Badito, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Badito
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Ruins in Badito, May 2007
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 Badito
Location in Colorado
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| Elevation | 6,431 ft (1,960 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 192690 |
Badito is a ghost town located in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. It sits along the Huerfano River. Today, you can find its remains where Colorado State Highway 69 meets County Road 520. Badito once had a post office. It opened in 1865, first called Little Orphan, then changed to Badito later that year. This small town even served as the county seat for Huerfano County for a few years. The post office closed in 1910, and the town slowly faded away.
Contents
Badito's Past: A Journey Through Time
Badito has a long and interesting history. It was a stopping point for many different groups of people over hundreds of years. The area around Badito was important for travel and trade.
Early Travelers and Ancient Paths
Long ago, the Ancestral Puebloans used a path through this area. They were ancient people who lived in the southwestern United States. This path crossed the Huerfano River right where Badito is now.
In 1706, a Spanish expedition came through this region. General Juan de Ulibarrí led this group. He wrote about their journey through Cuchara Pass. They reached the Huerfano River at Badito. This was one of the first recorded trips by Europeans here.
Later, in 1819, a man named Jacob Fowler visited the site. He wrote about finding an old Spanish adobe fort there. This fort was already abandoned.
A Busy Crossroads and County Seat
Badito became an important crossroads. The Taos Trappers Trail passed through it. This trail connected the famous Santa Fe Trail with the Cherokee Trail. It was a busy route for traders and travelers.
In 1868, Badito was chosen as the county seat for Huerfano County. This meant it was the main town for government business. But this didn't last forever. In 1874, the county seat moved to Walsenburg. After that, Badito slowly became the ghost town we see today.
Images for kids
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Badito Cone, a prominent peak just north of Badito, May 2007
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Some ruins in Badito, May 2007
