Place:Baca, Colorado, United States

Watchers
NameBaca
Alt namesBacasource: Getty Vocabulary Program
TypeCounty
Coordinates37.333°N 102.55°W
Located inColorado, United States     (1889 - )
See alsoLas Animas, Colorado, United StatesParent county (source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990)
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Baca County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,506.[1] The county seat is Springfield. Located at the southeast corner of Colorado, the county shares state borders with Kansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

Contents

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Baca County was created by the Colorado legislature on April 16, 1889, out of eastern portions of Las Animas County. Baca County was named in honor of pioneer and Colorado territorial legislator Felipe Baca.

Prior to the 1880s there was little activity in the county, other than along the Cutoff Branch of the Santa Fe Trail that crosses its extreme southeastern corner. The 1910s saw wet years and expansion due to the increase in acreage that could be homesteaded. World War I also brought increased demand for agricultural products. The arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1926 created new towns and a population increase.

The Dust Bowl arrived in the 1930s, with Baca County being one of the hardest hit areas. This prompted soil conservation efforts by the federal government. Part of this effort was the purchase of cultivated land by the government in order to return it to grassland. Today the U.S. Forest Service supervises 220,000 acres of Comanche National Grassland which was purchased in the 1930s. These areas include Carrizo Creek and Picture Canyon. The Colorado Division of Wildlife maintains the recreational areas at Two Buttes Lake and Turk's Pond.

On May 18, 1977, an F4 tornado struck the southeastern portion of Baca County, causing an estimated $2.5 million in damage. It tracked from Keyes, Oklahoma, where damage was estimated at $25,000. As of 2020, this is the only F4/EF4 tornado ever recorded in Colorado since 1950.

Timeline

Date Event Source
1889 County formed Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1889 Court records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1889 Land records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1889 Marriage records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1889 Probate records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1890 First census Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1890 No significant boundary changes after this year Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990

Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
Census Year Population
1890 1,479
1900 759
1910 2,516
1920 8,721
1930 10,570
1940 6,207
1950 7,964
1960 6,310
1970 5,674
1980 5,419
1990 4,556

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Baca County, Colorado, United States

Research Tips


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