The Apishapa Valley was first inhabited by the Ute Indians but most of the first homesteaders were farmers and sheepherders of Spanish descent who came from northern New Mexico. During the years following the first mission and the early stagecoach stations, (see "Stories" section for Foster Stagecoach story)  the first settlement consisted of a few adobe buildings surrounding the small parish church of San Antonio built along the Apishapa River. It was then known as San Antonio Plaza. The settlement had a series of names, one of them being Schultz Plaza, after one of the first trading post owners. In 1892, Senator Casimiro Barela and Jose Ramon Aguilar signed the official plat of the town. In 1894 the town was incorporated and officially called Aguilar after Jose Ramon Aguilar. The town became the portal to the Apishapa Valley leading up to the Spanish Peaks and Cordova Pass. In 2002, this route became part of the Highway of Legends National and State Scenic Byway.

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In 1888, the opening of the Peerless Coal Mine and several other large mines helped the growth of the town. In 1876 the Rio Grande Railroad reached the settlement of Augusta, east of Aguilar, and in 1892 the Colorado & Southern Railway built a branch line into the Aguilar city limits. This was the beginning of the years that the town experienced it's peak growth. At it's peak there were 4 hotels, numerous grocery stores, drug stores, numerous "filling stations", garages, 3 churches, a bank, a mortuary, and 14 saloons.

Aguilar, a quiet Town with a Colorful Past

Aguilar was  a prosperous town as early as 1894, the year of incorporation.  Soon there were 3 large mines west of town which initiated growth and the population reached its highest point at about 2500.  Along with the many European immigrants who came to America, was the migration of members of the Mafia and Black Hand organizations.  The Mafia was a secretive criminal enterprise that only allowed members of Sicilian birth to join.  While the Black Hands allowed both Italians and Sicilians.  Prohibition laws gave them the means to expand.  Aguilar was known as a "hide out' for the Mafia by the 1920s.  Local legend has it that notorious gangster Al Capone and his men hid in Aguilar till "things cooled down".  Capone and "Joe Bananas" attended a wedding of one of their cohorts here.  Three miles west of town over a rough and desolate road was the  notorious "29 July Saloon", so called because on that day King Humber of Italy was assasinated.  This saloon , owned by a man called "Roma", was the location of many neighborhood gatherings with games, races, horseshoe pitching, greased pig races and the game of "bocha".  Few people were aware of why the festivities took place.  His specialized ability in cooking gained him a notorious reputation.  Otherwise he was a model citizen with a big heart.  This lonely saloon allegedly is one of the headquarters for the anarchists and black handers of the state.   A state agent is reported to have investigated conditions, but recommended the "no action be taken".  ​

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