La Veta, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Town of La Veta, Colorado
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La Veta from the east, looking towards Mount Mestas
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Location of La Veta in Huerfano County, Colorado.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Huerfano |
| Incorporated (town) | June 16, 1886 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.37 sq mi (3.54 km2) |
| • Land | 1.37 sq mi (3.54 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,021 ft (2,140 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 862 |
| • Density | 629.2/sq mi (243.5/km2) |
| Demonym(s) | La Vetan |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
81055
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| Area code(s) | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-44100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412857 |
La Veta is a small town in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. Its name comes from the Spanish word for "the vein". La Veta is located at the bottom of the Spanish Peaks. It is also found along the Highway of Legends National Scenic Byway. In 2020, about 862 people lived in the town.
Contents
History of La Veta
Early Settlement and Francisco Fort
In 1862, Colonel John M. Francisco and his business partner, Henry Daigre, bought a large area of land. This land was part of an old land grant. They started a community for farmers and ranchers. The main center of this new settlement was Francisco Fort.
The fort was a 100-foot square building. It had very thick adobe walls, which are walls made from sun-dried earth and straw. The rooms inside opened up to a central courtyard. The fort also had a flat roof with special openings called parapets. These openings allowed people to defend the fort.
In 1863, a group of Ute Native Americans attacked the fort. Men climbed onto the roof to protect it. A volunteer rode to a nearby fort for help. The Utes left before the soldiers arrived.
Growth and the Railroad
In 1871, the settlement was named Spanish Peak. A post office was also opened there. More settlers came to the area when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad arrived. This railroad crossed La Veta Pass. At the time, it was the highest railroad pass in the United States.
A train station, called the La Veta Pass Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot, was built near the fort. In 1876, famous railroad builder William Jackson Palmer and Governor Alex Hunt officially started the process to make it a town. The fort is now looked after by the Huerfano Historical Society. The post office has been called La Veta since 1876. The town was named La Veta because of a mineral deposit nearby. La Veta means "mineral vein" in Spanish.
Mining History and a Young Politician
On November 8, 1913, an event related to a miners' strike happened. A miner named William Gambling had not joined the 1913–1914 strike against the Colorado Fuel and Iron company. He was stopped by pro-strike workers while going to the dentist in La Veta. Later, he left the dentist's office and got into a car with three mine guards and a driver. The car was shot at, and everyone in the car except Gambling was hurt.
Several men were arrested by the Colorado National Guard because of this incident. This was part of the early events of the Colorado Coalfield War. Gambling managed to escape to a nearby dairy farm. The dairy farmer helped him get back to the Oakview Mine the next day.
In 2013, Logan Taggart became the youngest politician to serve in Colorado. He was appointed to the La Veta town council at just 18 years old.
Geography of La Veta
La Veta covers about 1.37 square miles (3.54 square kilometers) of land. There are no large bodies of water within the town limits. Long ago, around 1919, there were sulfur springs in La Veta. These springs were known for their special mineral water.
Population and People
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The population of La Veta has changed over the years. Here's how many people have lived in the town during different census years:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 165 | — | |
| 1890 | 361 | 118.8% | |
| 1900 | 254 | −29.6% | |
| 1910 | 691 | 172.0% | |
| 1920 | 737 | 6.7% | |
| 1930 | 782 | 6.1% | |
| 1940 | 897 | 14.7% | |
| 1950 | 701 | −21.9% | |
| 1960 | 632 | −9.8% | |
| 1970 | 589 | −6.8% | |
| 1980 | 611 | 3.7% | |
| 1990 | 726 | 18.8% | |
| 2000 | 924 | 27.3% | |
| 2010 | 800 | −13.4% | |
| 2020 | 862 | 7.8% | |
People who live in La Veta are sometimes called La Vetans.
Education in La Veta
The town of La Veta has its own school district, called La Veta School District Re-2. It is also known as La Veta Public Schools.
Climate in La Veta
La Veta has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. It also gets a good amount of snow.
| Climate data for La Veta, Colorado (Elevation 7,037ft) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
62 (17) |
74 (23) |
79 (26) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
97 (36) |
94 (34) |
85 (29) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
65 (18) |
97 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.9 (8.3) |
47.9 (8.8) |
48.5 (9.2) |
57.2 (14.0) |
67.6 (19.8) |
76.7 (24.8) |
83.7 (28.7) |
81.1 (27.3) |
72.9 (22.7) |
66.3 (19.1) |
57.3 (14.1) |
44.0 (6.7) |
62.5 (16.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.5 (−8.6) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
17.3 (−8.2) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
37.5 (3.1) |
43.8 (6.6) |
53.8 (12.1) |
50.6 (10.3) |
41.2 (5.1) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
13.3 (−10.4) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−10 (−23) |
−17 (−27) |
12 (−11) |
17 (−8) |
32 (0) |
42 (6) |
32 (0) |
20 (−7) |
5 (−15) |
−5 (−21) |
−17 (−27) |
−25 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.40 (10) |
1.00 (25) |
1.42 (36) |
1.47 (37) |
1.63 (41) |
1.49 (38) |
3.14 (80) |
2.50 (64) |
1.95 (50) |
0.68 (17) |
0.40 (10) |
0.84 (21) |
16.94 (430) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.3 (24) |
20.9 (53) |
24.0 (61) |
13.9 (35) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.0 (2.5) |
7.9 (20) |
5.9 (15) |
16.4 (42) |
100.3 (255) |
| Source: The Western Regional Climate Center | |||||||||||||
Parks and Recreation
The Cuchara Valley ski resort near La Veta closed in 2000. However, in the late 2010s, the area was reopened as a county park. It is now known as Parker-Fitzgerald Cuchara Mountain Park. A non-profit group runs it as a place for activities all year round.
Even though snow can be unpredictable, people from La Veta and nearby towns are working to reopen the old ski area. In spring 2023, cat-skiing started, and skiers could access trails by skinning up the season before. They are also working to get the old chairlifts working again.
Notable People
- Bob McGraw (1895–1978), a famous baseball pitcher, was from La Veta.
See also
In Spanish: La Veta (Colorado) para niños
