Santa Fe Trail
Scenic and Historic Byway
The Mountain Branch
A guide book
to Colorado’s
Santa Fe Trail
santafetrailco.com
Trinidad
La Junta
Las Animas
Lamar
Holly
Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway - Mountain Branch
Volume 1 Number 2
The Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway- Mountain Branch was established to tell the stories of, promote visitation to, and preserve the historical significance of Colorado’s Santa Fe Trail.
The Santa Fe Trail Scenic and Historic Byway- Mountain Branch of Colorado is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization
formed in 2003 to enhance the local economy through the promotion of tourism along its route. We collaborate with
stakeholders and businesses to interpret and market a 188-mile scenic drive from Colorado’s Kansas border to the
New Mexico border. We invite you to sample our hospitality, scenery, history, culture, nature, and to experience our
magnificent true west lifestyle.
The most delightful aspect of the Byway’s scenery is the variety of landscapes. Narrow river canyons, fertile farm country, and lowland meadows with breathtaking mountain vistas surprise us around every bend in the byway. We suggest
taking 3 -7 days to tour Colorado’s Santa Fe Trail. It is a genuinely relaxing experience that makes you feel as though
you are in another time in history. Much of the land in the corridor is public land offering a myriad of opportunities
for outdoor recreation in a vast uncrowded playground. Hundreds of miles of trails are available for all levels of hiking,
biking, and horseback riding. These public lands are home to a large diversity of wildlife and hold some of our Nation’s
most significant history. Let us be your guide while exploring these hidden treasures. Help us preserve our unique
history and leave no trace while visiting. Take only photos, and leave all else for others to enjoy and study.
America’s Byways® is a collection of
125 distinct and diverse roads designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. We are the gateway to adventures where no two experiences
are the same. The National Scenic
Byways Program invites you to come
closer to America’s heart and soul...
Visit us online at coloradobyways.org
www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways
and santafetrailco.com
This guide was created by Wyvonne
and Danny Graham and is funded
by FHWA, and the Santa Fe Trail
Scenic and Historic Byway- Mountain Branch. Our generous advertisers
helped make this guide possible. Please
stop in, do business with them, and
tell them the Santa Fe Trail Scenic
Byway sent you!
El Moro Rest Area Near Trinidad
Look for our Interpretation along the trail
Lamar Welcome Center
Mile marker 15 near Model
santafetrailco.com
Byway Visitor Center
Trinidad History Museum719-846-7217
Colorado Welcome Center
Trinidad- 719-846-9512
Lamar- 719-336-3483
Chambers of Commerce
Rouke Ranch at Commanche
Amache
Trinidad- 719-846-9285
La Junta- 719-384-7411
Las Animas- 719-456-0453
Lamar- 719-336-4379
Trinidad
Fishers Peak
Trinidad, gateway to the Rockies, lies
nestled at the foot of some of Colorado’s most magnificent and scenic
mountains. To the west is the Sangre
de Cristo Mountain Range. Almost
due north are the twin peaks, known
as the Spanish Peaks, and way to the
North are Greenhorn Mountain and
Pikes Peak. To the south lies Fisher’s
Peak. This unusual volcanic landmark
has a stair step top with an altitude
of 9,600 feet. The Purgatoire River
flows through the center of Trinidad
and to the east lies the vast ocean of
prairies and canyons, offering visitors
an opportunity to see and explore the
Santa Fe Trail as it was since it began.
Trinidad hill, also known as Simpson’s Rest, is the final resting place of
early settler George Simpson.
View from the top of Raton Pass
The Spanish Peaks
Many famous and colorful Western
characters were a big part of Trinidad
history. Kit Carson knew Trinidad
well and today’s visitors can view his
coat at the Santa Fe Trail museum located at the Trinidad History museum complex.
“Red” Bransford, sister of Red Cloud
and aunt of Crazy Horse, operated
one of Trinidad’s first lodging establishments on the site of the Columbian Hotel. Billy the Kid frequented
Trinidad far too often. Bat Masterson, was town marshal in the 1880s,
visited by his tubercular friend and
gambling buddy, Doc Holliday. Uncle Dick Wootton was founder of the
Raton Pass toll station.
