Trinidad in Las Animas County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The First Stage Stop
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 2025
1. The First Stage Stop Marker
The first stage line began running past this spot in early 1861, before Trinidad developed. Stages carrying passengers and mail took about two weeks between Independence, Missouri, and Santa Fe. Trinidad's first stage stop, located directly across the street from here, came in 1866.
The famous Barlow and Sanderson stages made a 4½ day dash from the railhead at Dodge City, Kansas, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, three times a week. They reined to a stop in front of the grandly named United States Hotel, a little five-room adobe with two horse stalls out back.
In 1871 new owners rebuilt the hotel. Remodeled and refurbished several times, it became one of the social centers of the town, hosting grand balls and banquets as well as serving as a meeting place for several Protestant church groups and, on occasion, the district court. The hotel remained the stop for Barlow and Sanderson until 1878 when the Santa Fe Railroad ended the need for stagecoaches.
Although in 1880 former President Ulysses S. Grant was feted there, competition from bigger and grander hotels slowly eroded its preeminence. The hotel ceased operations in 1902, just
this page online
Erected by Trinidad Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #18 Ulysses S. Grant series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1861.
Location. 37° 10.151′ N, 104° 30.246′ W. Marker is in Trinidad, Colorado, in Las Animas County. It is at the intersection of East Main Street (Business Interstate 25) and North Maple Street, on the right when traveling west on East Main Street. The marker is on the sidewalk, near the northeast corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 201 East Main Street, Trinidad CO 81082, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain West, on the Great Plains, on the Southern Plains, and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World,
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 2025
2. The First Stage Stop Marker
Looking south across Main Street at the first stage stop site, ironically occupied today by a dump truck.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Replica of the Statue of Liberty (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Trinidad History Museum Complex (about 400 feet away); The Aultman Studio (about 500 feet away); A Capital of Open Range Ranching (about 500 feet away); Fort Wootton Veterans' Memorial Square (about 500 feet away); Invasion by the United States Army (about 500 feet away); The Santa Fe Trail (about 600 feet away); Cathay Williams (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Trinidad.
Also see . . .
1. Barlow & Sanderson Company Staging in the Mountains (Legends of America).
Excerpt: Vermont men Jared L. Sanderson and Bradley Barlow, during the Civil War, established the Barlow-Sanderson Overland Mail Company, which first carried mail. It operated a stage line between Sedalia and Warrensburg, Missouri. By 1863, it also operated a line from Kansas City, Missouri, to Fort Scott, Kansas.(Submitted on August 5, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)In 1866, it expanded westward and transferred its headquarters from Kansas City to Junction City, Colorado. By 1867, the two entrepreneurs had established a route from Missouri to California over the Santa Fe Trail and changed the name to the Barlow and Sanderson Company.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 20253. The First Stage Stop MarkerLooking west along Main Street; the historic Carlisle Building front corner is partially visible to the right of the marker.
2. Trinidad, Colorado (Legends of America).
Excerpt: By 1865, Trinidad boasted 1,200 people, 25 buildings, 60 adobe homes, two hotels, and five livery barns with large corrals for oxen, mules, and horses. In 1866, a post office was established in Trinidad, and Barlow & Sanderson leased space in a small hotel on Main Street.(Submitted on August 5, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Carlisle Building: 201 East Main Street (Trinidad Audio Tour).
Excerpt: Across the street to the south was formerly the site of Trinidads first stage stop. The grandly named United States Hotel was a six-room adobe with one public room that was the lobby, bar, and dining room. Nevertheless, passengers who arrived on the dusty Barlow and Sanderson stages must have been glad to see it after a weeks trip across Kansas.(Submitted on August 5, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)That tiny structure had been replaced by a much grander two-story adobe building by the time ex-General and ex-President Ulysses S. Grant came to town in 1880. Practically every carriage and wagon in town was in the entourage that met him at the railroad station and escorted him here. That night, he was honored with a grand banquet and the list of town and county officials who made welcoming speeches looked interminable. Reading it, one begins to understand the Generals reputation for over-imbibing.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 4, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 90 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 4, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on August 5, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
