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A−History
History · Walsenburg

Walsenburg dates to 1859, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #6 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 16 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1880.

1859founded
4on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
16old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Walsenburg’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Walsenburg began

When was Walsenburg founded?

1859

Walsenburg dates its founding to 1859 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 377 in 18802020 census: 3,049167 years

How historic is Walsenburg?

A−

More historic than 80% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1870.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Walsenburg’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Walsenburg is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #6 of 159 in Colorado. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Walsenburg’s overall grade.
Founding era1859, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194042.4% of homes (±9.1) · typical CO town 2.5% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register4 listings, 5 historic buildings, 16.3 per 10,000 residents · typical CO town 1.1 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 80%
NewerOlder
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 97%

Few Colorado towns list much on the Register (a typical Colorado town has 1.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Walsenburg’s 16.3 sits above most of its state (76% of Colorado towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.1 points). Two sources give 1859.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Walsenburg’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 18913 editions of the USGS map, 1891 to 1982. Watch Walsenburg change.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1890 to 1919, drew every building in Walsenburg.Boom and bustPeaked at 5,855 in 1940; 3,049 people lived here in 2020.A town in old photos16 old photos, postcards and papers, 1890–1991.
★ What stands out · On the map

Walsenburg on the map, 1891 to 1982

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Walsenburg. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Walsenburg on the 1891 USGS mapWalsenburg on the 1900 USGS mapWalsenburg on the 1982 USGS map1891Walsenburg sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Walsenburg.

Every building

Walsenburg, building by building, 1890–1919

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Walsenburg fire insurance map, 1890, sheet 11890Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Walsenburg, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,50018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 5,855

Peaked at 5,855 in 1940; 3,049 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Walsenburg’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Walsenburg came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Walsenburg.

Read it all →

Walsenburg was originally settled under the name of La Plaza de los Leones in 1859. The settlement was named after settler Don Miguel Antonio de Leon, who came along with others from New Mexico.

A post office called Walsenburg has been in operation since 1870. The community was named after Fred Walsen, an early settler. Robert Ford, the famous gunman, operated a combination saloon and gambling house in Walsenburg; his home at 320 West 7th Street still stands. The town is also remembered in sports history due to a famous newspaper gaffe ("Will Overhead") after the 1933 Indianapolis 500.

ChaptersColorado Coalfield War1927-1928 Colorado Coal Strike21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Walsenburg, 1859 to 1991

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1859
    FoundingWalsenburg is established
  3. 1870Post officeThe Walsenburgh post office opens
  4. 1890In the archivePublic schools, Welsenburg, Colo
  5. 1891On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1892Post officeThe Walsenburgh post office closes
  7. 1892Post officeThe Walsenburg post office opens
  8. 20th century
  9. 1902Post officeThe Walsen post office opens
  10. 1913In the archiveParade at
  11. 1919Born hereXavier Atencio is born here
  12. 1929Born hereMatthew G. Martínez is born here
  13. 1931Born hereFloyd Salas is born here
  14. 1932Post officeThe Walsen post office closes
  15. 1939In the archiveErnest L. Blumenschein - Spanish Peaks. Mural
  16. 1940In the archiveColorado [Adams County - Las Animas County (part)]
  17. 1940CensusPopulation peaks at 5,855
  18. 1949Born hereDebora Greger is born here
  19. 1991In the archiveAnchor Motel sign
By decade

