Latinos in Boulder County, Colorado 1900-1980 Vol 1; History and Contributions 

[with many genealogical connections back to the San Luis Valley]

by
Marjorie K. McIntosh
Distinguished Professor of History Emerita University of Colorado at Boulder
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Excerpt from the Latinos in Boulder County, CO 1900-1980

"Since the beginning of the twentieth century, people from Spanish- speaking backgrounds have played essential roles in Boulder County, Colorado. Immigrants from Mexico, northern New Mexico, and southern Colorado provided much of the labor that fueled two of eastern Boulder County’s main economic activities prior to around 1940: growing and processing sugar beets; and coal mining. Work in the beet fields required men, women, and children to stay in a stooped position, using short- handled tools, for hours at a time, often under a hot sun. The housing provided for agricultural laborers was generally deplorable. Coal miners engaged in physically demanding and potentially dangerous work in dark tunnels, always facing the possibility of cave-ins or explosions. Some of their families lived in camps next to the mines, with company stores where purchases for food and other supplies were deducted from miners’ wages. Although Hispanics faced overt racism especially in the 1920s and 1930s—with armed attacks on their unions, threats of violence from the Ku Klux Klan, exclusion from stores and restaurants, and mass deportation orders—they held together in strong families and maintained their faith that life in this region offered a brighter future for themselves and their children. In the decades between 1940 and 1980, access to education and better employment options contributed to ongoing immigration and brought many Boulder County Latinas/os into the wider community, where they continued to make valuable contributions. Returning veterans in the 1940s and 1950s and Chicano civil rights activists in the later 1960s and 1970s took the lead in tackling discrimination. Latino culture expanded the horizons of a predominantly Anglo county."

This two-volume set describes the history of Latinas/os living in Boulder County between 1900 and 1980"....

To read the complete edition of Volume 1 - Read more

Written for:
Boulder County Latino History Project
With assistance from:  Longmont Museum
Endorsed by: Department of Ethnic Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder

"In the middle of Colorado’s San Luis Valley [in Antonito], a progressive architecture and design firm is proving that everything old is new again. Also, that the future is mud."

"Combining indigenous mud-based building materials with 21st century robotics, California-based Rael San Fratello created the oddly beautiful structures of “Casa Covida,” their “proto-architectures” that connect high- and low-tech traditions. Its name is a nod to both the pandemic and the Spanish word for “cohabitation.”
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"The project recently took a virtual bow in an impressive hour-long event hosted by the Architectural League NY. (The video is online.) The partners, Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, spoke from Antonito, in southern Colorado, and took questions about their work and about “the social agency of design.”

Read more at The Colorado Sun

Video  --  Gather round the hearth in Rael San Fratello's Casa Covida, a house made from 3D-printed mud.

By Stephanie Butzer
The Denver Channel

​As the first fingers of spring started to peel back winter’s hold in 1874, a man staggered out of the mountains and into Lake City, ready to spill a story — or two, or three — that few would believe. He’d quickly become known as the Colorado Cannibal.

It’s a tale as puzzling as it is horrific, and somehow, from the safe distance of about 150 years, humor has wiggled its way in.

His name was Alferd Packer.

Recognize the name, or perhaps know his story? He became somewhat of a Colorado celebrity in the mid-1900s, when you could find the Packer name in everything from a wilderness cookbook title to a festival name to a musical created by CU Boulder students. People learned of his story and instead of turning away in disgust, they leaned into it. Unabashedly embraced it.

An article from April 1984 in The Washington Post captured the absurdity in one of its opening paragraphs: “In the days before bean sprouts and granola, when the West was raw and men ate men, Packer chewed his way into the hearts of Coloradans by devouring five gold-seeking companions.”
Of course, under the silliness is the much darker story of how those five men met their horrific demise in the freezing, lonely mountains.

The particulars around what actually happened are foggy at best. Packer was the only one from the group to live to tell the tale and he told several. And those details are now buried — and in some instances, altered — under 150 years of history. To dig up what happened, we turned to the details in official court documents and the ink-smudged columns of the local newspapers, both from the late 1800s.

These documents have preserved countless moments from the case, such as Packer’s statement about his alleged crimes as he stood in front of a courthouse packed with people who were no doubt fascinated that a cannibal was in their midst and wondering if he’d get his just desserts.

Even in those moments, just before his sentencing, it was not absolutely certain if Packer had planned to eat the men through a twisted, murderous mind or if it just unfolded that way in an equally desperate and reluctant struggle for survival.

But either way, he had surely bit off more than he could chew.


Introducing Alferd Packer, Colorado’s Cannibal

Packer’s story starts in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. According to the April 20, 1883 edition of the Lake City Mining Register, he was born on Jan. 31, 1842, though other reports list his birthdate as Nov. 21 of that year.

