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Max Vigil

Sister Rosa Suazo (in white, on right) at St. Francis Convent, Milwaukee Wisc., 1955. She was responsible for making the communion host for churches in that area.

2025-05-14T16:54:55+00:00

Commendation to Ignacita and Eusebio Vigil from President Harry Truman

2022-05-18T20:24:37+00:00

Posthumously, Max was awarded a Purple Heart and a Presidential Unit Citation.

Phil Vigil acknowledges recognition to Ron Vigil, Valerie E. Ryan and the Department of the Army for their support in obtaining information for closure to our beloved Max Vigil from Sarcillo, Las Animas County, Colorado.

In 2021, Valerie E. Ryan, the granddaughter of Joe Vigil, brother of Max Vigil, has been invited to participate in a DNA search for any of Private Max Vigil’s remains. As of July, 2021 the DNA search is active.

A letter from the World War II Memorial Division assigned to investigate the locations of military personnel “Missing in Action or Killed in Action”

2022-05-18T20:19:20+00:00

The letter stated the following: “According to information obtained from the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Death Report, your son died as a result of disease….(Malaria and Dysentery) at the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp, Province of Nueva Ecija, Luzon Island, Philippine Islands.  The original interment of the remains of personnel who died while POWs were made by the Japanese in the Camp Cabanatuan Cemetery on a mass grave basis.  All remains have (since) been disinterred….and removed to the American Graves Registration Service Mausoleum, Manila, P. I., where they were subjected to exhaustive investigations, including processing by anthropologist and medical, dental and laboratory technicians in our Central Identification Laboratory.  I regret to inform you that it has been impossible to identify any of the recovered remains as those of your son… (and that) ….the Department of Army has been forced to determine that the remains of your son are not recoverable.”

Max Vigil captured and sent to Prisoner of War Camp Cabanatuan

2022-05-18T20:09:48+00:00

After the fall of Bataan in the Philippines, Max and his squadron joined the American forces on Corregidor Island, which surrendered to the Japanese on May 7, 1942.At the age of eighteen, Max was captured along with his fellow service men, and imprisoned in a Prisoner of War Camp Cabanatuan. Initially it was reported that Max died in prison on June 22, 1942 as a result of disease….Malaria and Dysentery. He was buried in Common Grave 1003. His remains are still unresolved.

An interview with Daniel Arroyo, an Elder of the Black Berets por La Justicia

2022-05-02T17:28:24+00:00

Daniel Arroyo, an ELDER of the Black Berets por La Justicia (Since 1968) talks about his experiences in Denver and with Corky Gonzales. This is the 2nd video of an overall interview, that took place on May 28, 2020 in Phoenix Arizona and was interviewed by Gabriel Ramiro Cruz with the assistance of Kelly Gallagher Blacksmith.

Demonstration led by La Raza Unida Party and the Brown Berets to push for change in Pueblo school

2022-03-22T23:44:00+00:00

Demonstration led by La Raza Unida Party and the Brown Berets which called for the resignation of Pueblo Public Schools’ Superintendent and the hiring of more Chicano staff at Pueblo schools. The demonstration led to the arrest and suspension of 16 Chicano students from Centennial High School

Denver Police blame Brown Berets for inciting violence at the Platte Valley Action Center

2022-03-22T23:36:02+00:00

Denver Police Department accuses the Brown Berets of inciting violence in an incident between Chicano youth and the police. The Chicano community blames the police for inciting the violence.

Connecticut Police Department accuses Corky Gonzales and the Brown Berets of planning terrorist activities

2022-03-22T23:19:45+00:00

Report by the Hartford, Connecticut Police Department accuses Corky Gonzales and the Brown Berets of planning terrorist activities against police officers. Corky Gonzales denounces the accusations calling them “character assassinations”.

“El Aguila: The Eagle”, written by migrant worker teens, p.1

2021-06-08T05:15:43+00:00

El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 1

People Shown or Mentioned:
Lee Ann Baeza; Rico Contrares; Maura Diaz; Alex Gomez;Rosa Garcia; Jesus Lorenzo Huerta; Becky Lovato; Carla Lovato; Marcus Medina; Olga Rodriguez; Hilda Nunez; Connie Saldivar; Dona Marie Sanchez; Jose Santana; Natividad Santana; Anthrony Trujillo; Andrew Valencia; John Vigil; Rudy Zuniga; Theresa Zuniga; Maria Velasquez; Tivi Guana; Manuel Rodriguez; Benny Rodriguez; Jose Esquibel; Mary Martinez; Rob Rangel; Jimmie Angelo; Charlie Dapra; Secundino Herrera
Associated Material:
El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 2
El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 3
El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 4
El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 5
El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 6
El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 7
El Aguila, written by migrant worker teens, p. 8

Oral history interview, Ricardo and Anna Garcia, 1977 (audio and summary)

2021-06-08T04:42:34+00:00

Ricardo and Anna Garcia’s interviewed about their experiences being Latino students at a predominately white institution (PWI) link here

