Stonewall is a small mountain village located around a large gap in the Dakota Wall at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. At an elevation of 8,000 feet, it is in the heart of territory long claimed by the Trinchera elk herd.

History

In 1862, 12 families moved north from Mora, New Mexico with Felipe and Dolores Baca to settle in the Purgatoire River Valley. Each family moved to a different area in the valley upstream from Trinidad.

The first Postmaster in Stonewall was named James Stoner and the Dakota Wall here was originally known as Stoner’s Wall. When Stoner died, the townsite became known as “Stonewall” and carries that name to this day.

The Russell (Richard and Marion) family was one of the first in Stonewall and some descendants are still here. In the early days, there was a lot of trouble from the Dutch investors who bought the Maxwell Land Grant from Lucien Maxwell in 1871, but that was pretty much settled by the late 1880s.

The area didn’t grow much more than potatoes, although the countryside was well suited for cattle and sheep ranching and logging. In 2004, the Stonewall Country Club celebrated its 100th anniversary.

• Attractions Near Stonewall
• Bosque del Oso State Wildlife Area
• Great Dikes of the Spanish Peaks.
• Monument Lake.
• North Lake
• Sangre de Cristo Mountains