Bent County bank official correspondence with a Miss Beach

ESTAB LI SH E D 18 75

OF LAS ANIMAS P . G . SC0TT1PRES 1DENT.

A . $ . B OOTH, V i ce: P R E ST.

W~J . A .SCOTT, C A S HI E R . Las An imas , CoLo.

ss Bea.ch.

Roclcy 'ord,

Colorado

Deo.r 1:;s o ... c: hiotocy

cort

in

Your

fo.

t r as ·rs

fa thio ....

t ~

to, oo. .;u1y 16, 1921 e to

. i VO

_t

you.

_{t you}

a S~llO Dis Of ,.10.

tod

i t i'

my

or '

re is to toll i?'l ~ :t'e 1·ief oonten os .

1 O"' e to olora • r.: _{in " at t}

ca.roan

AUg\l:Jt l ilt, 1870 .

I had

oome

from to

:.nn,~.,

ex cti i , to be

_-

e

o-titto .in ho 1th, bi.lt mty full

or

r.lc.r1

_{' I}

it

boot to (:J:) to ~ hi

altitude .

objecti o _{'/. 0} horc

c.lon the e ater foot of tho mountl.ins.

In t C rcon

o.t

th,.,t time , '" ::; :Jitu.:.te t le i s ion

ho oo of

1toro, ·

ell r • , vhick, Broon CO . , 0bot r ·

"o, z

tm

t .a the point on t K.::m'"":.o,

cif'ic .ilro

d

r, re shi _{s :Crom t o• st to morch,~}

_t...

_{in outhern}

Colorado u.nd !ow :oxico ,7oro tr,".no rted by , , n tr[.inO to t hoir

o ....

tina.ti • •

0

'IJc ...

t o total

no

I to

mo .

I d

nover

00011 o.

is lm d t

numb r f t

roi ters

L-t _{ivero, 1ore}

exicano, · o o ·c a.s l 1·a.ri.t of i,.y l~n n.3 I .. , f theirs.

~ t e k1 .... s fot .nee of inter rotor , I took _SS~f

in ... n o .... wag-on train :f'or Tiiiu.id.ad , d · ::; _{vised b t a 'l:> boso,}

1

ESTABLISHED 1875

lhl£tt1

(ftnunty

10.cink

P. G . SCOTT, PAESIOENT . A .S . BOOTH . v,c~ PREST.

W~J.A .SCOTT1 CASHl!:.R. .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

10 kno'\"1 o. 11

t

t le -.,lioh, to e be to th r o p c.nd

thus avoi

ving to • y hotel bill .

r

t ·~roon · s

e.

lively

lc.c ....

t

t}u.t ti'

e.

old. ';

· ck 1t se mo to mo trot u. 1.ar , proportion of the b .tildi n".1:'S

r1ere o'",loons,

ce lu"llo ,

.n

oth r aces of

a

ment ,

and

o o of the st "n, si hto to o. tender- foot .. s that l.lmost every

\'lll m:m h .... d

t

six- shootore

ru.

ng to his belt.

o,

vor,

a

1 , le it imu.te busi neo s B bei~ 1 •

In

or thr e do.ys

t

l wn{pno

our t ...

:In . loaded

o.n

:e

t

rted s th.

e mornin _, of

t

With

01e or

his drivers a

nd bons,

rd.or to oui'orco w t a.p.

be s oo ndc, tho I ooul :not undorot nd a rd of

rrel to

.t

I

asinc,

t w-. .,

n 'boso

uood t ho

tt

of hie blac - onalt0, ~nd

kmc d tho drivor down. Ii s soon o ho re!~ined hio feet,

ont

to

n, took out h1o bo and aarrie d 1 t ovor to

-t ...

in that '""s lose by. Thio left ·thfivoyo .. o o

o.n no vor. The w .... ~n

oo

oo t n c ... to

.e

a o.s d if I

thou · 1t I cuul mma tle team,

e.

o.o ..,evoro.l ye rs of my

boy-G

hood had boon s nt in

t

bu.elcwo s of va.n.." , ,.,

t

most

of

o drlvin., oxen, I tol him I cOllld. I

omot d to tho

fte.,

nsibili ty of a. lrivcr, •

vo lone lr sh .... net ..., vocy short ln ndle •

"'then tho

... von a whip th

I eou soo ho 1 a ot r dri vors ha. dl ed their ·1 i

n,

ESTABLISHED 1875

ra~nt

~nunty tictnk

P . G. SC0TT,PRES1DENT . A .$. BOOTH , V1 C E PREST.

