Boggsville, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Boggsville, Colorado
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 Boggsville, Colorado
Location in the United States
Boggsville, Colorado
Location in Colorado
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| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State | Colorado | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| County | Bent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 3,914 ft (1,193 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ZIP Code |
81054 (Las Animas)
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| Area code | 719 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GNIS pop ID | 195528 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boggsville is a ghost town in Bent County, Colorado. A ghost town is a place where people used to live, but now it's mostly empty. Boggsville is located near the Purgatoire River, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from where it meets the Arkansas River. You can find it along Highway 101, about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Las Animas.
Contents
Boggsville's Early Days
Boggsville was started in 1866. The buildings that are still standing today show some of the oldest examples of Territorial architecture in Colorado. This style was common when Colorado was still a territory, not yet a state.
Famous People and Important Roles
Boggsville was the last home of a famous frontiersman named Kit Carson. He was an explorer and guide who lived there before he passed away in 1868. The village was also a stop for stagecoaches on a route called the Purgatory Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.
When Bent County was created in 1870, Boggsville became the "county seat." This means it was the main town where the county government was located.
How Boggsville Got Its Name
The town was named after Thomas Oliver Boggs (1824-1894). He was a trader who worked with Native American tribes and also bought and sold cattle. In 1846, Boggs married Rumalda Luna Bent. She was the stepdaughter of Charles Bent, who was the first American governor of New Mexico. Rumalda inherited large areas of land in Colorado.
In 1866, Thomas Boggs built an adobe house on his 2,040-acre (826 ha) land. The next year, John Wesley Prowers built a large, two-story house in Boggsville. This house had 14 rooms and was used as a home, a school, and a stagecoach station. After 1870, it also served as the Bent County government building.
First Irrigation Project
In 1867, the people of Boggsville worked together to dig the Tarbox Ditch. This ditch carried water from the Purgatoire River for 7 miles (11 km) to water about 1,000 acres (405 ha) of farmland. This was the very first irrigation project of its kind in southeastern Colorado. It helped farmers grow crops in the dry land.
Why Boggsville Became a Ghost Town
In 1873, the county seat was moved from Boggsville to Las Animas City. At that time, Boggsville had 97 people who could vote. In the same year, new railroads like the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the Kansas Pacific Railroad were built, but they did not pass through Boggsville. This meant the town was bypassed, and it became harder for businesses to grow.
John Wesley Prowers moved to West Las Animas and became a successful cattle rancher and politician. Thomas Boggs, who was the first sheriff of Bent County, moved to Springer, New Mexico in 1877. After these important people left, the land was sold. It became a large ranch called the San Patricio Ranch.
Boggsville never had its own post office. Today, the U.S. Post Office in Las Animas (ZIP Code 81054) handles mail for the Boggsville area.
What Boggsville Looks Like Today
The Boggsville site is now part of a large farm. However, 39 acres (16 ha) of land, including the historic Boggs and Prowers houses, were given to the Pioneer Historical Society of Bent County. These are the only old buildings left. Long ago, there were thirteen permanent buildings in the village. One of these was the home of Kit Carson from December 1867 until he passed away in May 1868. Sadly, Kit Carson's house was destroyed in a flood in 1921.
The Historic Houses
The Boggs House has been empty since 1975. It is shaped like a "U" now, but it was originally shaped like an "L." This one-story building is made of adobe bricks. It shows a mix of Territorial architecture and Greek Revival styles.
The Prowers House was last lived in during the 1950s. By the 1980s, parts of this rectangular adobe house had fallen down. Some parts were even removed as early as the 1920s. The wood used inside the Prowers House was brought all the way from St. Louis. There are also five smaller buildings around the Boggs House.
The Pioneer Historical Society of Bent County has worked to fix up and restore the Boggs and Prowers houses. The site is now open for people to visit and learn about its history. Boggsville was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 24, 1986, which means it's recognized as an important historical site.
Notable People from Boggsville
- Thomas Oliver Boggs: A trader, businessman, and the first sheriff of Bent County.
- Kit Carson: A famous explorer, guide, and U.S. Army officer.
- Amache Prowers: A Native American activist, rancher, and store owner.
See also
- List of county seats in Colorado
- List of ghost towns in Colorado
- List of protected areas of Colorado
