Conejos County, Colorado

Conejos County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,461.[1] The county seat is the unincorporated community of Conejos.[2]

Conejos County
County
Conejos County Courthouse
Conejos County Courthouse
Map of Colorado highlighting Conejos County
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Map of the United States highlighting Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°13′N 106°11′W
Country United States
State Colorado
FoundedNovember 1, 1861
Named forConejos River
SeatConejos
Largest townManassa
Area
 • Total1,291 sq mi (3,340 km2)
 • Land1,287 sq mi (3,330 km2)
 • Water3.6 sq mi (9 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total7,461
 • Density5.8/sq mi (2.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.conejoscounty.org

Being 50.7% Hispanic in 2020, Conejos was Colorado's largest Hispanic-majority county.[3]

History

The first European known to visit this area was Juan de Oñate y Salazar in 1550 followed by Don Diego de Vargas in 1694, but he left behind no colonists. In 1708, Juan de Uribarri passed through searching for run-away Indian slaves.[4]

Conejos County was one of the original 17 counties created by the General Assembly of the Territory of Colorado on 1851-11-01. Conejos County was originally named Guadalupe County but was renamed Conejos County a week later on November 7. Its name comes from the Spanish word "conejo", meaning rabbit, for the abundance of rabbits in the area. Also early in its existence, the county seat was moved from the town of Guadalupe to Conejos. The original boundaries of the county included a large portion of southwestern Colorado.

In 1874, most of the western and northern portions of the county were broken away to form parts of Hinsdale, La Plata and Rio Grande counties, and Conejos County achieved its modern borders in 1885 when its western half was taken to create Archuleta County.

Religious history

The community of Conejos is the location of the oldest extant church house in Colorado, constructed in 1856 and named "Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish".[5] The first settlers into the area were from New Mexico, primarily from Abiquiu, San Juan de los Caballeros and Santa Cruz. As more people arrived, mission churches were set up and all had the records housed in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.

When the neighboring town Los Sauces of Anitonito was built, the Theatines, priests from Spain, came into the area and built St. Augustine church in 1880 within Antonito. The church records from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish are now housed at the church offices of Saint Augustine. Conejos is approximately a mile northwest of Antonito.

Presbyterians came into Conejos County in 1880 establishing churches in Antonito, Alamosa, Cenicero, Del Norte, Mogote, San Rafael, and Monte Vista. They also established schools in the area and had a large number of Hispanic converts. A jacal went up in 1854 in Guadalupe, now known as Conejos, which was the beginning of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.

There is also a large Mormon population within Conejos County. Settlers belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) began settling in the towns of La Jara, Manassa and Sanford; each town currently has an LDS meetinghouse. Fox Creek, a village approximately 11 miles west of Antonito, is the newest community to have an LDS meetinghouse erected, although there had previously been a meetinghouse there. Fox Creek, however, does not have a predominantly Mormon population.

Genealogy

Records available for this area are marriage records, which are held by the county clerk. Divorce records are maintained by the clerk of the district court. Agencies that hold records for marriages and divorces from 1900 to 1939 are the Colorado State Archives and Denver Public Library Genealogy Department. Other records available are marriage records from 1871 and death records from 1877 to 1907. This also include land records from 1871, probate records from 1875, and court records from 1877. However, some records were lost due to a fire, but birth records for 1877-1907 are still preserved.[6] Websites that will be of use when doing genealogical research are The Colorado Genealogical Society and Conejos County WW II Enlistments.

Amendment 64

When Colorado Amendment 64 was being voted into effect by Coloradans, Conejos County residents voted against approving the measure to legalize and regulate recreational Marijuana consumption and possession for those 21 or older; Conejos residents simultaneously voted for a Democratic president in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, making Conejos county the only Colorado county with the distinction of leaning liberal with the 2008 and 2012 presidential picks while leaning conservative with regard to marijuana policy.

Geography
The area known as The Pinnacles along Forest Road 250 in the upper Conejos River Valley

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,291 square miles (3,340 km2), of which 1,287 square miles (3,330 km2) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2) (0.3%) is water.[7]

Conejos County is in a broad high mountain valley in South Central Colorado. It has an area of approximately 825,446 acres (3,340 km2) in 1,290 square miles (3,340 km2). Roughly half the area is on the nearly level floor of the valley, where the average elevation is about 7,700 feet (2,350 m). The western half of the county ranges from gently rolling to steep foothills with mountains that rise in elevation to about 13,000 feet (4,000 m).

Conejos County is situated with the National Forest to the west and the Rio Grande to the east, along Colorado's southern border with the state of New Mexico. Only about 34 percent of Conejos County is privately owned with the other 66 percent being National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or State owned lands.