Summary: University of Colorado, difficulties of Latino students at; University students, involvement with migrant farmworkers; University housing, quonset huts; Boulder, hippies in; separation between University community and the Boulder community; Alvarado Village, low-income housing in Boulder; housing, low income; Head Start program (lots of information); Follow Through program (lots of information); education, concern with, by parents; health benefits; bilingual education; elementary school language instruction in 1960s; Boulder, Human Relations Commission; political involvement by Latinos

 

“Boulder’s Chicano Community,” 1978 KGNU radio interview

2021-06-08T00:24:02+00:00

Short radio interview about the founding and its work of the Boulder Chicano Community Project. This recording is of a KGNU radio interview by an unnamed person talking with Jesse Velez Lehmann, Manuel Arcadia, and Regina Vigil about the project “Boulder’s Chicano Community.” They talk about what the project had accomplished and some of its major findings, echoing the topics covered in the two films, “Los Inmigrantes” and “Boulder’s Chicano Community.”

Boulder Chicano Community-1979 Film

2021-06-08T00:34:21+00:00

Short film on Boulder’s Chicano community , Boulder in the 1930s offered the chance for children to get some education and different kinds of jobs; neighborhood around Water + Goss Streets; migrant farm work in San Luis Valley, then in Boulder area; difficulty of attending a city school; isolation of Chicano families from mainstream Boulder life. Sequence of scenes and people

Highlights of Mountain Tract’s History

2022-10-19T23:52:31+00:00

A list of dates and important events concerning Taylor Ranch and the legal battles over it. Starts with 1844 grant by officials in New Mexico, the part of Mexico, to Narcisco Beaubien and Stephen Luis Lee of the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant, containing 1 million acres; the grant was confirmed to Beaubien in 1860 by the U.S. Congress. What became the Taylor Ranch was included in Beaubien’s grants. First page only displayed.

Court Document about Apolinar Rael et al. v Jack Taylor, 1981

2022-10-21T17:30:25+00:00

The original court case was brought by 63 plaintiffs who submitted claim to Quiet Title of the 80,000-acre tract in Costilla County known as “La Sierra”. That case was filed with the District Court of the County of Costilla. Defendant Jack Taylor petitioned for removal of that action to the Colorado District Court, whereupon the plaintiffs petitioned for its removal to the state court. This order, dated July 31, 1981, grants the latter request. First Page only displayed.

Photo of descendants of Hispanic land grant holders at a gathering at Taylor Ranch, 1981

2020-05-12T23:18:27+00:00

Pictured are land rights leaders Apolinae Rael (3rd from right), co-founder of the Land Rights Council of the San Luis and lead plaintiff in the earlier court cases, and Juan LaCombe (3rd from left). The gathering at the ranch was part of the decades-long battle between the land grant holders, who claimed rights to access and use the land at Taylor Ranch for water, hunting, grazing, and firewood.

Draft Report of the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant Commission, 1993

2022-10-21T17:35:02+00:00

This report was submitted by the Commission’s members, 18 groups said to be “broadly representative of parties interested in acquiring the Taylor Ranch.” It includes a discussion of the geography and historical background of the property, describes the benefits of public ownership, and presents plans for acquiring and managing the plan. Full report here.

Letter to the editor regarding Gov. Roy Romer’s proposal to acquire Taylor Ranch for the state, 1994

2022-10-21T17:41:03+00:00

Letter to the editor of “The Chieftain” paper, published in Pueblo, from Robert Copeland of Colorado Springs objecting to Governor Romer’s proposal to acquire Taylor Ranch for public use, Feb, 27,1994.

Decision of the Colorado Supreme Court in Lobato v. Taylor, 2003

2020-04-08T17:41:09+00:00

First page of the summary of the court’s decision in that case, listing all the San Luis Plaintiffs against Zachary Taylor, as executor of the estate of Jack Taylor. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and set up a process for establishing who counted as heirs of the original grantees. April 28, 2003; modified June 16,2003

Article about new owner having offered $300 to heirs if they would give up their claim; describes 2017, published 2018

2020-04-08T17:41:49+00:00

“Cielo Vista: New landowner, old tricks”. Report that William Harrison, whose company purchased Cista Vista Ranch in Aug., 2017, sent out letters on Dec. 20, 2017, to the heirs who had gained access to the ranch through the 2003 legal decision, offering to buy back the land use rights if they weren’t being used. He offered $300 per heir. First page of article.

Article about new owner trying to overturn previous decision, 2018

2020-04-08T17:41:56+00:00

“Decades-Long Battle About Historic Ranch Headed Back to Court.” Attorney for William B. Harrison, 4th owner since 2004, tries to persuade court to overturn 2003 decision of the Colorado Supreme Court giving heirs of land-grant awardees access to Taylor Ranch. First page of article.