​Andrew Gulliford, a professor of southwest studies and history at Fort Lewis College in Durango, said Packer was “a little bit of a drifter” and possibly a Civil War veteran. The Washington Post wrote in a June 8, 1989 article that Packer was discharged from the Union Army in 1862 for epilepsy. While he re-enlisted in another regime, he was discharged for the same reason, according to the City of Littleton.

In an unproven story, but one widely spread, a young Packer visited a tattoo artist who made the permanent error of inking “Alferd” instead of “Alfred” on Packer’s skin. He apparently embraced the typo and ended up adopting the name, though his first name, legally, remained Alfred, per court records.

Between 1863 and 1873, Packer moved west to pursue multiple jobs varying from hunting and trapping to guiding and mining, according to the Hinsdale County Museum in Lake City.

Gulliford said Packer was just one of the thousands of drifters who decided to embark on that journey.

In his early 30s, Packer volunteered to guide a group of 21 men through the Rocky Mountains starting in the area around Salt Lake City, Utah, despite having no weapons, little food or provisions, and limited skills. Reports vary on their final destination — most reports say they were bound for the Los Piños Indian Agency outside Saguache, others say they were headed for present-day Breckenridge.
They were set to start the long journey late in 1873.

Just in time for a nightmarish snowstorm.

‘Then, we gave up to die’

Packer’s stories start about the same — all of them.

He led the group to Ute Indian Chief Ouray’s winter camp near modern-day Montrose, arriving in late January 1874, according to the Hinsdale County Museum.

Knowing another party had left the camp and successfully made it to Los Piños Indian Agency, Packer said he thought his group could do the same. Only five others decided to take the risk with him. Those men were Frank Miller, Wilson Bell, James Humphreys, George Noon and Israel Swan.

The six men took advantage of Chief Ouray’s shelter and food for a few days and left to continue the journey in early February 1874.

It was the last time five of those men were seen alive.

On April 16, 1874, as winter gave way to spring, Packer emerged from the mountains, according to reports in the Lake City Mining Register. He was alone.

​Read more...

By John M. Motter
PREVIEW Columnist

John R. Curry, editor of Silverton’s newspaper, published a letter written from Pagosa Springs in March of 1881. It said, in part, “Pagosa Springs, the largest, hottest, and most singularly curious hot springs of their class in the world, are no longer isolated, as they have been in times past, shut off from the great traveling thoroughfares of the country by a formidable range of mountains, a trip across which any season of the year, by such conveyances as were available, was unpleasant and tedious to the extreme.

​“Now these difficulties have been overcome by the approach of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad, which was extended over the range in question and has a station at Chama only forty-five miles distant from the Springs.

“J. L. Sanderson and Co. and Wall and Witter have established lines of coaches between Chama and Durango, the flourishing city of the Animas Valley … This has given initiative to hotels and building houses … persons coming here now to see these wonderful springs and to bathe in their benefit-giving waters, can feel assured that comfortable lodging will be provided and something to eat at reasonable prices.”

The letter was a response to Curry’s unfavorable article the previous fall, when he reported traveling through Pagosa Springs. He chose to journey by freight wagon along the road between Silverton and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad ending atop Cumbres Pass [in the San Luis Valley].

Of Pagosa Springs, he said, “At Pagosa Springs, there are at present very slim hotel accommodations; it is certainly the best point for someone to locate and erect a hotel of 30 or 40 rooms that we know of in southwestern Colorado.” He stayed overnight at the “Hotel de Blair.”

​By May of 1881, Pagosa Springs could boast of its first public bath house, a frame building erected by Thomas Blair. It had a large plunge bath, fully 4.5 feet deep, and several single bath tubs, sufficient to accommodate all visitors. Pagosa Springs was on the rise.

​#sanluisvalley #slv #mysticsanluisvalley #cumbrespass #johnmotter 

article originally published in the Pagosa Springs Sun newspaper 

Nearly 7,000 Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens from northern New Mexico Territory woke up on Feb. 28, 1861 to discover they were now in the newly created Colorado Territory. These citizens were accustomed to a bilingual legislative assembly in New Mexico’s Territorial Legislature that had the office of official translator for the monolingual English legislators and a budget for legislative printing.
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Colorado Territory was scrambling to pass laws and enact taxes without the full representation from Conejos, Costilla and Huerfano counties – the three southern counties of the time. Sanchez also includes a biography of the early Hispano legislators and introduces new historical research about the violence against Hispanos, including the Espinoza brothers who were named mass murders in 1862.

