Farisita, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Farisita, Colorado
|
|
|---|---|
Montoya Ranch in Farisita, December 2014
|
|
 Farisita, Colorado
Location in Colorado
Farisita, Colorado
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| Counties | Huerfano |
| Elevation | 6,651 ft (2,027 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
81040
|
| Area code(s) | 719 |
| GNIS feature ID | 192689 |
Farisita is a small, quiet place in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. It is known as an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and buildings that isn't officially part of a city or town.
Contents
History of Farisita
Fort Talpa: An Old Spanish Post
Long ago, in the 1820s, a Spanish fort called Fort Talpa was built here. It was made of adobe, which is a type of sun-dried brick. People built the fort to protect themselves from possible attacks.
Later, in the 1870s, Fort Talpa became part of a larger area called Huerfano Cañon. Even in 1941, the old fort was still standing. It was right next to the general store of the newer community of Farisita.
How Farisita Got Its Name
Farisita got its own post office in 1923. It stayed open for many years, until 1990. The first person to run the post office named the town. He named it after his daughter, Jeanette Faris. Her nickname was "Farisita," which means "little Faris girl" in Spanish. Jeanette herself later took over running the post office and the local store.
The Faris family also has a cemetery right in Farisita. Family members have been buried there for a long time. The most recent burial was in 2010. The community also had a special meeting house, called a morada, for a religious group. It was located across the river, hidden among the trees.
Montoya Ranch: A Unique Building
The Montoya Ranch is a very special place in Farisita. It has an adobe building that is unique in Colorado and New Mexico. This building is the only one made of adobe that has a full adobe basement!
The Montoya family first built this ranch in 1869. Later, the Faris family, who came from Lebanon, lived there. They used the building as both a store and the town's post office.
