From Trujillo Creek in Early Days, Anne Lucero 1976: The Indians Before Us

When one thinks about the peace and beauty in Trujillo Creek, and of the many people that have lived here, homesteaded, built homes, and even about civilization itself, we must not forget the Indians before us.

They too had dreams, hopes, and fears. They too looked at our deep blue sky and feathery clouds, and saw the creek beginning near the peaks. They were the ones who first beheld the Spanish Peaks with wonder and amazement and called them the Huajatollas. In this beautiful valley of Trujillo Creek, the Indians that were here lived their way. It was a civilization close to nature. Perhaps here the Indian boys and girls played among the tall pine trees, and in the thickest of oak waited for the deer and the rabbit. Perhaps they fished and played in the streams and saw the beavers building their dams. Perhaps at night the Indian chiefs and squaws looked at the millions of stars and the big bright moon in the sky and thanked the Great Spirit for the peace and serenity they had in this secluded wilderness which became Trujillo Creek.

These are the names of the early pioneers of Trujillo Creek:

Jose Ramon Trujillo, Juan Trujillo, Juan de Jesus Vigil, Blas Felipe Quintana, Quirino Maes, Jose Maria Vigil, Juan Bautista Vigil, Juan Luis Borrego, Domingo Aragon, Fermin Bueno, Manuel Sanchez, Tomas Buston, Tomas Cardenas, Aduato Armijo, Estevan Cardenas, Abran Cardenas, Leandro Borrrego, Pablo Martinez, Severo Duran, Gregorio Romero, Jose Romero, Francisco Abeyta, Samuel Johnson, Jacob Johnson, William H. Johnston, William J. Lynds, Sam Grievel, John Smith, Tony Sinkovich Sr., Andrew Jaksoniak, Robert Weir, Michel Passarelli, Demecio Sanchez, Juan Valde, Pete Ritzus Sr., William Fodar, Joseph Andreatta, Nick Ratkovoch, Vito Alfonso, Jim Prince, George Sutak Sr. and others.

These were the early pioneers who built our community and named it Trujillo Creek. Among these are those who came years later, but took part in the challenge of establishing the community which we are proud to call Trujillo Creek.

Trujillo Creek is a small farming and ranching community in the northwestern part of Las Animas County in southern Colorado. Its three beautiful valleys which extend eight miles and the heart of Trujillo Creek are within an elevation of 7500 feet.