Baca County History

by the Plainsman Herald

Category: Uncategorized

  • Butte City: 1886

    Boston wasn’t quite the first in the east end as this part of Las Animas county as it was thencalled. Butte City was started in June 1886; we believe that less than half a dozen houses were builtthere when it was abandoned and the houses moved over to Minneapolis, started a few miles west of…

  • Indianapolis, Colorado – Est. 1887.

    In the 1880s Americans were moving in droves to the Western frontier. Waves of migrants were inspired by the promises of cheap land and riches, Following the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the journey west became considerably easier. Many entrepreneurs and private town  companies began heavily advertising real estate, investment and tourism…

  • Crop Prospects for Southeast Colorado in 1888

    PERSONS Stories and Incidents of the Early Day East Enders Before Baca County became a county in the spring of 1889 it was the eastern end of Las Animas county. As spring is upon us, I thought it might be good to look back at the crop prospects in Southeast Colorado in 1888.  The following …

  • Growing Up in Baca County, Episode #5b John Havens

     As the dust storms increased many of the farm families and a few of the town residents had to pull up stakes and look for greener pastures.  As a kid working around the service station I observed first hand family after family load all their belongings into cars and onto pickups and head out to…

  • Offices of the Prairie Cattle Company

    “The largest herd of cattle I ever saw was in the summer of 1888. It stretched north from the mouth of Leon Creek, 25 miles southwest of the present Clayton for 5 or 6 miles. It was accompanied by 2 crews of 12 men each. Cattle belonging in Southern Colorado and the Cimarron River country…

  • Growing Up in Baca County Episode 6, Part 2 – By John Havens

    To write anything about Vilas and not mention my Uncle Tony Havens would be an affront to him. Through many years, when I have met people and told them I was from Vilas, they have said: “Oh, are you related to Tony Havens?”    After Mr. Wheeler died my Uncle Tony and George Stice put…

  • An 1894 View of SE Colorado

    I have seen small images of this map, and have wanted to see it up close as you never quite get the quality of actually looking at the map. I got my wish today thanks to Don Brookhart. This map was reproduced by USGS in cooperation with the Library of Congress, this hand drawn map…

  • The Story of Edler: by Wayne Collier – Part 2

    I am again excited to push out part 2 of Wayne Collier’s “The Story of Edler,” It will be available here for free, We will also publish it as a series in the Plainsman Herald. We had a great response to part and Zoretta Ownbey fills in a little more of the story as she tells…

  • Joy Coy, Colorado & the Coming of the Railroad

    “Nearly everything lives in a hole in the ground; the rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, owls, ground-squirrels, and even the people.” -Letter from Joy Coy Colorado, 1916 Pritchett, Colorado lies in the extreme Southeast part of Colorado.  There is not a lot of activity there these days. There is a school, a bar, a hotel for providing…

  • An 1887 Letter from Judge Jennings

    Many of you are familiar with Judge JDF Jennings who was Vice President of the Boston or Atlantis (Colorado) Town Company from my book “Old Boston: As Wild As They Come.”    The Judge aka Judge Jennings aka John D.F. Jennings was a former plantation owner, an attorney, and a physician.  He served the Confederacy during…