San Juan Avenue Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

From the record

One of 19 National Register listings published here for Otero County · listed in 1980 · category: District.

Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 7 buildingss as contributing to the listing.
Address. San Juan Ave., La Junta, 81050
When was it listed? August 1980
Category. district
Census division. La Junta
National Register reference number. 80000918 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

214 since 2003

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 214 fires within 5 miles of San Juan Avenue Historic District between 2003 and 2019, burning about 179 acres in total. 3 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	172
Smoking	20
Equipment and vehicle use	8
Debris and open burning	6
Fireworks	4
Natural	3
Misuse of fire by a minor	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
6 September 2017	Smoking	under an acre	La Junta Rural Fire Protection District	UNKNOWN
6 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	La Junta Rural Fire Protection District	UNKNOWN
17 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	La Junta Rural Fire Protection District	UNKNOWN
17 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	La Junta Rural Fire Protection District	UNKNOWN
13 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	La Junta Rural Fire Protection District	UNKNOWN
1 September 2011	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters	LA JUNTA
8 August 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	La Junta Rural Fire Protection District	UNKNOWN
8 August 2005	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters	not named

Every fire recorded in Otero County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 31 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 31 workings within 5 miles of San Juan Avenue Historic District: 17 unknowns, 7 occurrences, 6 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gypsum-Anhydrite, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Fire Clay (Refractory). Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Alabaster Processing Plant	Gypsum-Anhydrite	Past Producer
La Junta Shale	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Unk	Clay	Unknown
Unknown	Fire Clay (Refractory)	Producer	Sedimentary
La Junta Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown

