-
-
Find
out about Trinidad's Families who have lived here
for 100 years or more.
-
-
-
-
Genevieve
Penno Arzich was a native "Trinidadian,"
born in 1911 on Alta Street of English Canadian parents.
-
-
Mary
was the first daughter born to George and Minnie Genis.
She and her brothers, Bobby and John were born in
Vancouver, Canada.
-
-
-
Discover
the family history of the author of this series.
-
-
-
The
search for a better life led Charles John Barrack
from Zahle, Lebanon to the United States in the year
1885.
-
-
Louise
Benavidez Sanchez describes family life growing up
in Alfalfa, Colorado -- 18 miles east of Trinidad.
-
-
Louise
Benavidez Sanchez recounts an incident with a cake
and other stories about family life in Trinidad.
-
-
Louise
Benavidez Sanchez describes more about her life growing
up in the Trinidad region.
-
-
John
Boggio immigrated from his native Italy in 1880 to
the state of Illinois to work in the coal mines. A
year later John traveled to Trinidad, CO to find work
at a coal mine.
-
-
Loretta
Bonino Rawlings and Veronica Marta Goodrich relate
how news of ample employment in the Colorado coal
mines drew the Bonino family to Colorado.
-
-
Laurine
Mercier traces the Bowles family from their move to
Trinidad in June of 1930.
-
-
Rae
Bulson describes Bulson beginnings in the region as
the family made its way to Las Animas County via Aguilar.
-
-
In
the late 1890's Guiseppi Burrescia and his oldest
son, Nicholas, age nine, left Palazzo Adriano, Sicily
for Naples to board a ship leaving for America.
-
-
Nicholas
Burrescia was born in Palazzo, Adrano Sicily on December
13, 1891.
-
-
-
Angelo
and Mary Caporale (Born in Naples, Italy in 1869 and
1868) and their six year old son, Joseph's, dream
of coming to America became a reality in late 1895.
-
-
-
Domenico
Cimino was born in the city of Cefalu, Province of
Palermo Sicily, Italy on December 24, 1874. He immigrated
to the United States at the age of 15 and arrived
at Ellis Island in 1889. Mary Carpita Cimino was from
in New Orleans on November 7, 1886.
-
-
John
Dale was born November 19, 1880 at Seoham Colliery,
County Durham, England. He came to Las Animas County,
Colorado as a young child with his parents, George
and Susan Johnson Dale.
-
-
-
John
and Jennie Dale had eight children.
-
-
-
The
dream of America as the land of opportunity led Antonio
DiPaola and Rosina Dolce to leave the island garden
of Sicily and emigrate to the coal fields of Las Animas
County.
-
-
-
Della
Maria Delfina Dominquez was born on May 17, 1900 to
Antonio Wilson and Lucas Dominquez. Several years
before her birth, her father's life was threatened.
As a result, he gathered his family and left Taos
in the dead of night and made his way to Colorado.
-
-
-
Homer
was born in Oklahoma City, the eldest of twins. He
lived in Hoehne, Colorado most of his life until he
joined the Air Force in 1949 and lived in many different
places for the following 21 years.
-
-
-
Just
about the time that Colorado became a state in
1876,
Albert J. Fouret and his wife, Louise left their
native country of Belgium and journeyed across
the Atlantic
Ocean to the wonderful new country of America.
-
-
After
high school in Trinidad, I went to San Diego to
look
for work. I lived there during World War II and returned
home to Trinidad after the war was over. I had
come
to San Diego with my mom only since my dad had passed
away as well as one sister and two brothers.
-
-
Josie
was born in Engleville, CO on Dec. 20, 1920, to
Apolinar
Vera and (Della) Maria Delfina Dominguez, and was
christened Theodora Aurelia.
-
-
Apolinar
a basque was born on July 23, 1890—Ulibarri,
Spain in the province of Navarra, to Vicente Vera
and Escolastica Gil. He was one of six children. Apolinar
studied for the priesthood, attending the Jesuit seminary
in Spain.
