The Heart of Trinidad
The old west comes alive amid opulent 100-year-old buildings and 6.5 miles of winding brick streets of the town of Trinidad.
"Rawhide and Velvet" by Willard Louden Resident Area Artist
You still may hear the roar of guns, the gallop of horses in pursuit, the shouts of men and the screams of the women and children riding in their covered wagons on the Santa Fe Trail. Trinidad was a major trading center along the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail, which converged in downtown Trinidad at the corner of Main and Commercial Streets. Doc Holiday gambled here, Billy the Kid and Black Jack Ketchum's Gangs visited here far too often. Batt Masterson was even Town Marshall for a while. Stay and enjoy the western hospitality at the quaint restaurants, shops, galleries, Inns, and many museums.
Santa Fe cabins and vacation homes are the perfect escape for those looking for a quiet and relaxing getaway. Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, these properties offer stunning views of the natural landscape and plenty of privacy. Whether you're looking for a rustic cabin with all the amenities or a more luxurious vacation home, Santa Fe has something for everyone.
Cabins - example of western hospitality
The cabin is a staple in the western hospitality industry. It is a place where weary travelers can rest their heads and rejuvenate before continuing on their journey. The cabin is often seen as a place of refuge, a place where people can go to escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world. The cabin is also a place where people can come together and share stories around the fire. It is a place where people can relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. The cabin is a place where people can reconnect with nature and recharge their batteries. If you are looking for a place to relax and recharge, then the cabin is the perfect place for you.
Cabin rentals in Park City
Cabin rentals in Park City offer the perfect opportunity to experience all that this beautiful mountain town has to offer. The rustic cabins provide a comfortable and cozy place to stay while enjoying the many outdoor activities that Park City has to offer. Whether you are looking to ski or snowboard the slopes at one of the many world-class resorts, go mountain biking or hiking in the summer, or just take in the stunning views, cabin rentals in Park City are a great choice for your next vacation.
Cabin rentals in Chicago
There are many different types of cabin rentals in Chicago. You can find a cabin that is right for your group size and budget. Most cabins have all the amenities you need for a relaxing trip, such as a kitchen, living area, and bedrooms. If you are looking for a fun and unique experience, consider renting a cabin on a river or lake. This will allow you to enjoy nature and the outdoors while still having a comfortable place to stay.
Flagstaff cabin rentals
Flagstaff cabin rentals offer a rustic and serene escape from the bustle of the city. The tall ponderosa pines that surround the cabins offer a sense of privacy and tranquility, while the nearby San Francisco Peaks offer majestic views of the surrounding landscape. Whether you're looking for a place to get away for a weekend or a place to stay while you explore all that Flagstaff has to offer, cabin rentals are the perfect option.
Very few towns in the American West can even approach the exciting past and rich cultural tapestry that wraps the beautiful little town of Trinidad in unexpected contrasts and fascinating details. Walk with me through some of that richness which makes Trinidad so unique and singularly charming. First let us consider the locale. How many towns sit in so beautiful and varied a setting? We nestle in a pleasant, cottonwood-lined valley with a mountain stream tumbling its way down from the snows of 14,000 foot Mount Culebra and her sister mountains of the dramatic Culebra range of the fabled Sangre de Cristo mountains. Many towns of the West sit in pleasant valleys with snow capped mountains looming above them but do they also have a towering, stair-stepped mesa marking the entrance to a major pass that has been used by men and animals since time immemorial? Are those other towns cuddled on two sides by a rock plateau that provides a magnificent cliff-ringed overlook of the town? Do they have five lakes within easy reach? Completing the picture, blue mesas stretch through distant haze and golden prairies roll away to the skyline.
In this lovely setting let us step back in time. A great variety of stone structures and stone and bone artifacts tell us that for at least 10 or 12 thousand years there has been extensive use of this valley and the Raton Pass to the south. As early as 1594 Spanish explorers such as Humano and Bonilla may or may not have struggled down our little stream but the legacy of their dissension and murder and death without benefit of a priest, whenever it happened, have given our stream a very big name: El Rio de Las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio. This Spanish name, with its assuredly garbled theology, translates into The River of Lost Souls in Purgatory. The French got involved somewhere along the line and the Spanish Purgatorio became the French Purgatoire in both spelling and pronunciation. However, many English speakers couldn't deal with the French pronunciation and it came out "Picketwire" to many of them, so we still have the latter two versions of the name.
By early 1700s Spanish military expeditions led by Valverde and Villasur were riding through our valley, as did the French Mallet brothers in 1739. By the early 1800s American explorers such as Pike, Long and Jacob Fowler were poking around the area and, downstream a ways, the latter had a member of his party killed by a grizzly bear. In 1821 a young entrepreneur named William Becknell made the first trip on what was to become the great highway of commerce we know as the Santa Fe Trail. The Mountain Branch of the trail traveled parallel to the Purgatoire and forded it in this area to start its arduous route across Raton Pass.
