The La Jara chronicle., 1908-12-18
SYNDICATE FORMED
TO DEVELOP SANGRE
De CRISTO GRANT
Half Million Acres IL Miles
East Of La lara to be
Watered and Brought Un-
der Cultivation


vate industrial enterprise launched
in the state during the present
year, says the Pueblo Chieftain
was marked by the filing on Friday
last by former Congressman Frank
lin f. Brooks, in the Office of the
secretary of state, of the articles of
Incorporation of the Costilla Es-
tate Development Co. A corpora
ton organized under the laws of
Nevada with a capital stock of two
million dollars, one million of
which is preferred, and a like
amount common stock, for the pur-
pose of developing a large tract of
land east Of the Rio Grande river
in the San Luis valley.
The company was organized and
the enterprise developed by Messrs
Brooks and Smith of Colorado
Springs with whom are associated
Horace q, Luut ana other Springs
parties, also Chas. J. Hughes, Jr..
and Gerald Hughes of Denver
These gentlemen have interested
with them strong syndicate of
Boston and New York capital who
have taken over this property and
will develop it in a very thorough
and comprehensive manner.
The property consists Of the
southern half of sthe Sa gre de
Cristo grant, the history of which
is interesting. The original gran
tees from the Mexican government
in 1857 were two boys, friends of
the then governor of New Spain.
who were later slain in the Taos
massacre. Their interest was then
obtained by the father of one of
the boys, Carlos Beaubien, and
after long and bitter contest, the
title of the Mexican government
was confirmed by the United
States in 1861, and in 1882
patent was issued. During it's
earlier history the property was
the scene of Indian raids, border
warfare, and many incidents of
historic interest Through the
efforts of that remarkable charac-
ter and pioneer, Governor Gilpin
in 1874, the land had been sold to
syndicate of Dutch capitalists,
who for time were very active.
During the panic of 1898 and the
years succeeding it, however, they
lost their interest and the property
passed to ID. II. Moffat and G. j.
Hughes of Denver, who afterwards
incorporated the Costilla Land and
Investment Co, from which COM
pany the present owners obtained
their title. The lands owned
amount to about 525 900 acres, of
which upwards of 100000 acres
are irrigable and a full develop
ment of the water resources, it is
believed, will bring nearly all the
land under irrigation.
The land lies partly in Costilla
county, Colo, and partly in Taos
county N. NJ, extending about
% miles into the territory The
irrigable land consists of the upper
and lower Costilla prairies in the
southeastern portion of the San
Luis valley, The most available
route by which this tract is reached
is from La Jara southeast a dis
tance of about Ia miles. 1t has
been thoroughly examined and
reported upon by Hon. Elwood
Mead, late of the U. S. department
of agriculture, now director in
charge of the irrigation work for
the Australian government, by
Prof. o. V. p. Stout of the Univer-
sity of Nebraska, and number of
others. 1t is unhesitatingly pro-
nounced one of the finest tracts of
irrigable lands in the whole west.
The southern portion particularly
is exceptionally adapted to the
growth of sugar beets. and also