"Tales Along The Highway Of Legends" is an audio collection, by Allen Bachoroski, of 36 of the legends that surround the Highway of Legends located in the central portion of Southern Colorado.

Bachoroski's interest in storytelling and Indians goes back to his high school days, when he belonged to an Indian dance group. His interaction in local legends started while at Trinidad State Junior College, when he searched for the stories behind Fisher's Peak and Monument Lake.

While living and teaching in nearby Raton, he and his wife would travel over Raton Pass and would see the majestic Spanish Peaks and the Sangre de Cristo Range.

Bachoroski discovered that each of those mountain landmarks had their own legend. Some of those legends include: "Wootton's Toll Road," "The Folsom Man," "The Great Flood," various Routes of the Santa Fe Trail and "How the Peaks were Named."

To become a school principal, Bachoroski obtained an master's degree from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M., where he also studied about Kit Carson, Fort Union and local Hispanic history. The family then moved to the Navajo Indian Reservation and during the next four years, he learned many of the Native American stories.

"The Bear Lake Story," "Dance of Brave Deeds" and "The Mountain of Snakes" are examples of Native American stories that have been included in this collection.

Upon returning to Trinidad to raise a family, Bachoroski continued in school administration, serving the Aguilar and Primero school districts . During his 10 years as Superintendent of Schools in Primero, Bachoroski documented its school history. "When Schools Weren't," "How Torres Survives," "The Yellow School Train," and "The Legendary Maid Marian" are some of these stories included in this collection.

When Highway 12 was designated the first scenic byway of Colorado in 1988, Bachoroski and some friends researched local legends and wrote the first book for this area about those legends.

During the last ten years, Bachoroski has been director of the Upward Bound Program at Trinidad State Junior College and a part-time instructor.

He has collected 101 local family stories, which where donated to local libraries and are featured on the history section of The Trinidad Internet Site.

Bachoroski says, "It is an honor to actually know family members whose ancestors have become legends. Those family names which come to mind include: Sporleder, Torres, Russell, Johnson, Walsen, Hanson and the Madrids."

Bachoroski has been sharing his stories with community groups and has been giving local history classes through TSJC, which consists of a tour along Highway 12. "We stop at many of the interesting, historic and picturesque places, where I'm able to share my stories and legends.

You can reach Allen by:

E-mail at:

  bachoroski@rmi.net  

Mail at: 

Allen Bachoroski
927 Park Street
Trinidad, CO 81082