The Colorado Welcome Center, located at 309 Nevada Avenue, offers
brochures and maps to guide your
way while visiting. Catch the free
trolley here hourly from 10-3, Memorial Day through Labor Day, for a
tour of the city and its buildings.
F
irst time visitors to Trinidad may wonder if
they have stepped back in time to the Wild West.
This little Victorian Empire was rated America’s 3rd Best True Western Town by True West
Magazine in 2008. Its rich history was shaped by
Native Americans, Spaniards, French explorers,
scouts, trappers, and traders who left evidence of
their passing in colorful geographic names. Immigrants were drawn by the extensive coal mining
and large cattle companies.
Trinidad Skate Park
Trinidad has a top ten rated skate park
by Tony Hawk and a water park with
a pool at the community center located at 1309 Beshoar Ave. Trinidad
Municipal Golf Course is unparalleled in beauty and is the number one
nine hole golf course in the state. It is
located at 1413 Nolan Drive. Trinidad’s Central Park, located off Hwy.
12, has a measured walking trail, a
baseball field, and a kid’s fishing lake.
Kit Carson Park has a playground,
picnic tables, a Victorian bandstand,
Santa Fe Trail’s largest DAR Marker,
and a magnificent equestrian statue
of Kit Carson. Roundup Park has a
covered picnic shelter, a commemorative racehorse monument, rodeo
grounds, and horse housing facilities.
The Municipal Golf Course
Kit Carson Park
El Corazon de Trinidad
Trinidad was a major trading center
along the Mountain Branch of the
Santa Fe Trail. Bronze interpretive
markers will guide your way through
El Corazon de Trinidad National
Historic District walking tour. Begin
your tour at the Colorado Welcome
Center.
The old west comes alive amid opulent 100-year-old buildings and 6.5
miles of winding brick streets. Pick
up a guide called “Walk Through the
History of Trinidad” at one of the
bookstores or the Library. Cool off at
Cimino Park and stroll or fish along
the Purgatoire River Trail. This historic site has remained a favorite resting
place for travelers offering shade and
treasured water for weary travelers.
Art Trek
May—Oct
Last Friday
Southern
Colorado
Repertory
Theatre
Professional Season
Jun 19—Sept 5
www.scrthaeatre.com
ArtoCade
ArtCar Parade
Sept 11—13
www.artocade.com
Spike the Big Red Dragon at ArtoCade
www.historictrinidad.com
TrindieFest
Fim Festival
Sept 24—27
www.trindiefest.net
Trinidad Museums
The Trinidad History Museum is a
Colorado Historical Society property located at 312 E. Main. It houses three attractions in one entire city
block. Tour the illustrious Bloom
Mansion, the Baca House and Santa
Fe Trail museum to learn more about
the people and their wealth that built
Trinidad. See antiquities of the Santa
Fe Trail era. The museum also houses
a Colorado Byway Visitor Center and
bookstore.
The A. R. Mitchell Art Museum is
located at 150 E. Main. The “Mitch”
boasts a 1900s western style building
with the original tin ceiling, wood
floors, and a horseshoe-shaped mezzanine. This spectacular building features a selection of more than 250
paintings by acclaimed western artist
Arthur Roy Mitchell and his contemporaries.
The Louden-Henritze Archaeology
Museum located at 600 Prospect, has
a dinosaur exhibit, fossils, and prehistoric and Native American artifacts.
Old Firehouse No. 1 Children’s
Museum is located at 314 N. Commercial. It features an old school
room, jail, and hands on exhibits.
Trinidad Lake State Park
Located at 32610, Hwy. 12, the
Trinidad Lake State Park features trail
talks around campfires, boating, fishing, camping facilities, wildlife trails
and a watching blind in Long’s Canyon. Visitors can check out a wildlife
watching kit at the park visitor center.
The Southern Rockies Heritage School offers
community education courses in crafts, culture,
arts, music and sustainable agriculture.
Summer 2015 classes include:
• Scrimshaw
• Cowboy Hat
Making
• Pen Making
• Aromatherapy
• Belt Buckles
• Building a
Traditional Horno
• Beekeeping
• And more!
Learn more by calling (719) 846-5724 or visit
www.southernrockiesheritageschool.org
Stage Stops and Watering Holes
Look for thirty-six granite stones on Colorado’s Santa
Fe Trail. They were placed here by the Daughters of the
American Revolution (DAR) and they mark the actual
route of the Santa Fe Trail.
