Pagosa Springs has a rich history beginning with the Anasazi Indians. Later the Utes, Navajos, and Apaches inhabited this corner of the Southwest and also visited the great Pagosah hot springs, which they believed had curative powers. In time, the military established a post here to protect settlers from Indian hostilities. Archuleta County was established in 1885, and the town of Pagosa Springs was incorporated in 1891. The Pagosa and Northern Railroad steamed into town in October 1900. Over the years, the economy of the town and county was maintained through ranching, logging and lumber, and people seeking relief for their ailments at the hot springs. In the 1970s, developers discovered the area, and about the same time the local skiing and tourism industries boomed.