Las Animas, Colorado

City of Las Animas, Colorado
—  City  —
Las Animas welcome sign
Location in Bent County and the state of Colorado
Coordinates: 38°4′1″N 103°13′33″W / 38.06694°N 103.22583°W / 38.06694; -103.22583Coordinates: 38°4′1″N 103°13′33″W / 38.06694°N 103.22583°W / 38.06694; -103.22583
Country	United States
State	State of Colorado
County	Bent County Seat[1]
Incorporated	May 15, 1886[2]
Government
– Type	Statutory City[1]
Area
– Total	1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2)
– Land	1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2)
– Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation[3]	3,898 ft (1,188 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	2,410
– Density	2,121.5/sq mi (835.8/km2)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
– Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code[4]	81054
Area code(s)	719
FIPS code	08-43660
GNIS feature ID	0195526
Website	City of Las Animas

Las Animas City Hall

U.S. Post Office in Las Animas

Kit Carson Museum; there are other Carson museums, including one in Taos, New Mexico.

St. Mary's Catholic Church in Las Animas

Monument to the unborn victims of abortion at St. Mary's church

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.^[5] 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.

Geography

Las Animas is located at 38°4′1″N 103°13′33″W / 38.06694°N 103.22583°W / 38.06694; -103.22583 (38.066980, -103.225937)^[6], along the Arkansas River.

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.

Demographics

As of the census^[7] 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.

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,^[8] 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 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

Columbian Elementary School, April 6, 2005

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.^[9] 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 [1].

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. Vrain, businessman
• Charles Bent, pioneer
• Donetta Davidson, Colorado Secretary of State, 1999–2006
• Ken Curtis, actor; "Festus Haggen" on CBS's Gunsmoke
• Kenneth Kester, Colorado State Senator, District 2
• Kit Carson, pioneer
• Llewellyn Thompson, U.S. Ambassador to Austria and Soviet Union. Ambassador Thompson Blvd, one of Las Animas' main streets, is named for him.
• Mari Yoriko Sabusawa, wife of James Michener
• William Bent, pioneer
• Colorado political leader Dan Slater
• Rollie Ray Rogers, Jr., first public defender in Colorado^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html. Retrieved 2007-12-01. 
2. ^ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 2004-12-01. http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html. Retrieved 2007-09-02. 
3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp. Retrieved November 14, 2007. 
5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
8. ^ Taylor, Morris F. (1966). Trinidad, Colorado Territory. Pueblo, Colorado: O'Brien and Stationery Co.. pp. 1–7. 
9. ^ Mestas, Anthony A. "Old Columbian school falls to wrecker's ball." The Pueblo Chieftain. 25 Feb. 2006. http://www.chieftain.com/print.php?article=/metro/1140875593/10

External links

• CDOT map of the City of Las Animas
• Bent County, Colorado
• Bent County Democrat
• Colorado Preservation, Inc, 2004
• National Register of Historic Places, Bent County