On U.S. 285 just south of 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Antonito grew out of the race to build the first railroad through the southern Rockies. The Denver & Rio Grande Western arrived in 1880, built the town, then kept pushing westward over a rugged, remote stretch of the San Juan Mountains. To save . . . — — Map (db m280799) HM
On State Highway 17 12 miles south of County Road 128, on the left when traveling north.
This memorial is the
property of the State of Colorado
Cumbres Pass
Near Continental Divide between the
waters of the Rio Grande and the San Juan
”Cumbres” is Spanish for “Summits”
Altitude 10,022 Feet
Railroad . . . — — Map (db m125500) HM
On Main Street (Highway 285) at West 6th Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Main Street.
[Español]Sociedad Protección Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos (S.P.M.D.T.U.) 26 de Noviembre 1900 ————— Los Primeros Oficiales De La Sociedad Protección Mutua De Trabajadores Unidos Celedonio E. Mondragón — Presidente . . . — — Map (db m281555) HM
On U.S. 285 just south of 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Deeply rooted in the Catholic religion, the Hispano settlers of the San Luis Valley shared unique spiritual beliefs. On the edge of the frontier, they were extremely isolated with only the occasional priest visiting to administer mass, rites, or . . . — — Map (db m282974) HM
On Main Street (U.S. 285) just south of East 8th Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Frederick Fitzjarrald Haberlein (1944-2018), grew up at the Conejos Ranch on the Conejos River just west of Antonito. He graduated from Antonito High School and then attended Colorado State University on an art scholarship where he graduated with a . . . — — Map (db m282918) HM
Because our locomotives are powered by steam, they drink a lot of water.
When the D&RG laid the track, crews built tanks at about ten-mile intervals. The first water tank at Osier was built in 1880. The present tank is a replacement. Both were . . . — — Map (db m282850) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 5.8, 2.3 miles south of Cumbres Drive, on the left when traveling west.
In a great race to reach the gold and silver mines of Silverton, the San Juan Extension of the Denver & Rio Grande built a railroad over Cumbres Pass. In 1880, a narrow gauge railway was the quickest and cheapest way to transport people and . . . — — Map (db m293898) HM
Once the tracks had been laid through Cumbres Pass toward Chama and Durango, another building crew arrived at Cumbres Pass to construct the facilities the railroad would need to operate its trains. In 1881, a little settlement took shape. . . . — — Map (db m282868) HM
On U.S. 285 just south of 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
The horse represented more than a new mode of transportation to the American Indian — it represented a new way of life. The animals began filtering north from Spanish settlements in the seventeenth century, and the once-impenetrable great Plains . . . — — Map (db m280794) HM
The D & RG paid attention to comfort.
Tourists meant revenue and potential new settlers. Ads boasted special excursion trips through the scenic Rockies. In the 1930s, the San Juan refitted its 1880s vintage passenger cars with closed vestibules . . . — — Map (db m282835) HM
On State Highway 17 just east of County Road E5, on the right when traveling west.
“It is believed that the penitente lay fraternity was founded in the 13th century by followers of St. Francis of Assisi in Europe. The practice of penance and strong devotion came to the Western Hemisphere with the Spaniards and made its way . . . — — Map (db m291779) HM
On U.S. 285 just south of 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Language carries the culture. Read in English, the meanings here may differ from those of the traditional Spanish language of this area. The language, reminiscent of sixteenth century Spain, is a cornerstone of the culture. For half a century . . . — — Map (db m282900) HM
Ranchers relied on the D& RG to ship livestock to Denver, Kansas City, and other markets.
In 1935 alone, shippers ordered 1,087 stockcars, most double-deck sheep cars. From the 1880s until the 1950s, ranchers drove grazing livestock into . . . — — Map (db m282833) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 5.8, 2.3 miles south of Cumbres Drive, on the left when traveling west.
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 . . . — — Map (db m293899) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 0.7, on the right when traveling north.
From ancient times to the present, the forest before you has provided many of the things people need to survive and thrive. Game animals and fish, along with berries, roots, and other plant foods, provide sustenance. Clear mountain rivers, creeks, . . . — — Map (db m295502) HM
On U.S. 285 just south of 1st Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
Until the railroad arrived, there was no town where Antonito exists today. The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) had originally intended to establish its southern operations in the village of Conejos. Settlers there, some of the earliest to the . . . — — Map (db m282935) HM
The Section House, built in 1881, provided living quarters for railroaders stationed here.
A cook, sometimes the forman's wife, prepared food for everyone at the site. Larger than many on the Cumbres route, Osier's section house had rooms to . . . — — Map (db m282852) HM
Rising Rockies!
The Rocky Mountains started uplifting about 65 million years ago, during what's called the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era.
As they rose, the mountains often fractured along fault lines, which are still visible. About 35 . . . — — Map (db m282827) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 5.8, 2.3 miles south of Cumbres Drive, on the left when traveling west.
“Over 100 years ago my uncle, Alejandro Garcia, a rancher, gathered cows near here. He always carried his geologist pick with him on his horse, and given the opportunity, he would stop to investigate the land looking for gold, silver, or other . . . — — Map (db m293897) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 0.7, on the left when traveling south.
Imagine that a group from a foreign country claimed your home as their own. Their culture is very different and they don't speak your language. You learn that you can defend your ownership, but only in the other's language and by rules you don't . . . — — Map (db m295554) HM
On River Street at West 5th Avenue, on the right when traveling south on River Street.
Fred Warshauer was born in the Province of Posen in 1859 — a part of modern day Germany and Poland. He was Jewish and fled Europe to avoid being drafted into the Prussian army. He lived in poverty until coming to the United States and settling in . . . — — Map (db m282911) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 5.8, 2.3 miles south of Cumbres Drive, on the left when traveling west.
¡Bienvenidos Caminantes! Come! Take a walk with us. We know an old song, El Caminante, which tells of taking a long walk along the ancient roads. Like the first prehistoric inhabitants, you too are a “caminante”, or one who . . . — — Map (db m293990) HM
On U.S. 285 just south of 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
[left panel] Colorado's vast plains, rugged mountains, and grand plateaus, so magnificent in their beauty and variety, seem at times to overshadow the state's history and people. But look closely. The story of Colorado is . . . — — Map (db m280985) HM
On U.S. 285 just south of 1st Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
What is a National Heritage Area? A national heritage area is a region recognized by the United States Congress for its unique qualities and resources — natural, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreational. Rich in history, religion, . . . — — Map (db m282922) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 0.7, on the right when traveling north.
What is a National Heritage Area? A national heritage area is a region recognized by the United States Congress for its unique qualities and resources — natural, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreational. Rich in history, religion, . . . — — Map (db m295490) HM
On State Highway 17 at milepost 0.7, on the left when traveling south.
Long before anyone claimed this land as their own, it was used for hunting, gathering, and spiritual pursuits by various groups of indigenous people. Navajos, Utes, Apaches, Pueblos, and other tribal groups migrated to and through the area. . . . — — Map (db m295553) HM
