A Visit to Historic San Luis Colorado

San Luis Colorado with the motto: "The Oldest Town in Colorado" is a beautiful and historic place to visit. Nestled in scenic south central Colorado, a short distance north of the border with New Mexico, San Luis was a part of the New Mexico Territory until 1861 when the Colorado Territory was established. This was at the same time that Congress granted Kansas statehood.

Mural in San Luis Colorado

The Settlement of San Luis

As mentioned above, the settlement of San Luis was at one time within the New Mexico Territory when the U.S. took control in the late 1840's. Prior to that the settlement was within Spanish and later Mexican Nuevo Mexico. The Spanish explored into present day Colorado as early as 1540. The Mexican government only ruled the territory for a few decades in the 1800's before the Mexican American War. As a direct result of that war Mexico ceded the region.

San Luis today is primarily a Hispanic settlement that was originally populated in 1851. This would have been just a few years after the Mexican American War and still a part of the New Mexico Territory. Historically, this is also an area of the expedition of Zebulon Pike

Land grants attracted many people to today's southern Colorado although the settlers at first had to withstand raids from Ute Native Americans of which this land was a part of their ancestral grounds. Many tribes did inhabit Colorado at various times includung the Comanche, Cheyenne and Arapaho.

A good book regarding Colorado Territory history is The Rise of the Centennial State: Colorado Territory by author Eugene H. Berwanger.

The Chapel of All Saints on top of the mesa

Visit San Luis Colorado and the Colorado-New Mexico Border Region

A visit to San Luis is a perfect companion trip to several other northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado tourist destinations. San Luis is about 63 miles north of Taos New Mexico and about 45 miles south of the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Shrine of the Stations of the Cross 

In addition to being the oldest town in Colorado San Luis has another thing to offer. Take a stroll up a part paved part dirt path up a hillside on the edge of San Luis Colorado and you'll be experiencing the truly unique Shrine of the Stations of the Cross. Here you will find a spot that reflects the culture of the area.

Walking on this path some 8,000 feet above sea level could be one of the most unique walks you'll take.  The route is about three quarters of a mile long. The Shrine of the Stations of the Cross is located on a mesa and along your walk you'll pass by a several bronze statues.These statues depict the last hours of the life of Christ. Each station along your journey up the mesa will highlight a different scene. On top of the mesa is the Spanish-Moorish styled Chapel of All Saints. The chapel towers over the valley.

You will pass fifteen different stations along the way with the last one depicting Christ's resurrection. Models of the sculptures are also in a collection at the Vatican in Rome Italy.

A view at the beginning of the walkway

The Sculptor

The sculptor of these unique bronze statues was Huberto Maestas. Works of Maestas are located throughout the world. His work is in both public and private collections.

His sculptures at the Shrine of the Stations of the Cross were made at two-thirds life size. The Crucifixion and the Resurrection statues are life size.

Many Historic and Fun Sites Near San Luis Colorado

As mentioned above, a visit to unique and scenic San Luis Colorado can be a good addition to the many other scenic and historic sites in the area. These include the historic site of Fort Garland Colorado, about 16 miles north of San Luis.

The art community of Arroyo Seco New Mexico is about a 64 mile drive south of San Luis and just a few miles south of it is beautiful Taos New Mexico.

Below are links to Western Trips photo articles covering a few more interesting sites near San Luis Colorado...

The Art and History of Arroyo Seco New Mexico

Historic Frontier Fort Garland Colorado

Entrance way to the Shrine of the Stations of the Cross

An interesting side note, and a topic that has been reported on in length, the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado is a UFO hot spot. At least it is to some observers. Many of the locals tell of UFO stories. Supposedly there have been documented UFO sightings in the valley as far back as the year 1600.  Today the San Luis Valley is considered a national UFO hot spot.

 If you're in the area and into UFO's make sure to check out the UFO Watchtower in Hooper Colorado. This is a rectangular shaped tower standing ten feet above ground that can accommodate sixty people at a time. There have also been about the same number of sightings, cigar shaped strange objects with lights, since the tower's opening. Hooper Colorado is located about 59 miles northwest of San Luis Colorado and about 20 miles north of Alamosa Colorado.

