Painting: ‘Ute Camp’, 1894, by Henry Chapman Ford. Courtesy ‘Power of Place’ magazine.
By Ellen Stuart Roberts
Two hundred and fifty years ago, the US Declaration of Independence was signed, and one hundred years later, Colorado became the 38th state in the Union, which is why we are called the Centennial State, and our history is forever linked.
It’s also why we are honoring this anniversary together in 2026, as ‘America 250-Colorado 150’.
While many look to Washington DC or Denver as focal points for these commemorations, we wanted to celebrate it locally. We decided to create Power of Place, a magazine that explores our culture and heritage through the stories of the people and communities of southwest Colorado, our own corner of the state.
You can download the magazine as a PDF, here.
Southwest Colorado, as we define it, is eight diverse counties and two sovereign Ute nations in the Four Corners region where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. It’s a large, rural, and remote part of Colorado that many haven’t visited; it is a long drive from any big city, and, frankly, many of us like it that way.
About a decade ago, I served much of this region in Denver at the Colorado Capitol as a state representative, then as state senator. I spent ten years in that role, traveling many miles on mountain switchbacks as well as on roads through wide open expanses of scenic valleys dotted with farms and ranchland. Meeting people in towns and smaller communities, I heard their thoughts and concerns about government, and about life in general. That was the privileged part of my job.
I’ve been captivated by the heritage, beauty, and diversity of cultures in this region where I’ve lived and raised our family for almost forty years. My love for home here is as strong as ever. Our southwest group of the America 250-Colorado 150 organization has developed grassroots initiatives to commemorate the past respectfully and honestly, and to look toward a future that embraces the wisdom of our shared history.
We are grateful for the local authors who contributed their perspective about this place and its people. The rugged terrain and climate in southwest Colorado made the people and communities here strong by necessity; harsh living conditions convinced many to move on to other places. We are far removed from the thirteen original colonies and the historic figures from the American Revolution, but this land was inhabited long before 1776 and the early residents of this region exhibited the same audacity and optimism. We can only provide you short snippets of much deeper stories to be told. We hope you’ll be inspired to dig in and learn more about what piques your interest.
Power of Place isn’t a visitor’s guide or an attempt at a scholarly journal, although we invite all to read and enjoy this magazine. Instead, this publication is meant for those who live here. To borrow from President Lincoln, this magazine is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” It’s an invitation into our collective living room to meet and better understand our predecessors. The melding of cultures and values wasn’t always easy, but in difficult times, many learned to put differences aside and lean on each other to get by — a rather timeless lesson we all could benefit from today.
Looking at the way we’ve inhabited this place, from 1776 and 1876 to now, could inspire us to establish common ground and respect each other.
We hope you’ll enjoy these stories, share one or two with someone else, and go explore the amazing treasure that is southwest Colorado. Maybe you will meet new people who also call this place home.
Join us in this once-in-a-generation chance to reflect and celebrate together. It could have a lasting positive effect, if we make the most of it.
Ellen Stuart Roberts is co-editor of ‘Power of Place’ magazine.