Walsenburg: Old town, new hope
January 29, 2006
by Mike Garrett
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Area off I-25 south of Pueblo seeks a rebirth

WALSENBURG - This city of 4,000 residents dates to 1852. But its prospects for future prosperity is what has people here buzzing with renewed enthusiasm.

Numerous new colorful downtown storefronts have visitors stopping to buy instead of just looking while the city's western boundaries could be filled with up to 1,000 new residents if its first new subdivision in 20 years, Black Diamond Park, sells out.

Interest among land buyers in relocating to the Walsenburg area seems to be at an all-time high, local real estate agents say.

The city is promoting tourism as never before with new community leaders apparently on the same page in dismissing parochial, self-interest infighting that previously hindered the community.

A new buyer, Permian Basin Railways, purchased the 120-year-old rail line that runs from Walsenburg to the San Luis Valley in December from Rail America. Chicago and Denver-based Permian is making plans to expand freight operations over La Veta Pass and possibly add a tourist car or two and a north-south valley spur extension if demand warrants, according to company officials.

The three-year controversy over preserving Walsenburg's 80-year-old middle-school building was resolved in December. Plans are now taking hold to expand the county library into the building with approval this week of a $255,000 State Historical Fund grant, along with medical and job training classrooms, small commercial enterprises and perhaps an artist enclave.

Walsenburg is the county seat of Huerfano County. Located between exits 49 and 52 on Interstate 25, Walsenburg also sits astride U.S. 160, the primary east-west route in Southern Colorado. The town is just east of La Veta Pass, gateway to the San Luis Valley and Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Walsenburg was originally settled as La Plaza de los Leones in 1852, but is named after Fred Walsen, a businessman who settled there around 1870. Walsen opened the county's first coal mine just west of town in 1876.

Walsen Mine became the county's largest and most productive coal mine.

Walsenburg has two museums, a former municipal swimming pool that is on its way to becoming a tourist destination water park on West Seventh Street, and a nine-hole municipal golf course adjacent to Black Diamond Park.

Just west of the golf course is Lathrop State Park, which has lakes for swimming, boating, windsurfing, and fishing.

The Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center and VA Nursing Home are just across the road from Lathrop State Park. Under Chief Executive Officer Steve Perkins' direction during the past two years, the facility has been attracting numerous new specialty physicians, support staff and programs.

The hospital and Corrections Corp. of America private prison remain the city's largest two employers. Quest Enterprises is the city's largest manufacturer with more than 50 employees involved in distributing firefighting equipment worldwide.

New Ojo Springs Bottling Co. owner R. Michael McCauley also has ambitious plans to distribute his pure mountain spring water throughout the state and eventually the entire Southwest.

But most residents feel that current tourism efforts will be the impetus to make or break future prosperity. Walsenburg has generally been overlooked as any kind of tourist destination stop in the past despite statistics showing more than one million cars pass through its Main Street and U.S. 160 intersection a year.

The San Isabel National Forest is south and west of town, around the picturesque Spanish Peaks and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. North of town is Greenhorn Mountain. Most of the nearby Wet Mountains are also part of the national forest. Due south are the Black Hawk State Trust lands.

Tourism promoters are focusing on efforts to have visitors use the city as a one- to three-day home base for side trips to other state attractions.

In September, Gov. Bill Owens visited the downtown area and to dedicate Black Diamond Park, which helped renew local interest in continuing renovation and restoration efforts to change the city's image.

BDP developer Richard McEntee says it's his goal to continue restoring abandoned buildings in the downtown area and on Seventh Street, possibly to attract commercial artists to form their own mini Santa Fe art colony.

Downtown redeveloper and La Plaza Hotel owner Marti Henderson says she also plans to continue her efforts to attract new business and change the Main Street look to give all those tourists more incentive to stop and shop.