The Trujillo family homestead

The Trujillo family history paints a vivid picture of perseverance The Trujillo history dates back to 1865 when Teofilo Trujillo and his spouse settled in the San Luis Valley and began raising sheep. Trujillo was, in fact, one of the area’s largest sheepraisers, which did not sit well with Anglo cattle ranchers from the area. “Our story is one of courage, trailblazers and how they had to deal with the greed of the Anglo against anyone who they could not compete with fairly,” said Deborah Quintana, great-great granddaughter of Teofilo. The elder Trujillo’s life was in danger as cattle ranchers burned the family hacienda in the Medano to the ground. “[They] slaughtered our cattle and tried to end my Grandfather Teofiolo’s life,” Quintana said. “That is when my Grandfather Pedro built the historical Zapata Ranch, with a non-traditional two story log cabin, that still stands where he raised his children.” The Trujillo Homestead at Zapata Ranch is a Colorado landmark. Known for being one of the first Hispanic-operated cattle ranches in the area and for its budding architecture – the two-story cabin erected by Pedro Trujillo was an architectural anomaly in the region – the homestead was also the place where the Trujillo family stood their ground. “While most Hispanic families settled in clusters or towns, my grandfathers chose a place far from everyone to raise their families, and grow their cattle business” Quintana said. “At one time, they were the wealthiest cattle ranchers in the state, and second in the country. They brought sophisticated farming tools, tableware and what they did not bring with them from Taos, New Mexico, they traded with Native American’s from the San Luis Valley.”...more