La Junta, Colorado
| City of La Junta, Colorado | |||
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| Coordinates: 37°58′53″N 103°32′51″W / 37.98139°N 103.5475°WCoordinates: 37°58′53″N 103°32′51″W / 37.98139°N 103.5475°W | |||
| Country |  United States |
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| State |  State of Colorado |
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| County | Otero County Seat[1] | ||
| Incorporated | April 23, 1881[2] | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Home Rule Municipality[1] | ||
| • Mayor | Don Rizzuto | ||
| • City Manager | Rick Klein | ||
| • City Council | Eugene Mestas, Billie Johnson, Jackie Abrams, Bob Friedenberger, Michael Moreno, Bill Schmidt | ||
| • City Attorney | Phil Malouff | ||
| • Police Chief | G. Todd Quick | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2) | ||
| • Land | 2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) | ||
| Elevation[3] | 4,078 ft (1,243 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| • Total | 7,568 | ||
| • Density | 2,609.7/sq mi (1,022.7/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) | ||
| ZIP code[4] | 81050 | ||
| Area code(s) | 719 | ||
| FIPS code | 08-42110 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0204829 | ||
| Website | www.ci.la-junta.co.us | ||
The City of La Junta is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Otero County, Colorado, United States.[5] The city population was 7,568 at the U.S. Census 2000. La Junta is located on the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado east of Pueblo.
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[edit] History
During World War II, La Junta had an Army Air Force Training Base outside town. The airport, located 5 miles (8.0 km) north of La Junta, has 77 acres (31 ha) of tarmac and two runways which are still in use. One runway (east-west) is 6,851 feet (2,088 m) long and the other is 5,800 feet (1,800 m). [1].
In 1979, the first episodes of the CBS western miniseries The Chisholms, starring Robert Preston, was filmed near La Junta.
The Caboose (pictured below) is the drive through for the State Bank [2] which was established in 1893. The bank is unique as it has been remodeled with antiques, including a teller line from the late 1890s.
[edit] Attractions
- Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, an important trading post along the Santa Fe Trail, is northeast of La Junta.
- Koshare Indian Museum, housed at Otero Junior College, holds a collection of Native American artifacts. The Koshare Indian museum hosts a unique Boy Scout/Explorer program which trains the Scouts in both Indian dance and costumes. The Scouts give dance performances during the summer and also host many other Scout troops passing through the area.
- Purgatoire River track site, one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America, is south of La Junta.
- Picketwire Center for Performing Arts, home of the local theater company.
[edit] Geography
La Junta is located at 37°58′53″N 103°32′51″W / 37.98139°N 103.5475°W (37.981333, -103.547540)[6]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), all of it land. La Junta is directly opposite Île Amsterdam, La Junta's antipode. The area is high plains terrain, dry with short grass prairie and sagebrush.
[edit] Demographics
There were 7,568 people, 2,977 households, and 1,964 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,652.0 people per square mile (1,025.3/km²). There were 3,277 housing units at an average density of 1,148.3 per square mile (443.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.22% White, 1.22% African American, 1.77% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 18.33% from other races, and 3.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.60% of the population.
There were 2,977 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,002, and the median income for a family was $36,398. Males had a median income of $26,325 versus $21,324 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,928. About 16.8% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
La Junta once had a major (ex-Santa Fe) railroad yard for assembling freight trains for the climb over Raton Pass, but those days are over. Successor BNSF runs freight trains between Denver and Kansas/Texas via La Junta. The sole remaining major train crossing Raton Pass today is the daily AMTRAK "Southwest Chief", in both directions, between Los Angeles and Chicago.
U.S. Route 50 travels through La Junta, approaching from Pueblo to the northwest and continuing eastward towards Lamar and into Kansas. U.S. Route 350 begins at La Junta and travels southwest before reaching Trinidad. Colorado State Highway 10 also begins at La Junta and travels west-southwest before reaching Walsenburg.
[edit] Noted residents
- J. F. Burshears, the founder of the Koshare Indian Dancers
- Lane Frost, rodeo star born in La Junta in 1963
- Ken Kesey, a writer, was born in La Junta
- Wendell Fertig, World War II hero who led the guerrilla resistance against the Japanese on the Philippine island of Mindanao.
- Felix Tippy Martinez, major league pitcher born in La Junta. Set a major league record by picking off three base runners off in one inning.
- Colorado political leader Dan Slater was born in La Junta.
[edit] Politics
- Mayor: Don Rizzuto
- City Council: Eugene Mestas, Billie Johnson, Jackie Abrams, Bob Friedenberger, Michael Moreno, Bill Schmidt.
- City Manager: Rick Klein
- City Attorney: Phil Malouff
- Police Chief: G. Todd Quick
- Fire Chief: Aaron Eveatt
[edit] Gallery
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City welcome sign.
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La Junta. Post Office.
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Fox Theatre in downtown.
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First Baptist Church.
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Downtown La Junta with the post office on back right.
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La Junta's newspaper is the Tribune-Democrat.
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An Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway route map from 1891 issue of Grain Dealers and Shippers Gazetteer.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 2004-12-01. http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: La Junta, Colorado |
- City website
- Economic Development Website
- La Junta Events Calendar
- La Junta Tourism Website
- CDOT map of the City of La Junta
- Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
- Otero Junior College
- East Otero School District website
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