When one thinks of religion in Conejos County, people automatically think Catholic or Mormon, but there is a third faith that has impacted this heavily Hispanic county: the Presbyterians. In 1893, the Presbyterian Church sent missionaries to the rural communities of the county, primarily Mogote and San Rafael, and a mission school was built near the church. The San Rafael Presbyterian Church, built in the 1880's and the oldest church building in Conejos County, slates rededication Sunday.

To hear Ruben Archuleta tell it, all his life’s adventures — a stint as a sailor during the Vietnam War, nearly 30 years as a Pueblo policeman and a blossoming career as a self-taught woodcarver, historian and author — are a simple result of chance. He is described as “old stock from the San Luis Valley, around Antonito and Mogote. He loves his history and he loves his biographies.” Archuleta has written four books: “I Came From El Valle,” “Land of the Penitentes Land of Traditions,” “Eppie Archuleta and The Tale of Juan de La Burra” and“Penitente Renaissance, Manifesting Hope.”

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recently stated that he would accelerate solar energy projects on 670,000 acres of federal lands in Western states, unclogging the regulatory bottleneck that has held back hundreds of solar projects. The Bureau of Land Management announced June 29 that 24 large tracts of federal land in the West — including nearly 21,000 acres in Colorado’s San Luis Valley — would be studied for their solar power potential. In Colorado, BLM is seeking comment on potential solar development of lands in the De Tilla Gulch, Los Mogotes East, Antonito Southeast, and Fourmile East areas of southern Colorado.

Orlando Lujan Martinez

The green tinted popular tree in the yard was full of singing birds. when woke up in morning. After several cups of coffee I decided too take few days off to pay a visit to San Acacio, in El Grande Valle de San Luis in Colorado, where I scattered the ashes of my parents. I packed a few clothes into a suitcase, jump into my car and rode off into the morning sun. It was San Mateo Boulevard to 1-25 and out of Albuquerque.

Old familiar towns drifted by, Santa Fe the home of the Anglo gentry and the notorious Española, where an offended Native American chopped off the foot of the statue of Juan Onate, the conquistador, Ojo Caliente and Tres Pietras. Then along the base of San Antonio, the last mountain before entering El Valle. The last miles of my journey rolled by and then Antonito , the first town in the San Luis Valley, appeared just around a sharp curve in the highway. It is a half worn out town, with boarded up stores, but still glowing with the memories of the past and had me wondering why happiness is sometimes touched by sadness.

Back in the fifties, the last time the good times were rolling for that town, Antonito was a Friday and Saturday night Boggie town. Rancheros and canciones bounced out of five taverns and dance halls and the large Rainbow Ball Room a mile on the other side of town.

I rented a room at the Palace Hotel, an old stone two story structure built in 1902 with none of the toilet in each room and the air conditioning that the tourists demand. This relic from the past had the toilet down the hall, wallpaper, and in the tall lobby there was a mural of a pine forest on a wall and a large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a holy shrine. A little touch of comfort for the weary catholic traveler. It was just the place to escape the institional feeling of the modern motel and the suspicion that the sheets hadn’t been changed since April, May, June and July.

Over the past three days, controlled burns and their remnants have smoked up the skies in the hills and mountains near Mogote. The photo shows the view as seen from east of Antonito.

The Rio Grande National Forest has scheduled prescribed burns in southern Conejos County today, weather permitting.

"We've covered almost 3,000 miles on our cross-country bike ride so far, and I don't remember any place as unique as this. I almost feel like I'm in a different country." Read More...

"...I rode in the middle of on an empty Colorado Highway 17 between Fox Creek and Antonito when I passed a farmer making hay while the sun did shine. Had I been remotely hydrated, I would have shed a tear at the sight." Read More...

This historic photo of the Braiden Cow Camp in the La Jara Canyon was taken early 1920's. Raymond Braiden is mounted and Samuel Braiden is holding the baby. View larger image.

The Braiden Cow Camp has also been captured by Mogote Artist Rick Howell in a painting displayed on his web site.

Historic photo courtesy of Russell Braiden of La Jara

Freecycle group is open to all who want to recycle that special something rather than throw it away. Nonprofit groups are welcome to participate! There is one main rule however: EVERYTHING posted must be FREE. This group is part of The Freecycle Network, a nonprofit organization and a movement of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills.

Check out Freecycle for:

Alamosa

Conejos County

Monte Vista

Horses graze in a pasture in Mogote. Photo by Trent Rock

Fred Haberlein created many murals throughout the San Luis Valley over the years.

Olibama Lopez Tushar, author of The People of El Valle, died January 19 in Broomfield, Colorado. She was 98. She was born Jan. 2, 1906, in Los Rincones, near Manassa, to Josefina Manzanares and Fernando B. Lopez. The Lopez and Manzanares families were among the original five families who settled in the San Luis Valley around 1850. Olibama's father was a merchant who owned stores in Mogote, Alamosa and La Jara. She was recently honored by the Denver Public Library as part of the Cesar Chavez Day celebrations for her contributions to Hispanic genealogy.

The San Rafael Presbyterian Church in Mogote is one of eight State Historical Fund preservation projects covered in the documentary "Saving Colorado's Treasures." The film will be shown at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 in Carson Auditorium at Adams State College. The showing is free, open to the public and will be followed by a reception. The church is being restored with help from the State Historical Fund.

Mogote resident Dr. Emily Romero is ready to start as new superintendent for Centennial school in San Luis.

An old adobe pump house stands near the old San Rafael Presbyterian Church (visible at the left edge of the photo) in Mogote. The photo was taken October 26, 2001 and is provided courtesy of Trent Rock.

Historic preservation specialist Estella Cole and public relations advisor Jennifer Cook visited San Luis Valley projects that qualified for grants funded by the State Historical Fund.

Projects visited were the San Rafael Presbyterian Church in Mogote, the Concilio Superior in Antonito, the Monte Vista school auditorium, the American National Bank building, KRZA office and studio building, Alamosa County Courthouse and the Sacared Heart Catholic Church.

The Mogote Peaks take their name directly from Spanish. "Los Mogotes" means "peaked stacks, mounds, piles, clumps."

It has been about 270 years since Colorado had a year as dry as this one, according to a recent study of tree rings revealed in the headwaters of the South Platte. Record lows have been recorded on the Rio Grande near Del Norte and on the Conejos River near Mogote.

SLV Dweller is calling upon local photographers and videographers to submit content for on-line publication. Photographs may be contemporary or historic but must offer a unique and diverse perspective on the San Luis Valley, the land, it's people and the culture. Photos and/or video may be emailed to info@slvdweller.com. We hope you will share your unique perspective with the dwellers of the San Luis Valley.