Spanish Peaks: Land and Legends

by Beasley, Conger, Jr; Sparks, Barbara; Zwinger, Ann H.

• ISBN13: 9780870816048
• ISBN10: 0870816047
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-05-01
• Publisher: Univ of Oklahoma Pr

Summary

The Spanish Peaks stand alone some distance from the main cordillera of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, outside the town of Walsenburg in south-central Colorado. These remarkable twin mountains are visible far out on the plains, and for centuries have served as a beacon for American Indians, Spaniards, fur trappers, traders, soldiers, and travelers. In Spanish Peaks: Land and Legends, author Conger Beasley Jr. and photographer Barbara Sparks collaborate to tell the story of these and many other legends and of the peoples who created them, impelled by the timeless allure of the twin peaks.

Beasley tells how the forebears of the Ute, Apache, and Navajo were the first to settle in the region, some 1,500 years ago. By the 17th century, Spanish conquistadors had already begun to make forays into the area, driven by their mania for gold and treasure, and for over two hundred years an uneasy relationship existed between them and the mountain tribes. French and Anglo fur traders further added to this volatile racial mix by the 1800s, followed by Hispanic settlers fro

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Listing of Variant Spellings	xiii
First View	1	(4)
West Spanish Peak	5	(6)
From the Air	11	(8)
La Veta	19	(8)
Bear Dance	27	(8)
More About Bears	35	(10)
La Veta 2	45	(8)
The Dividing Line	53	(6)
Bent's Fort	59	(10)
Apishapa Stage House	69	(10)
Bullseye Mine	79	(6)
La Veta 3	85	(10)
Will Prator	95	(8)
Riding With Anne Lucero Along Trujillo Creek	103	(12)
Among the Penitentes	115	(10)
John Ritter	125	(10)
Down in Picketwire Canyon	135	(10)
King Coal	145	(12)
The Feast of St. lgnatius	157	(10)
The Power of Twice	167	(12)
Bibliography	179	(4)
Author Biographies	183	(2)
Photographer's Note	185