Trujillo Homestead
a.k.a. 5AL706
Unnamed two-track road, 9.3 mi. NE of MOsca, MOsca, COThe Trujillo Homestead is significant for its association with Hispanic settlement in the San Luis Valley in the latter half of the nineteenth century, having been established by a first-generation Hispanic-American resident, Pedro Trujillo, in 1879. The homestead is representative of small-scale pioneer cattle enterprises which typified the first ranches established in the area. The homestead is also associated with the pattern of violence and intimidation experienced by early Hispanic ranchers as large Anglo-American cattle operations expanded and consolidated their holdings. The property's history reflects the clash of cultures that ensued as Hispanic sheep raisers and Anglo-American cattlemen vied for control of the land and also the ways in which the first generation of Hispanic Americans adapted elements of the new culture into their traditional lifestyle.
The house is also important for its architecture, as a two-story example of log homestead house construction in the San Luis Valley. The two-story ranch house represents a rare resource type in the San Luis Valley and in the state as a whole. The fact that a Hispanic-American settler on an isolated ranch erected the two-story log house instead of building a traditional adobe dwelling typical of the first era of construction in the vicinity adds to the building's significance.
The ranch is also notable for its potential to yield information important in the area of Hispanic ethnic heritage. The archaeological component of the site provides a unique opportunity to study cultural change and adaptation by examining the possible historic use of Native American technology by a Hispanic ethnic group in an agricultural setting. The presence of several pieces of ground stone (manos and metates) in discrete concentrations on the site with other historic artifacts may provide information on Native American trade (or visitation/work) with early Hispanic occupants; the manufacture of tools (such as ground stone and flaked glass tools) by early Hispanics using prehistoric technology; and the use by early Hispanic occupants of Native American trade items or reuse of prehistoric artifacts for specific tasks in addition to utilizing contemporary technologies for such tasks. The period of significance extends from 1879 (the date of settlement) to 1902 (the date of Trujillo's departure).
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.