W~.J . A.SCOTT, CASHIER. .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

I •

tho rx>P 11- the x losion

a _1stol .

y

et effort

in tlb.t cii reotio·1 uoually resulte in tho mndins o lo.oh n.roun

my

neak.

n::f\K:..Y tho on \70rG q itc c....fe .

I Etnjoyod

t

;ork

nd ti'1cn 1 the f

re wo.s eo .. n

0 it

'-"' cmple l , inod stren~h from ~· t c,?,y ~ until , n • 1~ · o od 'ri c · :.d., ... tor o.n unoventfu.1 trip. l t'ol

t

a ost ea_ ble

of d 1ng t1 non' o 10rk.

_he ~gon boos ur .~d me tn 1,0 w1 t h m to :Jo.ntn. 'e , • · •

Ho '!l As lo .ded wi th vel'lll!8nt su ... lien r t

t

lace, n,,J.d he

ro

t

if I 1ould th him ho w0t1.ld 1 .... tar alp me

_,,

_\

to

into b inosa. o .over, I left

tm

train at Trinid!.td.

loo - nr; r v.ork l ot o. r~nohma.n 10 li e t that ti ,

ire tr.a

e1 t:,· of a.ton now te.ndo. 8 l

tho

a. h r of ca.ttle a.nd quite c. lar

my boo.r,d · eXpen i e fo r ~ !)lOy

r

~rnible :.s I h" o. s londid

a petite. lOil n did not cot,t him cnyt hin"" boc' so I cpra .... d '!DY

be 't t ' s i de of old

my

o "'o •

s pro11oted to ,CJt' , vork 1ith

o.bo; t ho.1£

a. ..,

1 _{o y. "'mt not oorr • me howevor, boo· oo I}

o tto di'.cy .... ining in hoa.lth. 3.lld ability t O"', -orit. [md by t time

t h~ o~ er job. boss en

hi3 o 11 ord of c~ttle. l 1, s to occuw tho

c..,.bin th.at wo sod :10 tthlc up t he h.:y, and l o to live t re

ESTAB LIS H E D 1875

P . G . SCOTT, PRESIOEHT . A . $ . BOOTH, VICI!:: PREST.

W'j .J.A .SCOTT, CASH IE R .

OF LAS AN I MAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

... lone

o. 0 rcy' own OOOk:it)6 . idinr~ a.ft r c ttle ·, o to my

t

ste

over:;th : ~ · s oe .. ble e ca ;t I ·. o ::: t lon so e

t ] n one ny

co

ldn0 bot'ore •

· · t

however, id

not

tter oo ch

oocn.u

I

t

fol li d.okin t my O.

000

ng

n I ta.lo

_•

By

by

.

ver,

1 be to thin I :l $0 t i

.

_{little bettor}

nnl docido to

rot

to ' riniu. look for o.

slt1

mor

in 0.COOI

.

co

ith kt t

I

"/0.8 .,od

to

that

I thou. t pay

bottor. ln

lo

d.n u.roun

t

e

cl

t · of

m;ri dad, I le rne

t

:r. John ~. H ugh,

r of

the

st re of

rs

OU.

, nee e

help e.o ho ont hie oler

to ro

·t

G

brot

r,

;;,1 his 1:::.. from Te 0 ith hord of

t tle . i 1n him I

cu~o

tho si tion

or

bookko

r,

u job tlut

I 1m. " to ht

dlo_.

but oth 71ce l .... a or 11 ttle

us

OS I 3

1 or"nt of the ni 1 _{la , end} .... bout four - rift

of 1s

ous-to ers me no ~glioll..

_ ot yed in tho ct re

t

"'rini · uutil t ho o rln of

1871.

mon

tho ru. of e· ttlo bcl M.nr, to Jil cnd .. o 0

,

' s movod rom ,1-01

roed,

or, oxico to ot tion , t11en in

ty, v OlOJ:'I _• I had ol cd to

too

c .... " lo

c.

t

iero lo · te ·

t

Tempo.

a·.

ou ,h ~ ;..t ol'."all _, too

or

rioods

in room thcro 0.1.n left me

I .d t .o

b

To m o UP for ey i ore.nee boat

t

ljrt Tex_ o co·. pu o oro

tmt

VO tO

:.a .

