Editing Branson, Colorado

{{short description|A statutory town in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States.}}
{{infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|name                      = Branson, Colorado
|settlement_type           = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]]<ref name=COMun>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/publicMunicipalities.jsf|title=Active Colorado Municipalities|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=February 13, 2025}}</ref>
| motto                   =
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
| image_skyline           = Branson, Colorado.JPG
| imagesize               = 
| image_caption           = Entering Branson from the south.
| image_flag              = 
| flag_size               = 
| image_map               = File:Las Animas County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Branson Highlighted 0808345.svg
| mapsize                 = 250px
| map_caption             = Location of the Town of Branson in {{nowrap|[[Las Animas County, Colorado]].}}
| image_map1              = 
| mapsize1                = 
| map_caption1            = 
<!-- Pushpin map -->
|pushpin_map             = USA#USA Colorado
|pushpin_relief          = 
|pushpin_label           = Branson
|pushpin_label_position  = top
|pushpin_map_caption     = Location of the Town of Branson, Colorado.
<!-- Location -->
|coordinates             = {{coord|37.0175|-103.8844|type:city_region:US-CO_source:GNIS-196276|name=Branson, Colorado|display=it}}
|coordinates_footnotes   = <ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|id=196276|name=Branson, Colorado|access-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref>
|elevation_ft            = 6270
|elevation_footnotes     = <ref name=GNIS/>
|subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name        = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1       = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1       = [[Colorado]]
|subdivision_type2       = [[List of counties in Colorado|County]]
|subdivision_name2       = [[Las Animas County, Colorado|Las Animas]]<ref name=COcounty>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/publicCounties.jsf|title=Colorado Counties|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=January 30, 2025}}</ref>
<!-- Politics ----------------->
| government_footnotes    = 
| government_type         = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]]<ref name=COMun/>
| leader_title            = 
| leader_name             = 
| leader_title1           = 
| leader_name1            = 
| established_title       = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date        = 
| established_title2      = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date2       = 1921-03-26<ref name=MuniIncCO>{{cite web | url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html | title = Colorado Municipal Incorporations | publisher = [[Colorado|State of Colorado]], Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives | date = December 1, 2004 | accessdate = September 2, 2007}}</ref>
| established_title3      = 
| established_date3       = 
<!-- Area --------------------->
|unit_pref                = US
|area_footnotes           = <ref name=2020_Census>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html|title=Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Department of Commerce]]|date=August 12, 2021|access-date=September 2, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 0.634
|area_land_km2            = 0.634
|area_water_km2           = 0.000
<!-- Population ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name=2020_Census/>
|population_total         = 57
|population_density_sq_mi = 233
<!-- General information ----------------------->
|timezone1                = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
|utc_offset1              = −07:00
|timezone1_DST            = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
|utc_offset1_DST          = −06:00
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
| postal_code_type        = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code             = 81027<ref name=ZIPcode>{{cite web|url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |title=ZIP Code Lookup |format=[[JavaScript]]/[[HTML]] |publisher=[[United States Postal Service]] |accessdate=September 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903025217/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |archivedate=September 3, 2007 }}</ref>
|area_code               = [[Area code 719|719]]
|blank_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS pop ID]]
|blank_info              = {{GNIS 4|196276}}
|blank1_name             = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS town ID]]
|blank1_info             = {{GNIS 4|2411720}}
|blank2_name             = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank2_info             = {{FIPS|08|08345}}
|website                 = {{URL|https://www.bransoncolorado.com/}}
}}

'''Branson''' is a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]] located in [[Las Animas County, Colorado|Las Animas County]], [[Colorado]], United States.<ref name=COMun/> The town population was 57 at the [[2020 United States census]].<ref name=2020_Census/> Branson is the southernmost town in the State of Colorado, located just {{convert|0.3|mi|km}} from the [[New Mexico]] border.

Branson is located approximately 35 miles east of [[Trinidad, Colorado]], on [[Colorado State Highway 389|State Highway 389]], in the [[Great Plains]], as well in the [[Black Mesa (Oklahoma)|Black Mesa]] area, the town is surrounded by mesa. It is a ranching community today. Farming in the area was severely impacted by the [[Dust Bowl]].

