Near Las Animas in Bent County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
From Trail to Town
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
— Boggsville Historic Site —
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 27, 2018
1. From Trail to Town Marker
"...On crossing the river [Purgatoire] we found a large well-filled ranch...which had only just been built by two enterprising Yankees.:"
–William Bell, railroad surveyor, 1867
Boggsville was established in the early 1860s on the Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail. It functioned as a trading center and was in close proximity to Santa Fe Trail travel. Several prominent people associated with trail trade lived here. The Barlow & Sanderson Stage Company served nearby Las Animas City (1869-1873) until the Arkansas Valley Railway Company (an offshoot of the Kansas Pacific Railroad) arrived in 1873. Boggsville served as the first county seat of Bent County, and evolved into a farming and ranching community during the final years of active ranching community during the final years of active Santa Fe Trail travel.
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Starting in 1821, the Santa Fe Trail was a road of commerce and travel for traders moving both east and west between Missouri and Santa Fe. Even after the Mexican province of New Mexico was added to the United States in 1848 at the end of the Mexican American War, the trail remained an international road (via El Camino Real to Mexico City) for freighting, stagecoach travel, and mail service. Eventually, long-distance travel on the trail was replaced by the railroad, which reached Santa Fe in 1880.
In 1987, Congress designated the Santa Fe Trail as a national historic trail to recognize its importance in our nation's history.
this page online
Erected by the National Park Service, Colorado Historical Society, Pioneer Historical Society of Bent County.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. 38° 2.556′ N, 103° 12.697′ W. Marker is near Las Animas, Colorado, in Bent County. Marker can be reached from Colorado Route 101, one mile south of County Road 10.75. Located within the Boggsville Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 28120 CO-101, Las Animas CO 81054, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Boggsville (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to Boggsville (about 500 feet away); Welcome to Bent County (approx. 1.6 miles away); Santa Fe Trail (approx. 3.6 miles away).
Also see . . . The Santa Fe Trail and Boggsville. (Submitted on July 23, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 27, 2018
2. From Trail to Town marker can be seen in background at entrance to Boggsville.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 27, 2018
3. Santa Fe Trail marker at Boggsville.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 23, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 162 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 23, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
