“Bold and brash” best describes Archuleta County history, a saga of the Old West prescribed by rugged mountain remoteness and the distinctive characteristics of three proud cultures. At least three national flags have symbolized ownership of Pagosa Country — claims not always recognized by the indigenous Native Americans who hunted and fished here long before Columbus crossed the Atlantic.  Those flags belonged to Spain, Mexico and the United States, and an argument could be made that France also claimed the area for a period of time.