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Welcome Teachers, Students
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| Alamosa,
Colorado Switching Yard and Engine 169 (Narrative with two images) |
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Excellent Color Images of the Trip from Antonito, Colorado to Chama, New Mexico (Contains historical and geological references) |
Image of Tracks Crossing The Rio Grande Near Creede, Colorado This was a standard gauge line used to haul freight, passengers, and silver to the old mining town of Creede. |
Image of the Denver & Rio Grande railroad siding at Lariat in 1884. This became the site of Henry, Colorado and later was renamed Monte Vista. Read an interesting History of Monte Vista. |
Railroad and other transportation history is featured at the Transportation of the West Museum. Railroad items dating to the late 1880s are on display. |
Image of some interesting items from the early days of railroading on display at the San Luis Valley History Museum. |
It may seem out of place, but here is an image of the First Steamboat on the Rio Grande! |
And of course what would the Wild West be without a Stagecoach? |
The Old Spanish Trail passed through the San Luis Valley on its way from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California. It was a major trade route between 1830 and 1848. |
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Creede, Colorado was a premier site of Silver Mining activity in the San Luis Valley area. Read a History of Creede and visit the Creede Underground Mining Museum. |
The Creede Historic Museum has some excellent images of old mines from the area. |
An interesting Mineral Room at the Saguache County Museum features rocks and minerals from the area and around the country. |
Excellent images of some old mining structures in the Willow Creek area of Creede, Colorado. |
The Ute Indians were the primary inhabitants of the San Luis Valley when the first Europeans arrived. |
The San Luis Valley History Museum features exhibits of many early Indian artifacts. |
Saguache has a Spanish/Indian Room with some incredible native items, including these Navajo Rugs. |
Fort Garland Museum has an extensive history of the Indians. Read their story. |
The Rio Grande County Museum has an authentic Horno, or outdoor cooking oven which is used every summer in their Festival. The museum also has an informative Indian Rock Art display showing the history and interpretation of early petroglyphs. |
This impressive arrowhead and stone tool collection can be seen at the San Luis Valley History Museum. |
The San Luis Valley History Museum features exhibits on the various groups who helped tame the Valley: Hispanic, Dutch, Japanese, Mormons, Railroaders, Miners, Cowboys & Ranchers and others. |
Manassa, Colorado was settled by Mormons, who moved there from Salt Lake City. It was also the birthplace of Jack Dempsey, the world's greatest heavyweight boxer of the twentieth century. |
Early explorer John Fremont led an expedition into the Valley in 1848 and got snowed in near Del Norte, Colorado. See a painting of this ill-fated trip at the Rio Grande County Museum and Cultural Center and visit the site of his camp. This museum also features an exhibit on La Loma de San Jose which was the original settlement at what is now Del Norte. Local historian Pat Richmond has contributed a thorough treatment of this historical site which you can read by clicking here . |
To see an extensive history of the Hispanic settlement of Colorado, visit the San Luis Museum & Cultural Center, located in the oldest town in Colorado. |
Famous or Infamous? Alferd Packer, the "Colorado Cannibal", was imprisoned briefly near Saguache and later sentenced to prison for his involvement in the mysterious deaths of his five prospecting companions. It was found that portions of their flesh had been eaten during a fierce blizzard near what is now Lake City, Colorado. |
Colonel Christopher "Kit" Carson was for a time
Commandant of Fort Garland,
where he helped resolve problems that had developed between settlers
and the Ute Indians. Also at Fort Garland were the famed Buffalo Soldiers, who were a Negro Cavalry unit. |
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