Article about celebration at end of litigation, with description of the settlement agreed upon by owner of ranch and heirs, 2019

2020-04-08T17:42:10+00:00

Description of the 2-day community celebration to be held in San Luis, organized by the Land Rights Council and the plaintiffs in the suits. This ends 59 years of struggle over Taylor Ranch and 37 years of legal action. The account lays out the conditions agreed upon in a recent settlement between William Harrison, the current owner of the ranch, and community members representing the 1,000 heirs of the original lant-grant recipients who gained access to the ranch in the 2003 settlement in their favor. First page only

CF&I Steelworkers OK ‘realistic’ contract, 1989

2019-09-14T22:21:11+00:00

Union negotiators told workers on Saturday that the approved 3-yr. contract was the best they could get.  The union was Pueblo Steelworkers Local 2102, representing 1,600 production and maintenance workers. They hoped that better business conditions for the CF&I would lead to a better contract in the future.

Debbie Baca Duran Quote

2019-09-13T03:00:22+00:00

“We all played ball… It was awesome. Those baseball games were crazy. Sometimes they’d start at four in the afternoon and go some time until it’d get dark at 8:00… your older sisters played ball… you passed on your gloves to your siblings… We were called Flores Grocer. Like I said, it was a community and everybody just kind of helped out”

Clippings about Salt Creek: CO-OP, and Salt Creek Park, 1974-5

2020-01-18T04:49:04+00:00

3 clippings from unidentified Pueblo papers: (1) Citizens claim Community Organization-Outreach of Pueblo, an anti-poverty project, was slighting Salt Creek, Aug. 1, 1974; (2) Cooperation by Salt Creek residents tied to CO-OP aid in area, Dec. 11, 1974; (3) Salt Creek park opened, June 9, 1975

Salt Creek residents fight for paved roads, 1972

2020-01-18T04:47:59+00:00

Residents of the Salt Creek community asked the county commissioners to improve and pave roads in the community—an issue that has been raised repeatedly for several years.  Louis Garcia, chairman of the Barrio de Salado Improvement Association, accused Road Commissioner Martin Moore of failing to meet past promises to pave roads in Salt Creek and of being a racist.

Salt Creek Residents Taking Precautions with Well Water, Oct., 1971

2020-01-18T04:45:39+00:00

Residents say water from well and pump house near Palo Alto and Laguna is not fit to drink or use to bathe.  The well, completed in 1968, is deep, but underground seepage from Salt Creek is causing problems. Salt Creek is visibly polluted with oils and chemicals from CF&I Steel Corp.  A recent water analysis undertaken by a microbiologist revealed major hazards. The private tests on the water began after residents failed to get action from the Pueblo City-County Health Department, who repeatedly said the water was good.

Video Clip from Interview with Samantha and Shantell Quintana, Latino Political Activity in Trinidad

2019-06-25T18:14:31+00:00

This 2018 interview, the Quintana sisters talk about the lack of political involvement from Latino people in Trinidad because of the Italian people who hold power over them in the city. Length: 2:19.

Video Clip from Interview with Shantell and Samantha Quintana, Women as Leaders in Church & Community

2019-06-20T18:40:00+00:00

The Quintana sisters talk about their own experience as leaders but those experiences of other Latina women in the Church and Community of Trinidad. 2018. Length: 1:04.

Video Clip from Interview with Yolanda Romero and Jack & Georganne Vallejos, Latinos in College

2020-01-18T05:08:30+00:00

Yolanda Romero attests to the lack of Latino students in Trinidad State College. She notes that economic privileged students were more likely to attend while Georganne agrees and adds that access to scholarships were a determining factor to go in. Length: 4:06.

Video Clip from Interview with Yolanda Romero and Jack & Georganne Vallejos, Trinidad State Junior College and Education

2020-01-18T05:08:46+00:00

In this 2018 interview, Yolanda Romero delves into her own experiences in Trinidad State Junior College and how Latinos were underrepresented. Jack Vallejos also speaks to the convenience of  having the college so close to him as well as the added advantage that the GI Bill gave him in 1968. Length: 4:35.

Video Clip from Interview with Shantell and Samantha Quintana, Educational Discrimination

2020-01-18T05:09:02+00:00

This 2018 interview with Shantell and Samantha goes into how schools in Trinidad discriminate Latino students. Specifically, they both give their testimony to how their own daughter and niece has been disproportionately denied help from schools in relation to her white peers. Length: 2:31.

Video Clip from Interview with Judge Manzanares, Latino Representation in Law School

2020-01-18T05:09:28+00:00

In this 2018 interview, Judge Manzanares responds to the amount of Latino students during his time in law school. He was chosen as one of the few Latino students from the Ford Foundation to attend law school. He later went on to become dean of this very program where he noticed the size of Latino students decreased. Length: 3:11.

Blacksmith Hilario Herminio Paiz of Gurule, 1915

2019-06-17T19:44:50+00:00

Blacksmith Hilario Herminio Paiz (on left) poses outside of a wood building on his ranch in Gulnare, Las Animas County.  He was born in 1898 in Gulnare and died in 1983 in Trinidad, Colorado. Herman worked on a ranch in Gulnare homesteaded by his grandfather José de la Cruz Paiz.  Herman never married, and stayed at the ranch to take care of his mother, Anastacia Gonzales Paiz.

