by Elizabeth Crawford, 1979

 

What is the story behind the Mormon settlements in the San Luis Valley?  How did they come to be?  These are questions often asked of the Saints in the Valley today.

The San Luis Valley of Colorado is a beautiful, almost level valley surrounded by ranges of mountains rising more than 6,500 feet above the valley floor which is approximately 7,500 feet above sea level.  The Continental Divide is the western boundary of the Valley which is larger than the state of Connecticut.  Sunshine is in abundance nearly every day of the year under clear bright blue skies.  Winter temperatures often dive far below zero for prolonged periods of time, but the climate is a healthful one.  Summers are cool and dry.  Rarely does the temperature rise above 90 degrees.

 

It was to this picturesque San Luis Valley that Mormon pioneers emigrated beginning in 1878.  these first settlers came under the direction of the late President Brigham Young who had felt it his duty to establish colonies in outlying areas.  The Saints who had made the trek to the Salt Lake Valley were numerous; much of the rich farmland in that area had been claimed; other areas were needed for settlements.  Thus, the beginning of the Mormon colonies in the San Luis Valley was embarked upon under the direction of the President.

 

A zealous young missionary, John Morgan, had converted many people who lived in the Southern States.  These same people found life in their home area unbearable after they converted to Mormonism.  Persecution was widespread and they soon felt a need to move to a new location where they could practice their religion without harassment or bodily harm.

On November 21, 1877, John Morgan left Scotsboro, Alabama, with     a company of 72 converts destined to settle in the San Luis   Valley. This group traveled by railroad to Pueblo, Colorado, where they spent the winter months.  Housing was obtained for them in a vacant barracks building.  The Saints pooled their meagre sums of money and lived under the “United Order.”  Many of them were experienced laborers and were able to get work in the Pueblo area to help with winter expenses.

Early in the spring of 1878, the original committee, comprised of four men, A.G. "Tab" Bagwell, George Wilson, Milton Evans, and James Z. Stewart, made the exploratory trek from Pueblo to Los Cerritos.  James Stewart was an Elder of the Church especially appointed to assist in the site selection for the new colony.

These men were able to purchase two overgrazed stock farms totaling 160 acres from the Spanish settlers in the area for a nominal fee of $85.00.  The Spanish believed the land to be useless since it had been damaged by overgrazing.  These same Spanish settlers were generous in lending tools and oxen so the Mormons could plant their first crops which consisted of wheat, potatoes, and a variety of garden vegetables.

By fall of 1878, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad had agreed to transport the remaining emigrants from Pueblo to the San Luis Valley at reasonable rates.  Some of the first settlers arriving here were Daniel R. Sellers and family, Mary Kirkland, a widow, with her family, Patrick C. Haynie and his bride, and Mrs. Carlyn M. Bagwell.  Others joining them were the Samuel S. Sellers family, William A. Jones and his family, Thomas W. Chandler and family, and the Hugh R. Sellers family.  These settlers were to set the stage for some 2,000 Saints to emigrate to the San Luis Valley before the turn of the century.

The Church called families from already-established settlements in Utah to migrate to the new colonies in the San Luis Valley to assist with agriculture, industry, and the establishment of new communities.  Lawrence M. Peterson and his family and Juan de Dios Trujillo from Cebolla, New Mexico, were thus called and they arrived  in the Los Cerritos (The Hills) area just a few days before the first Southern Saints reached the vicinity.

 

The Saints first settled at Los Cerritos amid the Spanish settlers already living there.  They were able to rent a building from the Spanish in which to hold church, civic, and school meetings.  Life in the San Luis Valley was extremely hard for those Southerners who had so recently left the warm climate to which they were accustomed.  They found the weather to be quite different.  Food and garments were scarce.  With the assistance of their Spanish neighbors, they began to cope with the problems.  Cows were loaned to them so they would have milk, butter, and cheese.