Every working recorded in Otero County

Storms near this property

60 of 115 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names La Junta, the town this property stands in, in 115 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 49 hail, 30 thunderstorm wind, 15 flash flood, 9 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	$80,000	An intense thunderstorm wind gust occurred on County Road R, hitting a ranch. Major damage occurred to a 50-foot long shed, which damaged a truck inside. Debris from the shed was thrown several hundred feet to the east. Other farm equipment sustained damage as well. Several corrals were destroyed.
October 1997	Tornado (F1)	La Junta	$75,000	Another supercell thunderstorm brought large hail and a tornado to southeast Otero county. The storm and accompanying tornado moved out of open country southwest of the Higbee Valley and struck several ranches just north of the Purgatoire River on Road 804. At about 8:45 p.m. the tornado struck three ranches about 3 miles southwest of Higbee. Some barns were destroyed, and roofs were ripped off others. Horse trailers, windmills, feed troughs, hay feeders, water tanks, grain storage bins were destroyed. Many large cottonwood trees were broken off or uprooted. The tornado ripped through the northwest side of Higbee, and one horse perished from injuries due to flying debris there. The tornado then moved northeast through open ranch country for another 5 miles, with the only known damage being two downed power poles.
May 1998	Tornado (F1)	La Junta	$50,000	A narrow tornado and 80 to 100 mph straight-line winds downed power lines... damaged several grain bins and storage silos...uprooted large trees...shattered some windows...and partially ripped off some roofs in the rural Star Valley area west of La Junta. A large 40x100 foot machine shop was destroyed. Several small sheds were also destroyed. Power was not restored to some parts of the area until the following afternoon.
October 1997	Hail	La Junta	$50,000	no account filed
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	North La Junta	$30,000	Severe storm wind gusts caused gas station sign and overhang damage. In addition, trees snapped and uprooted in the City of La Junta while airport hangers were damaged at the La Junta airport.
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	$25,000	Damaging straight-line winds moved through mainly northern La Junta. Hardest hit was the Fair View Cemetery, on the northwest side of town, where about 25 large trees were damaged or uprooted. Spotty roof and sign damage occurred on the north side of La Junta.
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	$20,000	no account filed
August 2007	Lightning	La Junta	$10,000	Lightning strikes causes small fires in a few buildings.
October 1997	Hail	La Junta	$10,000	no account filed
July 2001	Lightning	La Junta	$3,000	A lightning strike burned up a transformer and caused 4 wells to stop working for 2 days in the La Junta area.
September 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	$500	Severe thunderstorms rumbled across portions of Eastern Colorado. Golfball hail damaged cars north of Limon, while wind- driven marble-size hail broke windows southeast of Shamrock (26 miles south of Fort Morgan). Thunderstorm winds blew over an overhead sign onto the intersection of Interstate 70 and Interstate 25 in Denver, causing considerable damage to 4 vehicles. The winds also caused a police car to be blown off the road northeast of Denver. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 66 mph (57 knots) damaged the siding of a residence southeast of Brighton. In Arriba (18 miles east of Limon), one-inch diameter hail broke windows, damaged vehicles and destroyed crops, while thunderstorm winds knocked a shed onto a camper. Thunderstorm winds blew over a camper and a semi north of Lamar, and knocked down power lines in La Junta, causing a brief power outage.
April 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	$500	Thunderstorm winds blew down several fences in La Junta.
May 2024	Hail	La Junta	-	Trained spotter reported mostly pea size hail, with quarter size mixed in.
May 2023	Hail	North La Junta	-	Reported from a trained spotter.
July 2023	Flood	La Junta	-	Reports of major flooding along Highway 50 and Highway 350 near La Junta. Multiple cars stuck in 3 feet of water.
August 2022	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Underpass flooded and impassable.
August 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	Blown down power poll.
August 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	Blown down power pole.
July 2022	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Spotter reports Highway 50 is closed in La Junta due to flash flooding under railroad underpass.
September 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	Downed tree branches were reported across La Junta.
July 2021	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Multiple underpasses were flooded in La Junta.
May 2021	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	High water flowing across State Highway 109, with car stranded.
May 2021	Flood	North La Junta	-	Homes on Bradish Avenue flooded. Arroyos draining into Arkansas River have caused river levels to rise above flood levels.
July 2020	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Heavy rainfall produced 2.5 to 3 feet of water, flooding Highway 50 and closing the road at the railroad overpass.
July 2020	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Potter Dr. underpass flooded.
July 2019	Heavy Rain	La Junta	-	Nearly one inch of rain fell within an hour.
June 2018	Tornado (EF0)	La Junta	-	A delayed review and report of a landspout south of La Junta 4 miles south of La Junta, Colorado. No damage was noted with this landspout . Pictures were sent to a local broadcast meteorologist and was virtually undetectable via radar. There was a Tornado Watch for this event, the watch number was #191.
July 2018	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Heavy rain caused US Highway 50 to close in La Junta due to flash flooding, according to the State Patrol.
May 2015	Tornado (EF0)	La Junta	-	A short-lived tornado occurred over open country and caused no damage.
July 2014	Flood	La Junta	-	The Arkansas River at La Junta went just above flood stage, causing minor agricultural flooding.
July 2014	Flood	La Junta	-	The Arkansas River at La Junta went above flood stage, causing minor agricultural flooding.
July 2014	Flash Flood	North La Junta	-	Numerous roads and low lying areas experienced flash flooding central Otero County, including the La Junta and Swink areas, and arroyo watersheds in the south-cental portions of the county. Highways 109 and 50 were closed for several hours.
July 2014	Flood	La Junta	-	The Arkansas River at La Junta briefly went above flood stage causing minor agricultural flooding.
July 2014	Flood	La Junta	-	The Arkansas River at La Junta briefly went above flood stage causing minor agricultural flooding.
September 2013	Flood	La Junta	-	The Arkansas River went above flood stage in the La Junta area, flooding some roads near the river.
September 2012	Funnel Cloud	La Junta	-	The funnel was more than half way to the ground.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	No known damage.
July 2006	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches in one hour's time fell on already saturated ground in Pueblo County as well as several other counties in southeast Colorado. Numerous creeks, arroyos and low water crossings flooded with fast flowing water and debris. The heavy rain also caused flooding of roads in Pueblo West and over portions of I-25, prompting numerous water rescues. As the heavy rains continued eastward, flooding problems then spread east across portions of Crowley, Otero and Bent Counties, leaving behind additional closed roads, including US Highway 50 in La Junta, Highway 194 near Las Animas and numerous county roads around Ordway.
August 2004	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Slow moving thunderstorms caused heavy rain which brought flash flooding to highway 194.
August 2004	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Slow moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rain and flash flooding on highways 94 and 50.
August 2004	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	Very heavy rain from a slow moving thunderstorm resulted in water over 6 inches deep to flow over highway 50 on the Bent-Otero County line.
June 1995	Tornado (F0)	La Junta	-	Tornado in open country with no known damage.
April 1993	Hail	La Junta	-	Marble-size hail covered the ground at a depth of 1 inch, 5 miles south of La Junta.
July 2023	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	no account filed
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	no account filed
May 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	no account filed
May 2021	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
June 2017	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
August 2017	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
August 2017	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
August 2017	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
June 2016	Hail	North La Junta	-	no account filed
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	La Junta	-	no account filed
August 2015	Hail	North La Junta	-	no account filed
May 2015	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
May 2015	Flash Flood	La Junta	-	no account filed
August 2015	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed
July 2014	Flood	La Junta	-	no account filed
September 2012	Hail	La Junta	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Otero County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
United Methodist Church of La Junta	under 500 feet	2025
Dr. Frank Finney House	0.1 miles	1984
Eugene Rourke House	0.2 miles	1983
U.S. Post Office	0.2 miles	1976
Lincoln School	0.2 miles	1978
Wilson A. Hart House	0.3 miles	1979

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 80000918 in Record Group 79.
Otero County	All 19 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.