La Veta, Colorado

Col. John M. Francisco, the sutler at Fort Garland, and his business partner, Henry Daigre, purchased 48,000 acres of land in Cuchara Valley in 1862. The land was part of the Vigil land grant. They established a settlement for farmers and ranchers, with Francisco Fort as the commercial center.[8] The 100-foot-square building was constructed with 2-foot thick adobe walls, interior rooms, that opened up to a central plaza. It was built with a flat roof with gun ports along the parapets. In 1863, the fort was attacked by a band of Ute people. Men got on the roof to defend the fort, and a volunteer rode to Fort Lyon. The Utes retreated, though, before the troops arrived.[8]

In 1871, the settlement was named Spanish Peak and a post office was established. New settlers came to the area with the arrival of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The narrow gauge railroad, which crossed La Veta Pass, was the highest U.S. railroad pass at the time. A depot was built one block north of the fort and the town was platted by the railroad in 1876. The fort is now operated by the Huerfano Historical Society.[8] A post office called La Veta has been in operation since 1876.[9] The community was named for a mineral deposit near the original town site, La Veta meaning "mineral vein" in Spanish.[10]

On the morning of 8 November 1913, William Gambling, a miner who had refused to join the 1913-1914 United Mine Workers of America strike against the Colorado Fuel and Iron company, was intercepted and accosted by pro-strikers as he was traveling to the dentist in La Veta. He left the dentist's office later and was picked up by a car carrying three mine guards and a driver. A volley of gunfire was aimed at the car, killing all but Gambling. At least five men were arrested by the Colorado National Guard in relation to this incident, part of the early stages of the Colorado Coalfield War.[11]

La Veta is located at 37°30′28″N 105°0′29″W (37.507681, -105.008038).[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.37 square miles (3.5 km²), all of it land. At one time (1919) there were sulphur springs in La Veta owned by Dr. Acker. They were last managed by W J Pierce of Colorado Springs (see http://www.kmitch.com/Huerfano/news1915.html)

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 800 people, 415 households, and 222 families residing in the town. The population density was 583.9 people per square mile (225.4/km²). There were 566 housing units at an average density of 413.1 per square mile (161.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.1% White, 0.9% American Indian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 2.6% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 11.4% of the population.[5]

There were 415 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.5% were non-families. 42.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93, and the average family size was 2.60.[5]

The median age in the town was 52.8 years. 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 2.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.4% were from 25 to 44; 39.2% were from 45 to 64; and 22.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.[5]

The median income for a household was $37,457, and the median income for a family was $66,964. Males had a median income of $50,577 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,066. About 12.0% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[5]

There is one school in the town of La Veta, La Veta RE2. It has a total of 229 students. La Veta has the highest CSAP scores in Huerfano county.

• Bob McGraw (1895-1978), baseball pitcher[15]

• 
  Goss Homestead barn, near La Veta. The Goss family settled in Huerfano County in the late 19th century.
• 
  The original stone D&RG Depot was built in 1877 as part of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad narrow-gauge railroad erected on what is today called Old La Veta Pass and "Uptop Ghost Town"
• 
  Pronghorn near La Veta, 2014

• Outline of Colorado
  • Index of Colorado-related articles
• State of Colorado
  • Colorado cities and towns
    • Colorado municipalities
  • Colorado counties
    • Huerfano County, Colorado

• Christofferson, Nancy C.; Huerfano World Newspaper; Walsenburg, CO.; 1991
• Christofferson, Nancy C.; Coal Was King: Huerfano County's Mining History; 2000; USA
• Denver Daily Tribune; 1877
• Lathrop/Law Property; Current owners of "Uptop" Old La Veta Pass
• Orton, Agnes Bombard and other Southern Colorado Auxiliary of the Territorial Daughters of Colorado; Pioneers of the Territory of Southern Colorado; Volume 2; Monte Vista, Colorado; 1980

Wikimedia Commons has media related to La Veta, Colorado.

• CDOT map of the Town of La Veta
• Photos of La Veta and Surroundings