Huerfano County, Colorado Towns and Villages

Contributed by Karen Mitchell.
NOTICE All data and photos on this website are Copyrighted by Karen Mitchell. Duplication of this data or photos is strictly forbidden without legal written permission by the Copyright holder.

These are the towns, villages, and places of interest of Huerfano County. Many of them no longer exist.

Adams On 1885 map

Adel RR Stop 1924 map

Alamo later Butte Valley PO 1923-1949 (Name changed 1938)

Apache "old Apache" PO 1878-1882 (PO moved to Huerfano), Apache/Apache City PO 1894-1925

Autobees Ranch aka Fort Huerfano Est 1853 Seat 1861-1868 Site now in Bent County

Badito briefly Little Orphan PO 1865-1910 -- The crossing of the Huerfano River, at what is now known as Badito, is one of the oldest in the State of Colorado and began as a game trail. It is a vestige of the path used by the prehistoric Basket maker Indians. Explorers, trappers, traders, freighters, gold seekers, adventurers and emigrants all passed through the area at Badito Crossing. Badito became the county seat of Huerfano County in 1867. Legend says; on the night of September 3, 1779, Juan Batista de Anza, Governor of New Mexico, spent the night here at Badito after defeating and killing Commanche Chief Cuerno Verde on the Greenhorn River. De Anza's diary reads, “I set out toward the south in this direction through good country. Five leagues were made (15 miles) until we reach the first stream and arroyo of La Sangre de Christo where we passed the night.” Between the recorded travels of General Juan de Ulibarri, who led a Spanish expedition in from Santa Fe, in July of 1706, and Zebulon Pike, in 1806, available documents indicate that more than 1400 men, Spanish, French and American, passed through Badito Crossing. The Indians were well acquainted with the region. The trail coming over the Sangre de Christo pass and crossing at Badito on its way to the Arkansas River was the only trail at the time.

Beaubois Fort aka Fort Beaubois 1860s Settlers Fort

Bent's Fort New Bent's Fort also see Fort Lyon Est 1852 Site now in Bent County PO 1863-1873 The site has been in Huerfano- Las Animas- Pueblo- Bent Counties (Site was north of Prowers on Arkansas River)

Big Four On 1923 map

Birmingham PO 1883-1894

Black Canon RR Stop

Boaz RR Stop 1895 map

Bradford prev Dickson Est 1887-1922 PO 1889-1895

Breen RR Stop

Bunker Hill RR Stop 1923 map (Served the town of Lester)

Butte Valley orig Alamo PO 1923-1949 (Name changed 1938)

Cacharas see Cucharas

Caddel Est 1908

Cameron RR Stop

Camp Shumway PO 1911-1924 (PO moved to Gordon)

Capps see Scissors PO 1894-1901

Carbonado On 1964-1980 map

Carson PO 1868-1870

Cedarhurst PO 1903-1913 Las Animas County (Some maps show Huerfano County)

Chama

Champion RR Stop

Clover PO 1912-1922

Codo On 1923 map

Conchita Junction RR Stop on 1895 map

Concord see Lascar

Concrete On 1923 map

Consol RR Stop

Crestones

Cuchara/Cuchara Camps Est 1916

Cucharas aka Cacharas aka Cuchara Junction PO 1870-1921 Virginia Sanchez virginia.sanchez@comcast.net 8/24/2004

Del Carbon Delcarbon PO 1915-1953

Dickson later Bradford PO 1879-1885

Dresdon RR Stop 1909-1923 map

Farisita prev Huerfano Canon Talpa Est ~1855 PO Est 1923

Farr PO 1907-1946

Fort Beaubois see Beaubois Fort 1860s Settlers Fort

Fort Huerfano see Autobees Ranch Bent County

Fort Lyon ("II") US Army Post Est 1866 Has been in Las Animas- and Pueblo Counties Fort Lyon (II) was closed in Dec 1889 Site now in Bent County just east of Fort Lyon (town)

