Las Animas, Colorado
Encyclopedia
The city of Las Animas is a Statutory City that is the county seat
of, and the only incorporated municipality
in, Bent County
, Colorado
, United States
. The population was 2,410 at the 2010 census. Las Animas, located in southeast Colorado, is east of Pueblo
, near Bent's Fort. Las Animas is home to the Kit Carson
Museum.
Southwest of Las Animas near the New Mexico
state line is Las Animas County
, the seat of which is Trinidad
, Colorado.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,758 people, 1,091 households, and 716 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,134.2 people per square mile (825.5/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 978.1 per square mile (378.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.87% White, 0.91% African American, 2.86% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 15.34% from other races
, and 5.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.60% of the population.
There were 1,091 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples
living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,157, and the median income for a family was $29,815. Males had a median income of $26,168 versus $23,250 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,893. About 19.7% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.3% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
A famous legend passed down through generations concerns the origin of Las Animas. It tells of historical accounts claiming that the town, like the river, got its name from a group of Conquistadors -- probably part of Coronado's expedition -- who perished without a priest. The original Spanish name for Las Animas ("The Souls," in Spanish) was La Ciudad de Las Animias Perdidos en Purgatorio, "The city of lost souls in Purgatory."
According to the book, "Trinidad, Colorado Territory" by Morris F. Taylor, this explanation is unsound. Souls that are in Purgatory are not lost; they are in limbo, a short time, for purification before ascending to heaven. According to Taylor, the French imposed the connotation of souls in Purgatory.
The Spanish version, El Rio de las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio was an embellishment of the French version. However, no 19th century map shows this full Spanish name or any translation of it. Perhaps, with different accounts from explorers' maps, several names were accidentally assumed to be one. On one map, it reads Rio de Las Animas. On another, it reads simply Purgatory River. Yet another, the corrupt form of Purgatory is used, "Picatoire" (which today is translated into Picketwire). Several other names are used, including Purgatoire (used by the French fur traders of the 19th century) and Pick of Ware.
In recognition of the historic Santa Fe Trail, Las Animas is home to Santa Fe Trail
Day, a celebration of the pioneers who took this trail into the west. This local holiday is the oldest Student Council sponsored event in the US. The Las Animas High School Student Council organizes the day, with assistance from the Bent County Chamber of Commerce. Festivities have included a parade, a costume contest, square dancing, a demolition derby, and a traditional "Ranchburger" lunch, as well as many other activities through the years. In past years, students have spread out events over a two-day period, sometimes making this a weekend event. The event occurs on the last Friday in April.
On April 24, 2009, Las Animas will celebrate its 75th Annual Santa Fe Trail Day with events spread throughout the weekend as well. Past Santa Fe Trail Day Queen Royalty, dating back to the 1940s, have been invited back as well as Student Council Presidents who were in charge of the events of the day, dating back to 1944, have also been asked to reunite. Other special events are planned with the assistance of the Bent County Chamber of Commerce.
Built in 1916 to replace the old Columbian School (built in 1887), Columbian Elementary School was the only Spanish architecture
in Las Animas. It was also the only open-courtyard school in the state of Colorado. This 90-year-old building met its fate with a wrecking crew on February 21, 2006. Columbian School was designated to the 2004 Colorado Preservation, Inc. List of Endangered Places. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2004 (List of Registered Historic Places in Colorado). However, on July 26, 2006, the school was removed from the National Register http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20060804.HTM.
A new elementary school now stands just west of the old school location.
Because of the poor quality of the city's water supply, a reverse-osmosis filtration plant was installed in the mid 1990s. The loss of minerals in the water resulted in the collapse of many water mains, which had been supported by mineral deposits that formed on the insides of the pipes.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of, and the only incorporated municipality
Colorado municipalities
The U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
in, Bent County
Bent County, Colorado
Bent County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of frontier trader William Bent. The county population was 5,998 at U.S. Census 2000...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,410 at the 2010 census. Las Animas, located in southeast Colorado, is east of Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, near Bent's Fort. Las Animas is home to the Kit Carson
Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
Museum.
Southwest of Las Animas near the New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
state line is Las Animas County
Las Animas County, Colorado
Las Animas County has the largest area of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Las Animas County takes its name from the Mexican Spanish name of the Purgatoire River, originally called El Río de las Ánimas Perdidas en Purgatorio, which means "River of the Lost Souls in...
, the seat of which is Trinidad
Trinidad, Colorado
The historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States...
, Colorado.
Geography
Las Animas is located at 38°4′1"N 103°13′33"W (38.066980, -103.225937), along the Arkansas RiverArkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,758 people, 1,091 households, and 716 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,134.2 people per square mile (825.5/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 978.1 per square mile (378.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.87% White, 0.91% African American, 2.86% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 15.34% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 5.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.60% of the population.
There were 1,091 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,157, and the median income for a family was $29,815. Males had a median income of $26,168 versus $23,250 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $13,893. About 19.7% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.3% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
Historical perspective
Las Animas sits along the Arkansas River, just west of where the Purgatory River flows into the Arkansas.A famous legend passed down through generations concerns the origin of Las Animas. It tells of historical accounts claiming that the town, like the river, got its name from a group of Conquistadors -- probably part of Coronado's expedition -- who perished without a priest. The original Spanish name for Las Animas ("The Souls," in Spanish) was La Ciudad de Las Animias Perdidos en Purgatorio, "The city of lost souls in Purgatory."
