Publication: Colorado Preservation, Inc.
Author: Richard Carrillo, et al.
Date of Publication: Fall 2011
PDF File: Purgatoire-River-Region-Historic-Context.pdf
Description
This historic context study is intended to accompany the survey project Colorado Preservation, Inc. conducted in the Purgatoire River Region of southeastern Colorado. The following contexts have been developed to provide a framework for understanding the history and significance of the resources recorded during the survey project. The survey was conducted with dual goals: to document the architectural and archaeological resources of the area potentially affected by expansion, and to share this history with the public to raise awareness of the unique history and culture of the region.
The Purgatoire River region of eastern Las Animas and southern Otero Counties has a unique identity based on its specific landscape and cultural heritage. This part of Colorado’s eastern plains is crisscrossed by canyons and arroyos. Tall mesas run along the region’s southern border, and the Sangre de Christo Mountains rise on the west. Historically, the Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail ran through the heart of the region.