SPOTLIGHT ON AGUILAR
County: Las Animas
Elevation: 6,388 feet
Established: 1867; incorporated 1894
Slogan: The Gateway to the Spanish Peaks
Name: The town was named for Jose Ramon Aguilar, a pioneer who signed the official plat.
Brief history: American Indians originally inhabited the area, which was later settled by Spanish sheep and goat herders because of the fertile grazing lands near the Apishapa River.
In 1888, the Peerless Coal Mine opened and the town developed around mining and agriculture industries. The Rio Grande Railroad built a line through there in 1892. At the height of coal production, the population grew to 2,500. Cattle ranching and agriculture were also a large part of the local economy throughout the town’s history.
During prohibition in the 1920s, bootlegging was prevalent and numerous tunnels were built for that business. Local legend has it that notorious gangster Al Capone and his men stayed in Aguilar to hide after some of their jobs or to take care of other business. The town became known as “Little Chicago.”
The Gianella Building housed the First State Bank of Aguilar, which was founded in 1910 and served as the town’s only banking institution until 1927. It was listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties on Sept. 14.
Aguilar became a State Scenic Byway, an extension of the Scenic Highway of Legends, in 2002. There also are numerous gas wells in the area, making the gas industry one of the largest employers in the area.
Sources: www.trinidadco.com; www.sangres.com; “Colorado Place Names” by William Bright; U.S. Census Bureau 2000; USGS; Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
REGIONAL NOTES
SOUTH METRO AREA
Mental health classes open to kids
Teenagers and children can improve social skills, understand their emotions and express their feelings constructively through Kidsource, a series of classes offered by the Arapahoe/Doug las Mental Health Network starting Jan. 31.
The classes will be offered at Castle Rock Elementary, Arrowwood Elementary in Highlands Ranch and Pine Lane Intermediate School in Parker, as well as at the Mental Health Network’s locations in Littleton and Parker.
The series includes classes such as “Staying In-Bounds with Anger,” “I Can Be More Confident,” “I Can Adjust to Divorce” and “I Can Make New Friends.”
The cost is $72 for six sessions. Class size is limited, so parents interested in enrolling their children should call 303-749-4725 to make a reservation.
DENVER POST STAFF REPORTS