Walsenburg, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1910s7 items
Public schools, Welsenburg, Colo1890Public schools, Welsenburg, ColoMemorial School, Welsenburg, Colo1890Memorial School, Welsenburg, ColoParade at1913Parade atWhite City in1913White City inNewspaper article1914Newspaper articleDocumentFood Administration - Education - Walsenburg, Colorado. War activities. School garden1917Food Administration - Education - Walsenburg, Colorad…J.R.C. members of nationalities who gave circus. Mt. Div. Walsenburg, Colo. Wash. School. Italian, Austrian, American, …1919J.R.C. members of nationalities who gave circus. Mt. …
1930s–1940s4 items
Ernest L. Blumenschein - Spanish Peaks. Mural1939Ernest L. Blumenschein - Spanish Peaks. MuralColorado [Adams County - Las Animas County (part)]1940Colorado [Adams County - Las Animas County (part)]Colorado [Adams County - Las Animas County (part)]1940Colorado [Adams County - Las Animas County (part)]Colorado [Adams County - Las Animas County (part)]1940Colorado [Adams County - Las Animas County (part)]
1950s–1980snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1990s5 items
Anchor Motel sign1991Anchor Motel signFireside Cafe Canopy and sign, Main Street1991Fireside Cafe Canopy and sign, Main StreetFive stores1991Five storesGulf Gasoline sign, decayed, Main Street1991Gulf Gasoline sign, decayed, Main StreetMoon Glow Cafe sign, B-251991Moon Glow Cafe sign, B-25
Today14 recent
The old Colorado & Southern Railroad Depot, now the city visitor center in2015The old Colorado & Southern Railroad Depot, now the c…The Huerfano County Courthouse in Walsenburg, Colorado. Pueblo architect C. A. Henderson designed the 1904 courthouse2015The Huerfano County Courthouse in Walsenburg, Colorad…The 1896 city jail in Walsenburg, Colorado, which in 1994 became the mining museum for "The City Built on Coal"2015The 1896 city jail in Walsenburg, Colorado, which in …The 1889 Masonic Hall and adjacent buildings in2015The 1889 Masonic Hall and adjacent buildings inSt. Mary's Catholic Church, built in 1900 in Walsenburg, Colorado. The building lost its tall steeple in a 1931 windsto…2015St. Mary's Catholic Church, built in 1900 in Walsenbu…One of three miners' statues in Walsenburg, Colorado, "The City Built on Coal"2015One of three miners' statues in Walsenburg, Colorado,…An old wrecker service's garage in2015An old wrecker service's garage in"Gray Cottages," a style, not a color, of humble homes in2015"Gray Cottages," a style, not a color, of humble home…Thank You Fire Fighters, God Bless You, We Love You sign, East Peak Fire, Walsenburg, Colorado, June 20132013Thank You Fire Fighters, God Bless You, We Love You s…Sign thanking firefighters, East Peak Fire, Walsenburg, Colorado, June 20132013Sign thanking firefighters, East Peak Fire, Walsenbur…Old gas station2012Old gas stationHuerfano County High School2012Huerfano County High SchoolHuerfano County Courthouse and Jail2012Huerfano County Courthouse and JailNear2007Near
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Public schools, Welsenburg, Colo
Retake this viewPublic schools, Welsenburg, Colo, 1890

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Walsenburg’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 historic places in Walsenburg

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
5
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Huerfano County Courthouse and Jail
Huerfano County Courthouse and JailHuerfano County High SchoolOxford HotelWalsenburg Mercantile
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals1
Late Gothic Revival1
Huerfano County Courthouse and JailBuilding
Huerfano County High SchoolLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals
All 4 listings
Oxford HotelBuilding · listed 2024Walsenburg MercantileBuilding · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Walsenburg

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Matthew G. MartínezUnited States Marine · b. 1929
Xavier AtencioAmerican animator · b. 1919
F
Floyd SalasAmerican novelist · b. 1931
D
Debora GregerAmerican poet, artist · b. 1949
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, places now gone and burying grounds

Walsenburg’s post office has been open since 1892. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Walsenburgh
1870–1892
Walsenburg
1892–today
Walsen
1902–1932
18701950today
Gone or out of use
Full Gospel ChurchchurchHuerfano County High SchoolschoolKirkpatrick PitmineSeventh Avenue Public Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Walsenburg
Huerfano MasonicSouth Saint Mary

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Walsenburg’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
4 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewPublic schools, Welsenburg, Colo: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Walsenburg’s history

What year was Walsenburg founded?

In 1859, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Walsenburg’s post office opened in 1870, and the census of 1880 counted 377 people here.

How does Walsenburg rank for history?

Walsenburg is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #6 of 159 in Colorado. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Walsenburg?

4 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Huerfano County Courthouse and Jail (listed 1973, the first). 5 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Walsenburg?

42% of Walsenburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.1 points), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado town; the median home was built in 1951.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (27), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.