Many famous Western characters were a big part of Trinidad's history. Kit Carson: Scout, military commander and Indian agent, knew Trinidad well. A magnificent, world-famous statue commemorates him in Kit Carson Park. Uncle Dick Wooton: Mountain man, entrepreneur, founder of the Raton Pass toll station, raconteur extra-ordinaire. Casamiro Barela: Member of the Colorado legislature, one of the authors of Colorado's constitution. Felipe Baca: One of Trinidad's founders and long-time community leaders. "Red" Bransford: Sister of Red Cloud, aunt of Crazy Horse, who operated one of Trinidad's first lodging establishments on the site of the present Columbian Hotel. Bat Masterson: Legendary lawman who was town marshal in the 1880s (visiting him occasionally was his tubercular friend and gambling buddy, Doc Holiday). Frank Bloom, early merchant who established the first commercial coal mining operation in the West and whose home is now the centerpiece of the Trinidad History Museum. Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving, who established the Goodnight Trail and were the first to trail tens of thousands of cattle through the area from Texas to hungry miners throughout the Rocky Mountains.
The coming of two railroads to Trinidad ended the commerce on the Santa Fe Trail and the trailing of cattle through the area. However, soon thereafter Trinidad became the specific nerve center for ranching operations which reached from far up in Canada, Montana and the Dakotas, clear into Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The same Frank Bloom became a cattle baron with huge holdings. Also headquartered in Trinidad was the Scotch/English-owned Prairie Land and Cattle Company which controlled an estimated sixteen million acres between Pueblo and Amarillo. The Scotsman Murdo McKenzie is generally considered the greatest land and cattle manager of all time. From Trinidad, he managed the Prairie Land and Cattle Company, and later the awesome Matador Cattle Company- perhaps the greatest ranching operation in North America. During those same years, the railroad created demand for fuel and gave significance to Trinidad's immense coal resources.
To those exuberant decades and flourishing industries we owe our superb collection of eclectic Victorian buildings and grand array of brick streets. Additionally, they created a small town as ethnically and culturally diverse as most major cities. This diversity of cultures has produced, not fragmentation, but a blending of traditions and attitudes which, together with rich history and a nearly ideal geographical setting, gives Trinidad its unique charm and spirit. Enjoy your stay here - whether it's for a day or a lifetime.
RiverWalk runs through town
Cool off by the trees along the Purgatoire River at Trinidad's newest feature, the Riverwalk Park. Stroll along the walkway while you learn things about the history of the Santa Fe Trail, its people, flora and fauna, and get a sample of local color from the interpretive signs along the path. See Kearny's encampment where he organized his soldiers for a bloodless conquest of Santa Fe, securing the northern battlefield of the U.S. Mexican War for the United States in 1846. The camp stretched up and down the river, for there were 1,600 soldiers, 1,500 supply wagons and wheeled field pieces, 15,000 oxen, 4,000 mules and uncounted teamsters, muleteers and drivers, many accompanied by women. This was Kearny's big gamble, for few wheeled vehicles had ever crossed the Pass. Although the army was there for a brief time, as they prepared to struggle over the crude trail across Raton Pass, they left the riverbanks stripped and trampled. Today the Riverwalk has recovered and flourishes with wildlife and greenery. Experience the tranquility of the Purgatoire River as it was used for years, "Rest for the weary traveler."
The Historical Markers in the Corazon De Trinidad National Historic District
With impressive historic buildings, brick streets, and meandering alleys, downtown Trinidad is an architectural treasure. Historic markers placed throughout the city, highlight people and places of early Trinidad. View the Victorian architectural jewels of such greats as Bulger and Rapp. Explore the city on the free Trinidad trolley, which operates from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The trolley leaves just about every daylight hour, on the hour, Monday through Friday from the Colorado Welcome Center. A trolley ride is a fun-filled tour with tall tales of the main attractions, and quick stops long enough to stretch your legs. Admire views and visit some of the city's major artwork, the Trolley trips are a great adventure for the curious kids of all ages. They are a great way to ask more questions about the area and figure out where you'd like to spend more time. In the cool of the evening, after dinner, you will probably want to go back and walk or drive along some of the streets, imagining the people who built and lived in the beautiful frontier Victorian homes.
Trinidad Historical Society placed the historic markers and published a walking tour guide to the Corazon De Trinidad National District. Purchase a guide book at the Carnegie Public Library, 202 North Animas, and at the museum and selected shops within the Corazon de Trinidad National Historic District. Following the self-guided tours, the map and information below tells about the major buildings and some of the incidents that occurred on the streets of historic Trinidad. The guide describes dates and facts about 42 buildings in the Historic District including Holy Trinity Church, the West (Fox) Theater, Columbian Hotel, Trinidad Water Works and Schneider Brewery and some of the interesting stories behind them. Proceeds from the book's sale benefit the Trinidad Historical Society. Fifteen historical markers are located in the Corazon de Trinidad (Heart of Trinidad) beginning at the northeast corner of West Main and Beech Streets and continuing down Main Street to the southwest corner of East Main and Walnut Streets and down Commercial Street to the west side of the Commercial Street Bridge.