Rita J. Martinez and her parents’ involvement in church related activities, Chicano Movement

2019-12-27T15:55:33+00:00

Rita J. Martinez talks in 2000 about her experience growing up in Pueblo, Colorado. Here she is discussing her parents and their involvement in the steelworkers union as well as church. She largely talks about her mom’s involvement with church activities among other leadership which encouraged her to become involved in leadership activities.

Cross

2019-12-27T15:56:49+00:00

Wooden cross made from tree branches; barbed wire ‘crown of thorns’ through cross section; face, torso, and arm of Jesus carved at the base; dark red paint to simulate blood on Jesus’ hand where barbed wire is inserted into wood.

Father Murray, priest important to Salt Creek, 1989

2019-12-27T15:58:38+00:00

“Father Murray stopped Salt Creek land grab.” A Jesuit priest in Mt. Carmel Parish from 1942 onwards, he set up a credit union that enabled Pueblo families, many in Salt Creek, to buy their homes back from land owned by CF&I on which they had squatted for decades. 700 families bought their own homes this way.

Deborah Espinosa and Columbus Day Protest

2019-09-11T03:06:41+00:00

An excerpt from an interview with Deborah Espinosa in 2014 in which she talked about some of the issues surrounding Columbus Day in Pueblo, some of the resistance and push back against the holiday, and some tensions with Italian Americans in Pueblo. Here she talks about Dia de la Raza and some of the hope around replacing Columbus Day with this.

Eloy and Ray Calderon Quote

2020-01-18T04:32:39+00:00

“My dad had a tavern . . . on the corner of San Pedro and Roselawn . . . that used to be my Dad’s dance hall and bar. It used to be called the Oasis Café. When I started school, I was living there in 1935. They used to pick me up right there in front of the railroad. There was a railroad that went from Blende through Salt Creek and behind CF&I. Used to go to the zinc smelter over in Blende.”

Columbus Day Protests

2019-09-08T22:44:01+00:00

Columbus Day 1998 protests in Pueblo. Leaders at two protests that took place in Pueblo condemn Columbus as a murderer and encourage people to not celebrate the Holiday as Italians and Politicians honor the man. Protest organizer Rita Martinez says it is their responsibility to abolish the holiday considering it started in Pueblo.

Frank Orona Quote

2020-01-18T04:35:29+00:00

“I was lucky at 16, they (at CF&I) were hiring kids and women. The war was on – World War II… in 44. I went to Central for a couple years. the minute I got to be 16 – zoom – I come to work in the mill. My birthday is November 8th. On November 13th, I started working in the mill.”

Vera Estrada quote

2019-09-13T03:02:19+00:00

Vera Estrada quote
“The mill used to dispose of the slang into, what we called, the black waters… and the slag would actually light up all of Salt Creek. There were no indoor bathrooms. They had outhouses. and in the evening, everyone would wait for the slag to be thrown and you could see the neighbors scurrying, running to the outhouse before the light of the slag went out.”

Video Clip from Interview with Yolanda Romero and Jack & Georganne Vallejos, Traditions and Family.

2019-06-20T19:28:41+00:00

In this 2018 interview, Yolanda Romero and Georganne Vallejos speak to the way traditions in families have changed from the ways their elders raised them in Trinidad. Georganne notices the importance of grandparents in helping raise the children. Length: 2:26.

Video Clip from Interview with Judge Manzanares, Early Life in Trinidad.

2019-06-20T19:26:53+00:00

Judge Manzanares recalls his memories of growing up in Trinidad and how the city was back then. He highlights his mom as his hero, as she raised him and all his five siblings, modeling for them what it was to value education. Aditionally, he recalls how his own family supported him through his career. 2018. Length: 3:57.

Chicano Studies at CSU Pueblo (audio clip & transcript)

2019-09-14T13:59:57+00:00

2016 interview of George Autobee talking about being involved with student activism and pushing for Chicano Studies courses at CSU Pueblo as a veteran. This would have been during the Chicano Movement in the 1970s. Autobee included information regarding his involvement with MEChA and student protests at CSU-Pueblo.

Parent Concerns leave District 60 Teachers feeling Blamed, 1976

2019-09-14T14:05:44+00:00

After Chicano parents visit multiple elementary schools and make public statements to the media about how they are failing students, teachers are left feeling attacked. The parents claim they did not visit with intention to criticize but were just concerned with their students falling behind in reading levels. Parents seem to be trying to remedy these relationships but district 60 keeps evading the problems.

Chicanos picket school, police buildings, 1975

2019-09-14T14:06:32+00:00

Chicano children and adults rallied at the School District 60 administration building in a demonstration against what they termed failure to remedy alleged discrimination in the schools and lack of Chicano teachers.  The group later demonstrated against “police brutality” at Pueblo Police Department headquarters.”  Rudolfo “Corky” Gonzales, state chairman of La Raza Unida party, was to be the keynote speaker.

