Avondale

Avondale is a small Arkansas River–valley community in eastern Pueblo County that coalesced around a post office opened on March 22, 1892

History

Avondale’s name was inspired by England’s Stratford-upon-Avon. Early settlers raised cattle and hay on the nearby grazing lands, and the town’s fortunes were tied to irrigated agriculture along the valley. In the early 1900s, the broader Arkansas Valley saw a major boom in sugar-beet cultivation and processing—part of Colorado’s statewide “white gold” era—which, together with traditional livestock and hay, constituted Avondale’s chief economic base. Avondale’s “prime” years broadly align with this regional agricultural heyday from roughly the 1900s through the mid-20th century, when beet factories and irrigated farming were at their peak before later consolidation and decline in the industry. • Post Office Naming by Its First Postmaster The town’s name, Avondale, was chosen by Sam Taylor, the first postmaster, in 1892 to honor his birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon in England. He likely ran the Taylor Mercantile store that housed the post office. • Taylor Mercantile in U.S. Senate Hearings The 120-acre farm tied to Taylor Mercantile was mentioned in U.S. Senate hearings on sugar import duties. The testimony praised sugar-beet crop rotation, noting how rotating beets with other crops significantly improved yields—classic small-town agriculture contributing to national policy discussions. • Avondale at the Geographic Heart of Area Code 719 The town is nestled almost exactly at the center of Colorado’s 719 area code region. Locals have noted how this literal connectivity mirrors their strong community bonds. • Historic Methodist Church as a Memory Vault Inside Avondale’s United Methodist Church, its basement walls are lined with historic photos and memorabilia—such as 1909 Sunday School and 1911 "Cowboy Class" photos—making it a living archive of the town’s heritage. • Santa Fe Trail Era – Chico Cemetery Nearby Chico Cemetery holds graves dating back to wagon-train travelers on the Santa Fe Trail, including victims of a diphtheria outbreak—linking modern Avondale with the early frontier saga.

Geography

Geographically, Avondale sits at approximately 38.2375° N, 104.3511° W at about 4,557 ft elevation. The CDP covers about 0.628 sq mi, all land (no water area). The 2020 decennial census counted 594 residents; the latest ACS 2019–2023 estimate places the population around 298, with a median age of about 55.7 years, roughly 108 households, and an estimated median household income near $94,300. (Because ACS figures are survey-based for a very small place, they carry large margins of error.) ZIP Code 81022; area code 719.

Comment

Avondale was an interesting small town, where even the old and abandoned buildings still looked like they were in better shape than many rural communities. While Chuck’s place said OPEN, I was not convinced. Who would not like a store that hat one word on the front door “Tequila”.