Saguache
Saguache grew during a period of prosperity in the early twentieth century, reaching a population of 1,200 in 1940.
Saguache County Bank
Originally built in 1880, the Saguache County Bank received a new classical revival façade in 1913 designed by Denver architect John J. Huddart.
Saguache County Courthouse
As Saguache continued to develop, new buildings were constructed to accommodate the increasing population and prosperity. Built in 1910, the Saguache County Courthouse was designed by John J. Huddart, the Denver architect who also designed the Saguache County Bank's updated façade.
Fourth Street, Saguache
Long a vibrant commercial district in Saguache, Fourth Street still has a core of historic buildings and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
The town of Saguache in the northern San Luis Valley began as an agricultural community after Ute Indians were removed from the area in the 1860s. Saguache boomed in the 1870s and 1880s, when it became an important starting-off point for miners headed to the San Juan Mountains, and again in the early twentieth century. Though its population steadily declined over the second half of the twentieth century, it retains a core of historic buildings along Fourth Street, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
In the early nineteenth century, the northern San Luis Valley around present-day Saguache was Ute Indian territory. Utes often camped on Saguache Creek about twenty miles from what is now Saguache. In the 1820s and 1830s, European American trappers and traders began to pass through the region on the North Fork of the Spanish Trail. They sometimes camped with the Utes. The name Saguache supposedly originated as a shortened form of the Ute word for the camp, Saguguachipa.
In 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War (1846–48) and made the San Luis Valley part of the United States. Soon Hispano settlers from New Mexico began to establish towns in the southern part of the valley. In the north, however, significant European settlement waited until a pair of treaties in 1863 and 1868 forced the Ute Indians to give up their claims and move farther west.
Led by Nathan Russell, homesteaders came to the area near what is now Saguache in the early 1860s. The farmers focused primarily on wheat, since flour was in high demand at Fort Garland and elsewhere. They used natural arroyos to get water to their crops, later developing the arroyos into proper irrigation ditches. These early settlers were Anglo-American, but Hispano laborers did most of the fieldwork and ditch digging.
More settlers arrived after Saguache County was separated from Costilla County in 1866. The nascent town received a post office in 1867 and soon became the most prominent settlement in the northern San Luis Valley. One of the most influential early settlers was Otto Mears, who came in 1866 to raise wheat and open a store; he had the first mower, reaper, and threshing machine in the San Luis Valley. Soon Mears began the road-building career that would make him famous, connecting Saguache to the Upper Arkansas Valley via Poncha Pass.
Saguache's early growth accelerated as a result of the Brunot Agreement of 1873, which removed the Utes from the San Juan Mountains and opened the region to mining. Mears, who had helped negotiate the agreement, quickly constructed the Saguache and San Juan Toll Road to Lake City. Saguache became one of the most important supply depots (along with Del Norte) for miners heading to the San Juans.
Saguache prospered with business from prospectors. In early 1874 Mears and others organized the Saguache Town Company. They gave away lots on the condition that owners build on them and plant cottonwood trees. In September voters chose Saguache as the county seat. By that time the booming town had saloons, several shops, a restaurant, and a newspaper. The most prominent early building in town was the 1874 Dunn Block, an elaborate Italianate commercial structure owned by D. Herbert Dunn.
The town continued to thrive into the 1880s, with two banks, a two-story brick schoolhouse (1880), and a two-story brick courthouse (1881). Saguache faced a setback when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad bypassed the town, removing it from the San Juan supply trade, but by that point the northern San Luis Valley agricultural community had grown large enough to sustain the town's businesses. Farmers grew hay, wheat, and vegetables and raised cattle and sheep.
On the strength of San Luis Valley agriculture, Saguache's population more than doubled during the 1880s, to 660 residents. Most of these people were Anglo-American, including a substantial number of German immigrants. Hispanics tended to live outside Saguache, providing labor for the valley's farms as well as construction in town. By 1891the bustling town boasted two newspapers, three churches, and two hotels.
Early 1900s Prosperity
Like many towns across Colorado and the country, Saguache suffered in the 1890s as a result of the decline of silver mining and the nationwide economic depression that started in 1893. The population dropped below 400.
In the early 1900s, however, prosperity returned. Many of downtown Saguache's most important buildings date to this period of growth, and several older buildings received facelifts or additions. The Dunn Block expanded to house the growing Means and Ashley Mercantile Company, and in 1913 Denver architect John J. Huddart designed a new Classical Revival facade for the Saguache County Bank. The town added a new county courthouse (1910) and a new town hall (1915) as well as commercial buildings such as the Saguache Hotel (1910) and the First National Bank (1915).
