Monte Vista History Museum
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Potatoes, broncos and sheep, Oh My!
110 Jefferson Street PO Box 323 Monte Vista, CO 81144 Contact: 719-849-9320 Email Us: mvhistory123@msn.com Hours/Admission: Closed for 2020 Free admission - Donations Appreciated |
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The Society was organized in 1987 as a non-profit volunteer group committed to the preservation of historical documents, photographs, and buildings in Monte Vista and surrounding areas. Fifteen Monte Vista buildings have been placed on the National and State Registry of Historic Places through its efforts. A collection of over 4,000+ photographs (indexed) and articles, history reference books, and memorabilia are available to the public.
Read a short History of Monte Vista.
Looking to visit Monte Vista then you might want to check out our Historical Walking and Driving Tour
The Society is dependent upon annual memberships, donations, and the sale of books, photographs and periodicals for its continued efforts. The photos in this collection are available for sale under the Society Photograph Policy with a 6-week turnaround time. Please see our Photograph Categories. Copyrights may apply.
Read a short History of Monte Vista.
Looking to visit Monte Vista then you might want to check out our Historical Walking and Driving Tour
The Society is dependent upon annual memberships, donations, and the sale of books, photographs and periodicals for its continued efforts. The photos in this collection are available for sale under the Society Photograph Policy with a 6-week turnaround time. Please see our Photograph Categories. Copyrights may apply.
Oral Histories: Below are links to oral histories conducted by the Senior Honors English Class of 2001 at the Monte Vista High School. the interviews were conducted one-on-one with a senior citizen living at the ?? Nursing Home. The students then typed up the interviews. In 2019 the SLV Museum Association received a grant to digitze written and old-format audio oral histories. Of those oral "written" histories we hired a few persons to read the written histories. Click here to check out this project in progess:
Johanna Heersink - by Joanna Heersink as told to Brandi Barbosa
A Veteran's Life - by Tony Trujillo as told to Brandi Barbosa
Flying with the Generals - From the Journal of Dell J. Brimhall as recorded by Sean Brimhall
A Unique Teaching Experience - by Libbie Holland as told to Jarrett Chaney
A Story from my Childhood - by Libbie Holland as told to Jarrett Chaney
The Great Depression - by Bernie and Gilbert Padilla as told to Amanda Cordova
Years Well Lived - by Virginia Ward as told to Rebecca Longseth
The Life of an Early Valley Settler - by Ethel Phillips as told to Rebecca Longseth
A Life in the Valley - by Helen Beiriger as told to Loren Martinez
Only in America - by Hilden Keller as told to Loren Martinez
Old Mr. Reynolds - by Grandma Effie Pearl Jennings as told to Kelly Jay McBartlett
Burpies - by Grandma Effie Pearl Jennings as told to Kelly Jay McBartlett
Jeannette Miles - by Jeannette Miles as told to Briana Montano
Eloise in a Nutshell - by Eloise Gulet as told to Briana Montano
History of the Carmel District - by David Woods as told to Leigh Pacheco
Our Days - by Harvey and Dolores Stephens as told to Melissa Pinkerton
A Love Story - by Leroy Medina as told to Amanda Rice
Tornado - by Ida Medina as told to Amanda Rice
Life Long Date - by Patricia Malouff as told to Heath Sims
School Days - by Joseph Malouff as told to Heather Sims
What a Wonderful Life - by Ollie Spencer as told to Lori Timm
My life Story - by Anita Cordova as told to Lori Timm
The House at Cross Arrow - by Joe and Eileen Willett as told to Wesley J. Willett
Our Sequoia Summer - by Evelyn Cain Jones (and James Everett Jones) as told to Wesley J. Willett
A Life to Remember - by Virginia Ward as told to Jena Young
Michigan Mae - by Verna Mae Rink as told to Jena Young
Johanna Heersink - by Joanna Heersink as told to Brandi Barbosa
A Veteran's Life - by Tony Trujillo as told to Brandi Barbosa