The book, Pleas and Petitions: Hispano Culture and Legislative Conflict in Territorial Colorado, is the first in-depth history of Hispano sociopolitical life during this period. Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Senator, and Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar wrote the foreword to the book. “Until Virginia’s book, no other author has explained the early territorial law from the Hispanos’ point of view… Her story tells us that [the Hispanos annexed to Colorado Territory] wanted to be returned to New Mexico; however, Congress and the territorial executives would not hear their pleas.” In his review of the book, former State Historian William Convery wrote, “Sanchez given Spanish-speaking leaders their overdue credit for fighting for Hispano rights and contributing the creation of Colorado.”

Sanchez is an independent scholar who lives in Denver. She was preparing a book signing of Pleas and Petitions in Conejos and Alamosa when the Covid pandemic struck. This is her second book about Colorado’s Territorial Period, and it was published last March by the University of Colorado Press. An article she co-authored about the 7,000 Hispanos who were “displaced in place” won a monetary prize as best article published in 2018 by the New Mexico Historical Review. Her book, Pleas and Petitions, is available from local and online booksellers. 

​Monte Vista Journal, published Nov 3, 2020

Looking to purchase her book:  https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/virginia-sanchez/1906181/
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#VirginiaSanchez #hispanoculture #ColoradoTerritorialPeriod #PleasandPetitions

The Second Annual “Holiday at the Museum” art show will start on November 14, 2020 with an opening reception from 10:00 to 3:00 p.m. pending further developments of the COVID situation in the San Luis Valley and Rio Grande County.

Several well known artists from the San Luis Valley will be showing their work.  These artists include Mary Susan Eldridge, Albert Kahan, Martha Ann Kennedy, Craig Lehman, Laura Lunsford, Cathy Morin, Jeannie Lynn Norwood, John Patterson, Marian Schlaugbaum, Evelyn Sprouse-Rowe and Darwin Thompson.  Chelle Wiescamp has joined the group this year along with the addition of student artists, Kami Humphreys and Jayden Powell-Gates who will be making their art show debuts.

The show will continue through the months of November and December.  It is an opportunity to support our local art community as well as giving a unique present.  The Museum Gift Shop is also open with local jeweler, Patty Pogue, Alex Colville and Jean Hanna showing their work.

Rio Grande County Museum is located at 580 Oak Street in Del Norte.  The hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.  For more information, call Rio Grande County Museum at (719)657-2847, email at rgmuseum@riograndecounty.org or follow us on Facebook.  Masks are required to enter the museum, but are not provided.

#evelynsprouserowe #marysusaneldridge #albertkahan #marthaannkennedy #craiglehman
#sanluisvalley #mysticsanluisvalley #lauralunsford #cathymorin #jeannielynnnorwood #johnpatterson
#sanluisvalleyartists #marianschlaugbaum #darwinthompson

By Carolyn Snowbarger, Ouray County Plaindealer

"Chief Ouray was born near Taos, New Mexico, in 1833 during the Leonid meteor shower. “Ouray” means “arrow” in the Ute language, and this moniker proved appropriate and even prophetic.
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His father, Guera Murah, was Jicarilla Apache, and his mother was a member of the Uncompaghre Ute band. He didn’t grow up with his parents. A neighboring Spanish family raised him, and he spoke both Spanish and English in the home and was educated by Catholic friars. He spent much of his youth working for Mexican sheepherders and fighting against the war ring Sioux and Kiowa..  Read more...

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​by Rebecca Copley, Monte Vista Journal
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MONTE VISTA - The Monte Vista Historical Society gathered for their annual meeting Oct. 7. The weather was lovely for the outdoor socially distanced event. They did not have enough members present at the meeting to elect two new persons to the board of directors. However, Peg Schall was able to read the annual report. Schall reported to those present the following:

“Due to the COVID-19 virus the activities for the past year have been minimal. During the winter months the history center has had no water. Freezing was suspected, and the bathroom was heated. The public works department was able to remedy the situation, and we are most grateful.

The photo albums and computer were moved to the Transportation Museum the Fall with the intention to work on them during the winter and spring. Again, due to the virus it was thought safer to keep both the History Center and Transportation Museum closed for the 2020 season. Both the Colorado Wyoming Association of Museums and various women’s suffrage events were canceled.

Reading of the Monte Vista Journals to update the “Bridge to Yesterday,” book continues. Inquiries for family information or locations of certain buildings have been answered. Cooperation with individuals seeking photos for historical presentations continues. Playing cards are for sale at the Chamber of Commerce and the Monte Vista Coop.

A book about the Teft family, a history of Creede, and a Swoop of Cranes (book), have been donated to the museums. Tourist maps feature an ad for the Historical Society and are available here today.

