Col. John M. Francisco opened his supply fort here in La Veta in 1861. Upon arriving in the area, he remarked, "This is Paradise enough for me," and here he stayed in paradise! The Spanish Peaks and Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range are both nearby as well as many other features. Wildlife abounds in the area as well as wonderful geological formations. To the right is the Baptist Chapel. The congregation was founded in 1877.
Francisco
Fort Museum
Photos taken August 2008
Photos taken August 2008
La Veta Public
Library with Francisco Fort Museum in the background
Entrance walkway
to the Museum
Library Entrance
The Fort was built in 1862-63, not as a military fort, but as a supply fort for the area. The adobe buildings are now filled with artifacts and antiques. There are rooms devoted to different parts of life here such as an 1890 saloon seen above. There is also a one-room school house, a blacksmith shop and rooms about the cultures of the area. The oak tree to the left is now over 15 feet in circumference.
An outdoor
cooking area
Milk cans
display in the museum
Buildings
around La Veta
Christ the
King Catholic Church in LaVeta
Example of
a local home
