Las Animas County

General Overview

Las Animas County sits at the southernmost border of Colorado and New Mexico to usher in guests from the south as the place “Where Colorado Beauty Begins” or is ready to send our Colorado visitors on their way south with a wave and a gracious “Come see us again!” Home to over 16,000 people, the county boasts the title of being the largest in the state and the fifth largest in the nation with 4,772 square miles.

Nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains halfway between Santa Fe and Denver on the I-25 corridor, Trinidad, the county seat, retains its Old West character and the vitality of its pioneering days. Trinidad’s history begins with the river that attracted native peoples as they hunted wild game that watered there. Spanish explorers named the river El Rio de Las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio, the River of Lost Souls in Purgatory. Transient French fur trappers and traders called it the Purgatoire and although that spelling remains, locals use the English pronunciation. From 1821-1880, the river was essential to Santa Fe Trail teamsters on arduous journeys between Missouri and New Mexico. Pulling wagons laden with tons of merchandise, their beasts of burden drank deeply form the meandering waterway. New Mexican Felipe Baca camped near the river while hauling wagonloads of flour to the Cherry Creek mining camp. Seeing the potential of the river and prairie before him, Baca staked out 400 acres before a steady stream of settlers followed the Trail, finding this new community where business soon thrived.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, constructed parallel to the river and almost literally in the tracks of the Santa Fe Trail, soon rumbled through town and contributed to the development of Trinidad, making it a hub for ranching, mercantile, manufacturing and coal mining. The community is steeped with legend and folklore, tales being told here of many well-known national figures on both sides of the law. It was home to Bat Masterson, who was once the town Marshall, and Kit Carson, who is forever depicted on what is widely considered one of the finest equestrian statues in North America which is situated in a park that bears his name.

The community also celebrates a colorful past which can be traced back by way of petroglyphs, dinosaur tracks and artifacts from Native American communities which continue to be unearthed. Other historical facts include being first considered for the capitol seat before Denver; erecting the first junior college, the first state nursing home, one of the first and oldest synagogues in the state; and establishing the first School District.

Deserted mining camps dating back to the 1800s dot the surrounding county with the highlight of the “Coal was King” era – the Ludlow Memorial National Historic Monument – presenting the indelible history of what was once the economic backbone of the county. In 1913-1914, Trinidad garnered national attention as Mother Jones and John Lawson rallied coal miners to strike in demand of fair labor practices. John D. Rockefeller and other mine owners sent in armed guards. Tensions erupted in April 1914 at the Ludlow tent colony where striking miners and their families lived north of Trinidad. The Ludlow massacre changed American labor laws forever.

Today, you can experience these and other eras from Trinidad’s history visiting our many museums and historic sites, visiting our historic downtown district, or driving along two scenic and historic byways. Visitors will find gracious parks among winding brick streets and broad avenues along with a wealth of historic architecture by prominent architects such as Isaac Hamilton Rapp who developed the Santa Fe style.

Demographics

Las Animas County features a variety of living possibilities, ranging from deluxe country homes on established ranch subdivisions, to older Victorian homes on tree-lined boulevards, to simple efficiency apartments. There are approximately 300,000 acres of new subdivisions, 60 new developments and several new construction projects ongoing. Per Capita Personal Income in the county was estimated at $26,413 per year in 2007 with a civilian labor force of about 9,000. The county has an abundant pool of experienced workers, many with backgrounds in mining, maintenance, electrical systems and other skills.

Economy

The county has a healthy, varied commercial climate, with ranching, farming, transportation, a growing art community and tourism being among the leading enterprises in the area. Trinidad-Law Animas County Economic Development owns and operates the industrial park and is currently under expansion but currently provides 215 acres of development space.

The local economy is currently struggling with the rest of the nation, but has often experienced the booms and busts of industry such as coal mining and most recently, coal-bed methane drilling. Las Animas county residents enjoyed an economic upturn, with a higher than state average employment rate due to the drilling industry, but is now on the downslide, suffering from above average unemployment. Adding to the economic woes of the community is a 5-year interstate highway reconstruction project that has unintentionally diverted much of the tourism industry that helps sustain the local economy. Its largest employers include Trinidad State Junior College, the city and county, the Trinidad School District, the hospital, and smaller industries such as Danielson Designs.

The community is fast learning to join forces- city and county, Chamber of Commerce, Tourism,  Economic Development, Trinidad Community Foundation and other non-profits- finding that through the sharing of knowledge, and learning and building consensus, we can obtain greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources.

Education

Education for its youth can be fulfilled in any of its six school districts, Hoehne, Aguilar, Trinidad, Primero, Branson and Kim, plus the opportunity to seek a faith based-education at Holy Trinity Academy. These schools provide its youth with a comprehensive quality of education regardless of where they attend classes. Trinidad State Junior College annually produces graduates with skills that will fulfill recently identified shortages of electrical lineman, and graduates from its EPIC program can now seek employment in the field of Energy Production and Industrial Construction. With close to 50 other programs to choose from, TSJC gives students a head start on a meaningful career.

Health Services

Conversation within the community currently carries tones of concern that another of our largest employers, Trinidad State Nursing Home, soon could be facing closure through eminent sale. A Health Services District that is fighting to maintain the existence of the health care facility and to address other health services issues within the community was recently formed and is addressing better access to primary, urgent and specialty and mental health care in the community.

