History Colorado

Richardson homestead. James Dumas Richardson and wife Grace Elizabeth Love Richardson standing on the outside.

Avondale was initially settled by a generation of homesteaders like Charles Autobee in the 1870s. More people settled in the area in the following decades, and farms began to emerge. As such, Avondale has a substantial farming community. Being near the Arkansas River Valley made it ideal for farming

The local farms are Frederica Mesa Farm, Arkansas Valley Organic Growers, and the Hobbs Family Farm. Avondale is known for its corn, onions, and organic produce. Avondale also hosts a sizable immigrant community, which aids the local farmers when it comes time to harvest their crops.  

Homestead and Generational Farming

Floods 1940s. The field from the west drained into town

Arkansas River Flooding

Pueblo, Colorado is known as the Home of Heroes, because there is a substantial number of military veterans and Medal of Honor recipients. Avondale, an unincorporated town in Pueblo County, adds to this spectacular statistic. Avondale is home to numerous veterans from different eras. 

Pueblito of Heroes

Prior to its development as an American trading post and city, the Pueblo area was frequented by Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Pawnee, and Ute people. Trade with Mexico made Pueblo a hub of economic activity, best symbolized by the establishment of the El Pueblo Colorado trading post in 1842. In the 1870s, Pueblo slowly industrialized with the introduction of the railroad, which was used to transport raw materials that would eventually contribute to its rapid industrialization. 
The Colorado Fuel and Iron Company and the Pueblo Army Depot were the two largest employers in Pueblo, Colorado. Each company brought immigrants from around the globe to Pueblo. However, due to changes in the steel industry resulting from the global economy and the downsizing of the Union Depot, these two titans would no longer be the core of Colorado’s economy. 


Pueblo Industrial Growth and Downsizing

Avondale is primarily a Mexican American and Italian American community outside of Pueblo, Colorado. It was once an affluent town that boasted the Pueblo Army Depot, high-producing-generational farms, and a bustling main street. Unfortunately, Avondale would begin to diminish in the latter twentieth century due to the downturn of Pueblo's steel industry and the downscaling of the Pueblo Army Depot. However, Avondale is still there and residents maintain a rich history of veterans, military, agriculture, religion, and sports. These stories reflect the resilience of a community with the rise, fall, and upswing within Colorado's changing economy. Most importantly, this is Avondale's story--as told by them.

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Avondale, Colorado--Community History In Their Words

Homestead and Generational Farming