I st

t ho oo.ttlo.

cu.ttlG bloine:J ..

er

ESTABLISHED 1875

!Al~nl

(!!nunty

fBMnk

OF LAS ANIMAS

P . G . SCOTT, PRESIDENT . A . S. B OOTH , Vi c ~ PRES T .

W~...J. A .SCOTT , CAS HI E R. . Las Animas , CoLo.

to

s y

t

-re all inter ~s

, anted SO - ting

better

to dO .

le

b""' ' to 1.i'rinidD.d a.nd

ro

l

t

hoo

arr~n

d

for

to

to 1;0ggsv1llo. mero

his

rtner, r. John , •

mo loa tad,

trot I ma to teach o ool

help • • :t>

ro

th

a book.a or

1,t

n!!

else t h: t

wo.nood o to do • I re ched

Bo ·-,Ville ... ,opte ber lot0 1 071~ whoro l found the firs t ochool

·house

in.

''ent County,

1n

oou.rso of ereoticm. .

!

tau t school

v ... ,~..,.

C...'1'ld

in ~ .. c.:.G a d. ow r ....

tbor more a.bout the noeoccc.ry

furnit ro

t

n

the

oohool irootoro aid. I

tbe1 fot .• $ pit in

or

tl finiohir ant. :fur shing

of the room, . ich

\'V'J.:J

in

due time. reedy for oecm._

moy.

I fo·

r.

iro.

ero to bo a

broo.d-mi1 d., 1ntel11 . nt gentlooan, D. cl I h.:: d

a.

very ple ~ nt ti .e

itb.

duties ndor him.

n too JUpilo 'Oro ass . bled, I £ou.nd. my roll con is-t-ing of 11

ite. four

lf 0-od ~exic .. o, f vo I artor brood

In nf,l,. three

t

br e Indians, a; d one colored.

imon, tho~

pils re

tour

of t fc ly of {it :aroon , tho celobreted frontier

•

the

ole, they were ilo 10 :e had no

trouble i GE3t tin o.lon 11th tho p1.1plls, or

t

y moon~ tie

•selves.

;o_ oro sst i.'l

duties

, 1 h.l.d

to

under

nn.

eJW.mination,by the ou.nty S01_{_0} l ,itl.porinten ent. I went to his

ho

for

t 1at

r1t2r:pose

c11d

fo

him buoy _ " rid.in ... lot of' ocl -ves

c.nd in order to oxpodito t w .... o sJJirt of holp, I took

hold a.nd · olpod. ,At the noon l'ID't.2r t u rintondent ro :iuoe a

book tb.o..t evidently he boe11 c t tor:,)t r by so, ono ·1 ty or

5

'2.

sL

ESTABLISHED 1875

~~nt (!lnunty m.~nk

P. G. SCOTT, PRESIDENT , A.S . BOOTH , Vt Cl!: PREST.

Wtj.J ,A.SCOTT, CASHlll!:R .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

seventy- fl ve yoe.ro befor • In it there ero q_uoeti no for

ettvo .,hhool to c 1or:l . '11 ommi.na.t ion be~J.n by siti ng

me questions :from thio book. ! explain d o my e:imminor th ....

t

t

t s not tl'l...e nt> ern w ~Y of to(...ohing t t p::irtic ,1 r oub,jeot.

ie \"lent from subject to subject in much

t

o ~iay. ! .d

1:f:0m:i him tl~ Cortif'irotos I hod roooived bcf ro to,.

'liue

in

m Ka.:.so.s,

t

n r.o thore ,,_.., a 300d de l of ,ork to do

et in tho COJ'r...,l, he docidod t l'l..at l

m.o

ulri

t

c.r

co ld t

a £ir"'t g de Cortit'lco.t e, so \10 en ed it by c.u.,journlnc to t:he

cor r ...

l to f

inioh

t

work, c.:nd · iah. rn did before k,

to our

examination had somG of the ole nto

of a fP...roo for believe I asked t he -,'U: rintendont

ro ·

uostiono

l

en spr in me the s h ol 1: s disminsod tle

te::i.o. r

t

i job ao $ co 1- VJ.nO r for · r. .:.rers .

'!'here re no fenooo :in t so d·

ys0 1n

fc.ot,

t nro o

not

a.

mile ot fe ce bot. en tho t

as ti:,to lino

rui Tepesta,

t.!ld

we rodo o river from

t10

one ... -x:iint to the ot her .