The population of Saguache continued to grow throughout the 1920s and 1930s, but the commercial district along Fourth Street was already filled out by 1920. The town continued to serve as a supply center for the surrounding San Luis Valley, where livestock grazing had become the primary agricultural activity.
Little new construction occurred during the 1930s, but many businesses in Saguache's downtown commercial district survived the Great Depression. The town continued to grow, counting more than 1,200 residents in 1940. Around that time, the Federal Writers' Project described the town as "a thriving but isolated community retaining some of the spirit of the old frontier."
Post–World War II Developments
Perhaps the most important development in Saguache's twentieth-century history occurred in 1946, when US Highway 285 was rerouted. Formerly the highway had run right through the heart of Saguache on Fourth Street, but the new alignment took the highway four blocks west, where it skirted the edge of town. Businesses in the commercial district along Fourth Street could no longer rely on a steady stream of highway traffic past their front doors.
Businesses could no longer rely on local traffic, either, as the population of Saguache began a gradual but inexorable decline from its 1940 peak. The town's population dropped nearly 30 percent in the 1950s, and by 2010 Saguache had fewer than 500 residents. Fewer people in town meant less regular business for local shops and institutions. As shops relocated to the new highway route, some buildings on Fourth Street became vacant or converted to residences.
Downtown Saguache saw a wave of new activity in the early twenty-first century, including antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Historic preservation efforts also began to take shape. In 2000, with help from the State Historical Fund, Front Range Research Associates and Central Colorado Preservation Partners collaborated to survey historic sites around Saguache and prepare a preservation plan. The team identified a potential historic district along several blocks of Fourth Street downtown. In 2009 Colorado Preservation named the Saguache Downtown Historic District to its statewide "Endangered Places" list, and in 2014 the downtown historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The town of Saguache in the northern San Luis Valley began as an agricultural community after Ute Indians were removed from the area in the 1860s. Saguache boomed in the 1870s and 1880s, when it became an important starting-off point for miners headed to the San Juan Mountains, and again in the early twentieth century. Though its population steadily declined over the second half of the twentieth century, it retains a core of historic buildings along Fourth Street, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
In 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and made the San Luis Valley part of the United States. Soon Hispano settlers from New Mexico began to establish towns in the southern part of the valley. In the north, however, significant European settlement waited until a pair of treaties in 1863 and 1868 forced the Ute Indians to give up their claims and move farther west.
More settlers arrived after Saguache County was separated from Costilla County in 1866. The nascent town received a post office in 1867 and soon became the most prominent settlement in the northern San Luis Valley. One of the most influential early settlers was Otto Mears, who came in 1866 to raise wheat and open a store. He had the first mower, reaper, and threshing machine in the San Luis Valley. Soon Mears began the road-building career that would make him famous, connecting Saguache to the Upper Arkansas Valley via Poncha Pass.
Saguache's early growth accelerated as a result of the Brunot Agreement of 1873, which removed the Utes from the San Juan Mountains and opened the region to mining. Mears, who had helped negotiate the agreement, quickly constructed the Saguache and San Juan Toll Road to Lake City. Along with Del Norte, Saguache became one of the most important supply depots for miners heading to the San Juans.
Saguache prospered with business from prospectors. In early 1874, Mears and others organized the Saguache Town Company. They gave away lots on the condition that owners build on them and plant cottonwood trees. In September, voters chose Saguache as the county seat. By that time the booming town had saloons, several shops, a restaurant, and a newspaper. The most prominent early building in town was the 1874 Dunn Block, an elaborate Italianate commercial structure owned by D. Herbert Dunn.
On the strength of San Luis Valley agriculture, Saguache's population more than doubled during the 1880s, to 660 residents. Most of these people were Anglo-American, including a substantial number of German immigrants. Hispanos and other Latinos tended to live outside Saguache, providing labor for the valley's farms as well as construction in town. By 1891 the bustling town boasted two newspapers, three churches, and two hotels.
Businesses could no longer rely on local traffic either, as the population of Saguache began a gradual but inexorable decline from its 1940 peak. The town's population dropped nearly 30 percent in the 1950s, and by 2010 Saguache had fewer than 500 residents. Fewer people in town meant less regular business for local shops and institutions. As shops relocated to the new highway route, some buildings on Fourth Street became vacant or converted to residences.