Five daughters of Juanita and Severiano Martinez, with their mother on the right

2019-10-09T02:37:58+00:00

Shown here, left to right, are: Dulcenea Martinez, Mary Victoria Martinez, Lucy Martinez Gomez, Eloisa Martinez Arroyo, and Pauline Martinez Gomez. Their mother Juanita is on the right. Not pictured are her two sons, Samuel and Leonardo Martinez

Josephine Minjares/Lucille Rivera Aragon talk about their experience in Teacher Corp

2019-09-14T19:20:55+00:00

In a 2016 interview, Josephine Minjares and Lucille Rivera Aragon talk about the challenges they faced working within Pueblo schools while being a part of Teacher Corps. Here they talk about what it means to them to have been change agents in the schools.

Judy Baca, about high school walkouts and involvement in Chicano classes and clubs at Colorado State College

2019-09-14T19:28:46+00:00

Judy Baca talks in 2016 about her experience in high school during the 70’s when there were a lot of walkouts. Then she talks about her involvement at Colorado State College through Chicanos Unidos for Action and chicano studies courses. She talks about how when she was younger, being from Salt Creek, she was made to feel like she didn’t like school and even considered dropping out.

Edmund Vallejo named to the Board of Trustees of State Colleges, 1975

2019-09-14T19:57:57+00:00

Dr. Edmund Vallejo, Asst. Superintendent of District 60, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of State Colleges.  He has a BA from Adams State, a master’s from UNC Greeley, and a Ph.D. from Kansas State University.  He is active in several civic organizations, including Congress of Hispano Educators and Pueblo Diversified Industries.

Poster calling for people to support Francisco Coca of Aguilar at his trial, April 17, 1991

2019-10-09T02:46:30+00:00

Coca, who says he is from “Aguilar, Atzlan” was on trial for an unspecified crime but refused to accept the authority of the court because it was based on European laws that had oppressed “the poor and innocent native,” including Indians and Chicanos. Poster asks people to come to his Hearing in District Court, Trinidad

Video Clip from Interview with Samantha and Shantell Quintana, Latino Political Activity in Trinidad.

2019-05-11T23:07:30+00:00

This 2018 interview, the Quintana sisters talk about the lack of political involvement from Latino people in Trinidad because of the Italian people who hold power over them in the city. Length: 2:19.

1921 Flood After effects, Interview, 1980

2019-09-14T20:13:43+00:00

1921 Flood After effects, Interview, 1980 (Audio Clip)

Theodora Valles talks about the after effects of the 1921 flood which according to her caused people to be taken to different places in order to be sheltered. The red cross was involved. Many people seemed to have gotten sick from vaccines “shots”, they received. Additionally there was no electricity and homes were very damaged.

1921 Flood Description, Interview, 1980

2019-09-14T20:14:32+00:00

1921 Flood Description, Interview, 1980 (Audio Clip)

Theodora Valles talks about how she and others could hear people, horses and cows scream and be taken by the 1921 flood. It was caused by heavy rain which caused the river (or current) to create mass destruction. At the beginning, the flooding was very close to people’s homes and in fact had already reached many homes. It carried with it dead cows. Police were working to get people out of the flood and out of danger but many people tried to stay in their homes and protect their belongings. Many people were not successful.

Pueblo in 1919 and Italian Neighbors, Interview, 1980

2019-09-14T20:17:22+00:00

Pueblo in 1919 and Italian Neighbors, Interview, 1980 (Audio Clip)

In an interview, Theodora Valles and Tom Valles talk about their experience during the Great Depression and living in Pueblo. Here they talk about how Theodora, Toms mother, arrived to Pueblo and about her relationship with her Italian neighbors.

Dr. Beshoar’s “Day Book” of treatments for UMWA members, 1913

2019-10-09T03:12:53+00:00

In Sept. and Oct., 2013, during a strike by United Mine Workers of America, Dr. Ben Beshoar kept a record of his treatments of union members and their families. He apparently traveled around to the various mining camps near Trinidad. This image shows the inside front cover and first page, with names of places and people and abbreviations for the medicines he administered.

Pueblo Public Metals Co. Workers on Strike for Fourth Week, 1976

2019-09-14T22:17:27+00:00

Mexican American workers of Pueblo Public Metals Co. have been on strike for four weeks backed up by unions. The strike which began on September 8, 1976 has held out this long because the company refuses to sit to work out better wages which is what workers like Wilfred Espinosa, who has worked there 17 years, is asking for.

Steelworkers file NRLB complaint, 1988

2019-09-14T22:23:59+00:00

Local 2102 of the United Steelworkers of America contends  that CF&I Steel Corp. violated sections of the National Labor Relations Act. Specifically, the company is accused of failing to provide the union with information needed to settle a contract dispute after an arbitrator ruled against CF&I.  The complaint stems from a three-month fight between the union and CF&I over incentive rates for arc-furnace workers.