Timpas
Timpas Creek located on Comanche National Grassland, Hwy. 350, was the first source of water for Santa Fe
Trail travelers after leaving the Arkansas River heading southwest. Between 1869 and 1871 the Metcalf Ranch was
located here and served as a stage coach station. Once a thriving town with restaurants, hotels, stores, pool and
dance halls, a bank and a school, population of 120, it is now almost deserted. Hikers and horseback riders can
follow a 3 mile section of the Santa Fe Trail to Sierra Vista Overlook. A 1/2 mile loop nature trail will take you to
Timpas Creek and back. Limestone markers indicate where the Santa Fe National Historic Trail passes through
the area and a Daughters of the American Revolution SFT marker is on this site. Visitors are provided several
shaded picnic tables with grills, a vault toilet, and RV and bus parking, horse hitching rails, horse trailer parking,
and stock water for horses only. No drinking water is available. These scenic pull offs are managed by the USDA
Forest Service Office in La Junta. 719-384-2181
Iron Springs
Iron Springs, located on Comanche National Grassland, was an important
water stop for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Depending on the season or
weather conditions, several different routes to the spring were used. Between
1861 and 1871, Iron Springs served as a stagecoach station. It was the scene
of several Indian attacks. Trail ruts are still visible near the spring just west of
the parking lot and a few ruins are nearby.
Sierra Vista Overlook
Sierra Vista Overlook is located just
down the road from Timpas. For
Santa Fe Trail travelers heading south,
the changing horizon from plains to
mountains was a major milestone on
their journey. One of their guiding
landmarks was the distant Spanish
Peaks, which came into view along
this section of the trail. A short walk
up the side of a bluff will give you
a commanding view of the Rocky
Mountains and surrounding prairie.
Stone posts mark a 3-mile section of
the Santa Fe Trail from the shelter to
Timpas. Visitors are provided a scenic
overlook, a horse hitching rail, RV
and bus parking, and a Daughters of
the American Revolution SFT marker. No drinking water is available.
Comanche National Grassland
Picket Wire Canyonlands
North America’s Largest
Dinosaur Track Site
Picket Wire Canyonlands is located off Hwy 109, right on CR
802, left on CR25, left on FR
500 to gate. The track site extends 1/4 of a mile across the
Purgatoire Valley, in the Morrison Formation of strata. Four
layers of rock 150 million years
old are famous for revealing dinosaur trackways of Apatosaurus and Allosaurus.
Take the scenic way to the trackway and plan for a full day hike,
bike, or horseback ride. Hitches are available and horse trailer
parking is provided. Motorized
vehicles and camping are not
allowed in the canyon. Visitors
must be out by dusk and should bring
plenty of water and food. The Forest
Service Office in La Junta, 1420 East
3rd St., has maps, and information
on wildlife watching. Their guided
4WD Tours are by reservation only in
May, June, September, and October
and you will need your own 4WD.
Call USDA FS Office in advance.
719-384-2181
Rourke Ranch
was also known as the Wineglass
Ranch, a cattle and horse ranch,
founded by Eugene Rourke in 1871.
Three generations of the Rourke family lived and worked on the ranch
ensuring its survival over a span of a
hundred years. When the ranch was
sold in 1971, it was known as one of
the oldest and most successful enterOver 1300 prints in 100 separate prises in southeast Colorado expandtrackways extend across a quarter ing from Eugene’s original settlement
of 40 acres to well over 52,000 acres.
mile expanse of bedrock.
Rock Art
Rock art images aged from 3754500 years old have been found
in Picket Wire Canyonlands. Most of
these images are petroglyphs, which
are pecked into the rock. A careful
look and you will find petroglyphs of
meandering lines, abstract designs, and animal figures. These
rock drawings were left behind
by people who were hunters
and foragers following migrating
game, and their visits were short.
