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Another Time in This Place

Tessie Rael de Ortega and Judith Cuddihy

…first-person accounts of Rio Colorado [Questa] have been included to give a first-hand view of what life was like here over the years.

Front Matter From Our Hearts and Minds From the Record The Cycle of Birth, Life & Death Everyday Life in the 1920’s to 1940’s Appendix

Water was and is the basis of everyday life in this high mountain desert. Acequias were often built even before the houses or church in

For almost a century, settlers in Rio Colorado had been subjected to the raids of Indian tribes. By the end of the 1870s, these raids

Questa’s first homes were made in a U shape. That way when the Indians came to attack them, they closed the gates in the plazuela

There were no lunch boxes; we just used an empty pail from jam or syrup.

The boy that grew up in Questa, who was an integral part of the community, merchant, farmer and a prosperous business man. – by J.P. Rael

There on the outskirts of the village of Questa, by the side of Cabresto Creek just south of Highway 38, under a cluster of old

The presence of Francisco Laforet in Rio Colorado drew other trappers and traders to settle in this valley. One of the most colorful, and famous,

Mining would play an increasing role in the life and economy of Rio Colorado/Questa. The first Rio Colorado connection with the copper and gold rush

The arrival of the U.S. Military and the increased traffic on the Santa Fe Trail had served only to increase the anger of the Indians,

An Introductory Note