Salt Creek Water System Dedicated, thanks to Union members, 1968

2020-01-18T04:45:24+00:00

The perseverance of 5 members of United Steelworkers of America LU 2012, finally paid off with the dedication of a community water system in Salt Creek, funded by a federal grant.  Tests of 37 wells conducted by the City and County Health Dept. had shown only 4 wells with water safe to drink. The men, all employed by CF&I, are: Endy Garcia, Basic Oxygen Shop; Ray Barela, Wire Mill Drawing Room; Ted T. Lopez, Wire Mill Weigher; Stanley Gutierrez, Wire Mill Galvanizing; and Adrian Martinez, Operator, Hearth Department.

Portrait of Maria de la Luz Trujillo-Sandoval, 1890s

2019-09-12T14:46:08+00:00

Born in 1830, she married Charles Archibald Metcalf, a trader, and pioneer in Pueblo, in 1845. Charles had been trapping/ trading with Indian tribes from the small fort located in what is now Pueblo; after marriage, they lived in the fort and she helped run the trading post. Maria was one of the earliest women to live in the Pueblo area. She died in 1910

Joe Chavez, Working at the Pueblo smelter, interactions between Mexicans and Spanish Americans

2019-12-13T20:47:14+00:00

In 1978 Joe Chavez shares a story of when he used to work at the Pueblo smelter. In this story he got into a fight with other workers. Joe Chavez’s story highlights some of the tensions between Mexicans, and as Chavez puts it, Spanish Americans.

Children with Adobe Oven

2019-09-11T04:00:01+00:00

Italian and Mexican families built outdoor ovens of adobe bricks, plastered with mud. Fires were burned inside the ovens for an hour or two. With the walls hot, the ashes were raked out and pans of bread and pastries were shoved inside with a long-handled paddle. The opening was covered. The hot walls did the baking. Boys wore knee pants, held up by suspenders, or bib overalls. Like their mothers girls wore sun bonnets. This house was made of cottonwood logs, standing upright, then plastered with adobe mud.

No Justice, 1979

2019-09-11T03:35:22+00:00

Francisco Coca, Aguilar, addresses crowd in front of County Courthouse following parade Saturday. The head of statue in front of the court house was covered by one in the crowd to signify that justice ‘does not exist’ for Chicano people. Cinco de Mayo, 1979.

Article about Francisco Coca, musician and activist, and his family, 1988

2020-01-18T17:14:49+00:00

Francisco Coca “brings decades of tradition,” playing guitar and singing at Cinco de Mayo festivities in Pueblo’s Bessemer Park. From Aguilar, he performs with his wife and children, as La Familia Coca, doing a mixture of “old timers,” including songs from the Mexican Revolution of 1910, and contemporary songs like “Campesino” (farm workers) and “Learn to Read,” from the Nicaraguan revolution.

The newspaper office for El Heraldo del Valle

2019-10-11T03:50:09+00:00

The newspaper office for El Heraldo del Valle, a Spanish Language, Republican newspaper in San Luis, with men standing in front; photo taken 1900-1910. The two story house next door belonged  to José Ramos Valdéz (8th from left), a school teacher, translator, poet and editor/publisher of El Heraldo. José Candelario de la Luz Valdéz (5th from the left) was the owner of a general mercantile store, the Costilla County Treasurer, Justice of the Peace, and County Sheriff

Teacher re-hired for the Mexican school south of the tracks, so it must have continued despite previous order allowing children to attend the school nearest them

2019-09-24T05:52:35+00:00

Teacher re-hired for the Mexican school south of the tracks, so it must have continued despite previous order allowing children to attend the school nearest them

Court decides school case in favor of plaintiff, Francisco Maestas, on behalf of his son Miguel, against local school board; Spanish speaking people believe that segregation is based on race, which must be eradicated

2019-09-24T05:53:51+00:00

Court decides school case in favor of plaintiff, Francisco Maestas, on behalf of his son Miguel, against local school board;  Spanish speaking people believe that segregation is based on race, which must be eradicated

Pleadings in case of Frank Maestas vs. School Board; “most of our citizens”think the current arrangement is fine, but the several hundred Spanish Americans think their children are not being treated justly

2019-09-24T05:55:32+00:00

Pleadings in case of Frank Maestas vs. School Board; “most of our citizens”think the current arrangement is fine, but the several hundred Spanish Americans think their children are not being treated justly

Desiderio “Dario” Gallegos owned a mercantile store in San Luis (Costilla County). Photo taken probl. in 1870s.

2019-09-22T00:54:35+00:00

Desiderio “Dario” Gallegos  owned a mercantile store in San Luis (Costilla County).  Photo taken probl. in 1870s.

Men pose in front of the first permanent Costilla County Courthouse built in 1884, San Luis (Costilla County, in 1910).

2019-09-21T17:47:47+00:00

The courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. The men are identified left to right: Eleuterio Gallegos, Eduvigen Gold, Alcadio Salazar, Felipe Pacheco, unknown, José Ramos Valdéz, Heraldo Groendke, Charles Meyer, Eduvigen Barela, Francisco Gallegos, Harry Brink, L.B. Webster, Atanacio Padilla, and Juan Aragón.