-
-
‘Tis
a long way from Londonderry in Ireland to Trinidad,
and a lengthy time span, too. From 1725 to 1939, 213
years, in fact. This is the tale of an English soldier
who left the Redcoats in Ireland when assigned to
aid in the execution of a fellow soldier, listened
intently to his conscience and made the decision to
leave Europe.
-
-
Grandmother
Lenora Myers Hanson, a native of Newport, Indiana
and later “the first white woman living on the
North Fork of the Solomon river in Kansas” had
early ties to the Trinidad community.
-
-
Albert
Harbridge was born in 1876 at Birmingham, England
and came to the United States when he was seven years
old. As
a youth he joined the military band during the Spanish-American
War.
-
-
Charlie
Hartman met Annie (Perkins) in Southern Texas, where
he was playing baseball, and she worked in a restaurant.
Upon seeing him for the first time, she said, "that
is the Man I'm going to marry."
-
-
William
W. Jones was born in Wales in 1842 and came to the
Trinidad area in 1883 from Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.
He was brought here to be Superintendent of the coke
ovens throughout Las Animas County.
-
-
-
-
Gunther
Kerger was a prisoner who spent time at the Prisoner
of War Camp near Trinidad. Kerger was the last person
to leave the camp when it closed in February, 1946.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Daughter of John B. Kimball and Ester Long
-
-
-
-
-
-
Granddaughter of Horace Long
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
John B. Kimball, a resident of Trinidad for more than 40 years and one of the foremost music professors of this city.
-
-
-
-
The
sheriff of Trinidad in 1890 was Louis Kreeger. He
took over as sheriff after Bat Masterson quit.
-
-
-
Lee's
Bar-B-Q began in May 1938. Read how the family owned
business began and continues to provide good food
and service to its customers.
-
The
Lynch Family
-
It
is not known why the Lynchs came to Trinidad, Colorado.
The saga of the plight of the Irish was a very
tragic one in human history. Those
who survived gathered up what little they had and sent a least one family member
to America to work and send funds home for the rest of the family to come.
This was the case of the Lynch family.
-
-
The
small town of Grimaldi, Italy, is a cluster of
weather-aged stone buildings that nestles in the
rolling hills in the southern Italian region of
Calabria. In this idyllic but secluded hillside
town Giuseppe Garibaldi Maio was born in 1866.
-
-
-
-
Fred
J. Marriott, Sr. was considered the leading piano
tuner in Boulder, Colorado. He began taking the train
to Trinidad to tune pianos for the Wooten Ranch. Soon
business began to open up in Trinidad as well.
-
-
-
Often
one hears a Trinidad native ask for "Marta bread"
instead of Italian or French Bread. The name dates
to 1926 when Martin and Prospero Marta opened Marta
Bakery on Country Club Drive.
-
-
-
Abraham
Mason the first son of George Mason was born in Walsenburg,
Co. March 1,1897. Most of his schooling was in the
Trinidad public schools, although he left school after
his sophomore year and went to work in the Commercial
Savings Bank.
-
-
-
Frank
E. Mason born in Trinidad May 2, 1925 was the third
son of Abe and Ethel. He went to school up to his
junior year of high school, then went to Albuquerque
High his senior year. In April 1943 he joined the
Navy and was sent to San Diego, CA, for boot training.
-
-
-
George
Mason was born in Paris, MO Aug. 5, 1867 one of eleven
children born to Abraham Gartin and Ann E. Sinclair
Mason. His father ran the Paris Mercury news paper,
where George worked at the printing trade when he
was young.
-
-
F.H.
McElfresh, former manager of the Colorado Supply Store
in Starkville, Colorado, was born in Paris, Illinois
on December 21, 1873.
-
-
-
Ida
Merrill's father, was an English nobleman, a Baron,
born in London England. On arrival in North Carolina,
in Albermarle Sound area, he started a ship building
business and was a slave holder; later he set his
slaves free.
-
-
-
Virgil
Micek came from Etwood, Kansas, where the family farmed.
He met his wife in Trinidad, Colorado. Together they
bought Gordon's Music.
-
-
-
Learn
the historical account of great artist Arthur Roy
Mitchell and how the A.R. Mitchell Museum came to
be. You'll love learning more about Trinidad's history
through this amazingly talented man.