!81~ ·

I n tho f'ol l 18 ; the .... r' nsos valley Bro .ch of tho

Kn.nv

s ,

uCifio . • ~. o bu.11

t

£:ro~ Kit -Cc.rscn to the site of tho

proso

t

to· of ~o Ani."o, tllc..t fcll · c nirn::.s s

lc1d

~

The town oite .... so d by D.

_•

ofi'at, ... r., and

_•

oro

0

lio nt .

Boing f'artll:lr noath thc.n Kit 6

..

.

E S TABLISHED 1875

!B~nt (ttnu.nty tBctnk

OF LAS AN I MAS P . G . 5C0T T , PRES1DENT .

A .$ . B OOTH , Vic~ PRES T .

W':::!.J. A .SCOTT , CAsH r~R. . Las An imas , CoLo.

co ssion

bust

eso

l ft thut pl

e

ruxi c ...

fillbere,

~

tela ·co. and

taro & HOU

,ore

t

t

10 h;,nseo that l dled t ho ?or "11' ng o.nd 1 rr.rn!coion btWines •

I took .... oi t1

cc

\"lit ..:."ro·,orc Hou · "" olork. T. " t

m tho e ... t ,

is, the s ut n r r their ~do

u:.i. t

t

o .Les Anim.;,o ,

.!ie r -ceivod

t

guo s from

t

"10.ilro... , ia.

t

fret

t,

hire

te . ,

stly ox tel'..ms, ·

:; to their

des ti nat.:.on. o Ani s o o. veey, v ry bu. .. y le e in one 'ys

0. lr. torritory

~outh

i.Ot yet _

not atod

by

ilr

_•

T J:s .. s

t

s

int

f ::ir ~ VOl"'nl nt .f'rei ~

t

to

all t r. ir -.,t!l SOllth t,...tJd, s the re·' lltG in

sou.th rn 0 O.t'Ei. _t Te\7 10-0 c'.c\Zld rt of /J rizona,

t

t

U"

t

our.,i. on J 00

ot

r

of tho

oeo

in Le.a Alrl.! "O .

..,o

~a

o 1, tor, tho

tchis

:a.,

•: n

R. R. as o.:ton o~ from t he

b h i.'rom .Junta tQ

mas ot .. to li to uoblo. end

s fui

t.

Tha took the

bu.sinoos OO":Y from La.s ~ 111.m

•

Al

t Ok 0.

ntr

job.

In l 70 tho D rit O i.mty • .iOnlc .... o r

0 S

Fe

in

T toh r, ~01 A • .:hatc:Mi-, ~ohn ; . 0, Jo $. f. 0 . ;i, n.n.d

I r.1s off'oro t citi

oi'

b

o

r.or

a.rd

enter m1

rey

ti

c

I

,.. o oh, un 1st, 1076. ·On y 1st, 1n7 1 w ... s appoi tod ', ohier

i n placo of G • .;. 1<ldo ... , o ant ft'O?n here to

t l

he.to r :aros. ct

1--0.y,

color o •

't' ...

ESTABLISHED 1875

P. G . SCbTT,PRESIOEHT , A .S. BOOTH 1 VICI!: PRES T . W~ J .A .SCOTT, CASHlf:.R .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

om th.

t

date my fc.te 3eomed to be coaled for 1

no or

11).'1 d

to ·

t L,

from

t at

y to tlli.G, t; ly 1st.

1921.

ESTABLISHED 1875

~:ent (flnunty tlictnk

I

P. G. 5C0TT, PRES10ENT . A.S , BOOTH ~VICE PRES T.

W~.J .A.SCOTT, CASHIE.R ,

OF LAS ANIMAS

.

Las Animas , CoLo.

March 21, 1922

After agreei!.€ to talk to you a few minutes today

I had some tr0t1ble in deciding what to talk a.rout. I am suppos d to know a lot ab0t1t Banking, and well, the res1; of

/

/

you koow lot alrea~ and learning more al 1 the t

ipe ,

then Banking is n the mysterous business it was ;years ago, when

/

into 1ne business,

,t"

Jl I I

n&ny who did go in, wanted to keep their

,,

minutes secret as possib Now

/ is

all different. What with examina t io ns, stat emm ts, 1·oations, etc., the public is kept well informed.

