Montoya Ranch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Montoya Ranch
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 Montoya Ranch
Location in Colorado
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| Location | 19176 State Highway 69, Farisita, Colorado |
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| Area | 15 acres (6.1 ha) |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architectural style | Territorial Adobe |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000377 |
| Added to NRHP | July 3, 2012 |
The Montoya Ranch was a historic ranch located in Farisita, Huerfano County, Colorado. It sat right next to the Huerfano River. This special ranch was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. This means it's an important place in American history.
The main ranch house was built around 1867 or later. It showed off a mix of Spanish Colonial and territorial building styles. Back then, many people from New Mexico were moving to Colorado. They often started farms and ranches in places like the Huerfano Valley.
Contents
The Ranch's Early Days
Who Were the Montoyas?
In 1874, a family named Juliana and Victor Montoya started a sheep ranch here. The ranch is named after them! They might have also run a small store on the property starting in the 1870s.
What Was the House Like?
The ranch house was built using adobe, which is a type of brick made from earth and straw. It's the only building in New Mexico or Colorado known to have a full adobe basement. The house was very strong, almost like a fort. Its walls were two feet thick!
Besides the main house, the ranch also had:
- An underground ice house, used to keep food cool.
- Pens for the sheep.
- Ditches for irrigation, to bring water to the crops.
The Faris Family Takes Over
New Owners and New Ideas
In 1908, a new family bought the ranch: Louise Saliba Faris and Asperidon Faris. They were newlyweds and waited two years before moving in. Both Louise and Asperidon had experience running stores.
When they moved to the ranch, the Farises:
- Raised sheep.
- Grew their own produce (fruits and vegetables).
- Ran a general store.
- Operated the local post office.
Changes and a New Town Name
In 1911, the Farises made some big changes to the ranch. They added a storefront to the house and put in new windows. This made their general store even better.
Louise Faris became the postmaster in 1910. The post office closed in 1912 but reopened in 1923. When it reopened, the town's name was changed from Talpa to Farisita. This new name was a nickname for their daughter, Jeanette! Louise and then Jeanette continued to be the postmasters until 1934. The Faris family lived at the ranch until 1943.
The Ranch Today
Since the Faris family left, the Montoya Ranch has slowly started to fall apart. In 2000, an art dealer from Taos bought the property. He has made some small repairs. He is also trying to get help to fully fix up the ranch.
The Montoya Ranch is not only on the National Register of Historic Places, but it's also listed as one of the "Most Endangered Places" by Colorado Preservation Inc. This means it's a very important historical site that needs to be saved.
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Montoya Ranch
