Rich History of Conejos County by
Beverly Miller
(http://sbdc.adams.edu/conejos_community_guide.htm)
Conejos County is in a broad, high mountain
valley of south central Colorado. It has an area approximately
825,446 acre or 1,290 square miles. Roughly, half of the area is
on the nearly level floor of the valley, where the average
elevation is about 7,700 feet. The Western half of the area
ranges from gently rolling to steep foothills and mountains that
rise in elevation from about 7,600 feet to about 13,000 feet.
Conejos County is situated between National Forest to the west,
the Rio Grande River to the east, Rio Grande and Alamosa
counties to the north, and the state of New Mexico to the south.
Only about 34 percent of Conejos County is privately owned and
the other 66 percent are National Forest, Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) or State lands.
In 1848 Mexico ceded land which included the San Luis Valley to
the United States. In 1851, part of Colorado including the San
Luis Valley became a part of the Territory of New Mexico. When
the territory of Colorado was created in 1861, the major part of
the San Luis Valley was divided creating two Colorado Counties,
Costilla County, taking in the eastern and northern part of the
San Luis Valley, and Guadalupe County, which included the
western part of the valley north to the Rio Grande. As part of
the Colorado Territory, Guadalupe County was quickly renamed
Conejos County. Today, Conejos County has become one of the five
counties that make up the San Luis Valley.
Becoming a territory of Colorado was a stretch for the
Spanish-American settlers. The settlers traditionally had strong
family and cultural ties to Northern New Mexico, in particular,
Taos and Santa Fe. The connection that la gente, (the people) in
Conejos County has culturally with New Mexico its cousin and
neighbor, still colors life in Conejos County today.
The settling of Conejos County began with the traders and
trappers. They explored the San Luis Valley and traded with the
Native Americans. Their exploration of the wilderness made them
valuable scouts for both exploration and military expeditions.
Then followed a group of Spanish speaking people who traveled
into the San Luis Valley from Abique, New Mexico in 1850 and
settled on the north bank of the Conejos River just below the
spot where the town of Conejos now stands.
In 1854 Jose Maria Jaquez led a group of settlers to a location
on the north side of the Conejos river. This settlement was
called El Cedro Redondo. At the same time, Major Lafayette Head
lead families from Abiquiu to a spot four miles down stream. The
name of this settlement was Plaza de Guadalupe. The group from
El Cedro Redondo decided to join forces with the settlers from
Guadalupe. Guadalupe, near the present town of Conejos, became
first settlement in Conejos County.
In 1861, when the land became part of Colorado, Guadalupe County
was renamed Conejos County. The county acquired the new name
because of the abundant rabbits in the area, (Conejos means
rabbits in the Spanish language). Also, the settlement of
Guadalupe lost its position as the seat of county government in
1863 to its new neighbor, Conejos. Conejos was established on
the south side of the Conejos River. Soon a lovely church was
built in Conejos. A big three-story courthouse built of rock,
stood in Conejos and was in use until 1980 when it burned to the
ground. One year to the day of the tragic fire, a new courthouse
stood in the exact spot of the old one. It was dedicated that
day in 1981. Conejos now consists of the new courthouse, post
office, Menke Abstract Co., and several homes. Today, Conejos is
still the county seat of Conejos County and home of Our Lady of
Guadalupe Catholic Church, "oldest church" in Colorado.
Although Guadalupe is considered the first established
settlement, other villages such as Capulin sprouted up. Settlers
from Ojo Caliente established it in 1867.
By 1870, there were scattering of villages along the rivers and
waterways. In 1877, Mormons, or Members of the Latter Day
Church, led by John Morgan came into Conejos County. They were
from the Church's Southern Mission. They settled mainly in and
around the Manassa and Sanford area. The give and take between
the Catholic-Hispanic, and the Anglo-Mormon, makes up a big part
of the story of Conejos County. Also to be considered in the
story though is the ancient whisper of the Native American, the
influences of the Presbyterians, Mennonites, Syrian merchants
and Jewish business men, Japanese farmers, Swiss, English,
Irish, and German farmers and ranchers. A part of this saga too
is the ever-changing voice and perspective that the newcomer
brings. And there is too, the unique outlook of those who
remember their past and have come back home. Although the people
of Conejos County come from various backgrounds, and have very
different perspectives, what unites us, is the inherent wisdom
that in the land lays our history, and in the land lies our hope
for the future.
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