6-18-1874 Colorado Chieftain Weekly Veta Vs. Abeyta Walsenburg June 8, 1874 - Editor Chieftain - Permit me through the columns of the Chieftain to call the attention of those who say Abeyta for Veta, to the error they fall into in thus misnaming the best mountain pass for freighters to San Juan, namely, the pass marked on the maps as Veta pass. Veta is a Spanish noun, meaning vein of ore, vein in wood or marble. The physical appearance of the principal mountain in the locality strikingly impresses one with the appropriateness of the name as applying to Veta creek and Veta pass. The writer of this, to be informed of the signification of the words Veta and Abeyta, ascertained that the latter is a proper noun, feminine gender, because it is the name of the wife of a nomadic Mexican banjo picker and baile vocalist, who at present holds forth on the Apishispa. It is to be desired that the awkward word Abeyta will not be substituted for the short, appropriate and proper one of Veta, to designate the pass referred to. (signed) R.
One branch of the Santa Fe Trail led westward into the San Luis Valley via the Sangre de Cristo Pass in northwestern Huerfano County. In 1862, a former sutler with the US Army at Fort Garland, Col. John M. Francisco, and Judge Henry Daigre built Fort Francisco on land purchased from the Vigil-St. Vrain Land Grant, significantly south and west of most of the San Luis Valley-bound traffic. Originally the Fort was a complete square built around an open plaza in the center. The only gateway opened to the north. The Fort was built of adobe one foot thick, with dirt floors and dirt roofs with parapets for defense.
As more settlers moved into this beautiful and fertile valley, the Fort increased in importance as shelter from Indians and as the commercial center for the area. The first Post Office, named "Spanish Peaks," opened in the Plaza in 1871. By 1875 the Indian threat was almost completely gone. In 1876, the Denver & Rio Grande Railway Company built a narrow gauge railroad through La Veta several blocks north of the Fort on its way westward through the newly surveyed La Veta Pass. In 1877, the permanent rail depot was built beside the rails and the business community slowly moved north to it. For many years, this stretch of the line between La Veta and Wagon Creek was the highest railroad track in the world. The old grade can still be seen to the west of La Veta and higher up across Old La Veta Pass. The old depot building at the summit is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1877 La Veta Depot that stands next to Main Street by the tracks was brought down from the top of Old La Veta Pass and installed in town, then refurbed and converted into the new La Veta Town Hall.
The twin mountains known as the Spanish Peaks can be seen for miles, and were used as a landmark by all those who passed through this area.
The Peaks were known to the Comanche as "Wahatoya," which means "Double Mountain." The ancient Indians believed the Spanish Peaks were the home of the rain gods, and therefore the source of life and thought of them as the "breasts of the world." Later, Native Americans who often hunted and camped here were the Apache, Arapaho, Kiowa and Utes
The Spanish Conquistadors arrived in New Mexico in the 1500's. They noticed the mountain range west of the Peaks turned red at sunrise, and named them the "sangre de Cristo," or "blood of Christ." Other landmarks in the area also given Spanish names include Cucharas (spoon), La Veta (the vein), and Huerfano (orphan).
Other explorers and travelers followed the Spanish. Among them was Col. John M. Francisco, who came to the Valley in 1840. He was a settler at Fort Garland until he built his plaza in La Veta to serve as a ranch headquarters in 1861. He supplied nearby settlers as well as the gold miners around Denver. His plaza provided protection from Indian attack as well. It is now Francisco Fort Museum. The first post office was established in 1871. The railroad depot was located here in 1876, when La Veta was incorporated.
The upper Cuchara Valley was once known as Nunda Canyon (nunda is an Indian word for "potato," and early settlers found the climate excellent for the crop). In 1908, George Mayes moved to the Valley for his health, and was convinced Cuchara would be a great health resort. He named his resort Cuchara Camps. By 1910, several cabins had been built, and Cuchara was a summer community.
La Veta, Colorado is situated on the eastern side of La Veta Pass through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and at the northern opening of the Cuchara River Valley. Just south of town is the foot of the West Spanish Peak. At the southern edge of town is the 18-hole, Tom Weiskopf designed, Grandote Golf Course. La Veta is surrounded by the Great Dikes of the Spanish Peaks - large, vertical granite formations that radiate outward from the Spanish Peaks. These days the town has become known throughout Colorado as an artist colony, although there are still plenty of cattle ranchers and an elk rancher or two.
Contributed by: Louise Adams
La Veta
La Veta History, by Nancy Christofferson - Huerfano World - April 23, 1998
This incorporation was also invalid and La Veta finally got it right in 1886.
The D&RG built into town in 1876, the rails going right up Main Street and angling into the plaza and beyond. Construction of the tracks west of La Veta continued until Garland City was established in 1877. At that time many of the hastily built frame houses and stores were perched on flat cars and hauled to the next terminus. Thus the fledgling town lost much of its revenue through the sale of business licenses, mostly to saloons.
The railroad remained important to La Veta. As a section point, many employees lived here, and many others rented rooms or homes. Passenger trains stopped for meals in the two hotels.
La Veta by the 1880s was becoming more prosperous. Crops were good. Purebred Herefords were brought in and the area remained noted for the quality of its cattle until the 1950s.
Many dry land crops were grown on surrounding farms. In early days, potatoes grown in the mountains nearby were a big boon.
Amos Hayes is credited with harvesting the first hay crop on irrigated land. During the 1910s and 1920s weather conditions were good enough for large wheat, oat and corn crops. Many of the farmers dug reservoirs about this time.
Although classes were held in various other buildings before, La Veta District #9 built its first schoolhouse before 1880. It was on Main Street, an adobe building just west of the present high school. It was quickly outgrown and rooms were rented around town for use as classrooms. A frame addition was built on in 1882, which "saves the district $8 a month" in rentals.
The old red brick schoolhouse was built in 1877 on the hill east of the present school. It was large enough, but poorly constructed. The second floor, which swayed in high winds, was removed in 1911. The next year the "new" school was built across the street. The Red Brick was finally torn down in the 1950s.
La Veta's first high school graduation was in 1904. In 1905 some of the rural schools consolidated with La Veta for a union high school, which occupied the 1912 building. Still does. Eventually La Veta took in the students from the districts of Middle Creek, Oakview, Ojo, Cuchara, Ritter, Sager and Wahatoya.
La Veta's peak population was 891 in the 1940 census. It may top that in 2000.
Contributed by: Louise Adams 
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