Discover the History of the Spanish Peaks

March 12, 2012 - PRLog -- New from Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Around the Spanish Peaks by local author Mike Butler. This pictorial history boasts more than 200 vintage images and provides readers with a unique opportunity to reconnect with the history that shaped their community. Photographs were gathered from local museums, libraries and private collections to bring the exciting history of Spanish Peaks country to life.

Rising up to 13,623 feet above the plains, the twin Spanish Peaks in southern Colorado have been a beacon to travelers for centuries. Native Americans from the Comanche and Ute tribes pitched their teepees in the lush river valleys around the mountains. Spanish explorers from Mexico followed legends of gold here. Migrants on the Santa Fe Trail sighted the peaks at the end of their long trek across the Great Plains.

Coal mining and railroads brought a new wave of settlers to the region in the 1870s. Today, visitors head to Walsenburg, La Veta, and Cuchara to enjoy the incredible mountain scenery and year-round recreational activities.

Highlights of Around the Spanish Peaks include:
•   Images from the collections of the Huerfano County Historical Society including Francisco Fort and the Walsenburg Mining Museum
•   La Veta and its Stone Buildings
•   Native Americans and Francisco Fort
•   Coal Camps North and South of Walsenburg

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.  

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.