Photo courtesy Archuleta familyEditor’s note: The Pagosa Springs SUN printed a special presentation of narrative profiles of Pagosa Springs pioneers in celebration of the town’s centennial in 1991. The profiles were based on family records, earlier writings and remembered family lore, rather than historical research.
Those profiles are being reprinted as the town celebrates 125 years of incorporation.
The first Archuleta family ancestor to come to North America was Juan Archuleta. He arrived from Spain with Hernando Cortez’s expedition in 1536. He traveled north into what is now New Mexico to start a new life. Several generations later, Juan Archuleta’s descendants eventually settled in the area of Conejos, Colo. There, in the southern portion of the San Luis Valley, they built a huge empire of land and other holdings.
The full version of this story is available in the print edition and e-edition of the Pagosa Springs SUN. Subscribe today by calling (970)264-2100 or click here.
