What do you think?
Rate this book
The People of El Valle: A History of the Spanish Settlers in the San Luis Valley
272 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2007
1 person is currently reading
50 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 29, 2011
I had the honor of knowing Olibama López Tushar and speaking to her about events in her life, as well as studying her genealogy. She passed away on January 19, 2004, in Denver, Colorado.
I belong to the Hispanic genealogy group named in her honor as the Olibama López Tushar Hispanic Legacy Research Center, which meets every third Saturday on the 5th floor of the Denver Public Library, Central location (except in August and December). A bronze bust of Olibama is on display in teh Western Histiry and Genealogy Department, 5th Floor of the Central location of teh Denver Public Library.
On the occasion of the publication of the 4th edition of Olibama's book, "The People of El Valle: A History of the Spanish Settlers in teh San Luis Valley (El Escritorio Press, 2007), I was asked by the publisher, Charlene García Simms to contribute the following forward:
"Fuerza is a Spanish word that aptly describes a principal characteristic of Olibama López Tushar's approach to life experiences. Fuerza, strength, is a feminine word that connotes force, power, and firmness. As a word of being, rather than a word of action, fuerza emphasizes the idea that strength is more importantly manifested in spirit and determination. In the course of her long life, Olibama continually relied on her inner strength to persevere in her personal ambitions as an educator and a Hispanic woman of learning.
In Olibama’s upbringing in southern Colorado San Luis Valley, and then in Denver, the value of education was instilled by her parents. She obtained her undergraduate degree in 1930 and her master's degree in 1941, and taught languages in the Westminster (CO) and Walsenburg (CO) school systems where she fostered among her students the appreciation of the legacy of the Hispano culture of Colorado and New Mexico. Her experiences as an educator and those of her early upbringing were synthesized to form the basis of her master's thesis on the heritage of the people of the San Luis Valley. This work was expanded to become the book 'The People of El Valle,' first published in 1975 and currently in its fourth edition.
'The People of El Valle' emphasizes the role of people and families as vessels of culture, transmitting the customs and traditions of Nuevoméjicano heritage, which were transported into the San Luis Valley in the nineteenth century. The English word 'culture' is derived from the Latin word `colere' meaning `to till,' and thus culture is a term relating to the activity of cultivation. Understanding this meaning as a root metaphor for culture, The People of El Valle acknowledges the early settlers of the San Luis Valley as cultivators of the ethnic heritage inherited from ancestors who made the frontier region of New Mexico their home since the late sixteenth century. Olibama captures the rich expressiveness of this heritage in her book, which is accentuated by genealogy. Genealogy provides the structure and context for understanding connections to ancestors and the history of their eras. Rather than looking back, genealogy impels us to look downward into our roots and embeds us in the fabric of family and history.
'The People of El Valle' radiates Olibama’s enthusiasm and love of her heritage. Even into her late 90s, her sharp intellect continued to be invigorated by her enthusiasm to learn about history and to educate others about the Hispano cultural legacy of the southwest. In the opportunities I had to sit and listen to her speak of past events, her eyes shone bright and there was excitement in her voice when she recounted her life experiences and vividly told the stories of her family and her ancestors.
In 2000, a bronze sculpted bust of Olibama was made in her honor, which is on display at the reading room of the Western History and Genealogy department of the Denver Public Library. Olibama López Tushar passed away on January 19, 2004, and is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Lakewood, Colorado. She was a living treasure and a cultivator of the Hispano cultural heritage of Colorado. Her book is a valuable gift for readers today and for generations to come, particularly for those with family roots in the San Luis Valley, 'el valle de la gente.'"
José Antonio Esquibel
Genealogical Researcher and Historian
October 7, 2007
I belong to the Hispanic genealogy group named in her honor as the Olibama López Tushar Hispanic Legacy Research Center, which meets every third Saturday on the 5th floor of the Denver Public Library, Central location (except in August and December). A bronze bust of Olibama is on display in teh Western Histiry and Genealogy Department, 5th Floor of the Central location of teh Denver Public Library.
On the occasion of the publication of the 4th edition of Olibama's book, "The People of El Valle: A History of the Spanish Settlers in teh San Luis Valley (El Escritorio Press, 2007), I was asked by the publisher, Charlene García Simms to contribute the following forward:
"Fuerza is a Spanish word that aptly describes a principal characteristic of Olibama López Tushar's approach to life experiences. Fuerza, strength, is a feminine word that connotes force, power, and firmness. As a word of being, rather than a word of action, fuerza emphasizes the idea that strength is more importantly manifested in spirit and determination. In the course of her long life, Olibama continually relied on her inner strength to persevere in her personal ambitions as an educator and a Hispanic woman of learning.
In Olibama’s upbringing in southern Colorado San Luis Valley, and then in Denver, the value of education was instilled by her parents. She obtained her undergraduate degree in 1930 and her master's degree in 1941, and taught languages in the Westminster (CO) and Walsenburg (CO) school systems where she fostered among her students the appreciation of the legacy of the Hispano culture of Colorado and New Mexico. Her experiences as an educator and those of her early upbringing were synthesized to form the basis of her master's thesis on the heritage of the people of the San Luis Valley. This work was expanded to become the book 'The People of El Valle,' first published in 1975 and currently in its fourth edition.
'The People of El Valle' emphasizes the role of people and families as vessels of culture, transmitting the customs and traditions of Nuevoméjicano heritage, which were transported into the San Luis Valley in the nineteenth century. The English word 'culture' is derived from the Latin word `colere' meaning `to till,' and thus culture is a term relating to the activity of cultivation. Understanding this meaning as a root metaphor for culture, The People of El Valle acknowledges the early settlers of the San Luis Valley as cultivators of the ethnic heritage inherited from ancestors who made the frontier region of New Mexico their home since the late sixteenth century. Olibama captures the rich expressiveness of this heritage in her book, which is accentuated by genealogy. Genealogy provides the structure and context for understanding connections to ancestors and the history of their eras. Rather than looking back, genealogy impels us to look downward into our roots and embeds us in the fabric of family and history.
'The People of El Valle' radiates Olibama’s enthusiasm and love of her heritage. Even into her late 90s, her sharp intellect continued to be invigorated by her enthusiasm to learn about history and to educate others about the Hispano cultural legacy of the southwest. In the opportunities I had to sit and listen to her speak of past events, her eyes shone bright and there was excitement in her voice when she recounted her life experiences and vividly told the stories of her family and her ancestors.
In 2000, a bronze sculpted bust of Olibama was made in her honor, which is on display at the reading room of the Western History and Genealogy department of the Denver Public Library. Olibama López Tushar passed away on January 19, 2004, and is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Lakewood, Colorado. She was a living treasure and a cultivator of the Hispano cultural heritage of Colorado. Her book is a valuable gift for readers today and for generations to come, particularly for those with family roots in the San Luis Valley, 'el valle de la gente.'"
José Antonio Esquibel
Genealogical Researcher and Historian
October 7, 2007
January 14, 2022
Enjoyed reading this, gave good insight into the history of the communities around where I grew up. Lots of familiar names of places and family names. I think that the description of the families and lifestyles was helpful, sort of a family history almost, with a lot explanations of what day to day life was like which is nice.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews