Trinidad, Colorado – Coal Queen of Colorado – Legends of America
Nestled within the rugged landscape of southern Colorado, a mere 21 miles north of the New Mexico border town of Raton and 195 miles south of Denver, lies the city of Trinidad. This vibrant urban center, the county seat and most populous city of Las Animas County, is steeped in a rich tapestry of history, culture, and natural beauty.
A Valley Forged by Time and Nature
Trinidad graces a verdant valley embraced by towering cottonwood trees, cradled beneath the watchful gaze of the majestic Sangre de Cristo mountains to the west, where the 14,000-foot Mount Culebra pierces the sky. To the north, the iconic Spanish Peaks rise as silent sentinels, their presence adding to the dramatic panorama. The Purgatoire River, a life-giving waterway, meanders through the valley, its banks having served as a haven for human habitation for over 10,000 years. Indigenous peoples thrived here, drawn to the valley’s abundance of game and the river’s sustaining waters.
Encounters and Claims: From Indigenous Lands to European Exploration
Before the arrival of Europeans, the region was the ancestral home of various Native American tribes. The Ute people held sway in the mountains, while the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, and Comanche tribes roamed the vast plains.
The first European to set foot in this land was Juan de Ulibarri, a Spanish soldier and explorer, in 1706. His expedition ventured north to the Arkansas River, skirting the Spanish Peaks, and eventually reached El Quartelejo, the northernmost Indian pueblo, now located in present-day Scott County, Kansas. Ulibarri claimed the area for Spain, noting the presence of the French on the plains. Subsequent missions led by New Mexican Governor Antonio de Valverde in 1719 and Pedro de Villasur in 1720 further explored the region, though Villasur’s journey ended tragically at the hands of Pawnee Indians.
Trade, Trails, and Transformation
Despite Spanish control, American explorers like Zebulon Pike, Stephen Long, and Jacob Fowler traversed the area in the early 1800s. In 1821, Mexico gained independence from Spain, and southern Colorado, south of the Arkansas River, became part of Mexico. This pivotal event opened the doors to trade between Mexico and the United States.
That same year, William Becknell, a young entrepreneur from Missouri, pioneered the Santa Fe Trail, a vital commercial artery linking Missouri to Santa Fe. The trail, stretching approximately 800 miles westward, eventually branched into the Mountain Branch and the Cimarron Cutoff, both leading to Santa Fe. The fur trade played a crucial role in the early commerce along the trail. In 1832, Charles and William Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, established Bent’s Fort in present-day Otero County, about 88 miles northeast of Trinidad. This fort became the most important hub of the southwestern fur trade.
The Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail, after passing Bent’s Fort, paralleled the Purgatoire River, fording it in the vicinity of present-day Trinidad before embarking on its arduous journey over Raton Pass. This area quickly became a favored campground for travelers on the trail, with its ample water, shaded campsites, and abundant forage for livestock. The main trail followed a path that corresponds to Trinidad’s present-day Commercial and West Main Streets.
Settlement and Conflict
Settlement in the Purgatoire River Valley began in the 1840s as Hispanic people migrated northward from New Mexico. However, these early settlers faced displacement by hostile Ute Indians.
During the Mexican-American War in August 1846, the U.S. Army of the West, under the command of Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, marched through the area en route to conquer Santa Fe. Kearny’s army, comprising 1,600 soldiers, 1,500 supply wagons, 15,000 oxen, and 4,000 mules, camped along the Purgatoire River before navigating the challenging Raton Pass. The army’s passage was arduous, with wagons requiring ropes for assistance and supplies being left behind.
In 1847, Congress authorized mail transport from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe via Bent’s Old Fort and Trinidad on the Santa Fe Trail’s Mountain Branch. The first mail from the east arrived in the Trinidad area via this route in 1849.
Growth and Transformation
In 1860, the United States Army established Fort Wise (later Fort Lyon) on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail. The following year, the Postal Service rerouted the mail route from the Cimarron Cutoff to the Mountain Branch, leading to the establishment of a Barlow & Sanderson stage line in the area.
The Colorado Gold Rush fueled further growth, with New Mexico traders transporting freight caravans through Trinidad to supply the burgeoning city of Denver. Among these traders was Felipe Baca, who, impressed by the valley’s agricultural and grazing potential, decided to relocate there. Baca, already a prosperous farmer and rancher in New Mexico, claimed a prime piece of bottomland that would eventually form the heart of Trinidad.
In March 1861, Albert W. Archibald, an area prospector, built a log house on the north side of the river in Trinidad. That same year, Archibald assisted Dr. John Whitlock in surveying a townsite, laying out Main and Commercial Streets along the ruts of the Santa Fe Trail. When Whitlock inquired about the town’s name, Gabriel Gutierrez, who owned the only business – a saloon – suggested "Trinidad," a name that was readily accepted.
A Thriving Community Emerges
Felipe Baca and his family settled into their new home, and in addition to farming and ranching, Felipe opened a general store. He also spearheaded the construction of the Baca Ditch, a 400-acre irrigation canal. Baca became a prominent citizen, actively involved in the city’s development and later serving in the Colorado Territorial Legislature in 1870.
In July 1861, Barlow, Sanderson & Company acquired the Denver and Santa Fe Stage Line and, the following year, organized the Southern Overland Mail and Express. This stage line operated weekly post coaches from Kansas City, Missouri, to Santa Fe on the trail’s Mountain Branch. The line used the ruins of Bent’s Fort as a stage station, with routes extending to Trinidad and Pueblo. A full coach load consisted of a driver, a messenger, and ten passengers, with a fare of $200.
By the early part of the Civil War, Confederate guerrillas were active in the vicinity of Trinidad. In 1862, the Colorado Volunteers marched past Trinidad over Raton Pass to New Mexico, thwarting Confederate ambitions at the Battle of Glorieta Pass.
Coal and Conflict
In 1864, coal mining commenced in southern Colorado, with the earliest mines located near Trinidad. This sparked an influx of immigrants from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Hispanic, Greek, Italian, Polish, Irish, Lebanese, Slavic, and Northern European.
That same year, mountain man "Uncle Dick" Wootton arrived and constructed a toll road over Raton Pass to New Mexico, significantly improving travel on a challenging section of the Santa Fe Trail.
In July 1865, Albert W. Archibald established the first school in Trinidad, teaching in both English and Spanish.
By 1865, Trinidad boasted a population of 1,200, along with 25 buildings, 60 adobe homes, two hotels, and five livery barns. Felipe Baca donated land for a church, which was built with the aid of 11 pioneer families and named Holy Trinity Pedro in 1866.
In 1866, Las Animas County was created from Huerfano County, and Trinidad was selected as the county seat. Federal troops arrived in Trinidad that same year to address escalating violence between settlers and Ute Indians.
A Boomtown Emerges
In 1867, Frank Bloom arrived in Trinidad and, along with the Thatcher brothers, opened the Thatcher Brothers and Company store. Bloom later discovered an outcropping of coal and established the first commercial coal mine in the Trinidad district.
By the late 1860s, the livestock industry was thriving, with sheep and cattle grazing throughout the valley. The Texas cattle drives transported tens of thousands of cattle through the area until 1886.
By October 1869, Trinidad had a flour mill, six stores, three doctors, three lawyers, and numerous saloons. The 1870 U.S. Census recorded 562 residents.
In 1876, Trinidad was incorporated and became the supply and transportation center for the region’s coal mines. The coal from these mines was highly prized for its quality and used to create coking fuels for Colorado’s smelters. As Colorado’s mines and smelters flourished, Trinidad prospered, becoming a wealthy commercial center adorned with stunning Victorian homes and buildings.
Railroads and Growth
In 1878, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad acquired the right of way, paying Richens Wootton a lifetime pass and pension. The toll road operated until 1879, when Wootton relocated to Trinidad.
The railroad’s arrival fueled demand for Trinidad’s immense coal resources and brought further prosperity to the city.
In April 1882, the renowned lawman Bat Masterson was appointed Trinidad’s city marshal. During his tenure, shootings and street crime declined significantly.
During the 1880s, Las Animas and Huerfano Counties were Colorado’s top two coal-producing counties.
In 1885, the Catholics built a new and larger Holy Trinity Church, influenced by Georgian and Romanesque styles.
In 1888, the Jaffa brothers, Jewish merchants, built the 700-seat Jaffa Opera House on Main Street.
By 1890, Trinidad’s population had doubled, reaching approximately 5,500.
Challenges and Change
Coal production continued to rise in the 1890s, with Las Animas and Huerfano Counties employing over 8,000 coal miners.
By the early 1900s, Trinidad had become a major urban center. In June 1903, the elegant Cardenas Hotel, one of the famed Harvey Houses, opened its doors.
In 1904, Trinidad experienced several disasters, including a fire that destroyed two blocks of the town’s business section and a severe flood that caused extensive damage.
The horse-drawn streetcar system was abandoned in 1904, and the Trinidad Electric Railway & Gas Company installed a new electrical system.
As the coal money continued to pour into Trinidad, the city added a Carnegie Public Library in 1904, a new city hall in 1909, and a new post office in 1910.
When World War I began in 1914, the number of men working in the coal mines doubled.
Facing low wages and dangerous working conditions, many miners joined the United Mine Workers and organized several major strikes in the early 1900s. A major strike in December 1913 culminated in the Ludlow Massacre in April 1914, a tragic event in U.S. labor history.
Decline and Transformation
Over the following decades, industrial changes and the economic depression reduced the demand for coal. Mines in the area began to close in the 1920s.
During Prohibition, Al Capone found sanctuary in Las Animas County, venturing between Trinidad and Aguilar.
Dust storms and the Great Depression of the 1930s brought the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to Trinidad.
The 1940s brought World War II, and a German POW camp called Camp Trinidad was located near the city. Trinidad’s population peaked in 1940, with 13,223 residents.
In the 1960s, Trinidad gained notoriety as the "Sex Change Capital of the World" due to the pioneering sex reassignment surgeries performed by Dr. Stanley Biber.
A New Chapter
Trinidad is now experiencing a new boom with the city’s thriving marijuana industry.
The population of Trinidad today is approximately 8,200.
The old west comes alive amid the 6.5 miles of winding brick streets and century-old buildings of downtown Trinidad for visitors. The El Corazon De Trinidad National Historic District features 55 adobe and brick buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A River Walk runs through the city, and historic markers highlight the people, events, and places of early Trinidad.
Trinidad stands as a testament to its rich history, resilient spirit, and enduring appeal. From its humble beginnings as a trading post on the Santa Fe Trail to its reign as the "Coal Queen of Colorado," and its current transformation, Trinidad continues to captivate and inspire.