==History==
Branson was first known as Wilson, or Wilson Switch; then as Coloflats. The Coloflats, Colorado, post office opened on August 19, 1915, and the name was changed to Branson on July 30, 1918.<ref name=CPO>{{cite book|title=Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989|first1=William H.|last1=Bauer|first2=James L.|last2=Ozment|first3=John H.|last3=Willard|date=1990|publisher=[[Colorado Railroad Museum|Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation]]|location=[[Golden, Colorado]]|isbn=0-918654-42-4}}</ref> The town was named for Josiah F. Branson (1867-1944) who [[plat|platted the town]] on his land. The Town of Branson was incorporated on March 26, 1921.<ref name=MuniIncCO/> Branson is located north of a break in the mesas which separate Southeast Colorado from Northeast New Mexico, the route of a minor branch of the [[Santa Fe Trail]]. It was founded near a switch, Wilson Switch, of the [[Fort Worth and Denver Railway|Denver, Texas, and Fort Worth Railroad]], later merged into the [[Colorado and Southern Railway]], a predecessor of today's [[Burlington Northern Santa Fe]]. A depot was built in 1918. Despite being unsuitable for farming, many [[Homestead Act|homesteaders]] attempted [[dryland farming]] in the early 20th century. In good years there were bountiful harvests of grain and in the 1920s the town boasted 1000 people and 3 [[grain elevator]]s as well as facilities such as a bank and a newspaper. After the drought and [[Dust Bowl]] of the 1930s population decreased rapidly as the economy turned from farming to [[ranching]].<ref>[https://www.bransoncolorado.com/our-history Branson, Colorado history]</ref>

==Geography==
At the [[2020 United States census]], the town had a total area of {{convert|0.634|km2|acre|order=flip}}, all of it land.<ref name=2020_Census/>

==Climate==
{{Weather box 
|location = Branson, Colorado (Elevation 6,257ft)
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Yes
|Jan record high F = 72
|Feb record high F = 74
|Mar record high F = 83
|Apr record high F = 86
|May record high F = 92
|Jun record high F = 99
|Jul record high F = 100
|Aug record high F = 97
|Sep record high F = 95
|Oct record high F = 86
|Nov record high F = 78
|Dec record high F = 78
|year record high F= 100
|Jan high F = 45.8
|Feb high F = 47.6
|Mar high F = 52.5
|Apr high F = 62.8
|May high F = 71.7
|Jun high F = 81.8
|Jul high F = 86.4
|Aug high F = 84.5
|Sep high F = 78.1
|Oct high F = 67.0
|Nov high F = 55.0
|Dec high F = 47.2
|year high F = 65.0
|Jan low F = 21.0
|Feb low F = 22.2
|Mar low F = 25.3
|Apr low F = 35.4
|May low F = 44.6
|Jun low F = 53.9
|Jul low F = 59.1
|Aug low F = 58.1
|Sep low F = 50.7
|Oct low F = 40.4
|Nov low F = 29.0
|Dec low F = 23.1
|year low F = 38.6
|Jan record low F = −25
|Feb record low F = −15
|Mar record low F = −10
|Apr record low F = 5
|May record low F = 19
|Jun record low F = 28
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 41
|Sep record low F = 25
|Oct record low F = 7
|Nov record low F = −8
|Dec record low F = −9
|year record low F= −25
|precipitation color = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.44
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.64
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.93
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.71
|May precipitation inch = 2.37
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.28
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.68
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.86
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.46
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.01
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.74
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.60
|year precipitation inch = 16.72
|Jan snow inch = 6.8
|Feb snow inch = 6.7
|Mar snow inch = 9.9
|Apr snow inch = 5.8
|May snow inch = 0.7
|Jun snow inch = 0
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0.2
|Oct snow inch = 1.9
|Nov snow inch = 6.4
|Dec snow inch = 8.4
|year snow inch = 46.9
|source 1 = http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?co0898.
|date=December 2013
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1930= 237
|1940= 250
|1950= 157
|1960= 124
|1970= 70
|1980= 73
|1990= 58
|2000= 77
|2010= 74
|2020= 57
|footnote=[[United States census|U.S. Decennial Census]]
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 77 people, 37 households, and 24 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|309.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|adj=off}}. There were 43 housing units at an average density of {{convert|172.9|/sqmi|/km2|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.40% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.30% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 1.30% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 19.48% of the population.

There were 37 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.63.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 1.3% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 62.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,583, and the median income for a family was $23,214. Males had a median income of $19,167 versus $20,000 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,933. There were 26.9% of families and 25.0% of the population living below the [[poverty line]], including 33.3% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
{{clear}}

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|History|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Black Mesa (Oklahoma)|Black Mesa]]
*[[List of municipalities in Colorado]]
*[[List of populated places in Colorado]]
*[[List of post offices in Colorado]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
History of Branson, Colo. By Odessa M. Booher - Unknown date written - retrieved May 21, 2018

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
*[https://www.bransoncolorado.com/ Town of Branson]
*[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado]
**[http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/staticdata/Downloads/CityMaps/Branson.pdf CDOT map of the Town of Branson]
**[https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050209003940/http://www.sangres.com/places/branson.htm History, photos and information on Sangres.com]
*[http://www.bransonschoolonline.com/ Branson School Online] Branson School Online
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050207120626/http://bransonschoolonline.com/history.htm Branson history]
*[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/09/education/09online.html Article in the ''New York Times'' on Branson School Online]
{{Las Animas County, Colorado|collapse_state=expanded}}
{{Colorado}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Las Animas County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Towns in Colorado]]