Aguilar is a small town with a wonderful
diverse unique history. Originally settled by Spanish
sheep and
goat herders with its fertile grazing near the Apishapa
River. Once a wintering ground for many of the Native
American tribes just off the plains with plenty of water
and wildlife, it was the perfect location to settle.
Many stories are told of Al Capone coming to Aguilar
and of his men coming here to "cool off" after some of
their jobs. Many children growing up here talk of playing
in the tunnels under the town. So it was with Prohibition
and Coal Miners all true. Only a few closed tunnels entrances
remain as most of these collapsed when the new sewers
were put in.
Today Aguilar is experiencing a slow
but sure turn around with some buildings getting fixed
up. A yearly event, Aguilar Days, was last held in 1994
at
the Centinnel
Celebration
but
this year there has been renewed interest so don't miss
this wonderful event where you will be reunited with
family and friends. Check out the information for this
event on their web page here Aguilar
Days
The Apishapa Valley Historical Society
has recently formed with the hopes of perserving some
of the old historic structures nearby including the
Aguilar State Bank Building (the Louis Gianella Building)
which they have nominated to be on Colorado's Most
Endangered Places List for 2004. Check out their new
web page here www.aguilarhistory.com and
offer your support if you can.
Photo of Pilati's Meat Market
Rosanne Mortlock contacted us and shared these wonderful old memories about Aguilar.
John Pilati was an uncle of Ed Rousses who sent me the photos. Ed didn't tell me where the Pilati meat market was located. But he did tell me that his parents had a confectionary (sweet shop) in the two story building just across the street from the rock building where my grandfather's shoe repair shop was.
Ed said that his family lived in the rear of the sweet shop. My father said that his family lived in the rear of the shoe repair shop. So it must have been the custom. Ed also said that there was a dance hall upstairs from the confectionary. Next door to that was another dance hall and a saloon.
Photo of the old Shoe Repair store today
Found another of John Pilati's letters and he DID tell, in detail, where the meat market was located. It was on a corner lot on Main Street, extending back to the alley .He said it was one block west of Ringo's store. He said the store closed when the depression hit, with people owing his dad over $10,000 that had been "on credit". People tried to pay their bill with their furniture. John's father was Henry Pilati who had been the Postmaster. The Post Office took up half of the store space. I mentioned in the last email that his father was postmaster. His writing was pretty bad, but I believe he said that it was across from the bank, and that there were offices upstairs. John said he was taught meat cutting but had to quit because of the 1924 child labor laws.
In his letter John mentioned the day the photo was taken in the meat market (the photo I sent to you). He said it was his job to keep the wood floor clean after the store closed. The miners would come in after their work day ended, with muddy shoes, to buy food for dinner. Then John would have to clean up the floor. When the photographer came he gave John time to clean up the floor.
John also said there were 19 saloons in Aguilar. John had his own filling station at one point on Highway 85 near the K of P cemetery. He said there were 3 more filling stations and 2 garages out near there.
I had mentioned the confectionary that belonged to Rousses, dance halls and a saloon across from the LaRosa Shoe Repair in the rock building in my last email. I believe the photo on the Aguilar page with a bakery sign is the same rock building that my father's family had. I think it's a restaurant now.
There was a wonderful article about John Pilati in the Trinidad Chronicle News, Feb. 5, 1930. John was working for the Post Office as a mail carrier when bandits tried to rob him.
Of possible interest to you he also said that Ringo's store used to be Scarafiotti's store. John knew Mike Scarafiotti well.
It's been fun reading John's letters again. We may be able to reconstruct the whole town just from his memories.
Rosanne LaRosa Mortlock
Historic Photo taken from Water Tank Hill in Aguilar
Click on the photo above to view a larger image.
Please do share any old photos that you
might have of Aguilar so that we might post them here.
And we will be sharing new photos here of the town as
it is today also.
