High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The City of Walsenburg traces its history back about 150 years. The settlement was first established as La Plaza de los Leones which was named after the Leon family on the north side of the Cuchara River by Don Miguel Antonio Leon and a family named Atencio. In 1870, Fred Walsen settled nearby and opened up his large mercantile, making the town an attractive location for German settlers. After Fred assisted in the incorporation of the town's 320-acre (1.3 km2) site, it was suggested that he be honored by formally naming the new town "Walsenburg".