What Is That? Curios From the Patagonia Museum – April 2023

This photo is part of the Centennial Collection at the museum.

Valentin Valenzuela was born in Los Angeles, California in 1851 on February 14. He spoke English, Spanish and French. He made his way eastward working for a time on the Colorado River operating steamboats. He eventually would settle in Crittenden and operated a stage line from Crittenden to Harshaw, Mowry, Washington Camp, Duquesne and Lochiel. The town of Crittenden preceded the establishment of Patagonia and was the companion civilian settlement for Camp Crittenden (est 1867). Eventually Valentin and his family would move to a homestead adjacent to the newly established town of Patagonia. Valentin continued the stage line for a while and also established a meat market in Patagonia. Circa 1920 he suffered a stroke and that is when his two-story adobe would be built with the labor of his wife and children who made the adobe bricks.