Vogel Canyon
Vogel Canyon is located off
Hwy. 350, south on Hwy 109
for 13 miles, turn at Rd. W at
Comanche National Grasslands has the Vogel Canyon sign for one
an incredible amount of history dat- mile, then south for 2 miles.
ing from 150 million year old dinosaur tracks to early 1900s homesteads. Vogel has an abundance of colThese sites hold important clues to orful sandstone, pinon pine, and
our past and we need your help to shortgrass prairie. Native Americans
preserve and protect these valuable lived in the canyon 300-800 years
resources. They are on public lands ago and left rock art which is visible
on the canyon walls. Geologically
and are protected under federal law.
The Dolores Mission and Cemetery scenic Vogel Canyon is a tributary
was built sometime between 1871 and of the Purgatoire River drainage. It
1889 when Hispanic pioneers first has many permanent springs locatbegan permanent settlement in the ed at the bottom of the canyon. This
valley. Partial remains of the Mis- area offers some of the best hiking
sion and Cemetery are still visible. near La Junta with four short trails
of easy to moderate difficulty. The
sandstone walls of the canyon
feature Native American rock art
dating from the 1200s to the 1700s.
During the 1870s a spur off the
Santa Fe Trail was developed by the
Barlow and Sanderson Mail and
Stage Line (Las Animas to Trinidad)
and a section of this trail is featured
on the Prairie Trail. A variety of wildlife inhabits this area including deer,
antelope, coyote, and various birds.
The best time to view wildlife is early
in the morning or just before sunset.
Vogel has covered picnic tables with
grills (charcoal fires allowed in grills
only), a vault toilet, hiking trails, two
horse hitching rails, and horse trailer
parking. Camping is allowed in the
parking area only and no electricity, water, or garbage containers are
available. Motorized vehicles are not
allowed on the trails.
La Junta
Where the Trail Divides
T
he name La Junta means a junction where roads
diverge to mountain passes or vast plains. La Junta was
founded in 1875 and used by big commercial firms for
trade business. It was a hub of commerce and it was commonplace to see 300 to 500 mule and bull teams on her
streets. The Santa Fe Railroad built a depot and roundhouse as its headquarters for the Colorado division. By
1879 Santa Fe shops were established and the town was
expanded to its present day population of 5,000.
La Junta Municipal Golf Course
BRING IN THIS AD:
B UY O NE G OLF G AME , G ET T HE S ECOND P LAYER F REE
27696 HARRIS ROAD
LA JUNTA INDUSTRIAL PARK
719.384.7133
www.ci.la-junta.co.us
World Fair Trade Discovers...
Haitian hand woven Baskets, Sculptures crafted from metal
and recycled wood, Zulu telephone wire Baskets, Journals
crafted from hand made paper, Elephant Dung, Ceramics,
Vases, hand crafted Jewelry from recycled paper & glass,
used Saris, Garden pots, Wind Chimes, Critters & More...
Stop by CrossRoads MarketPlace and take a look
Dishes, Coasters, Coffee,
Candy, Condiments
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
Sat 9am - 4pm
211 Colorado Ave.
La Junta CO
719-384-7551
LA JUNTA, COLORADO
Come and Visit Us in the Smile-Hi City!
WWW.VISITLAJUNTA.NET
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
Comanche National Grassland
Jurassic Period Dinosaur Tracks
Koshare Indian Museum & Dancers
La Junta Municipal Pool & Wipe Out Water Slides
La Junta Sk8 Way Skate Park
Otero Museum
And Much More!
CANYONSANDPLAINS.COM
Sand Creek Photo by Evan Anderman
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
Boggsville National Historic Site
Camp Amache National Historic Landmark
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
Vogel and Picketwire Canyons of the
Comanche National Grassland
Canyons & Plains is a heritage tourism development organization serving six counties—
Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers. C&P promotes visitation to and
stewardship of the unique historical, natural and cultural assets of Southeast Colorado
among resident, state, national and international audiences.
Otero Museum
The Otero Museum located at 3rd
and Anderson has an extensive collection of exhibits, pictures, and artifacts
that tell the history of La Junta, Otero County and the surrounding area.
Step back in time to Grandpa’s Day,
and visit the Sciumbato Store listed
on the National Registry of Historical sites and restocked as it might
have been in the old days. See a 1920s
Filling Station, a vintage touring car,
farm equipment, war mementos, and
railroad memorabilia. There is a 1903
windmill, a blacksmith shop, and a
coach house containing the original
Concord Stage Coach 106. See one
of the first cars in La Junta, a chuck
wagon, an early 1900s surrey with the
fringe on top, collections of barbed
wire and arrowheads, saddles, and
guns. The log cabin school is a replica of the 1876 first school in Otero,
using some of the original logs and
plans. Located at 3rd and Anderson,
La Junta. Open M-Sat., 1-5, JuneSept., 719-384-7500.