I did at fi} t intend to talk about Banking, and look-ing through nzy- library, I found I aou.1 d trace the history of banking s earliest beginnings in something of its p:'esent

b

a.ck in the middle of the 12th Century, in Italy and that w02ld hardly be either mt erta:ining or instruct-i e t.o yen here now.

So after receiving a 1 etter from ~ 1r Club ;ye sterd~

I decided to give my talk an .alluring uaption and call it PROGRESS • I know that is a big El!bject, with great possibilities and with gt"eat pt"Os~cti ve. In fact, the clearest vi.si on cannot see the

.,PC I~ ',

end. Then gress must be our watchword, lthether our business is great or small. There is no such thmgas standing s;till , for if we are not going forward, we a.re certainly fP ing backward, and as I understand it, to join the Lion's Club,means a. pledge to

ESTABLISHED 1875

P . G , SCOT T , PRESIOE,...T . A .S . BOOT H , Vice PREST,

W t;j .J.A .S C OTT, CAS Hl !:.F\ .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

forward movement, sonething better tonx>rrow than we have today. Shou.ld any one of' you. be traveling in EngJa.nd, sootland, or Ire land, ;yot1 wcu ld be ab ]e tx> judge your Progress by the

Mile-stones yoo. see standing by the side of the road . (IOing fran one place of any improtance tx> anotrer you find a stone at the end of each mile, marled with the distanoe, f'acing ~u towards the place you are going, and when you re-trace you.r steps you find

{>, .... ~ - ,_ ~ }I

"1t st 11 faoi l]g you, fni,e d stance ~o t1;8_,, ~ oal ah;,ead: .,

l'{.,;(/'}y _{kt ,,.,,..,,..,} n A

e

A:'

<

L '} I t rr1 ~ I .

· 3/

A gt"eat deal has been acccmplished tolitards a

better-'z.t.<.A.,-1-x c...cC<>

ioon t of this ia.rt of 1he ArJta.nsas valley in the pi.st, say, fifty

years, and what has been do e can be neasured by certain markers,

I 'h,<-<.c4.. (u,...1 /, µ,<- ~

or rather accomplishnent, a.nd,,,..~t there is roan. What bas been

done ht--ti!lli:::.ii'st shcnld. be an inspiration and incentive or spir to greater things in t h e future than h8!7e yet beEll accomplished, great as they seem to be on looking back and c \llpl,ring the p;-esent

lJi th 1he pa.st . In order t o na.ke t his oompi.ri s:>n, if you wi 11

pardon me for talki ng old times, I w 01 ld lim to take you back a

f'ew years , in fact, as far back as t :ra birth <:£ Bent county, or a little beyond. con siderab]e has been wri \ten lately a b:>}lt the building and occupation of the t\\Q Bent · s .!!"'Orts, one opp:>sit e

Prowers Station on the North Bl?llk of 1he river, and the othe r between here and La Junta; also that the rise in the Armnsas river flooded the Soldiers barracl!s, sane twenty-two miles East of

(.. ( I I Uc.cf f1'- et

f~

.I"\ · ' L, , 1

th e present Fort ~~h , and caused the Govermnw t to move up to

r

the site of t:be p;-e sent Fort ~on

2 .

ESTABLISHED 1875

l&cnt <flnunty 1°'41nk

P. G . SC0TT1PRES1 0 ENT .

A .S . BOOTH , Vic e: P REST.

WljJ .A .SCOTT1 CAS H1r:R .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

al so that Kit Garson moved to the vi ci ni ty of Boggsvil le, was t akED. si c Lyon, and died there June 20, 1868 . His wife had died but a few weeks before, and the

and Ne_peata, t ~ Was-liOL Oll3 mile of f'~ce, in fact, no

fence at all, unles it was inclosing a door

yard.

There were no settle!IBnt s other than a ranch here and t rare along tm river, and at these ranc:m s it was a very rare thing to find a

110ne.n or children. In fact, it was not considered safe.

/

Indians roamed at will over all of colaracb a

the Ute tribe. The Cheyennes did not make their ho!IB

but came almost every fall to visit relatives, hunt~buffalo,

~ ~

rM

9,-µ

,I/ ,... '/ //-J11u.1 .y

or to ~ wild hOt-ses . Here too, I my stap for rd and nention

the only fight between the Utes and Cheyennes that took place after 1 was in Colorado . It was in t

re

fall of 1871, & party of

the Utes had cane to Boggsville to fl.sit Thoms

o.

