Land of the Blue Sky People
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Cradled between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountains at the headwaters of the Rio Grande, lies the San Luis Valley. The diverse geologic and geographic features of this vast basin including lush river bottoms, an inland ocean of sand, and craggy summits reach elevations over 14,000 feet have enticed and enthralled people since the times of Ice Age hunters.
A cavalcade of characters, some famous, some infamous, and some downright notorious, have stepped across this landscape. Diego de Vargas, Juan Bautista de Anza, Zebulon Pike, John C. Fremont, Kit Carson, John Gunnison, Phil Sheridan, Tom Tobin, Bat Masterson, Soapy Smith, Bob Ford, Calamity Jane, Dario Gallegos, Poker Alice, Eppie Archuleta, Chipeta and Ouray, Otto Mears, Ulysses S. Grant, Alferd Packer - the names associated with San Luis Valley history read like a western epic. Nomadic hunters, including Apache, Kiowa, Navajo, and Youth (Ute) tribal people sought out the Valley's abundant wildlife. Spanish governors were the first to provide written descriptions of the San Luis Valley before the formation of the United States. During ensuing decades, explorers, pioneers, homesteaders, land speculators, prospectors, and travel writers were attracted to the Valley's riches. Freely flowing clean water, comforting hot springs, verdant wetlands teeming with birds, fish and wild game, expanses of natural grass hay, majestic mountain vistas, forest and upland meadows, plus mother lode deposits of silver and gold lured these newcomers. Today, as you travel any of the routes into the Valley, you will be struck by the expansive landscapes, rugged mountains, and endless blue skies. By the 1850s, Hispanic settlers from New Mexico had migrated into the San Luis Valley to establish small plazas with land grants issued by the Mexican governor in Santa Fe. These pioneers gave birth to the permanent settling of Colorado. Soon after, people from a variety of background seeking mineral wealth, free land, or frontier experiences joined the progression. While much has changed within the Valley, traditional values and cultural practices still ensure. Well-preserved architecture and historic downtown's evoke the past. Whatever your interests, exploring the San Luis Valley's colorful history and vast beauty can make its legacy part of your Colorado heritage experience. Come out and step into Colorado history!! |
Sunset at the Blanca Wetlands. Photo credit: NPS, Patrick Myers
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2019 (January) - The SLV Museum Association would like to take this opportunity to thank the Colorado Tourism Office for the opportunity and awarding of their CRAFT workshop on Cultural and Heritage Tourism in 2019. From that workshop we moved forward on two outcomes - Dark Skies and Oral Histories. With a portion of the awarded implmentation grant funds the SLVMA was able to form a Dark Sky Colorado group and subsequentially apply for and have awarded a $25,000 marketing grant for dark skies in our Mystic San Luis Valley Region. With the other half of the implementation funds the SLVMA converted 40+ old media oral histories, purchased equipment for conducting oral histories and equipment for converting old media oral histories files to a digital format.
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2019 (October) - The Colorado Tourism Office has awarded us another grant. We applied for a Tourism Development grant so that we might developed a driving tour app for the Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway using the TravelStorys app. The app will allow visitors to listen to the history of the area along these Ancient Roads while they drive providing a hands-free and immersive experience. The project also won't have been possible without the matching funds provided by SLV Federal Bank and SLV Tourism Association. We would be remiss in not thanking all our regular contributors that help meet the goals of the SLVMA including the: Alamosa Marketing District, Rio Grande County Tourism, and our museum members.