Recreation
Picketwire Center for the Visual and
Performing Arts is located at 8th and
San Juan and is the hub for theatrical
events. Early Settler’s Day, a one-day
event, held on the second Saturday
of September begins with breakfast
served by the Kiwanis, followed by a
parade, and plenty of entertainment
and shopping for everyone throughout the day. For over 60 years La Junta has held a Kids Rodeo and Race
the first weekend in August. La Junta
City Park, located at 10th and Colorado Avenue, has a skate park, playground, and a stocked lake for youngsters to fish. Potter Park at Hwy. 50
and Grant Avenue features baseball
fields, picnic tables and a swimming
pool with Wipe Out water slide. Call
the Chamber of Commerce for more
information at 719-384-7411.
Koshare Indian Museum
Koshare Indian Museum houses an extensive collection of Indian paintings
and artifacts considered to be among the finest in the world. This renowned
collection of Plains and Southwest art and artifacts includes basketry, pottery,
weapons, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, and textiles. The museum houses a
Kiva Trading Post, which sells a variety of quality Native American art including prints, pots, jewelry, baskets, kachinas, books, and many other items
related to Native Americans. Visit kosharehistory.org to learn more about this
special place and the Boy Scouts who created it on Colorado’s Santa Fe Trail.
Photos courtesy of photographer Lex Nichols and the Koshare Indian Museum.
In 1933 J. F. “Buck” Burshears
worked with the Boy Scouts of La
Junta studying archaeology and Indian cultures. They grew up on farms
and ranches among Indian ruins and
their interests grew. Troop 232 called
themselves the Koshares, meaning
clown or fun maker in the Hopi language. The Koshare Indian Dancers,
have entertained people during summer and winter dance performances
for over 72 years, both at home and
as far away as Japan. The home dances are held in the Koshare Kiva built
by the scouts, which has the world’s
largest self-supporting log roof. The
famed Koshare Indian Dancers perform authentic Pueblo Indian dances
and can be seen at many of our Santa Fe Trail celebrations and festivals
throughout the Byway, including
Early Settlers Days in La Junta. The
museum is located 18 blocks south of
Hwy. 50 (First Street) on the Otero
Junior College campus. 115 W. 18th
Street, La Junta. Open daily 10-5,
Mon-Wed, closed Tues. and Thurs.
Open until 9PM on dance nights,
closed on Major Holidays. Call 719384-4411 for a schedule of summer
and winter dances.
Bent’s Old Fort
The Adobe Castle on the Plains
Bent’s Old Fort is one of Colorado’s
most evocative historic sites. Summer
hours (June 1 - Aug. 31) 8 - 5:30.
Winter hours (Sept. 1 - May 31)
9 - 4; $3 adults, $2 children. It is
eight miles east of La Junta, or 15
miles west of Las Animas. Take Hwy
50 to 109 to 194 east. Historic DAR
Markers welcome you to begin your
journey back in time. The gateway
was erected by the La Junta Chapter,
Daughters of the American Revolution, while the chapter still owned
the land. A. E. Reynolds donated the
site of the Old Fort to the La Junta
DAR Chapter in 1920. The National
Park Service acquired Bent’s Old Fort
in 1963 and manage living history
programs year round at the fort.
Bent’s Fort was a trading post for
mountain trappers and Indians dealing in furs and buffalo robes. It became a point of supply, a social center, a place of refuge and safety for
every white man and many Indian. It
was a second home to many of the
West’s most famous mountain men,
scouts, and Indian fighters, including
Kit Carson.
The Bent brothers and their business
partner, Ceran St. Vrain, built what
was to become a commercial hub of
civilization whose influence and magnetic pull was felt throughout the
high plains and the central Rockies.
Fur traders William and Charles Bent
built the Fort in 1833 and it boomed
until 1848. War with Mexico and increasing unrest among the local Arapaho, Apache, and Cheyenne tribes
put an end to Bent’s Fort business.