Boggs, who md been the assistant agent for tile Utes at Jazwell, New Mexico. At

headed for Boggsville to visit their Ghief• s dru.ghter , Mrs. Prowers. The Ute s sozm how learned that the Cheyennes we re co ming and a.

party of them v.e nt East to the mou. th of Mid Creek, and hid: in a lunch of willows at the mw th of creek. A ns.ITow road was cut th rough these willows and as the Cheyennes filed throu ~. the Utes fired on than at point blank range. They killed ti ve

ESTABLISHED 1875

Lj

P. G. SC0TT, PRE5 1DENT ,

A . S . BOOTH , Vice PA CST.

Wtj.J .A.SCOTT, CA5Hl~F\ .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

Cleyennes, took their :;icalps, and there horses and

I ~

imned.iately started a wild dash back to Boggsville. Tlere

... (/ tu

were on:cy six Uheyennes in the ia.rty, and one esca.IBd on foot and ma.de his way back to the 70 -Bar ranch, where tbe foreman, Ricardo Moya, supplied him with a horse to enable him

ro

join the .rarty they had left in the m>rnmg. The

Utes reached Boggsvi lle in the night and startled the sleep-ing ranch.men with tmir wild whoops. Several of us left cur beds, dressed and went over to the Ute uamp to see what rad caused the commotion, and. the re I saw the fir st and la st

fresh scalps I ever

wim

1P s.ee. Tbe Utes cept up tm rac&l t till day-light, vhen tray starte for the Mountains with all baste. Wmn they g>t a.s far as the mouth of

tm

Apishapa., they broke up into groups and took different rout es to the mountains,

evidem.tl.7 afraid the Cheyennes were fo 11 owing.

Bent County was organized by the le gisla.ture,

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February, 1870. The first officers were-~v,'",u.

John W. Prowers, Phillip Landers and Theodore Gausscbin; coun:cy Clerk, John M. Boggs; superintendent of schools, R. M. Moore .

In November that same year an elect i on was held at the Sizer ranch, lmown now as tm Ca.man ramh, on the Picket Wire. Hardly enough i:ao ple a t tended to make m. election. Luke Cahill and a

Mr . Kinsey iere to be Judges of Election. Tl:ey waited dnr Kin say for sonBtim and then irooeeded without him• th the exce}:tion of

ESTABLIS H ED 1875

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Qlnunty

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P . G . SC0TT, PRE51DENT. A.$ . B OOTH , VICI!:: PREST.

W 'j J . A .SCOTT, C A S H rt:.F\ ,

O F LAS AN IM AS

Las An imas , CoLo.

:Mr. Lambert, only the prosi:ective officers were there .

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Officers elected were County Commissioners , Jolm

w.

Prowers,

Phillip Lander and Theodore GaussoinJ coun~ Clerk, Jahn M. Boggs , 6\lpt . of Schools , R. M. Moore ; Sheriff, Luke Cahill,

but Cahill declined to serve, a.nd T.

o.

Boggs took 1he appoint-ment. In returning from tle electi on, th~ :tt>um 1he body of Kinsey. He ha.d been killed by the Indians, scal:p3d, his horse ·and fire-arms t,aken, and he left on the prairie . .vlen

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his wife heard taa.t, she aJ.moot loot mr reason . In trose dEWS one never mew when a band of Indians might api:ea.r, so that

every person carried f:ire-arms of sCJne sort, usially in 1he case of us i:eople around Boggsville , the needle gun, as tl:ey ould be

got f DOm t he Fort .

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Bent county as o ganized, was 110 miles East

am

West , am 84 miles North and .:>OU.th . There was no irrigatio n along the Arkansas river, as it was supposed to be i mpossible to hold

a

head-gat e there, and the only cultivation was a few small branches in what is known. as the 9-mile bottom, ani again at Boggsville , wmre Prowers and Boggs each raised s one c arn and wheat . The cor n was fed to stoek, and the wheat ha.ule.d to PUeblo , wlere Thatcher ani Baxter had a Flouring Mill . The wheat was ruuled in wag:ins of

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course, and the flour brcnght back for use, or for sale .

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In 1871~ school District No . 1 , in Bent County , was organized, A school house built near Boggsville . It was built of ado be and was 20 by 30 feet , ani roofed wit h dirt ro of . L . E.

