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Abstract
The Santa Fe Trail region of southeastern Colorado holds a uniquehistory; the vast plains and concealed canyons reveal the stories of crosscultures, Hispanic and Anglo-American, both in search of a place to call homealong largely uncharted land. Unfortunately, the trials of drought and dust left theregion vacant and neglected, with abandoned farms and homesteads as the onlyremnants of the bygone pioneer lifestyle.This work considers the last 150 years of vernacular architecture from theregion, looking at fifteen surveyed case studies from the Santa Fe Trail region,studying the rich history of architecture in the region and revealing how theselected survey sites contribute to the cultural landscape as a whole. This thesiswill explore the distinct cultures of architecture, and blending of traditions,thereby considering how the architectural ruins of this lonesome, yet intriguing,region contribute to our understanding of the cultural landscape.INDEX WORDS: Southeastern Colorado, Santa Fe Trail, Vernaculararchitecture, New Mexican architecture, Homesteading, Survey, Culturallandscape