Welcome back to Part Three of the Alamosa Through the Ages Blog Series! We are excited to bring you back in time once more and give you another small glimpse into some of the history of Alamosa and help to give a better understanding of why Alamosa holds so much rich culture, heritage, and of course, historical value. Continue reading to step back to the 1970's through the year 2000 and learn about new business developments and the development of the Great Sand Dunes at the time. Let's jump in!
Building and Business Development Across Alamosa County
Alamosa was well established by the 1970's and was a bustling and thriving town by the year 2000. The population increased by 30% in 30 years, growing from a population of 11,500 residents to 14,954 residents by 2000. In that 30 years different buildings and establishments were popping up everywhere. Some of your favorite businesses and many you may not have heard of or remember were established, and some closed down between 1970 and 2000. Here is a look at what was being developed over the 30 year span as according to records held by the SLVDRG. There are sure to be countless more, but here is what we could find on record:
1970-1980
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The Alamosa Industrial Park opened its doors for business.
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The restoration of the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad was underway– grant funded through the DRG.
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J.R. Simplot Potato Co.- The plans were drawn, funding was set and after a VERY short time, owners decided to relocate the establishment out of the SLV into a bigger city.
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1977- Erwin and Lynne Young reclocated to Alamosa from Texas and purchased an 80 acre farm with the intention of using the geothermal waters to raise and sell tilapia. In the year 1987, the couple purchased 100 baby alligators to dispose of the tilapia waste and from that purchase ultimately opened Colorado Gators Reptile Rescue and Education Facility and still operate to present day.
- Alamosa Senior Center- Opened October 6, 1970 in the old Depot Building. Craft and sewing classes were held at the center at the cost of 0.25 cents. The money was used to pay for cookies and coffee for the classes and meetings that were held. The center was later moved to what is known as the "Ball House." The center is still located there today.
1980-1982
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Alamosa Mushroom Farm–This establishment provided more than 200 jobs to Mayan refugees that came to Alamosa in an effort to flee the Guatemalan Civil War. The farm operated for 28 years and ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2013. The company has since been bought and re-opened under a new name and still works to employ Mayan refugees.
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Colorado Agro Energy Ethanol Plant– This establishment was operated for a short period of time and closed shortly after startup due to design flaws in the facility and a large decrease in oil prices.
1982-1993
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Gerry Sewing Machine-- Operated for a short period of time and eventually closed in 1983 when they moved their operation overseas.
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Multiple grants were established in the 1990’s to build office spaces in Downtown Alamosa through the DRG
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1983- Alamosa’s first Walmart store opened and was expanded after much controversy in 2000
1994+
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Development of the Center of Ag Waste treatment plant in 1998
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Rio Grande Hospital expansion was approved and work began.
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Multiple carrot and potato processing facilities were established.
Development of the Great Sand Dunes 1970-2000
The Great Sand Dunes was thriving by the year 1970. Much work had been done to the National Monument to have it visitor ready and friendly at all times. By the year 1988, the original park residence buildings were changed to be the Monument headquarters and extensive work had been done to the hiking trail from Pinyon Flats Campground to Little Medano Creek was completed in 1990. The P.E.O. Sisterhood and the original vision that Elizabeth Spencer and her team had for the park had far surpassed expectations. Though it became much bigger than they all expected, they certainly were not surprised! Many of the women showed continued support for the monument for years after the naming and many continue to support the Great Sand Dunes National Monument (at the time) being one of the “most enjoyable parks in the entire system.” The community continues their effort to keep the now National Park pristine and visitor ready at all times. Friends of the Dunes, a local citizen based support group for the park was established in 1989 with the goal of expanding research, growing the Monument (successfully if we do say so ourselves), and helping to support special events and activities hosted. The group is still active to present day and still has many of the same goals! Up to the year 2000. The Great Sand Dunes remained a National Monument, but big changes would be coming to the park in the coming years!
Culturally Significant Finds within the Park
By the year 1990, there had been nearly 100 scarred trees found within the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. The research that has been done shows that the trees are some of the last living artifacts left by the Native Americans at the time. Research on the discovery has a time limit however, as the trees live 300-600 years. Some have already been lost to logging, others to disease, and some have died off naturally. The Native Americans used to peel the bark off of the trees and used it in many ways. Originally, it was used to construct baskets, cradleboards, and trays. It was used as building material for things like roofing, and resins from the tree were used as an adhesive and waterproofing material. It was later found that they expanded its use and consumed it regularly and even more so during the winters when food choices were limited and sparse. The inner bark was ground, boiled, baked, and even smoked. The trees were often peeled and processed by the women of the tribe, being harvested in early May as the bark was easier to remove and the sap would be flowing. Studies suggest that this was done by the Ute people, though there was no solid proof of this statement at the time. Research is still being done on the scarred trees and can be seen upon a visit to the National Park today.
Thank you for tuning in for part three of our exciting blog series! Get ready as we gear up to bring you the fourth and final piece of the Alamosa Through the Ages Blog Series! From all of us here at Visit Alamosa, happy reading!
Sources:
https://www.slvdrg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/A.-Area-Description-and-Development-History.pdf
https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/alamosa-county
https://extras.denverpost.com/business/biz0208g.htm