-
-
-
David
met Clara Mae McInturff at a high school dance in
Branson while she was living in town and attending
school. She and her parents, J.L. and May McIntruff
had come to the area about 40 miles north of Branson
from Oklahoma with hope of homesteading a farm on
the rim of the Chaquaqua Canyon.
-
-
-
The
trails and tribulations of a young Ohio bride living
in the Indian country of Texas were terrifying at
times. One especially interesting story told by David’s
father, Clarence, was about when he was a tiny little
boy in Texas. The Indians came and took him from his
yard, leaving a calf in his place.
-
-
-
David
P. Newcomb moved his family from the mountains after
the dust bowl to Trinidad and rented a four-room house
from his mother. He paid a small amount each month
which went towards payments on purchasing the house.
It was a hard struggle trying to make ends meet, but
everyone was struggling at that time which was near
the end of the depression.
-
-
-
Ortega:
The name Ortega has its roots in Spain. It means dweller
at the sign of the grouse; one with the characteristics
of a grouse. Learn the history of the Ortega family
in this historical account.
-
-
Thomas
and Margaret (Mahoney) O'Mara lived in Trinidad,
Colorado from the late1870s to About
1890. The O'Mara Family Bible states that Thomas O'Mara
was from Kings County (Offaly), Margaret Mahoney from
Cork County, Ireland.
-
-
-
-
Daniel
J. Penno was one of the early newspaper men of Trinidad,
CO. Daniel J. Penno was born in 1876 which was the
year the United States celebrated its Centennial.
-
-
-
This
is a short synopsis of a very fine, and loving father,
friendly to everyone, and beloved by many. My dad
“Pete” Peterson.
-
-
-
The
Plested Family has been active in the business, cultural,
and civic life in Trinidad since Rev. William Plested
of New York City brought his family to Trinidad in
1882.
-
-
-
Jonathan
was baptized into Christ Lutheran Church at Stouchsburg,
PA. November 8, 1842. He started to work in the mines
in Schuylkill County PA. when he was only eight years
of age at $1.25 per week. He attended school sporadically.
At the age of seventeen he attended a few miles outside
of Naperville, IL. where Jack Gross, a german schoolmaster
taught. One day he licked the schoolmaster which ended
his schooling. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, blue eyes,
dark hair and light complexion.
-
-
-
I
have deep roots in Trinidad. Many of my ancestors
lived, worked, died and are buried in the area.
-
-
-
Gaspare
Rino was born on March 10, 1891 in Aiello Calabria,
Italy to Carmine and Rosina Grandinette Rino. He came
to the United States at an early age to join his brother
Louis
-
-
-
Maria
Graciana Ritz was born in Trinchera, Colorado on March
6, 1911. Her mother was Inez Medina who was the daughter
of Juan Medina and Lorencita Maestas who were married
in 1905. This puts this side of the family as being
in Las Animas County for over 100 years and thus receiving
the Centennial Family Recognition
-
-
-
He
held the love of all his family. He was a generous,
helping, and caring man. His life touched andenhanced
all those who knew him.
-
-
-
My
family and I spent many a holiday down at the farm.
It seems like just about every Easter and Christmas
the entire Salerno clan would gather for a lot of
eating, talking, and laughing. And no Easter celebration
was complete without an Easter egg hunt for the kids.
-
-
-
Carrie
was on of the ten children of Frank and Teresa Salerno.
After graduation from Hoehne High School, Carrie attended
secretarial school in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
-
-
-
Emily
is the daughter of Frank and Teresa Salerno. Emily
graduated from Hoehne High School, attended Trinidad
Junior College, and Western State.
-
-
-
-
One
of my earliest memories as a small child was being
tucked into bed down on the farm. I remember well
the hand-stitched wool comforter, heavy and warm.
The farm of which I speak belonged to my Grandfather
and Grandmother, Frank and Teresa Salerno.
-
-
-
In
1943, Frank Jr. and Pauline were married in Los Angeles.
After spending a year overseas as a communications'
officer for the Army Air Force in China, Burma and
India, Frank spent the next 33 years in public education.
