Highway of Legends
La Veta, CO

At the heart of La Veta (Spanish for “the vein) stands the fort established in 1862 by Colonel John M. Francisco. He had declared, “This is paradise enough for me,” and the fort was established for commerce and protection purposes. In the spring of 1863, Ka-ni-ache, chief of the Mouache Utes, placed the fort under siege; however, the approach was detected in time to bring all hands inside the Fort. The Indians assumed that the men would have to eventually come out for water, but they did not know that there was a well inside of the fort. Despite this advantage those in the fort knew they would eventually need help, and Hiram Vasquez rode to Ft. Lyon, 120 miles away, to get aid. Vasquez made the ride in less than 24 hours on his mule, and the next morning the cavalry was on its way. When they got to the fort, they found that the Indians had gone. Colonel Francisco had convinced the Indians that they would never be able to withstand an attack by the cavalry, and the Indians left taking several head of cattle.

The fort remained standing and is still situated at the center of town today. By 1871, there were enough settlers to warrant a post office, which came to be called Spanish Peaks for the mountains to the south. As the railroad brought many land speculators to the area, one group called the La Veta Town Company was the basis for the town’s current name. Standing in the center of town is the fort of Colonel Francisco that has given the area much of its history.