In its heyday it was the Southwest’s
most important outpost for white
civilization. The fort was a stopping
place for travelers, trappers, and explorers, including John C. Fremont,
Francis Parkman, and other wild west
luminary.
Las Animas
The Bent County Court House was
built and furnished between 1886
and 1889. It is the longest continuously used courthouse in the state.
The nearby jail was home to Sheriff Dan Gates, father of Ken Gates,
known as Festus of the Gunsmoke
TV series. He is credited with starting
the Las Animas Santa Fe Trail Day
and Parade in 1934, the longest running high school event in the U. S.
It is in its 81st year as of April 2015.
J. W. Rawlings Heritage Center
The John W. Rawlings Heritage Center was acquired by the Pioneer Historic Society of Bent County in 1999.
Formerly known as the Kit Carson
Museum, it is open to the public as a
museum, art gallery, event space, archival library, storage, and the PHSBC office.
Located at the only stoplight in Las
Animas. It features historic store
fronts including a post office, a confectionary, and Bent County Bank.
Open Monday - Saturday. 12:304:30, 719-456-6066.
Exhibits include Llewellyn Thompson, Ambassador to six Presidents,
J.W. & Dorothy Hoag Rawlings,
and Kit Carson. Additional exhibits include Ken Gates (Curtis), Native Americans, a cobbler, farming,
telephone, medical, jail, railroading,
quilts, and more.
The Old Trail Gallery features works
by the Bent County Art Guild including woodcarvings, jewelry, photo greeting cards, oil and watercolor
paintings, and award winning photographs.
On the east side of the museum, Bell
Park features a gazebo that houses the
area’s historical bells.
Boggsville
Boggsville was the first non-military settlement in Southeastern Colorado, founded in the early 1860s in Las Animas, Colorado. Thomas Boggs
married Ramalda Luna Bent, stepdaughter of Charles Bent, in Taos in
1846. A 2040 acre tract of land including Boggsville, once a part of the
Vigil and St. Vrain Mexican Land Grant, was given to Rumalda Bent
by St. Vrain. The settlement consisted of several families including the
Boggs, John Prowers, Kit Carson, and John Hough. This was Kit Carson’s last home. Boggs raised sheep and Prowers raised cattle. Both industries flourished on the land surrounding Boggsville during the 1870s.
The irrigated farming of Boggsville supplied the major amount of grain,
fodder, vegetables, and other food crops for the region.
Boggsville is open the last weekend
in April to Memorial Day and Labor
Day to the last weekend in October:
Open Wednesday - Sunday, 10-4;
Memorial Day - Labor Day: Daily,
10am-4pm. The site features a nature
trail, and reconstructed homes of the
Boggs, Prowers family. Boggsville sits
on the banks of the Purgatoire River
and is located south of U.S. Hwy 50,
on Hwy. 101, 2 miles south of Las
Animas. Call 719-456-1358 for more
information.
Fort Lyon & Kit Carson Chappel
Open M-F, 8-4:30, call 719-4560165. Ft. Lyon is located off Hwy 50
East. First known as Fort Wise and
later as Fort Lyon, this military fort
was built a mile west of Bent’s New
Fort in 1860 to protect the new settlers. Major John Sedgwick Jr. built
a stone structure on the riverbed just
below the bluffs of Bent’s New Fort.
In 1865, a spring ice dam in the river backed up the snowmelt deep into
the buildings. Fort Lyon was abandoned and moved to its current location near Las Animas. New Fort Lyon
was established in 1867 and used by
the US army until 1889 at the end
of the Indian wars. Fort Lyon became
a sanitarium for those suffering from
tuberculosis, including Kit Carson,
who died in the surgeon’s quarters.
The Fort Lyon National Cemetery was built in 1907 and is still in use today.
It is open to the public and visitors are welcome to hike or bike the tree-lined
roads of Fort Lyon to explore this historic Santa Fe Trail property.
The reconstructed surgeon’s quarters
were moved just outside the grounds
of Fort Lyon and named Kit Carson
Chapel. All that come are welcome
and the Chapel is available for use
by contacting Bent County at 719456-1600. Fort Lyon has been a VA
hospital, a correctional facility, and
today it is a Supportive Residential
Community for homeless citizens
with an emphasis on serving homeless veterans.