The aftermath of a fire in Antonito (Conejos County), 1905.

2019-09-21T17:48:59+00:00

Shows smoking adobe buildings destroyed by the fire. Hispanic American men, probably firefighters, stand near a wagon loaded with three large barrels filled with water to fight the fire. A ladder is up against an adobe building with a wooden false front, a sign reads: “Drug Store.”

View of San Luis (Costilla County). Founded in 1851 as San Luis de Culebra, it is the oldest town in Colorado. Photo probl. 1865-70.

2019-10-11T03:51:14+00:00

View of San Luis (Costilla County). Founded in 1851 as San Luis de Culebra, it is the oldest town in Colorado. Photo probl. 1865-70.

A man stands in the middle of Main Street in San Luis (Costilla County), 1880? Shows one and two story adobe buildings around a large, open, dirt plaza.

2019-10-11T03:51:10+00:00

A man stands in the middle of Main Street in San Luis (Costilla County), 1880? Shows one and two story adobe buildings around a large, open, dirt plaza.

Most of the farmers in Antonito, a town which is less than 8 years old, are Hispanics; their fine farms are under good cultivation

2020-01-18T04:06:54+00:00

Most of the farmers in Antonito, a town which is less than 8 years old, are Hispanics; their fine farms are under good cultivation

In description of death of his son, Jose Garcia of Conejos was said to be a large holder of sheep who shipped them to Chama, NM by train for lambing

2020-01-18T04:06:18+00:00

In description of death of his son, Jose Garcia of Conejos was said to be a large holder of sheep who shipped them to Chama, NM by train for lambing

Sugar beet farming can be profitable in Valley, especially around Alamosa, due to water and abundance of “Mexican” labor

2020-01-18T04:06:42+00:00

Sugar beet farming can be profitable in Valley, especially around Alamosa, due to water and abundance of “Mexican” labor

Soil Map of San Luis Valley, showing soil composition, township grid, agricultural canals, and railroads during the early twentieth century. Made by Holmes J. Garnett, 1903

2020-01-18T04:08:42+00:00

Soil Map of San Luis Valley, showing soil composition, township grid, agricultural canals, and railroads during the early twentieth century. Made by Holmes J. Garnett, 1903

The Lucero family pose by an adobe wall on the White Mountain Ranch in Costilla County, San Luis Valley. Undated photo

2020-01-18T04:09:07+00:00

The Lucero family pose by an adobe wall on the White Mountain Ranch in Costilla County, San Luis Valley. Undated photo

Trujillo homestead, near Mosca, builtby Pedro Trujillo, a first generation Hispanic-American, in 1879. He was a small-scale pioneer cattle rancher

2020-01-18T04:09:18+00:00

Trujillo homestead, near Mosca, builtby Pedro Trujillo, a first generation Hispanic-American, in 1879. He was a small-scale pioneer cattle rancher

Discussion and vote against making Spanish a subject in the schools; Mexicans should be compelled to learn English

2019-09-24T06:25:13+00:00

Discussion and vote against making Spanish a subject in the schools; Mexicans should be compelled to learn English

The main Alamosa newspaper distinguished between “American” and “Mexican” residents of the San Luis Valley in 1885

2019-09-24T06:23:54+00:00

The main Alamosa newspaper distinguished between “American” and “Mexican” residents of the San Luis Valley in 1885

Listing of Anglo students’ names in regular school and 36 students in the “town hall school” (= the Mexican school)

2019-09-24T06:06:43+00:00

Listing of Anglo students’ names in regular school and 36 students in the “town hall school” (= the Mexican school)

Spanish Americans in Alamosa petition school board to allow their children to attend the school nearest to their homes

2019-09-24T06:03:54+00:00

Spanish Americans in Alamosa petition school board to allow their children to attend the school nearest to their homes

View of a trial in the Costilla County Court House in San Luis, 1917. The Mexican American jury is at the center back

2019-12-13T21:34:41+00:00

View of a trial in the Costilla County Court House in San Luis, 1917. The Mexican American jury is at the center back

Hispanic American men pose in front of the first permanent Costilla County Courthouse built in 1884, San Luis in 1910. The courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places

2019-12-13T21:34:27+00:00

Hispanic American men pose in front of the first permanent Costilla County Courthouse built in 1884, San Luis in 1910. The courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places

Juan Antonio Baca of San Luis (Costilla County), 1880-85. Mr. Baca was elected to the Colorado General Assembly as Senator for Costilla County.

2019-12-13T21:34:13+00:00

Juan Antonio Baca of San Luis (Costilla County), 1880-85. Mr. Baca was elected to the Colorado General Assembly as Senator for Costilla County.