Downtown Saguache saw a wave of new activity in the early twenty-first century, including antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Historic preservation efforts also began to take shape. In 2000 the State Historical Fund, Front Range Research Associates, and Central Colorado Preservation Partners collaborated to survey historic sites around Saguache and prepare a preservation plan. The team identified a potential historic district along several blocks of Fourth Street. In 2009 Colorado Preservation named the Saguache Downtown Historic District to its statewide "Endangered Places" list, and in 2014 the downtown historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The town of Saguache is in the northern San Luis Valley. It began as an agricultural community after the Ute Indians were removed from the area in the 1860s. Saguache boomed in the 1870s and 1880s when it became an important starting-off point for miners headed to the San Juan Mountains. It boomed again in the early twentieth century. Though its population steadily declined over the second half of the twentieth century, it retained a core of historic buildings along Fourth Street, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
In the early nineteenth century, the northern San Luis Valley near present-day Saguache was Ute Indian territory. Utes often camped on Saguache Creek about twenty miles from what is now Saguache. In the 1820s and 1830s, European American trappers and traders began to pass through the region on the North Fork of the Spanish Trail. They sometimes camped with the Utes. The name Saguache supposedly originated as a shortened form of the Ute word for the camp, Saguguachipa.
After the Mexican-American War (1846–48), the San Luis Valley was made part of the United States. Soon Hispano settlers from New Mexico began to establish towns in the southern part of the valley. In the north, however, significant European settlement waited until a pair of treaties in 1863 and 1868 forced the Ute Indians to give up their land and move farther west.
Led by Nathan Russell, homesteaders came to the area near present-day Saguache in the early 1860s. The farmers focused primarily on wheat, since flour was in high demand at Fort Garland and elsewhere. They used natural arroyos to get water to their crops. Later they developed the arroyos into proper irrigation ditches. These early settlers were Anglo-American, but Hispano laborers did most of the fieldwork and ditch digging.
More settlers arrived after Saguache County was separated from Costilla County in 1866. The growing town received a post office in 1867 and soon became the most prominent settlement in the northern San Luis Valley. One of the most influential early settlers was Otto Mears. He came in 1866 to raise wheat and open a store. He had the first mower, reaper, and threshing machine in the San Luis Valley. Soon Mears began the road-building career that would make him famous. He connected Saguache to the Upper Arkansas Valley via Poncha Pass.
Saguache's early growth increased as a result of the Brunot Agreement of 1873. This agreement removed the Utes from the San Juan Mountains and opened the region to mining. Mears, who had helped negotiate the agreement, quickly constructed the Saguache and San Juan Toll Road to Lake City. Saguache became one of the most important supply depots (along with Del Norte) for miners heading to the San Juans.
Saguache prospered with business from prospectors. In early 1874, Mears and others organized the Saguache Town Company. They gave away lots on the condition that owners build on them and plant cottonwood trees. In September, voters chose Saguache as the county seat. By that time the booming town had saloons, several shops, a restaurant, and a newspaper. The most prominent early building in town was the 1874 Dunn Block. This was an elaborate Italianate commercial structure owned by D. Herbert Dunn.
The town continued to thrive into the 1880s, with two banks, a two-story brick schoolhouse (1880), and a two-story brick courthouse (1881). Saguache faced a setback when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad bypassed the town, removing it from the San Juan supply trade. By that point, the agricultural community in the northern San Luis Valley had grown large enough to support the town's businesses. Farmers grew hay, wheat, and vegetables, and raised cattle and sheep.
On the strength of San Luis Valley agriculture, Saguache's population more than doubled during the 1880s, to 660 residents. Most of these people were Anglo-American, including a substantial number of German immigrants. Hispanos tended to live outside Saguache, providing labor for the valley's farms as well as construction in town. By 1891 the bustling town boasted two newspapers, three churches, and two hotels.
In the early 1900s, however, prosperity returned. Many of downtown Saguache's most important buildings date to this period. Several older buildings received facelifts or additions. The Dunn Block expanded to house the growing Means and Ashley Mercantile Company. In 1913 Denver architect John J. Huddart designed a new Classical Revival facade for the Saguache County Bank. The town added a new county courthouse (1910) and a new town hall (1915). Commercial buildings such as the Saguache Hotel (1910) and the First National Bank (1915) were also added.