John Martin Reservoir
John Martin Reservoir State Park and
Hasty Lake sit like sapphires on the
plains. It is the largest body of water
in southeast Colorado and a Santa Fe
National Historic Trail Site. The park
is a bird watchers paradise boasting
over 400 species. The reservoir is administered by the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, and a portion of the
reservoir is leased to Colorado State
Parks. The blue waters of the lake allow visitors a chance to enjoy a fun
day or weekend of swimming, fishing, picnicking, camping, boating,
water skiing, sailing, and jet skiing, or
windsurfing. The area also provides
hiking, picnicking, and sightseeing
opportunities. Hunting opportunities are available in the nearby state
wildlife area. Information kiosks,
a DAR Marker, and Santa Fe Trail
wagon ruts can also be found at the
park. Take the Red Shin Trail to view
Indian carvings, wildlife, and the reservoir. Starting below the dam. tour
the Historic Canals, a Rock Art Site,
and Prowers-Hudnell ranch, ending
at the Santa Fe Trail Marker on the
north shore of the State Park. Located at 30703 County Road 24, Hasty
CO. John Martin Reservoir is east of
Las Animas about 16 miles on Hwy.
50 to Hasty. Turn south on School
Street and the Visitor Center is approximately 2 miles on the right. Call
them at 719-829-1801.
Bent’s New Fort
In 1853 William Bent built a new
stone fort east of Bent’s Old Fort on a
bluff overlooking the Arkansas River.
The fort resembled Bent’s Old Fort,
only smaller, with 16’ tall walls. It
had 12 rooms surrounded by a central courtyard. Bent continued his
trading with the Indians but it was
never as successful as Bent’s Old Fort.
By 1857, the increased Indian harassment prompted the US Army to withhold the annual allotment of food,
clothing, and other supplies. These
goods were stored at Bent’s New Fort
and William was concerned at the
possibility of raids. In 1860 troops
began building Fort Wise, later called
Fort Lyon, a mile southwest of Bent’s
trading post. Bent leased his fort to
the U.S. Military, and it was used as
the Upper Arkansas Indian Agency
and Commissary for Fort Wise. This
marked the end of the Bent trading
empire. Bent moved upriver to the
mouth of the Purgatoire River, where
he built a wooden stockade and lived
until his death in 1869. All that
remains of Bent’s New Fort are the
earthworks where the Fort once
stood. The Semmens and McCall
families made the site an archeological preserve. The NPS provided
interpretive exhibits for the site. It is
located 10 miles west of Lamar or 25
miles east of Las Animas. Take U.S.
50, turn south on CR 35 for one mile
to CR JJ, turn left for 1/4 mile to CR
35.25 to the Bent’s New Fort parking
area. Contact Lamar Country Acres
Motel and RV park for information.
LAMAR
L
amar offers rural family living at its best. Numerous events and activities are scheduled throughout the year.
Whether you enjoy outdoor activities, community concerts, or a relaxed shopping atmosphere, this friendly community welcomes you. Lamar is the seat of Prowers County with agriculture as its main industry. The Lamar Depot
still serves as a train station for Amtrak passengers, and houses the Lamar Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado
Welcome Center. Stop by the Colorado Welcome Center at 109 B. East Beech, for a cup of coffee and visit with the
volunteers who make our Welcome Center such a pleasant place to help you with your travel plans and advise of road
and weather conditions. 719-336-4379
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The Buzzard’s Roost & Nest
Home Grown Santa Fe Trail
Rock & Roll
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101 North Main, Lamar
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719-336-7415
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Big Timbers Museum
Each February in Lamar, waves of
bright white snow geese fly into
southeastern Colorado. They roost
near the scattered lakes on the prairie, feeding in the surrounding fields,
making the area a favorite rest stop
on their annual migration. Join in
for a fun-filled day of tours and activities. Take in a sunrise or sunset
tour to view snow geese, sandhill
cranes, and other waterfowl. Watch
the birds while enjoying a waterside
country breakfast, go on a guided
nature walk, or visit local sites.
Big Timbers Museum gets its name
from the towering cottonwoods
along the Arkansas River that once
grew in the region. The museum
houses a headdress from Buffalo
Bills Wild West show, Sand Creek
artifacts, a WWI Poster Collection,
a 10-star First National Confederate
Flag, artifacts related to the D.A.R.