Fort Sangre de Cristo See Spanish Fort

Fort Talpa Settler Fort Est 1820

Francisco- Francisco Ranch- Francisco Plaza see La Veta

Gardner briefly Huerfano Canyon Est ~1871

Gordon Est 1908 PO 1924-1937 (PO moved from Camp Shumway)

Grays Ranch Stage Station Est 1861 PO 1863-1866 Site in Las Animas County (1866 PO moved to Trinidad)

Grayback

Greenhorn PO 1866-1896 PO 1897-1911 Now in Pueblo County

Hamiltons On 1885 map

Hermosilla/Hermosillo PO 1867-1870 PO 1870-1872 in Pueblo County

Hezron PO 1902-1912

Hezron Junction RR Stop

Houck On 1885 & 1922 map

Huerfano/Huerfano Station aka Ute Est bef 1870 PO 1882-1884- RR Stop 1887-1923 map PO 1900-1929

Huerfano Canon see Farisita PO 1878-1890 (PO moved to Talpa)

Huerfano Canyon see Gardner PO 1871

Ideal PO 1910-1929; Herman Pineda was one of the orginators. Families that used to live in Ideal Camp: - Frank Nigro family , Manazanares family, Jose Espinosa (daughter Emelinda was the teacher at Ideal school), Fionaros, Durans, Luceros, Zuballs, (Frank?) Michecks, Maldonados. Names contributed by Onesimo Cordova.

Kincaid On 1923 map

La Veta orig Spanish Peak aka Francisco- Francisco Plaza- Francisco Ranch- Fort Francisco Est 1834- Mexico Inc 1886 -- La Veta Pass - This is the southern branch of the Taos Trail. It was traveled by caravans of pioneers looking for an easier route to the west. The wide expanse of gently rolling land and the mountains standing protectively in the background added to the charm of the view. But what the travelers could not see would prove to be breathtaking! The last two miles before reaching the top of Sangre de Cristo Pass proved to be steep and treacherous. The wagons would have to be anchored to trees and rocks on the uphill side to keep the wagons from overturning. Sangre de Cristo Pass meets present Colorado Highway 160 near the summit of North La Veta Pass.

Larimer PO 1907-1914 (PO moved to Mustang)

Larimer RR Station 1895 map Pueblo County (Near border)

Lascar orig Concord PO 1916-1949

Lathrop State Park -- Huerfano County is the home of Colorado's oldest state park at Lathrop, just west of Walsenburg. The park has two lakes, Horse-shoe and Martin, and offers a look at the vegetation and animal life typical of a high plains grassland. The Visitors Center's walls are covered with murals, painted by Paul Busch, depicting the history of the area from the days of the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellers to the coal strikes of the early 1900s. From almost anywhere in the Park, the view of the Spanish Peaks is spectacular. Indian legends say that at the beginning of time, a Paradise on earth existed at the foot of Wahatoya, where no man suffered pain or cold or was even unhappy. This blissful state continued until the "invasion from the north"; then the gods of Huajatolla became angry and made it like other parts of the world. Later the Rain Gods took possession of the Great Mountains, and made clouds and dispatched them over all the world. The Indians believed that "Huajatolla are the Breasts of the World, and all living things derive their sustenance from them. Without the clouds there is no rain, and when no rain falls we have no food - we must perish all." And so, still today, when the clouds hang low over the Breasts of the World (Wahatoya), they spoon-feed (Cuchara) the orphan land (Huerfano).

