Las Animas

Located about 65 miles east of Pueblo, Las Animas is along the Arkansas River valley along HW 50. Out along the lush river valley there are farms and ranches, but as soon as you go north or south of the river the land gets semi-arid and hot and dry in the summer, cold and even dusty in the winter. Lying only 50 miles from the New Mexican/Colorado border this area of Colorado has a desert like feel even along the greened land enlivened by the river.

About 2,500 people call Las Animas home. The average household income is about $25,000. Many work in the agricultural/ranching business, many also work for the county, city and school district. Some make their long hour plus trek to Pueblo to work.

This small town of 2,400 residents lies just between La Junta and Lamar and is located along the Arkansas River. It is an agricultural town with many of the residents working in agriculture, law enforcement, and public administration. Las Animas began as a site on the Santa Fe Trail, until the railroad bypassed the town for La Junta, which lies 20 miles west of Las Animas. The town's name is translated as 'lost souls' most likely from the time of Coronado and his conquistadors who lost their lives here. Some people believed that without receiving last rights from a priest their souls would be lost. Although this isn't exactly what the church believes, the name stuck.

Las Animas is home to some very beautiful older buildings, such as a stone church and many buildings that look as if they were built at the turn of the century in the old victorian style. Even the Bent County Courthouse is cool to look at. Located not far from town is Bent's Old Fort, an old trading post which was run by the famous Kit Carson and was a place for settlers, explorers, and trappers to trade their goods and furs.

The average household income is $27,329, well below the Colorado average. Even the median home price at $57,799 is almost four times lower than the state average.