Survey of the Past in the Future of Historic Town

“New Deal” Projects in Aguilar, Colorado

The Town of Aguilar, can be easily missed as you travel the southern stretch of I-25. Best known as the “Gateway to the Spanish Peaks”, the drive west, through Cordova Pass to the Scenic Highway of Legends, is one of the most spectacular in Las Animas County.

The original settlement surrounded a trading post and a small adobe catholic church. With the population about 800, the town was incorporated in 1894. Though the original settlement was called San Antonio Plaza, the town was named for Jose Ramon Aguilar, a former legislator, county commissioner, and prominent landowner. Mining had already started in the area. The remains of the many coal mines which supported the growth of this small mining community, can still be seen in the nearby hills. Aguilar provided the miners with an alternative to living in the nearby company owned coal camps, and reached its peak growth of over 2000 in the early 1920s. With the closing of the mines, hundreds of miners lost their jobs, and the economic conditions began to decline. The governments’ assistance through the WPA program came at the right time for the many families who chose to stay in this small town.

The New Deal projects included a new town hall completed in 1936, with offices and a combination jail house and fire station. It remains in use today as the town hall, although the basement and jail area serve only for storage today. The Aguilar Gymnasium was dedicated in 1939 with Paul D. Shriver, Colorado Administrator of the WPA, addressing the audience. Following the dedication ceremony was an athletic program featuring 3 basketball games, one featuring Aguilar versus Regis of Denver. The gym still serves Aguilar High School, still the home to the Aguilar “Wildcats”. The stone building sits adjacent to a newly constructed elementary /high school building, a majestic reminder of the towns’ heritage. The stone used was quarried locally by WPA workers, many of whom had worked in the mines. The use of this natural building material allowed the government project to save on materials and spend more on labor. Other WPA projects included the LA County Garage and the town water reservoir, which are still in use today.

The Town of Aguilar still struggles economically, and empty storefronts are common. In the coming year, with a grant from DOLA for the “beautification of Main Street”, improvements will include repaving of sidewalks, trees, benches, and new lighting and there is hope for a “turn-a-round” for this historical town. The local Apishapa Valley Historical Society was formed in 2004 to foster an appreciation of the history of the Apishapa Valley area which includes the Town of Aguilar, and the group is working with the town closely. With a grant from the Colorado Historical Society, a cultural resource survey will be completed in the next 15 months which will help to identify historic districts and buildings and become the basis for a preservation plan for the future.​

Submitted by P. L. Romero

Apishapa Valley Historical Society