Boomer made the seats after a plan drawn by the prospective teacher •

ESTABLISHED 1975

P . G. SCOTT, PRESIDENT . A.S. BOOTH , Vic~ PREST.

W'j ..J . A .SCOTT, CASHICF\ .

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

was

The available school popilati on/in or near Boggsvill e

and consisted of three 1/2 breed Indians, four 1/2 breed Mexicans , Fwr l/4 breed Indians, One mgl"O a:nd One white.

The half breed Mexicans was the family

ox

Kit Caroo n, Their

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nanes were Kit Jr., Charlie, Rebecca, and Estella . ~ older

two children were William, who accidentally killed himself

at Alamosa, and Terracena, who beoane 1he wife of D. Allen,

brother of L. A. A.llEll . These p.1.pils,with the exception of Classon McKins}t:-the white boy, had l:ad vary little

schooling, so tm.t the teacher did not rave to s1lldy ou.t of school hours to keep ahead of t be pupils, but in addiH,on to

his e.Ghool du ties, l:e was usually delegated ai S&tur~ to

take a Mexican and a mu.le team, go to the paairie and bring back en01gh buffalo or antel~pe meat, but usually .Bu.ffalo, to

do tbe ha.nd s for a week or more. That ho.vever, was not con-Udered a hardship, as be sa.s supplied with a

a good horse.

caribim and

In 1873 the Armnsas valley branch of the K. P. Railroad was bl.lilt frcm Kit Carson to the Jr esent site of this

twwn.

Tre road reached l:ere abcut the first of October of that year, and where the buffalo had been ranging the year before, a town sprang up as if by ma.gio. A munber of people moved over from Kit Carson, and we had al kinis of people, wr.o usually compose a frontier town.

Amusemaits were not neglected, am we had t'M) full blown first class dance halls . In <lle of toom, Chalk Beeson led the mueio

ESTABLISHED 1675

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P . G . 5C0TT1PRES10ENT . A .$. BOOTH , V 1CE: PA CST.

W~..J.A .SCOTT, CAS Hl!:R.

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

Little drops of water

Applied to little grains of sand, Has made a mighty difference

In the :i;r ice o f land.

That is , water and steam, or in other wOI"'ds , irri~tion and the Railroads • But back of it all, something else. What ? The human brain. Somebody had vision, somebody ccnl d look ahead to what might be accanpli shed. The

Railroads brrught the p:3ople, and they, in turn accomplished irri E!f3,tion.

As :much as those who looked the landscape over

fifty yea.rs ag::, were unable to iredll.ct what we have tod.ey , so l b elieve we are abcnt in the same posi t&Cll as to what is to be accomplished in the re xt Half Century, and as I

understand it , a :i;art of the duties of the Lien's Club is to v.ork for still a better day and better conditions. TO make our en viir,onment here in Las Aninas more pleasant, we should apply ourselves to make t m City as beautiful as we

can, a.ni one of the zmin 1hings I believe, in that direction, is "the planting and cultii"a.tion of trees. Tl:e main rearon

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that Rocey Ford is the best advertised town in the 1~ ,

was that th EU planted trees and m.d trees graving all over t le

Town site. Travellers

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r~il would look at Lamar, Las Animas and La Junta and see the dry , white, unshaded s treats,

and when they got to H.ocky Ford, it a.PP3a.led to them as if 1he people were more progr.-e ssi ve , bad a better idea of can fort,

•

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.

.,

ESTABLISHED 1875

/0

P. G. SCOTT, PRESIOENT . A.S .BOOTH, VICE: PRIEST.

w~ J .A.SCOTT, CAsH,cR.

OF LAS ANIMAS

Las Animas , CoLo.

and tl:at was a great help in wilding up Rock,y Ford. Now we can raise trees just as.well as they cm, but

I

believe in the advice that the Laird of Dummy Dikes , as told in one of Walter Scott's Novels, gave to his son, Jock, the old man s aid "Aye, be sticki.n~ in a tree Jock, it will be growing while you are sleeping." A. nice p:i.rk, trees, and grass are beautiful to look upon

and pleasant to t he eye, and is a g, crl :iart <:£ an education ,

but not all. OUr minds smuld be cultivated. as well

and no better way of doing that than by associating with cultivated, wl.s·e :i;eople. we cannot beoome in ti na te wl. th best minds except through books , and we cannot al 1 own all the best books, therefore the next best thing is

a.

good Pu.blic Library.

Organization.