Laveta see La Veta

Lester RR Stop was Bunker Hill PO 1910-1929

Little Orphan see Badito

Loma Junction RR Stop 1923 map

Loma Park RR PO

Maitland PO 1898-1935

Malachite PO 1880-1915 Still on 1970 map

Mayne PO 1905-1907

McGuire PO 1905-1911

McMillan PO 1900-1904

Monson On 1916-1923 map

Morning Glory

Muddy On 1924 map

Mule Shoe/Muleshoe On 1887-1895 map

Muriel PO 1903-1906

Mustang PO 1914-1940 (PO moved from Larimer)

Nichols RR Stop

North Veta On 1887-1922 map PO 1920-1934

Nunda PO 1883-1886 On 1887-1922 map

Oakview aka Tropic PO 1907-1930 Shalane Sheley-Cruz (shalane@csm.Berkeley.EDU) 1/4/2002

Occidental

Ojo PO 1880-1928 On map thru 1964

Old Rouse Coal Town Est 1880s-1900s

Orlando RR Stop 1902-1923 map

Orman On 1923 map

Pass Creek

Pauley PO 1920-1929

Pictou orig Sulphur Springs PO 1889-1932

Pinehaven

Placer See Russell

Point of Rocks Stage Station & PO 1864-1865 Site now in Otero County

Pryor Est 1867

Quebec PO 1880-1884

Rattlesnake Buttes PO 1918-1938

Ravenwood PO 1910-1939

Raybal Est 1940

Red Wing/Redwing Est 1913

Reliance Junction On 1923 map

Rockland see Solar

Roof RR Stop 1916-1923 map

Rosedale Est 1887

Round Oak PO 1908-1910

Rouse also see Old Rouse PO 1889-1929

Rouse Junction RR Stop 1892-1923 map

Russell

Saint Marys PO 1867-1907 On 1885-1923 map

Sandy RR Stop 1916-1968 map

Santa Clara PO 1873-1894

Scissors PO 1884-1894 On 1887-1922 map (PO was Capps 1894-1901)

Seguro PO 1895-1901

Sharps Fort / Sharps Post Trading Post Est 1870

Sharpsdale PO 1883-1934 Huerfano

Shumway see Camp Shumway

Silver Lake RR Stop 1895 map

Solar briefly Rockland PO 1914-1925

Spanish Fort aka Fort Sangre de Cristo Spanish Fort Est 1819

Spanish Peak later La Veta Est 1871

Strong PO 1905-1929

Sulphur Springs see Pictou

Sulphur Springs On 1964-1980 map

Sunnyside

Sunshine RR Stop

Tabeguache

Talpa see Farisita PO 1890-1912

Three Bridges

Timpas Est 1868 then Greenwood and Bent. Now in Otero County

Tioga PO 1907-1954 (South of Cucharas)

Tioga Exists Today (NW of Walsenburg)

Toltec PO 1911-1953 RR Stop 1916-1920

Tourist see Walsenburg

Trinidad orig Rio de las Animas aka Santisima Trinidad Est 1859 New Mexico Terr. In original Inc 1876 Las Animas

Tropic see Oakview On 1923 map

Tuna RR Stop 1892-1923 map

Turkey Creek

Turner

Ute aka Huerfano PO 1888-1900

Wahatoya/Wahatoya Camp On 1887-1922 map

Walsen RR Stop 1895 map PO 1902-1932

Walsenburg/Walsenburgh briefly Tourist Est ~1870 Inc 1873

Walsenburg Fort 1860s Settlers Fort

Walsenburg Junction RR Stop 1923 map

Wild Horse Est ~1860 Later Bent County Now in Cheyenne County

Williams Creek

Winchell RR Stop 1902-1923 map

Yellowstone -- Yellowstone Road - Huerfano County Road 520 is commonly called the Yellowstone Road. Yellow stones appeared on the trails as by-products of mines in the area and were called Piedra Amarilles or Yellow Rocks. This site on the Taos Trail played a major role in western history, as it was the key link in the development of the Santa Fe Trail. From this site, trappers, miners, immigrants and explorers traveled into the basin below. There are signs of Indian Camps and fire rings on the worn out trails. The trails to the south were east and west of what is now Huerfano County 520. Trails led to the fertile lands in the Valle de Veta, or La Veta Valley, and eventually westward over the Sangre de Christo Mountains, to the San Luis Valley.


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