Antonito, Colorado

Town of Antonito, Colorado
—  Town  —
Location in Conejos County and the State of Colorado
Coordinates: 37°4′39″N 106°0′34″W
Country	United States
State	State of Colorado
County	Conejos County
Incorporated (town)	December 29, 1889
Government
• Type	Statutory Town
• Mayor	Mike Trujillo Jr.
Area
• Total	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)
• Land	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	7,890 ft (2,405 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	873
• Density	2,182.5/sq mi (873/km2)
Time zone	MST (UTC-7)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code	81120
Area code(s)	719
Highways	US 285    SH 17
GNIS feature ID	0190909

The Town of Antonito is a statutory town located in Conejos County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town's population was 873.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Antonito has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all of it land. It is located at 37°4′39″N 106°0′34″W (37.077490, -106.009489), along U.S. Highway 285.

Antonito is the southern terminus of the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad and the eastern terminus of the steam powered, narrow gauge Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, which runs westwards to Osier, CO and Chama, NM.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 873 people, 357 households, and 234 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,212.3 people per square mile (864.3/km²). There were 396 housing units at an average density of 1,003.5 per square mile (392.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 61.40% White, 0.11% African American, 3.55% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 31.96% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 90.26% of the population.

There were 357 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $19,205, and the median income for a family was $23,162. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,047. About 26.4% of families and 29.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.3% of those under age 18 and 22.5% of those age 65 or over.

Recent developments

Antonito was once known as the "perlite capital of the world" but with one perlite mill closed and many other businesses closing down the town is struggling to survive financially. Town Hall opens an hour late and closes an hour early, the facility management budget has been cut, and the town clerk comes in only as needed. The town has eliminated health insurance for its employees.

Despite a poor economy, there has been much development on Main Street in recent years. An art gallery, a hotel, a library, a second hand store, a tire repair shop and other businesses have been added, while a historic drug store and a pharmacy have been lost. Several abandoned buildings have been purchased and are undergoing renovation in the hope that the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad will relocate its operations to the historic train depot located in the center of Antonito. In addition, Iowa Pacific Holdings is working on tentative plans to build a shipping hub in Antonito linking the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad with truck traffic along US 285. The Chicago-based company is eyeing 1,579 acres (6.39 km²) between the town and the New Mexico state line for the facility, which would also include commercial sites for shipping-related businesses.

Noteworthy Antonitoans

While many people view Antonito as a "financially-struggling" town with a monetarily poor school district, noteworthy people were born, raised in and/or lived in the town.^{[citation needed]}

• José Inez Taylor, co-author of the book Alex and the Hobo.
• Ruben Archuleta, Pueblo, Colorado's first Hispanic Chief of Police in 1995, and author of several books: I Came From El Valle, Land of the Penitentes, Land of Tradition, Eppie Archuleta and the Tale of Juan de la Burra and Penitente Renaissance, Manifesting Hope.
• Carlos Lucero, the first Hispanic president of the Colorado Bar Association, in 1995 became the first Hispanic judge to sit on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
• Celedonio Mondragon, founder of the oldest Hispanic fraternal organization in the nation, La Sociedad Protection Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos.
• Internationally recognized muralist Fred "Lightning Heart" Haberlein graduated from Antonito High School.
• Outsider artist Donald "Cano" Espinoza, builder of the world-famous "Cano's Castle".
• State Representative Rafael Gallegos, D-Antonito.
• Chicano poet Aaron A. Abeyta was born and raised in Antonito. Abeyta won the American Book Award in 2001 for his first collection of poems, Colcha.

See also

• Conejos County, Colorado
• State of Colorado
  • Colorado municipalities

External links

• CDOT map of the Town of Antonito
• SLV Dweller - San Luis Valley News, Culture, History and Events.