Center (1898, 7,645 feet) is a stable agricultural town of about 1,500 residents named for its location in the center of the San Luis Valley. James L. Hurt platted a grid community, which, after the San Luis Central Railroad arrived in 1913, became a major lettuce- and potato-growing center. Besides early twentieth-century bungalows and cottages of stucco or frame construction, Center has a north side development of public housing units, plain duplexes grouped around a central open space, and an extensive mobile home community. Predominantly Hispanic farm workers form a major underclass whose marginal resources are reflected in their homes, bars, and businesses. More prosperous-looking Farm-houses may be found on the outskirts of town.
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