The land around Saguache has been inhabited for thousands of years, first by unnamed nomads, later by Utes who camped there seasonally, and later by Mexican traders bound for California on the Old Spanish Trail. Hispano farmers first settled the area in the early 1860s, followed by Anglos after the Civil War. By 1874, the year of its formal incorporation, Saguache anchored one of Colorado’s most important agricultural regions, supplying the mining camps of the Arkansas Valley and the San Juan Mountains. Although it prospered and became the county seat, the town never gained the railroad access that would have enabled it to grow, but it developed into a leading cattle center and remains the county seat. Today it is one of Colorado’s deepest-rooted towns, with ranches worked continuously since the late 1800s. Otto Mears and John Lawrence, both orphans, soldiers, and Colorado pioneers, were instrumental in founding Saguache. Mears strengthened local agriculture through his mills and wagon roads, while Lawrence helped establish Saguache County and served it in various roles, including state assemblyman. Through lending money, employing the jobless, and supporting schools and churches, Lawrence earned the respect and friendship of the area’s largely Hispano ranchers and farmers. When he died in 1908, his tombstone called him the founder of Saguache County, Colorado.