The population of Saguache continued to grow throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The commercial district along Fourth Street was already filled out by 1920. The town continued to serve as a supply center for the surrounding San Luis Valley. Livestock grazing had become the primary agricultural activity.
Little new construction occurred during the 1930s, but many businesses in Saguache's downtown district survived the Great Depression. The town continued to grow, counting more than 1,200 residents in 1940. Around that time, the Federal Writers' Project described the town as "a thriving but isolated community retaining some of the spirit of the old frontier."
Perhaps the most important development in Saguache's twentieth-century history occurred in 1946, when US Highway 285 was rerouted. Before, the highway had run right through the heart of Saguache on Fourth Street. The new alignment took the highway four blocks west, where it skirted the edge of town. Businesses in the commercial district along Fourth Street could no longer rely on a steady stream of highway traffic past their front doors.
Businesses could no longer rely on local traffic either, as the population of Saguache began a gradual decline from its 1940 peak. The town's population dropped nearly 30 percent in the 1950s. By 2010 Saguache had fewer than 500 residents. Fewer people in town meant less regular business for local shops and institutions. As shops relocated to the new highway route, some buildings on Fourth Street became vacant or converted to residences.
Downtown Saguache saw a wave of new activity in the early twenty-first century, including antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Historic preservation efforts also began to take shape. In 2000 the State Historical Fund, Front Range Research Associates, and Central Colorado Preservation Partners worked together to survey historic sites around Saguache. They prepared a preservation plan. The team identified a potential historic district along several blocks of Fourth Street downtown. In 2009 Colorado Preservation named the Saguache Downtown Historic District to its statewide "Endangered Places" list. In 2014 the downtown historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The town of Saguache is in the northern San Luis Valley. It began as a farming community after the Ute Indians were removed in the 1860s. Saguache grew in the 1870s and 1880s. It became an important starting-off point for miners headed to the San Juan Mountains. It grew again in the early twentieth century. Then the population steadily declined over the second half of the twentieth century. Even so, it kept a few historic buildings along Fourth Street. In 2014 Downtown Saguache was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In the early nineteenth century, Saguache was Ute Indian territory. It is in the northern San Luis Valley. Utes often camped on Saguache Creek. This is about twenty miles from what is now Saguache. In the 1820s and 1830s, European-American trappers and traders came. They passed through the area that was on the North Fork of the Spanish Trail. They sometimes camped with the Utes. The name Saguache possibly came from a shortened form of the Ute word for the camp, Saguguachipa.
In 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War (1846–48). The San Luis Valley was made part of the United States. Soon Hispano settlers from New Mexico began to build towns in the southern part of the valley. In the north, European settlers waited until a pair of treaties in 1863 and 1868 forced the Ute Indians to give up claims to their land and move farther west.
Homesteaders came to the area near what is now Saguache in the early 1860s. They were led by Nathan Russell. The farmers mostly grew wheat, as flour was in high demand at Fort Garland and elsewhere. They used natural arroyos to get water to their crops. Later they developed the arroyos into proper irrigation ditches. These early settlers were Anglo-American, but Hispano laborers did most of the fieldwork and ditch digging.
More settlers arrived in 1866 after Saguache County separated from Costilla County. The growing town got a post office in 1867. Soon it became the most prominent settlement in the northern San Luis Valley. One of the most important early settlers was Otto Mears. He came in 1866 to raise wheat and open a store. He had the first mower, reaper, and threshing machine in the San Luis Valley. Soon Mears began the road-building career that would make him famous. He connected Saguache to the Upper Arkansas valley via Poncha Pass.
Saguache grew as a result of the Brunot Agreement of 1873. This agreement removed the Utes from the San Juan Mountains, which opened the mountains to mining. Mears helped work out the agreement. He quickly constructed the Saguache and San Juan Toll Road to Lake City. Along with Del Norte, Saguache became one of the most important supply depots for miners heading to the San Juans.
Saguache prospered with business from prospectors. In early 1874, Mears and others organized the Saguache Town Company. They gave away land on the condition that owners build on it and plant cottonwood trees. In September, voters chose Saguache as the county seat. By that time the growing town had saloons, several shops, a restaurant, and a newspaper. The most important early building in town was the 1874 Dunn Block. This was an elaborate business structure owned by D. Herbert Dunn.
