"A sensitive and appealing look at one of Colorado's often ignored regions, the San Luis Valley. Pioneers and settlers from all walks of life grace these pages in a fascinating glimpse into yesteryear. Virginia Simmons knows the San Luis Valley and its people—conclusions that are obvious on every page of this sweeping examination of a too often forgotten part of Colorado. The valley's history comes alive."
—Duane A. Smith, Professor of History, Fort Lewis College
Praise for the first edition of The San Luis Valley
"Simmons presents highly original scholarship in a flowing style rippled with imagery and wit."
—Rocky Mountain News
"This handsome volume on the San Luis Valley of Colorado will soon become the standard reference book for journalists, students, historians, and casual readers."
—Journal of the West
"The author's delightful sense of humor, enthusiasm for people, and ability to bring historical characters to life make the book interesting to a wide range of readers."
—San Luis Valley Historian
Human habitation in Colorado's San Luis Valley stretches back to distant times. Ancient peoples lived there thousands of years ago, as did the Utes, who claim the valley has been theirs forever. Others, both native peoples and Europeans, knew the valley—Don Juan de Oñate claimed the valley for King Phillip II of Spain in 1598. Consequently, the San Luis Valley has many stories, told in many voices.
In this new edition, Virginia McConnell Simmons lays before the reader the stories and voices of this multicultural land. Ranging from prehistoric peoples and historic Indians to early Spanish settlers, trappers, American explorers, railroads, and Euro-American pioneers, this book is a comprehensive volume covering the geography and social history of Colorado's San Luis Valley.
New to the second edition is additional material on Hispanic culture (in particular a description of their fiber arts) and a lengthy appendix cataloguing and describing all of the San Luis Valley's Hispanic place names. In addition, the notes and bibliography have been expanded, and the book contains a new introduction by David Fridtjof Halaas, Chief Historian of the Colorado Historical Society.
Acclaimed as the standard history for the south-central region of Colorado, The San Luis Valley: Land of the Six-Armed Cross is a book for students, scholars, and others interested in the history of this fascinating and culturally rich corner of the state.