(Article and photos copyright 2013 Western Trips)



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A Visit to a Cowtown Called Fort Worth

Fort Worth Texas rightly gained the nickname "Cowtown" and for a very good reason. Here was a spot in northern Texas where herds of cattle poured through on their trip north. Cattle from many branches of the old Chisholm Trail made their way through Fort Worth on their journey to the all important railheads.

Chisholm Trail Mural

When the Spanish pulled out of their northern colony in the early 1800's thousands of heads of cattle roamed freely all throughout Texas. This was the era before barbed wire and homestead acts. This was the wide open frontier literally with boundaries.  Later, the American Civil War essentially put a halt on cattle exportation out of Texas aside from efforts to supply a Confederate army to the east. When the Civil War ended, the cattle herds had multiplied tremendously and the era of what we know of as that of the great cattle drives in and out of Texas was born. The Chisholm Trail played a major role in this new and profitable industry.

If you drive through Texas today, take a look at Interstate 35 on your road map and you'll see the route of much of the old famous Chisholm Trail.

Visiting Fort Worth Texas

Take a walking tour or leisurely drive through Fort Worth today and you'll see a great many reminders of what made this town, now a major city, into the fascinating historic site it is. Below are listed several areas and sites of Fort Worth you'll want to add to your trip planner.

Fort Worth Stockyards carriage rides

If you're visiting Dallas and want to make a day trip to Fort Worth the TRE commuter train gives you an easy and low cost way to do that. The TRE train can be boarded at the Union Station in downtown Dallas and arrives in downtown Fort Worth at the Intermodal Transportation Center.

Sundance Square

Located in the heart of downtown Fort Worth, Sundance Square is an area of hotels, shops, some excellent restaurants. Sundance Square is bordered by Taylor Street, Grove Street, 1st St. and 5th St. Sundance Square is also the home of some interesting murals such as the Chisholm Trail Mural shown in this article. This three story tall mural is seen on the old 1908 Jett Building. The mural was created in 1988 and commemorates the Chisholm Trail cattle drives between 1867 and 1875.

Tarrant County Couthouse, Fort Worth TX

The Tarrant County Courthouse

The Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth Texas was completed in 1895 after two years of construction. Made from pink granite from central Texas, the courthouse sits atop a bluff above the Trinitiy River and at a spot near where the original military fort was established in 1849 and manned by the 2nd U.S. Dragoons. The military outpost of Fort Worth had a relatively short lifespan closing in 1853.

One of the most interesting stories regarding the courthouse's construction had to do with it's cost. The very impressive structure was built for a little over $400,000. In the 1890's this was obviously a large amount of money. Even though the cost of construction came in under it's budget, the voting public in Fort Worth felt that this was a tremendous waste of money. The sentiment was so strong that the entire Commissioner's Court and the County Judge were ousted from office. While this certainly was a drastic measure at the time, the Tarrant County Courthouse was eventually realized for the beautiful architectural masterpiece it is.

Renaissance Revival architecture

The Biggest Stagecoach Hub in the Southwest

Fort Worth Texas became the largest stagecoach hub in the southwest after the tracks of the Texas and Pacific Railroad reached town in 1876. If you were heading west you might take the train to Fort Worth and transfer to one of the many stagecoaches going further west and southwest. This could very well have been your itinerary heading to El Paso, Tucson Arizona or California.



Fort Worth Stockyards

Probably no better place in Fort Worth to get the feel of the old west cattle drive days. The Fort Worth Stockyards attract visitors from all over the world. Enjoy steers being driven through the stockyard area twice daily by authentic cowboys. The stockyard area was once home to both Armour and Swift packing plants during the first half of the 1900's.

The Fort Worth Stockyards is a National Historic District located about six miles north of the central business district off N. Main Street.

The links below will take you to our Western Trips visit of the Fort Worth Stockyards with photos and history and our article on Cowboy Gear...

Cattle Drives and the Fort Worth Stockyards

Cowboy Gear for the Cattle Drive

The Cattle Raisers Museum

Another great place to visit to get the feel of the old "Cowtown" is the Cattle Raisers Museum which opened in 1980. Located at 1301 W. 7th Street, the Cattle Raisers Museum offers cowboy and ranching artifacts and a good many interactive exhibits. This 10,000 square foot museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the cattle industry. The museum tells the fascinating story of cattle ranching, cowboys and cattle drives from the 1850's to the present day.

(Article and photos copyright 2013 Western Trips)


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