The town continued to do well and thrive into the 1880s. By then, it had two banks, a two-story brick schoolhouse (1880), and a two-story brick courthouse (1881). Saguache faced a setback when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad bypassed the town. This removed it from the San Juan supply trade. By that point, the northern San Luis Valley agricultural community had grown large enough to support the town's businesses. Farmers grew hay, wheat, and vegetables and raised cattle and sheep.
On the strength of San Luis Valley agriculture, Saguache's population grew. It more than doubled during the 1880s, to 660 residents. Most of these people were Anglo-American. There were also many German immigrants. Hispanos tended to live outside Saguache. They provided labor for the valley's farms as well as construction in town. By 1891 the bustling town boasted two newspapers, three churches, and two hotels.
Like many towns across Colorado and the country, Saguache suffered in the 1890s. This was a result of the decline of silver mining and the nationwide economic depression that started in 1893. The population dropped below 400.
In the early 1900s, however, growth returned. Many of downtown Saguache's most important buildings date to this period of growth. Several older buildings received facelifts or additions. The Dunn Block was enlarged to house the growing Means and Ashley Mercantile Company. In 1913 Denver architect John J. Huddart designed a new Classical Revival front for the Saguache County Bank. The town added a new county courthouse (1910) and a new town hall (1915). Businesses such as the Saguache Hotel (1910) and the First National Bank (1915) were also added.
The population of Saguache continued to grow throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The business district along Fourth Street was already filled out by 1920. The town continued to serve as a supply center for the surrounding San Luis Valley. Livestock grazing had become the primary agricultural activity.
Little new construction occurred during the 1930s. Many businesses in Saguache's downtown commercial district survived the Great Depression. The town continued to grow. There were more than 1,200 residents in 1940. Around that time, the Federal Writers' Project said the town "retained some of the spirit of the old frontier."
Probably the most important thing in Saguache's twentieth-century history happened in 1946. This was when US Highway 285 was rerouted. Before this, the highway had run right through the heart of Saguache on Fourth Street. The highway was now four blocks west. This meant the highway now was outside of town. Businesses along Fourth Street could no longer rely on a steady stream of highway traffic coming past their front doors.
Businesses could also no longer rely on local traffic. The population of Saguache began to go down. The town's population dropped nearly 30 percent in the 1950s. By 2010 Saguache had fewer than 500 residents. Fewer people in town meant less regular business for local shops and institutions. As shops relocated to the new highway route, some buildings on Fourth Street became vacant or were turned into residences.
Downtown Saguache saw new activity in the early twenty-first century. This new activity included antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Historic preservation efforts also began to take shape. In 2000 preservation groups worked together to survey historic sites around Saguache. They prepared a preservation plan. The team identified a historic district along several blocks of Fourth Street downtown. In 2009 Colorado Preservation named the Saguache Downtown Historic District to its statewide "Endangered Places" list. In 2014 the downtown historic district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
R. Laurie Simmons and Thomas H. Simmons, "Saguache Downtown," National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (March 3, 2014).
Virginia McConnell Simmons, The San Luis Valley: Land of the Six-Armed Cross (Boulder: Pruett Publishing, 1979).
William Wyckoff, Creating Colorado: The Making of a Western American Landscape, 1860–1940 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999).
"Fourth Street Commercial District—Downtown Saguache," Colorado Preservation, Endangered Places Archive.
Michael Kaplan, Otto Mears: Paradoxical Pathfinder (Silverton, CO: San Juan County Book Company, 1982).
Rocky Mountain PBS, "The San Luis Valley," Colorado Experience, November 12, 2015.
Saguache County
Brunot Agreement
Otto Mears
A Confluence of Cultures: An Introduction to the Community Section
Alamosa County
Animas Forks
Barlow and Sanderson Stagecoach
Beaver Creek Massacre
Capilla de San Antonio de Padua (Lasauses)
Capilla de San Isidro
Capilla de San Juan Bautista (Church of Saint John the Baptist)
Capilla de Viejo San Acacio
Conejos County
Conejos Indian Agency
Costilla County
First Baptist Church of Moffat
Fort Garland
Iglesia de San Francisco de Assisi
Iglesia de San Pedro y San Pablo
Lafayette Head
Pike's Stockade
Rio Grande County
San Juan Mountains
San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council
San Rafael Presbyterian Church
St. Francis of Assisi Mission Church
State Soldiers' and Sailors' Home
Stewart's Cattle Guard Archaeological Site
Trujillo Homesteads