valley

[photo captions] , . The Rio Bravo del Norte, or Rio Grande, wanders 1,900 miles from its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Spanish conquistadores ventured into the San Luis Valley along the Rio Grande corridor from the south. , . Our “fiestas,” or celebrations and “Dias de los Santos,” or Patron Saints Days, are still celebrated at our Culebra villages. , . Evidence of our unique religious beliefs is still found around the valley. , . Today wood carvings of santos and bultos (religious figures) are material representations of our spiritual culture. , [19th Century timeline] , 1812 . War of 18 12 between U.S. and Britain , 1832 . Conejos Guadalupe Land Grant bestowed by Mexico to 50 New Mexican families , 1843 . Sangre De Cristo Land Grant bestowed by Mexico to Narciso Beaubien and Stephen Lee , 1846-1848 . Mexican American War , 1848 . U.S. defeated Mexico, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed , 1851 . Settlement of San Luis established (oldest town in Colorado) , 1852 . U.S. Military established Fort Massachusetts , 1852-1860 . Other settlements established on east side of valley: San Pablo Garcia, San Pedro, San Acacio, Chama, Los Mertes, Jaroso, San Francisco, Mesita , 1854-1870 . Guadalupe settled (earliest permanent settlement on west side of the San Luis Valley): Mogote, Conejos, Los Rincones, Las Mesitas, San Rafael, Ceniceros/Lobatos, Cañon, Capulin, Los Sauces, Los Cerritos, La Florida, La Isla, Espinoza, El Centrito , 1858 . Fort Garland established , 1861 . San Luis Valley becomes part of Colorado Territory , 1861 . Colorado becomes U.S. Territory , 1861-1865 . U.S. Civil War , 1874-1888 . Mormon Settlers establish: Manassa, Richfield, Romeo, Sanford, Morgan , 1876 . Colorado granted U.S. Statehood , 1877 . Denver and Rio Grande Railroad arrives in San Luis Valley near Fort Garland , 1878-1880 . Railroad settlements/towns established: Alamosa, La Jara, Antonito , 1883 . Fort Garland abandoned , 1900 . La Sociedad Protección Mútua de Trabajadores Unidos (SPMDTU) founded in Antonito