Climate

In winter, the average temperature is 21.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average daily minimum temperature is 4 degrees. In summer, the average temperature is 61.4 degrees, and the average maximum temperature is 79.6 degrees.

Seventy-one percent of the annual precipitation falls in the months of April through September. Average seasonal snowfall is 28 inches. The average relative humidity in mid-afternoon in spring is less than 35 percent; during the rest of the year, it is about 45 percent. The percentage of possible sunshine is 77 in the summer and 73 in the winter.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected areas

Historic trails and sites

Scenic trails and byways

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18702,504—
18805,605123.8%
18907,19328.3%
19008,79422.3%
191011,28528.3%
19208,416−25.4%
19309,80316.5%
194011,64818.8%
195010,171−12.7%
19608,428−17.1%
19707,846−6.9%
19807,794−0.7%
19907,453−4.4%
20008,40012.7%
20108,256−1.7%
20207,461−9.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[1]

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 8,400 people, 2,980 households, and 2,211 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile (2.3 people/km2). There were 3,886 housing units at an average density of 3 units per square mile (1.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 72.76% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 1.69% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 21.50% from other races, and 3.61% from two or more races. 58.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,980 households, out of which 38.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.10% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,744, and the median income for a family was $29,066. Males had a median income of $26,351 versus $20,200 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,050. About 18.60% of families and 23.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.20% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Conejos County had a pretty solid track record as a bellwether county (Only voting for the losing party candidate in 1928, 1968, 1988 and 2004 since 1912). Donald Trump flipped the county in 2016 and held it even in his loss against Biden in 2020. In 2022, despite both Governor Jared Polis and Senator Micheal Bennet easily winning re-election by large margins, Conejos voted agaisnt both of them (even flipping to support Bennet’s opponent Joe O’Dea after Bennet had won the county in 2016). This could elude to Conejos trend to the right, becoming a consistently Republican County, in contrast to the state itself which has been trending to the left since 2004.

United States presidential election results for Conejos County, Colorado[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 2,286 52.76% 1,959 45.21% 88 2.03%
2016 1,914 47.59% 1,771 44.03% 337 8.38%
2012 1,835 44.75% 2,213 53.96% 53 1.29%
2008 1,653 42.67% 2,154 55.60% 67 1.73%
2004 1,864 49.01% 1,894 49.80% 45 1.18%
2000 1,772 48.27% 1,749 47.64% 150 4.09%
1996 1,149 36.06% 1,726 54.17% 311 9.76%
1992 1,160 33.48% 1,705 49.21% 600 17.32%
1988 1,445 41.92% 1,976 57.33% 26 0.75%
1984 1,669 51.40% 1,553 47.83% 25 0.77%
1980 1,597 49.41% 1,503 46.50% 132 4.08%
1976 1,426 44.65% 1,698 53.16% 70 2.19%
1972 1,658 55.51% 1,140 38.17% 189 6.33%
1968 1,361 45.67% 1,492 50.07% 127 4.26%
1964 1,031 33.52% 2,033 66.09% 12 0.39%
1960 1,367 38.80% 2,069 58.73% 87 2.47%
1956 1,884 55.89% 1,471 43.64% 16 0.47%
1952 2,194 56.23% 1,610 41.26% 98 2.51%
1948 1,532 40.03% 2,236 58.43% 59 1.54%
1944 1,740 46.18% 2,028 53.82% 0 0.00%
1940 2,028 44.81% 2,481 54.82% 17 0.38%
1936 1,305 35.18% 2,347 63.26% 58 1.56%
1932 1,190 30.90% 2,641 68.58% 20 0.52%
1928 1,463 45.24% 1,692 52.32% 79 2.44%
1924 1,475 56.17% 995 37.89% 156 5.94%
1920 1,595 63.50% 886 35.27% 31 1.23%
1916 928 34.74% 1,721 64.43% 22 0.82%
1912 1,587 34.36% 2,147 46.48% 885 19.16%

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other communities

Notable people

Fred Haberlein - Muralist Jack Dempsey - Famous boxer born in Manassa Colorado

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE". 2020 Census. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  4. Mead, Frances Harvey, Conejos County:The Canyons...The River...The Villages and the People, copyright, Frances Harvey Mead, 1894, p.1,2
  5. "History". ologp.com. Conejos, Colorado: Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  6. Alice Eichholz, Red Book American State, County and Town Sources; Ancestry.com, Colorado.
  7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 26, 2017.

37.21°N 106.19°W / 37.21; -106.19

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