 

The Mormons soon became anxious to settle on land of their own and set out to find a large tract of ground where they could build a town, church and school.  The Spanish settlers had not settled on the flat lands for they believed irrigation would be impossible under the circumstances.  The Mormons, however, felt they would be able to devise irrigation systems so they purchased a parcel of this flat land north of the Conejos River for about eighty cents per acre.  They purchased two sections of this land from the State Land Board and this became the site of the community of Manassa. 

 

The townsite of Manassa was laid out 1n 1879 in a pattern comparable to those established earlier in Utah.  Each block contained ten acres which were cut into half-acre lots, allowing twenty houses to the block.  Streets were laid out eight rods wide and they intersected at right angles.  Streets ran straight east and west and straight north and south.  The middle blocks of the town were half again as wide as the outside blocks to allow for churches, schools, and public buildings.  Barns were situated outside the city and the farm lands lay to the north and south of the city limits.  No lot contained more than one house and all houses were set back twenty-five feet from the street.

 

The common explanation given for establishing townsites in this pattern was that in a dry climate it was necessary to cooperate in the distribution and use of water, the danger from enemy attack was lessened, and participation in community activities was encouraged.

 

The irrigation projects, which at first seemed to be insurmountable, soon became successful ventures as the Utah Saints and the Southern Saints worked together.  Each able-bodied man contributed labor, horses and plows.

 

In the fall of 1880, a second settlement was established three and one-half miles northeast of the site of Manassa.  This settlement was named Ephraim and, like Manassa, the name was taken from the biblical name of the sons of Joseph.

 

During the winter of 1880-81, only two families resided in Ephraim.  They were joined in the spring by a number of converts from the South, along with several emigrant families from Utah.  Life in Ephraim was difficult.  At first, the settlers lived in tents or dugouts.  Later log cabins sprang up until the village housed nearly twenty families.  A one-room log schoolhouse was constructed and this building was used as a church and community center as well. 

 

Utah Saints from San Pete County were called to move to Ephraim and help the settlers.  These Utah Saints were seasoned pioneers and had already experienced many hardships in previous moves.  This calling was accepted with obligation and obedience and they met it as a challenge. 

 

The residents of Ephraim were mostly of Scandanavian descent, but they strived to learn the English language with speed and to adapt to their new environment to the best of their abilities.

Food was a problem at this time too.  Some of the first crop harvests were meagre and fresh food was not available.  The Mormons hunted rabbits, grouse, and other game.  They did not, however, kill animals unless they were needed for food.  It was not possible to buy food products as we do today; they had to hunt and fish in order to sustain their health.  Fuel for light and for warmth was at a premium. 

 

A third community site called Richfield was surveyed in 1882.  It was located east of the present townsite of La Jara which was then known as “The Tank.”  Tents were set up in the Richfield for temporary housing.  In 1883, a church was built.  Even though the winter was harsh, it was not a time for idleness in this community.  Brush was cleared and the land was prepared for spring planting.  Irrigation ditches were dug and readied for use. 

 

Richfield never had a store or a postoffice.  The original site was soon found to be less than desirable so the town was relocated a short distance north of the original site.  Life in Richfield centered around the church and the school.  Grain was the primary crop raised here and it is said there was more raised in this area than elsewhere in the San Luis Valley at this time.

 

Wells were drilled and fresh pure water became available.    Prior to the artesian wells being dug, the surface wells yielded alkaline water which was unfit for humans and animals

to drink.  Instead, they had to rely on fresh water springs for drinking water. 

 

It soon became apparent that both Ephraim and Richfield were located in areas that were too boggy and, on the advice of President John Taylor and other prominent Church leaders who visited the area in 1885, a move was begun to the site of Sanford which was located on higher ground. 

 

Log cabins were moved from Ephraim and some new houses were built in Sanford.  Several brick homes were constructed by the more prominent residents.  Life continued to be hard, but it was not really all that different from the life the settlers had previously known.  Families were close-knit and entertainment was a big part of the lifestyle in Sanford.  The Mormons were known throughout the Valley for their love of dancing and sports.