-
-
-
When
I think of my grandparents and their farm, warm memories
follow me. The time spent there with them and with
my uncles, aunts, and cousins will be among the best
of my childhood.
-
-
-
Helen
Salerno was the fourth child of Frank and Teresa Salerno.
Helen attended Seton School of Nursing, Colorado Springs.
-
-
-
Josephine
was the oldest child of Frank and Teresa Salerno.
She married George Gerome in 1925. They had three
children. Teresa their first child, married Clay Rager.
Teresa lives in Santa Ana, California, and has been
employed with The Bank of America for many years.
-
-
-
Frank
and Teresa's ninth child was known as "Chickie"
to the family.
-
-
-
Rose
Caporale was twenty one years old when she married
Efisio (Tony) on July 21, 1917. Tony, 33, had traveled
and worked in gold and silver mines in California
before settling in the Berwind-Tobasco area to work
in the coal mines. Rose constantly worried that he
would be injured in the mine and by 1922 had talked
him into moving to El Moro.
-
-
-
When
I was young it wasn’t like it is today. When
we got old enough we was turned loose and we had to
learn everything the hard way. I had to do everything
myself. But it was a good experience. I really made
use of the sayin’, “live and learn”.
-
-
-
The
saddest part of our lives was when Albert passed away
on December 7, 1979. I'll never forget the morning
that he had a heart attack.
-
-
-
In
1930 I met my husband, Albert Sanchez. I was going
to school in Hoehne and that is were he lived. His
dad, Macedonio Sanchez, was a barber. He had his own
shop and he also had a pool hall in the same building.
-
-
-
Betty
Sanchez was born to Albert and Louise Sanchez on November
26, 1932. After graduation she went to Denver and
got a job. She met her husband, Richard Dalton, who
was stationed at Lowery Air Force Base.
-
-
-
I
remember when Florence was young and in the evenings
we would play cards, mostly Canasta of Trumps. We
laugh every time we think of the night we were playing
Trumps and Albert bid real high.
-
-
-
The
one incident I remember involving Jo Ella happened
on our trip to Massachusetts. Albert finally got his
wish to travel East in June 1962. We went on a three
week vacation to Massachusetts to visit our daughter,
Betty.
-
-
-
We
didn't have a radio or anything, but we had a phonograph.
My brother Steve would play the guitar, my dad or
my uncle Moya would play the violin. We used to play
spin the bottle and tell silly made up stories and
if anyone laughed they would be out of the game.
-
-
-
I
remember Vernon on our trip to Massachusetts. Vernon
was only eight years old. It rained all the way from
Kim, Colorado to New York. It was so beautiful all
the way because everything was green and clean looking.
-
-
-
My
father was the greatest, his didn't let his handicap
interferer with life. He loved playing poker at the
Volunteer Inn, he worked, cooked, cleaned house, raised
two children.
-
-
-
Andre
Susan, born July 18, 1888 in Mihelice, Istria-Austria,
came to the United States in 1905 at age sixteen and
a half.
While
in Starkville, Colorado he met his wife-to-be, Frances
Pauletich. She was born in Rocko Polje, Istria, Yugoslavia
on January 5, 1893, and came to the United States
in 1921.
-
-
-
Dr.
Bud Tatum and Harriet Gordon Tatum were lucky to be
born in Colorful Colorado—Bud in Starkville,
a mining camp, and Harriet in La Junta.
-
-
-
Born
April 15, 1887 in Percy, Illinois, J.P. Tatum was
of English, German, and Scottish decent. His father
was Rev. J.L. Tatum, a baptist minister, and his mother
was Susan Emma Stephens, a devout ministers wife and
President of her Baptist Missionary Society.
-
-
-
Julian
P. Tatum, Jr. (Bud) was born in a roaring mining camp
in Starkville, Colorado on April 3, 1914. He went
to school in Berwind and graduated from Trinidad High
School in 1931. Bud was an honor graduate of Trinidad
State Junior College and graduated at the top of his
class at Colorado State College, majoring in History
and Political Science.
-
-
-
Born
on October 1, 1885 in Palace Hotel in Osage City,
Kansas, Myrtle Tatum was the youngest daughter of
O.E. McElfresh and Elizabeth Baggerley McElfresh.
