Greetings from San Cristobal. Jaroso, Eastdale, and the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado.
Yesterday, my friend Tom picked me up at home and we headed north for the afternoon in southern Colorado. It was my first trip out for any length of time since my surgery. It was nice to get out in the fresh air, get windswept, and in some spots nearly swept off our feet. The Rio Grande was in full flow with the illusion that it was running upstream in the wind.
The main street of Jaroso is divided by a row of tall pines. Anderson’s occupy the south side of the street, with the Jaroso Hotel and a number of artists’ studios on the north side. It’s a step back in time and I always enjoy a trip here.
Harold Anderson is a friendly gentleman with a pleasant disposition. We didn’t bump into him yesterday, though it is spring and a busy time on the farm.
Harold has a collection of Minneapolis Moline-made farm vehicles.
A country block away from Jaroso is the extinct town of Eastdale, Colorado. The monument in the pictures below is inscribed with words that denote the brief history of its existence.
The obelisk reads:
“Mormon pioneers settled here 1890. They built reservoirs, homes, school, and a church.
By 1900 there were 120 pop, and post office. A water dispute led to the demise of town and sale of lands to Costilla Estate Development Co. in 1909.”
If you would like to see more of this area please visit my San Luis Valley tour page to sign up for a photo workshop. Don’t let the wind deter you
As always, thank you for looking. G
28 thoughts on “Jaroso, Eastdale, Colorado. 04-19-2023”
Fond memories! Everyone should go with you to Jaroso.
Thank you so much Larry. We’ve had a lot of fun on our trips. Grateful for your weekly email. G
Great to hear you’re back out, Geraint. Being “stuck” inside must have been a bore! Great memories of Jaroso with you and Linda and, of course, Harold, that day.
Thanks so much, Paul. That was a good day with you and Linda. I specifically remember the pronghorn. Stuck inside for a couple of months I got to mull things over. A nice rest too. Cheers. G
Maybe the “Milagro Beanfield War” by John Nicholas was inspired by Jaroso. I need to go there. Been to Garcia, Colorado. Such a sad place. So many dreams left behind n the crumbling adobe houses. Thanks Geraint
Costilla and Garcia were John’s inspiration if I remember correctly. Jaroso is a surprise in the middle of that area. Thank you Ron. Stay well. G
I am so happy to see the photo’s of the Jaroso Hotel. My grandparents, Mose and Helen Francis lived many years in that beautiful home. I have so many fond memories of my life in Jaroso. Thank you for sharing!
Tammy (Francis) Dubla
Hi Tammy. Thank you so much for sharing. I am fascinated with Jaroso and the southern San Luis Valley. I can’t put my finger on it but it feels almost like coming home when I’m there. I’ll email you a link to a pdf on my website. Best wishes. G
Try this link first.
https://geraintsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GSP_musings_003.pdf
Loved these photos.
Great to know you were out and about once more with the help of a kind hearted friend.
M
Doing good. Thank you, Mara. Tom and I finally got to go out there. We’ve planned for a while. G
Great photos G,
I will have to make a trip to Jaroso as I have never been.
Happy to hear you were able to get out and get blown….haha!
Seems like a good day and outing.
B
It was a short but sweet trip. I think you will like Jaroso. Thanks so much Brian. I hope you are well. G
Geraint,
I’m happy you got a little road dust on your shoulders! I recall Jaroso well, it was our first photo tour together. I’ve learned so much from you since that day in 2015. Thanks for your mentoring and friendship. Be well. Oh, and Harold Anderson is, indeed, a gentleman and a scholar. I love the images I made of him.
Was that our first trip? We’ve made so many. Thank you for the reminder and for your friendship all these years Mark. That was a nice portrait of Harold on FB. Thanks Mark. G
Happy to hear you’re back on your feet and out in the world. Thanks for the history lesson. jim
Wouldn’t mind following you around. The trees you get to see are fabulous. Thanks so much, Jim. G
Let me know if you ever come as close as Chicago.
I most certainly will. Thanks, Jim
Like a place out of a dream. Need to visit there. And Eastdale, another Japanese internment camp. Like the Frank S. Ortiz dog park in Santa Fe. One of our daughters has studied and worked in Japan and is reading a history of the internment camps. I will have to take her for a visit. Thanks for posting!
It’s a fascinating area and visit often. There’s a new book on the San Luis valley I have to pick up. When I find it I’ll pass along. Do take your daughter. Thank you, Gary. G
Nice to know that you are able to be out and about.
I’m very grateful to be mobile again. Thanks for thinking of me, Bob. G
My mother and her family lived there in the ‘20’s, and she said it was a hoppin’ place. My grandfather was part of the agricultural co-op in that area, where the Japanese were brought in to work the fields and ship the produce on the train from Jaroso to Denver. My father and his brothers took livestock to Jaroso to ship to the stockyards. The Eastdale post office was unique. Hard to imagine all that now. My grandparents are buried in Mesita. You’re right, the wind there only amplifies the desolation. Thanks, Geraint.
Dear Sheila. Thank you so much for sharing. Although I’m relatively new to the area (35 years) it has an uncanny feeling of home to me. There are so many places, especially Jaroso, that must have been happening in the day. Thank you again for giving me a little deeper insight into the area. G
“Don’t let the wind deter you”
My brother claims that Taylor, Arizona was founded when the wagon master said, “We’ll wait here until the wind dies down.”
That is funny! Thank you, Joy. G
The Pines make a definite divide glad to hear you back on your feet. Thanks for the photos and the history.
It’s a unique place and was fun to make my first trip there and try out my new foot. All is well. I hope you are well. Thank you, Alison. G