Madonna of the Trail Monument,
and an exhibit about the Fleagle
Gang robbery of First National
Bank in Lamar. The transportation
museum houses antique cars, wagons, trucks, and buggies. They even
have an antique fire wagon. Visit Big
Timbers Museum one mile north of
Lamar at 7515 Hwy. 50, or phone
719-336-2472. Open Tuesday- Saturday, June 1- Aug. 31, from 10-5,
and Sept 1- May 31 from 1-4.
Granada
Granada sits about 19 miles east of
Lamar. Irrigated farming dominates
the landscape. In 1943 alone, Granada farmers grew a million pounds
of vegetables. Local farms yield succulent melons, onions, and peppers.
Since 1990, the Amache Preservation Society, a Granada high school
group, has worked to preserve the
history of Amache Japanese Internment Camp and set up the Amache
museum as a school project.
Amache museum displays artifacts from the Amache internment
camp. The 160-acre camp included
a 10,000-acre farm for raising livestock and produce. Amache Museum is located in Granada’s old town
hall. It is open during the summer,
usually five days a week, and located at 105 East Goff in Granada,
CO. Pick up a map and brochure
at the museum before starting your
self-guided driving tour of Amache.
Amache
Japan Bombs
Pearl Harbor!
Amache is located on Hwy. 385 near
Granada. At the dawn of World War
II, there were approximately 127,000
Japanese Americans living in the
United States.  Following the attack
on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin
D. Roosevelt issued orders which
lead to the U.S. government’s forcible detention of nearly the entire
West Coast population of Japanese
-110,000 in all - at ten inland internment camps.  The move was upheld
on multiple occasions by a divided
United States Supreme Court. The
Granada Relocation Center, outside
Granada, Colorado, housed approximately 7,500 of the West Coast detainees.  Approximately 63% of these
Japanese Americans were U.S. citizens.  None had political ties to Imperial Japan.  The dirt-floored barracks
and communal buildings at Amache,
as the Center was later known,
occupied an entire square mile of
treeless prairie, surrounded by barbed
wire fences and six guard towers,
equipped with machine guns.  In the
face of abrasive nationalism and outright racism, the Japanese at Amache
grew and raised their own food and
much of the food that supplied other Internment Camps.  Japanese,
doctors, dentists, and nurses staffed
the hospital.  Japanese firemen, professionals and educators operated a
fire department, library, theater, and
schools.  In 1943, when the U.S. government allowed Japanese born U.S.
citizens to enlist, 953 men and women from Amache volunteered to serve
the country that forcibly detained
them.  Thirty-one were killed in action.  Following the end of the war,
after three years of occupation, Camp
Amache was quickly dismantled—a
seeming effort to erase what had
taken place, it’s buildings dismantled or sold and moved elsewhere.
Today structures are being rebuilt
and an interpreted trail has been
constructed. NPS and Byway interpretive signage will guide visitors to sites throughout Amache.
SAND CREEK
At Sand Creek on November 29,
1864, John Chivington led the Colorado Volunteers in a dawn attack
on Black Kettle and his band, who
had been told they would be safe
on this desolate reservation. Two
hundred Cheyenne men, women,
and children were slaughtered, and
their corpses often grotesquely mutilated. The massacre shocked the
nation and brought a new wave of
Indian-white conflict to Colorado’s
high plains along the Santa Fe Trail.
Take a self-guided tour of the site,
which is managed by the National
Park Service. Sand Creek is located
in Kiowa County, Colorado. Follow
Hwy 50, turn north on 287, then east
on 96. Near Chivington, turn north
on CR 54, or at Brandon, turn north
onto CR 59. Follow these roads to
their intersections with CR W. The
park entrance is along W, a mile east
of 54 or several miles west of 59.
Holly
Holly was originally a stop on the Santa Fe Trail Railroad starting around
1894. The land was rich with open
grassland and land for homesteading. The sugar beet industry began in
1906 with the Holly Sugar Company. This was the boom time for Holly
until the industry declined in 1945.
Today Holly is a popular hunting and
wildlife-watching area. Come for the
Holly Bluegrass Festival held every
year in June.