Poncha Springs

History

In 1779, Juan Bautista de Anza led a military expedition over Poncha Pass, about south of the present-day town's location. Before that, the Ute people used the area as camping grounds during the winter months. Following the Spanish exploration, French trappers and fur traders moved in. In 1855, Colonel Thomas T. Fauntleroy and the 1st Cavalry Regiment marched over Poncha Pass and engaged a group of Utes between present day Salida and Poncha Springs as part of the Ute Wars. Prospectors began arriving around 1860, notably Bob Hendricks and Nat Rich, who built the first cabin in town. In 1866, an Indian agent named John Burnett constructed a log building on his ranch to serve as an Indian trading post. The Hutchinson and McPherson families also homesteaded the area around the same time. John McPherson purchased Nat Rich's squatting rights from Joe Hutchinson and built a grocery store. In 1867, Poncha Springs was designated as an election precinct, and it was incorporated on December 8, 1880. While the European discovery of the Poncha hot springs is widely disputed, the first spring-fed bath was built by John Burnett, Henry Weber, and Paul Irvine in 1868 by digging a large pit and lining it with logs to contain the water. The springs became a popular attraction when a railroad was built through, and two hotels were constructed on the site. Both have since burned down. In 1904, a year after the last fire, the Holman family took over management of the springs, which now featured a hand-plastered rock pool, two cabins, two baths, and a sleeping room. From 1927 to 1935, the springs were operated by Donald Hartwich until the City of Salida took ownership and the W.P.A. capped the springs with cement.

Geography

The town has a total area of 2.98 square miles of land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,980
• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  2,947
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,520
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,322
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,247
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,185
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  1,882
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  1,757