Colorado Sheriffs in 1904, location unknown. Some of those from the SLV and Las Animas/Huerfano Counties may have been Hispanic

2019-12-13T21:37:01+00:00

Colorado Sheriffs in 1904, location unknown. Some of those from the SLV and Las Animas/Huerfano Counties may have been Hispanic

José Victor García, a rancher in Conejos County, 1890s, who served in the Colorado Territorial Legislature and held many political appointments.

2020-01-18T04:04:00+00:00

José Victor García, a rancher in Conejos County, 1890s, who served in the Colorado Territorial Legislature and held many political appointments.

José Julián “J.J.” Lobato poses beside his Ford Model T touring car near San Luis (Costilla County), later 1920. Jose Lobato served as Costilla County Treasurer and as a Costilla County Judge.

2019-12-13T21:35:59+00:00

José Julián “J.J.” Lobato poses beside his Ford Model T touring car near San Luis (Costilla County), later 1920. Jose Lobato served as Costilla County Treasurer and as a Costilla County Judge.

Lobato family, 1908?

2019-09-24T06:53:30+00:00

The Lobato Family from San Luis (Costilla County). Front row, left to right: Adela and Eufelia Espinoza, Manuelita Jaramillo, María Odila, Miquela, and Alberto Lobato. Second row: Quirina Espinoza. Third row left to right: Rosavel Lobato, María Epemenia Córdova Lobato, Antonio Teodoro Lobato, Jose Julian “J.J.” Lobato holding son Pedro Lobato and María Salomé Córdova Lobato holding baby daughter Salomé Lobato. Back row, left to right: Refugio, Teodoro, Félez and Julián Lobato, Concepción Lobato Romero holding her son Manuel Romero, and Pedro Romero.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church in Conejos, just north of Antonito. It is the oldest church in Colorado, built in 1863 by a French missionary.

2019-12-27T16:01:58+00:00

Our Lady of Guadeloupe Parish Church in Conejos, just north of Antonito. It is the oldest church in Colorado, built in 1863 by a French missionary.

Alamosa to host annual convention of the Mexican societies of Christian Endeavor, Colorado and Northern New Mexico, with all speeches given in both English and Spanish

2019-12-27T16:02:13+00:00

Alamosa to host annual convention of the Mexican societies of Christian Endeavor, Colorado and Northern New Mexico, with all speeches given in both English and Spanish

A morada built by Los Hermanos Penitentes in San Francisco (Costilla County), with a large wood cross on a hill in the distance, probably constructed in first half of 20th century

2019-12-27T16:02:42+00:00

A morada built by Los Hermanos Penitentes in San Francisco (Costilla County), with a large wood cross on a hill in the distance, probably constructed in first half of 20th century

The Catholic Capilla de Todos Los Santos, a part of the Shrine of the Stations of the Cross (La Mesa de la Piedad y de la Misericordia, Hill of Piety and Mercy) in San Luis, built in 1986

2019-12-27T16:04:20+00:00

The Catholic Capilla de Todos Los Santos, a part of the Shrine of the Stations of the Cross (La Mesa de la Piedad y de la Misericordia, Hill of Piety and Mercy) in San Luis, built in 1986

Photos mounted on decorative metal tray show Most Precious Blood Catholic Church and Father José Samuel García, San Luis (Costilla County), 1890s

2019-12-27T16:05:59+00:00

Photos mounted on decorative metal tray show Most Precious Blood Catholic Church and Father José Samuel García, San Luis (Costilla County), 1890s

Religious procession in Los Sauces, CO, with men carrying statue of a saint and other carved images, undated photo

2019-12-27T16:05:44+00:00

Religious procession in Los Sauces, CO, with men carrying statue of a saint and other carved images, undated photo

Members of the Hermanos Penitentes walk along a dirt trail during the Stations of the Cross observance on Good Friday in Costilla County, 2005

2019-12-27T16:05:18+00:00

Members of the Hermanos Penitentes walk along a dirt trail during the Stations of the Cross observance on Good Friday in Costilla County, 2005

Members of Sangre de Cristo Parish in San Luis (Costilla County) walk in a Good Friday pilgrimage from San Francisco to San Luis with Father Pat Valdez “Father Pat” (second from left), 2005. A woman crucifer carries a processional cross at the head of the procession.

2019-12-27T16:04:51+00:00

Members of Sangre de Cristo Parish in San Luis (Costilla County) walk in a Good Friday pilgrimage from San Francisco to San Luis with Father Pat Valdez “Father Pat” (second from left), 2005. A woman crucifer carries a processional cross at the head of the procession.

Blacksmith Hilario Herminio Paiz of Gurule, 1915

2019-05-12T02:48:54+00:00

Blacksmith Hilario Herminio Paiz (on left) poses outside of a wood building on his ranch in Gulnare, Las Animas County. He was born in 1898 in Gulnare and died in 1983 in Trinidad, Colorado. Herman worked on a ranch in Gulnare homesteaded by his grandfather José de la Cruz Paiz. Herman never married, and stayed at the ranch to take care of his mother, Anastacia Gonzales Paiz.

2022-05-18T19:42:14+00:00
The Colorado Health Foundation

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