Rio Grande County
History and Geography
Named for the river that flows through the county, Rio
Grande County is one of the highlights of the San Luis
Valley. In the early 1800’s, Zebulon Pike, John Fremont,
and others explored the area. Between 1829 and 1848, the
Old Spanish Trail, a section of which crosses Rio Grande
County, was a major trade route linking New Mexico and
California. The trail evolved from ancient Native
American trade routes, some of which were in use for
nearly 1,000 years. In 1846, Rio Grande County became a
territorial possession of the United States. In 1870,
gold was discovered at Summitville, and the following
year Del Norte was platted. Del Norte was incorporated
in 1872 and became the county seat in 1874 when Rio
Grande County was created. The narrow gauge train was
extended from Alamosa to Del Norte in 1878. In 1882, the
original town site at the current location of Monte
Vista was platted, and was called Lariat. The town was
renamed Monte Vista in 1886 when it was incorporated. In
the late 1890’s the State of Colorado established an
experimental farm in Monte Vista, and in 1897, the
Soldier’s and Sailor’s Home, now the Colorado State
Veteran’s Center, was established. The Ski Hi Stampede,
the oldest continuous rodeo in Colorado, began in 1897
in Monte Vista. With the influence of the railroad, the
area flourished as a center for agriculture, ranching,
and mining throughout the 1900’s. South Fork developed
as an area of timber production and tourism. South Fork
was not incorporated until 1992.
The gateway to the San Juan Mountains, the county covers
913 square miles ranging from approximately 7,000 feet
to several 13,000-foot peaks. There are three
municipalities within the county: Monte Vista, Del
Norte, and South Fork. All of these municipalities have
been historically developed along the rail line that
follows the Rio Grande River. Monte Vista is the
county’s largest community. “Monte” as most people call
it is the center of the agricultural aspect of the
county. There are numerous festivals, events, and clubs
that take place in and around Monte Vista, and the Monte
Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a stop for migratory
Sand Hill Cranes every year. Del Norte is a quaint town
with a focus on its historic past; it is the county
seat, home to the Rio Grande County Museum, and
maintains a historic façade in its main street. The
newest town in the County is South Fork, which is
surrounded by the Rio Grande National Forest and other
public lands and has easy access to Wolf Creek Ski Area.
Developed as a logging center it has become a gem of the
Valley with a booming housing market, world class 18
hole golf course, and the distinction of being the
“Gateway to the Silver Thread” scenic byway. A portion
of the agricultural Town of Center also lies in Rio
Grande County.
Demographics
The 2010 population of Rio Grande County was 11,743 with
the largest minority group of Hispanic/Latinos
representing 42 percent. There are approximately 6,000
housing units in the County, with just over 4,700
occupied. The average household size is 2.59 persons per
unit consistent with the national average and slightly
higher that the state average. Approximately 70 percent
of the occupied housing units in the county are
owner-occupied. There are three times as many seasonal
homes in Rio Grande County as in the State (12.7 percent
to 4.0 percent). Generally, when households spend no
more than 30 percent of their gross income on housing,
their costs are considered affordable. Under this
definition, 76.6 percent of homeowners and 69 percent of
renters in Rio Grande County have affordable housing.
This is in large part due to the agencies providing
housing assistance including: The SLV Housing Coalition,
Colorado Rural Housing Development Corporation, Habitat
for Humanity, Monte Vista Community Center Housing
Authority, Del Norte Senior Housing, Inc., Center
Housing Authority, and Tierra Nueva Migrant Farmworkers
Housing Project.
Economy
Historically, the county's economy was heavily dependent
upon agriculture but has diversified over time. Now,
almost one in five jobs are in the education sector,
with the second highest number of jobs in the retail
sector. Only 11 percent of the county's employment is
now in the agricultural sector. With a per capita income
of $15,650 and only 14 percent of the population living
below the national poverty line, Rio Grande County is
one of the more economically stable counties in the San
Luis Valley.
Education
Rio Grande County has three public school districts:
Monte Vista C-8, Del Norte C-7, and Sargent RE-33-J.
There are 1,382, 699, and 403 students enrolled
respectively. Private schools are limited to St. Peter's
Lutheran School in Monte Vista, which offers education
for preschool through fifth grade students. The
Headstart Program has an enrollment of 97 students.
Secondary education options include Adams State College,
which is in Alamosa is within a short drive of Rio
Grande County, and Trinidad State Junior College, which
also has a campus in Alamosa and offers courses at the
Del Norte Middle School and the Sargent School.
Other Resources
http://www.riograndecounty.org
|
