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Great Divide Pictures LLC
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Los Caminos Antiguos
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Wayside Excursion: Alamosa
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| Alamosa, Colorado, is the largest city in the San Luis Valley. Located on the banks of the Rio Grande, it is the commercial center of the region. Originally known as Rio Bravo, the site was centrally located to serve agricultural and mining interests of the area and destined to become the center of future railroad activity in the valley. |
| In May 1878, at the time the railroad and railroad towns were being constructed across the San Luis Valley, the village was platted as the Alamosa Town Company. Alamosa is the Spanish word for cottonwood, and the site was located near a large cottonwood tree grove. Two months after the platting, the railroad reached the village and it quickly began to take on all the characteristics of a railroad town. However, in addition to the usual array of tents, claim cabins, and saloons, the town also hosted a bank and a hotel. Soon after the first bank was opened, another bank, as well as mills, retail stores, and freighting companies began operation. By the early 1880s two newspapers, a Presbyterian church, hardware stores, banks, and other businesses were established, and the city of Alamosa began to grow and thrive. |
| Since Alamosa owed its inception to the railroad, it was natural that the early day economy depended heavily on freighting. As a temporary endpoint of the railroad, enormous amounts of goods were brought in by train and then transported from Alamosa to Santa Fe and the San Juans by ox-drawn wagons. The wagons brought agricultural products and ore to Alamosa for shipment out of the area by train. By the time the railroad was built to points beyond Alamosa and the town no longer served as a freight drop center, a solid commercial and residential base had been established and the town was able to cope with the economic changes. |
| Soon thereafter, Alamosa became the commercial center for farmers and ranchers in the San Luis Valley. Although lack of water and poor soil conditions made farming and ranching a difficult undertaking, both large and small farms and ranches developed throughout the valley. For the most part, the water problem was solved by diverting water from the Rio Grande through large irrigation ditches or by drilling artesian wells. Although the San Luis Valley has an annual precipitation of only eight to 16 inches, ample subsurface and spring water exists throughout the valley. Today, livestock production and crop production of vegetables, grains, and hay continue to be an important source of income for the valley’s residents. |
| Politics also figured prominently in the lives of the early Alamosa residents. The first mayor of Alamosa was William H. Adams, a rancher from the La Jara area. Known as “Billy,” he became a commissioner of Conejos County, a member of the state house of representatives and senate, and then served three terms as governor. While Adams was known as the elder statesman of Colorado politics during the first 35 years of its existence, Alamosa was forced to conduct county affairs in Conejos. In 1913, after numerous political and legal battles, Alamosa County, the last of Colorado’s 63 counties, was created.Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad east of Cumbres Pass. |
| Not only was Alamosa the center of commerce in the San Luis Valley, it also became the educational center. In 1925, the Adams State Normal School, now known as Adams State College, opened its door in Alamosa. Originally a teacher’s training school, the college today remains an important educational and cultural center for the people of the valley and others throughout the state of Colorado. |
| Today, the population of Alamosa is around 9,000, while the population of Alamosa County is about 16,000. Much like 80 to 100 years ago, many residents work in retail trade, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and in educational services. While Alamosa has come far from the days of a small village in a grove of cottonwoods, it continues to serve the needs of the people in the valley as a center of commerce, education, and culture. |
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