Flying with the Generals - From the Journal of Dell J. Brimhall as recorded by Sean Brimhall
A Unique Teaching Experience - by Libbie Holland as told to Jarrett Chaney
A Story from my Childhood - by Libbie Holland as told to Jarrett Chaney
The Great Depression - by Bernie and Gilbert Padilla as told to Amanda Cordova
Years Well Lived - by Virginia Ward as told to Rebecca Longseth
The Life of an Early Valley Settler - by Ethel Phillips as told to Rebecca Longseth
A Life in the Valley - by Helen Beiriger as told to Loren Martinez
Only in America - by Hilden Keller as told to Loren Martinez
Old Mr. Reynolds - by Grandma Effie Pearl Jennings as told to Kelly Jay McBartlett
Burpies - by Grandma Effie Pearl Jennings as told to Kelly Jay McBartlett
Jeannette Miles - by Jeannette Miles as told to Briana Montano
Eloise in a Nutshell - by Eloise Gulet as told to Briana Montano
History of the Carmel District - by David Woods as told to Leigh Pacheco
Our Days - by Harvey and Dolores Stephens as told to Melissa Pinkerton
A Love Story - by Leroy Medina as told to Amanda Rice
Tornado - by Ida Medina as told to Amanda Rice
Life Long Date - by Patricia Malouff as told to Heath Sims
School Days - by Joseph Malouff as told to Heather Sims
What a Wonderful Life - by Ollie Spencer as told to Lori Timm
My life Story - by Anita Cordova as told to Lori Timm
The House at Cross Arrow - by Joe and Eileen Willett as told to Wesley J. Willett
Our Sequoia Summer - by Evelyn Cain Jones (and James Everett Jones) as told to Wesley J. Willett
A Life to Remember - by Virginia Ward as told to Jena Young
Michigan Mae - by Verna Mae Rink as told to Jena Young
Some of our accomplishments since our establishment:
Renovation of 110 Jefferson St. to become our History Center.
Designation of the History Center/Musuem and the Carnegie Public Library to the National Register.
Nominating the Monte Vista Downtown Historic District to the National Register.
Copying and preserving a representative collection of 250 O.T. Davis photos with a grant from the State Historical Fund.
Developed a Walking Tour of downtown Monte Vista.
Created the 125th anniversary commemorative playing cards with unique historic images of Monte Vista on each playing card.
Monte Vista Crane Festival
In the heart of the arid San Luis Valley is a birdwatchers paradise. Lush wetlands provide year-round habitat for songbirds, water birds, coyotes, deer and other wildlife. Starting in 1952 a series of water works were created at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge to restore some of the wetlands that were common throughout the Valley when it was first settled. In March and September, twenty thousand migrating Sandhill Cranes use the refuge as a major stopping point. This migration is one of the Valley's greatest spectacles and is celebrated every spring in early March at the Monte Vista Crane Festival.
Renovation of 110 Jefferson St. to become our History Center.
Designation of the History Center/Musuem and the Carnegie Public Library to the National Register.
Nominating the Monte Vista Downtown Historic District to the National Register.
Copying and preserving a representative collection of 250 O.T. Davis photos with a grant from the State Historical Fund.
Developed a Walking Tour of downtown Monte Vista.
Created the 125th anniversary commemorative playing cards with unique historic images of Monte Vista on each playing card.
Monte Vista Crane Festival
In the heart of the arid San Luis Valley is a birdwatchers paradise. Lush wetlands provide year-round habitat for songbirds, water birds, coyotes, deer and other wildlife. Starting in 1952 a series of water works were created at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge to restore some of the wetlands that were common throughout the Valley when it was first settled. In March and September, twenty thousand migrating Sandhill Cranes use the refuge as a major stopping point. This migration is one of the Valley's greatest spectacles and is celebrated every spring in early March at the Monte Vista Crane Festival.