According to the book, "Trinidad, Colorado Territory" by Morris F. Taylor, this explanation is unsound. Souls that are in Purgatory are not lost; they are in limbo, a short time, for purification before ascending to heaven. According to Taylor, the French imposed the connotation of souls in Purgatory.
The Spanish version, El Rio de las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio was an embellishment of the French version. However, no 19th century map shows this full Spanish name or any translation of it. Perhaps, with different accounts from explorers' maps, several names were accidentally assumed to be one. On one map, it reads Rio de Las Animas. On another, it reads simply Purgatory River. Yet another, the corrupt form of Purgatory is used, "Picatoire" (which today is translated into Picketwire). Several other names are used, including Purgatoire (used by the French fur traders of the 19th century) and Pick of Ware.
Santa Fe Trail Day
Las Animas sits along the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail and served as the major city in southeast Colorado until the Atichson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad established operations in La Junta, 20 miles to the west of Las Animas.In recognition of the historic Santa Fe Trail, Las Animas is home to Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
Day, a celebration of the pioneers who took this trail into the west. This local holiday is the oldest Student Council sponsored event in the US. The Las Animas High School Student Council organizes the day, with assistance from the Bent County Chamber of Commerce. Festivities have included a parade, a costume contest, square dancing, a demolition derby, and a traditional "Ranchburger" lunch, as well as many other activities through the years. In past years, students have spread out events over a two-day period, sometimes making this a weekend event. The event occurs on the last Friday in April.
On April 24, 2009, Las Animas will celebrate its 75th Annual Santa Fe Trail Day with events spread throughout the weekend as well. Past Santa Fe Trail Day Queen Royalty, dating back to the 1940s, have been invited back as well as Student Council Presidents who were in charge of the events of the day, dating back to 1944, have also been asked to reunite. Other special events are planned with the assistance of the Bent County Chamber of Commerce.
Columbian Elementary School
Spanish architecture
Spanish architecture refers to architecture carried out in any area in what is now modern-day Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories...
in Las Animas. It was also the only open-courtyard school in the state of Colorado. This 90-year-old building met its fate with a wrecking crew on February 21, 2006. Columbian School was designated to the 2004 Colorado Preservation, Inc. List of Endangered Places. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2004 (List of Registered Historic Places in Colorado). However, on July 26, 2006, the school was removed from the National Register http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20060804.HTM.
A new elementary school now stands just west of the old school location.
Water issues
As in most agricultural areas, water is a central issue in Las Animas. Like many cities in Southeastern Colorado, Las Animas competes with wealthier cities on the front range for the water necessary to sustain life and the local agricultural economy. Developers and municipalities have capitalized upon drought and low crop prices by buying water from desperate farmers. As this water is diverted upstream to serve the larger cities, Las Animas loses access to this important resource.Because of the poor quality of the city's water supply, a reverse-osmosis filtration plant was installed in the mid 1990s. The loss of minerals in the water resulted in the collapse of many water mains, which had been supported by mineral deposits that formed on the insides of the pipes.
Notable persons from Las Animas
- Ceran St. VrainCeran St. VrainCeran St. Vrain , also known as Ceran de Hault de Lassus de St. Vrain, was a major fur trader near Taos, New Mexico, where he and his partner William Bent established the trading post of Bent's Fort. St...
, businessman - Charles BentCharles BentCharles Bent was appointed as the first Governor of the newly acquired New Mexico Territory by Governor Stephen Watts Kearny in September 1846....
, pioneer - Donetta DavidsonDonetta DavidsonDonetta Davidson is a member of the United States Election Assistance Commission. Davidson was elected Chair of the EAC for 2010. She previously served as Chair in 2007 and Vice-Chair in 2008...
, Colorado Secretary of State, 1999–2006 - Ken CurtisKen CurtisKen Curtis was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the long-running CBS western television series Gunsmoke.-Early years:...
, actor; "Festus HaggenFestus HaggenFestus Haggen was Marshal Matt Dillon's only official deputy on the CBS television series Gunsmoke. He came to Dodge City in an episode titled "Us Haggens" to avenge the death of his twin brother, Fergus. Played by Ken Curtis, he first appeared in 1962 and was showcased full-time from 1964 until 1975...
" on CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West.... - Kenneth KesterKenneth KesterKenneth Kester is a Republican member of the Colorado Senate, representing the 2nd District since 2002. Previously he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002.- Biography :...
, Colorado State Senator, District 2 - Kit CarsonKit CarsonChristopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
, pioneer - Llewellyn ThompsonLlewellyn ThompsonLlewellyn E. "Tommy" Thompson Jr. , was a United States diplomat. He served in Sri Lanka, Austria, and for a lengthy period in the Soviet Union where his tenure saw some of the most significant events of the Cold War....
, U.S. Ambassador to AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Ambassador Thompson Blvd, one of Las Animas' main streets, is named for him. - Mari Yoriko Sabusawa, wife of James Michener
- William BentWilliam BentWilliam Wells Bent was a frontier trapper, trader, and rancher in the American West who mediated among the Cheyenne Nation, other Native American tribes and the expanding United States. With his brothers, Bent established a trade business along the Santa Fe Trail. In the early 1830s Bent built an...
, pioneer - Colorado political leader Dan SlaterDan SlaterDan Slater was the first vice chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. An attorney in Cañon City, Colorado, Slater ran unsuccessfully for the Colorado State Senate in 2002 before joining the top leadership of the Colorado Democratic Party in 2003...
- Rollie Ray Rogers, Jr., first public defenderPublic defenderThe term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
in Colorado