Thanks to the Carnegie Public Library for its assistance throughout the year, and a big thanks to all the volunteers and board members. Board members are Kay Campbell, Laurie Ellithorpe McClung, Tami Fassett, Wanda Hawman, Norma Valdez and Peg Schall.”

After the report was given attendees were able to look at the commemorative Swoop of Cranes book which was given to the Historical Society by the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce.

by Phil Virden

I am an amateur astronomer and part of a small team that was successful in receiving a recent dark sky designation for the Slumgullion Dark Sky Park, a parcel of land  near Lake City which belongs to the Lake Fork Valley Conservancy.   With this good news, we are already making plans for astronomy/stargazing programs in 2021 (assuming things settle down with the pandemic by then). 

We will strive to do our part to be good stewards for preserving dark skies, and actively promote ways to prevent light pollution with people living and visiting Colorado.   

We are deeply appreciative of so many of helping us out these last few years.  We are but a few volunteers so we will continue to need all the help we can receive. 

Read the Lake City article for more details...

Like many organizations throughout the Valley, the Rio Grande County Museum has been closed for a majority of the year but have now been given the go-ahead to open their doors to the public. “It has been a long, hard spring, summer and beginning of fall, but we have got through it so far and things are going well. The Museum is now open regular hours Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Masks are required, but the museum doesn’t provide them.  It is exciting to see people again and all have been willing to wear their masks.”

Though the museum was closed to the public, museum staff have been busy behind the scenes making sure everything was ready by the time they were able to open. “As we get into the swing of things again, the exhibit that was done for the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage is still up and can be viewed through the middle of November. A quilt was made with blocks representing the states or territories that gave suffrage to women before the constitutional amendment in 1920. This block represents Colorado and called Colorado Beauty.”

In the monthly newsletter the museum talks about another exhibit stating, “The exhibits will be reworked for next year with a history of Monte Vista notebook. Barbara Deacon had donated a large collection of San Luis Valley Graphic Newspapers and research through those is the beginning of the history.

The first event is the Second Annual Holiday at the Museum Art Show. The opening reception will be Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The show will be catered by Carther Roadhouse; a new business in Del Norte. They have some exciting ideas about a refreshment table.

The art show will feature San Luis Valley artists. Evelyn Sprouse-Rowe, Darwin Thompson, John Patterson, Albert Kahan, Laura Lunsford, Marian Schlagbaum, Mary Susan Eldredge, Martha Kennedy, Cath Moran, Jeanne Norwood and Craig Lehman will be showing their work. This is an exciting group of artists who show well together as there is such a variety of talents and different styles. In keeping with the museum’s mission, it has included two student artists.

Kami Humphreys is a student in the eighth grade in the Pueblo area. She has done work for the museum for several years. Two of her paintings hang in the welcome area of the museum and one was used as a postcard for the museum. Kami has volunteered for the museum for the past several summers, helping to set up and serve ice cream for the Covered Wagon Days Ice Cream Social. She and her grandmother are museum members.
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Jayden Powell-Gates is a third grader in the Upper Rio Grande School District who loves his artwork and is greatly encouraged by his art teacher, Susie Carrasco. Jayden spends a great deal of time in the museum as his great grandmother is the director. He also does volunteer work such as washing the glass cases, help to move books in the museum library and does a good job with the vacuum sweeper. He is trying his hand at some sculptures.

It is important to give young artists a place where they can show their work. Hopefully, this spring we will be able to do the school art show again. There is a showing that can be viewed in the museum of what the students of Ms. Carrasco and Dan Roesch did with their students. Thanks to the Upper Rio Grande School District for their commitment to the arts.

One of the artists, Martha Kennedy, has a photo of a drawing that she did as a 6-year old. She drew this when she would travel from Denver to Alamogordo where her father was doing research. She now paints professionally, as well as, writes and publishes books. The painting is entitled March is the Big Empty and will be shown in the holidays at the Museum's Art Show. Darwin Thompson will also be showing his carvings, drawings and watercolors. His carvings will not be for sale, but the watercolor paintings will be, with some of the proceeds going to a special project for the museum.

As we go through the next few weeks, we will bring more information and stories of our talented artists. Most are well known in the Valley and Southern Colorado.

Just a reminder from the 503(c)3 Museum board that dues will be due again starting in January. However, dues can be paid at any time and pro-rated.

Masks are required, but not provided and social distancing is promoted. Small groups of a maximum of 10 people can be accommodated, but it is suggested that these groups call to schedule a time. It is our goal to protect our visitors as well as our staff as we continue to respond to the COVID virus. For any questions or more information, please call us at (719)657-2847 or email at rgmuseum@riograndecounty.org . You can also follow them on Facebook at Rio Grande County Museum