Mt. San Rafael Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital has just welcomed yet another two physicians to its quality-staffed facility. It boasts a level four trauma designation which provides evaluation, stabilization, diagnosis, treatment or transfer, and includes outpatient services such as pathology, x-ray, CAT scan, MRI, echocardiogram, nuclear medicine, mammography, ultrasound, bone density screenings and various services in the cardiopulmonary therapy department. The hospital clinic offers family practice, internal medicine and pediatrics, and currently had five family practice physicians, one internal medicine physician, one pediatrician, and one nurse practitioner. Residents have available to them general surgery, gynecology and urology services as well as rehabilitation services in the areas of physical, speech and occupational therapy.

In addition to the nursing home and hospital, the county has a thriving community of private practitioners including dentists, chiropractors, physical therapists, optometrists and many more specialists. For its elderly residents who require assisted living services, The Legacy at Trinidad, Helping Hands and South Central Council of Governments offer such care services as living quarters, transportation, adult day care and others.

Recreation

Whether you travel to the area by way of the interstate, US Highway 160 or US Highway 350 to the east, by Amtrak, or land at the county’s Perry Stokes Airport, Las Animas County offers the best of Colorado recreation, both on the plains to its east and in mountain areas to its west. One of Trinidad’s many attractions is Fisher’s Peak, the most distinctive landmark in the area. Naturally formed by lava overflows, it rises 9,600 ft. Another dramatic image is Simpson’s Rest, named after famous explorer George Simpson, who is buried at the top of the sandstone bluff.

The mountains themselves offer climbing, hiking and camping. The 2,000 acre Trinidad Lake State Park offers nine miles of hiking trails and campgrounds, as well as waterskiing, sail boarding and jet skiing. Nestled in the foothills are Monument Lake Park, which offers a restaurant, cabins, and a campground, and North Lake where fishing and boating are the highlight.

Other recreational amenities include senior and youth organizations and an aquatics center that is the newest addition to a recreational facility with a regulation-size gymnasium, and four baseball/softball fields and offers winter and summer sports programs for all ages. Two nationally recognized award-winning golf courses and skate park round out the summertime recreational opportunities.

Each year, the Trinidad and Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce hosts the Santa Fe Trail Festival during the second weekend of June. This downtown celebration features music, food, arts and crafts, dancing and attractions for kids. The now widely recognized Trinidaddio Blues Fest celebrated in August in its Central Park location offers plenty of blues music, food, drinks and other events to those who travel from across the nation to attend this event. The Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre each summer offers a professional troupe who put on a variety of plays for the public to enjoy.

Year round however, several museums, including the Trinidad History Museum the Louden-Henritze Archeology Museum and the AR Mitchell Memorial Museum & Gallery offer the visitor glimpses into its past and an ever- growing number of art galleries present the works of over 100 local artists who find serenity in painting, photography, and other arts and crafts.

Nonprofit Organizations

• A.R. Mitchell Museum
• ABATE
• Advocates Against Domestic Assault
• Aguilar Public Library
• American Legion Post 11
• BarNI Ranch Community Service Fund
• Bon Carbo/Spanish Peaks Fire Protection District Auxiliary
• Boy Scouts of America
• Carnegie Public Library
• City of Kim, CO
• City of Trinidad, CO
• CO Historical Society
• Colorado Welcome Center
• CommunityThrift Store, Inc.
• CSU Extension
• Earth Mountain Education Farm
• Fisher's Peak Fire Protection District Auxiliary
• Girl Scouts of Colorado
• Habitat for Humanity
• Harry R. Sayre Center
• Health Services District
• Helping Hands Ministries, Inc.
• Holy Trinity Academy
• Hometown Holidays
• Hope Pregnancy Center
• Huerfano County Youth Services
• H.U.L.A. Early Childhood Advisory Council
• Kim Equine Pavilion and Education Center, Inc.
• Kiwanis Club of Trinidad
• Knights of Columbus
• LAC Health Dept.
• LAC Prevention Partners
• Las Animas County
• Las Animas County Dept. of Human Services
• Las Animas County Rehabilitation Center/SCDDS
• Las Animas County Veterans Council
• Louden-Henritze Archaeology Museum
• Mt. San Rafael Hospital
• Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Assn.
• Open Door Soup Kitchen
• OYE!
• Purgatoire Valley Foundation
• ReGroupRotary
•  Club
• Round Up Association
• Salvation Army – Trinidad Service Extension Unit
• Santa Fe Trail Scenic Highway & Historic Byway
• SCCOG Early Learning Center
• SCRT
• Segundo Senior Citizens Kennedy Center
• Seniors, Inc.
• South Central Council of Governments
• South Central Workforce Center
• Southern CO Educational Opportunity Center
• Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center
• Stonewall Fire Auxiliary
• Stonewall Fire Protection District
• The Samaritan Clinic
• Trinidad High School Boosters Club
• Trinidad & LAC Economic Development
• Trinidad & Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce
• Trinidad Area Arts Council
• Trinidad Cancer Alliance, Inc.
• Trinidad Community Center
• Trinidad Community Foundation
• Trinidad Family Medical Center
• Trinidad Historical Society
• Trinidad Housing Authority
• Trinidad Lake State Park
• Trinidad Middle School MESA Program
• Trinidad School District
• Trinidad State Junior College
• Trinidad State Junior College Educational Foundation
• Trinidad State Nursing Home
• Trinidaddio Blues Fest
• TSJC Upward Bound Classic
• United Houndsmen of Colorado