Nucla, Colorado

A Brief History of Nucla

Nucla grew from a cooperative settlement project organized by the Colorado Cooperative Company. In 1894, the company chose fertile but dry land near Tabeguache Park, north of Naturita, hoping to build a community around shared work and resources. Settlers lived in temporary camps, including Pinon in the San Miguel Canyon, while constructing an irrigation ditch. The undertaking took ten years. The name Nucla came from “nucleus,” expressing the founders’ hopes for their cooperative community. Private ownership later replaced the original communal model, while irrigation supported the area’s agricultural life.