Her father owned a hotel and mortuary and served as
Postmaster of Osage City and as Postal Inspector in
Western Missouri.
-
-
-
Bob
Tatum, tall, lean, you named it. He has packed his
bag of bones from one side of the U.S. to the other
either in the Army or looking for Indian writings
and picture carvings. He is one of the best known
archaeologist in the country.
-
-
-
Clarence
became a watchmaker and engraver, working several
years at the Baur Jewelry Co. in Trinidad.
-
-
-
Claude
was member of Company B, Signal Troop, Colorado National
Guard, which was from Trinidad. They went down to
El Paso, Texas during the Mexican Border crisis in
1916.
-
-
-
George
was one of the Board of Directors that incorporated
'Aguilar Coal and Mining Company'. During this period
George was also proprietor of the Commercial and Central
Hotels. He also had dealings with the Jewell Coal
Mine and the Rival Coal Mine.
-
-
-
Hazel
Irene Tombling, the daughter of George and Lillian
Tombling was born on October 9, 1890, Rouse, Colorado.
-
-
-
Irma
Tombling was born October 18, 1896, Rockville, Colorado.
She married Francis DeJong on September 27, 1915 in
Trinidad.
-
-
-
Leonard
was born to George and Lillian Tombling on May 20,
1901 in Pictou, Colorado.
-
-
-
Jose'
Benigno Torres was born on February 8, 1859 in Ranchos
De Toas, county of Toas Territory of New Mexico. He
was the son of Jose' Tomas Torres and Ma. Del Carmel
Cordova, both parents born in northern province of
New Mexico belonging to the Republic of Mexico.
-
-
-
The
name Vigil first appears in the New Mexico history
in the late 1600's. Francisco Montes Vigil and Maria
Jimenez De Ancizo were colonists from Zacatecas. In
Santa Fe in 1695, he said he was a native of El Real
De Zacatecas and thirty years old.
-
-
-
-
Clarence
Richard Williams was born January 20, 1900 in Trinidad,
Colorado. He and his siblings grew to adult life on
"Their Ranch" near El Moro. A voracious
reader, he read every book in the library, in Trinidad,
by the time he was sixteen.
-
-
-
Family
tradition says Ida Drake was a relative of Queen Victoria
of England, probably a niece. Family research has
traced one branch of the family ancestry bark to 1630
to the Puritans at Salem, Massachusetts.
-
-
-
In
May, 1918, Frank and Mildred Williams completed "proving
up" their homestead claim; later they received
the patent issued on February 25, 1919 signed by President
Woodrow Wilson. The 320 acres of homestead land now
was theirs.
-
-
-
On
March 27, 1912 Frank Williams and Mildred were married
in Denver by Reverend Hiram Brooks after a long courtship.
They were a very handsome, capable couple. Then in
August, 1913 their first baby girl arrived, Ida Wilma.
-
-
-
Marion
Daniel Williams was born on September 6, 1865, near
Lowry City, Missouri (St. Clair Co.) to Daniel &
Mary Elizabeth (Snowder) Williams. Little is known
of his father's family background, except they supposedly
had plantations in Virginia.
-
-
-
Merrill,
the first boy in the family, was called Buddy, a pet
name given by the family, until birth of a second
boy four years later. At age of 7, he acquired his
first carpenter tools and began learning how to use
them. He soon developed a considerable talent in their
use. Later as a teenager he was able to help the family
by making a number of improvements on their home.
-
-
-
The
story begins with Wilma as the oldest child. She soon
acquired her mother's loving ways and greatly assisted
her parents in attending to her younger sisters and
brothers.
-
-
-
Alice
authored Family Care and Post-Discharge Community
Adjustment, based on a group research project by the
University of Denver School of Social Work. She was
also technical editor of the final report on a prisoner
work release study project for the U.S. Department
of Labor and Manpower Division.
-
-
-
Alice
(Ruth's sister) first recollection is of standing
on a small makeshift stage bowing after putting on
a little play. Ruth was surprised that Alice remembered
because she was only two years old, even Ruth, four
at the time, doesn't remember what the play was or
what it was for.