The City of Lost Souls

This is my town, Las Animas, Colorado "The City of Lost Souls" as named by early spanish settlers. Las Animas (Spanish for The Spirits) took its name from the river which runs nearby and empties into the Arkansas. The first group of settlers at the mouth of the river perished in the winter storms. The name of the river was changed from Las Animas to El Purgatorio, the River of Lost Souls, in consequence of early Spanish explorers losing their lives on its banks. Their souls were condemned to purgatory because they perished without the assistance of the sacrament of the church. This nugget of information comes from C. W. Hurd, Chairman, Historical Committee, Las Animas, Colorado.

Las Animas once marked an important location on the historic Santa Fe Trail. Two significant hubs — Bent's Old Fort and Boggsville — once operated just miles from the present-day town. Today, visitors can explore these carefully preserved sites. Bent's Old Fort, once a major trading and trapping center run by famed pioneers such as Kit Carson, now offers living history programs and tours of old structures. Boggsville, located on the Purgatoire River just two miles south of present day Las Animas, was a settlement founded on a branch of the Santa Fe Trail. In late 1867 Kit Carson moved to Boggsville, his last home before his death in 1868 at nearby Fort Lyon.

This community is the home of Santa Fe Trail Day, a celebration of the pioneers who took this trail into the west. This local holiday is the oldest Student Council sponsored event in the United States. The Las Animas High School Student Council organizes the day, with assistance from the Bent County Chamber of Commerce. Festivities have included a parade, a costume contest, square dancing, a demolition derby, and a traditional "Ranchburger" lunch, as well as many other activities.

We can also boast being home to the Bent County Courthouse (1888), the oldest active courthouse in Colorado. A few personalities from my home town include, the actor Ken Curtis who potrayed "Festus Haggen" on Gunsmoke , also home to Kit Carson , pioneer, and Llewellyn Thompson, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Austria from 1955-1957 and to Soviet Union from 1957 to 1962 and again between 1967 and 1969. As well as Mari Yoriko Sabusawa, wife of author, James A. Michener.

There have been two notable movies filmed in or around Las Animas. "Badlands" is a 1973 film directed by Terrence Malick, starring Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek and Warren Oates. It's rated 7.9 stars out of 10 on IMDB.com and worth a look if you have not seen it. The other movie is "Centennial" a 12-episode miniseries. It was based on the novel of the same name by James A. Michener.

So if you ever find yourself in my hometown, give me a call and we'll go have coffee and a chat.