Editing Conejos County, Colorado

{{short description|County in Colorado, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county       = Conejos County
 | state              = Colorado
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = 1861
 | founded date     = November 1
 | seat wl             = Conejos
 | largest city wl     = Manassa
 | city type            = town
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1291
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 1287
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 3.6
 | area percentage      = 0.3%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 7461
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | population_est       = 7549 {{gain}}
 | pop_est_footnotes    = <ref name=qf>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lucascountyiowa/PST045224|title=Lucas County, Iowa|website=Census.gov|access-date= }}</ref>
 | density_sq_mi        = 5.9
 | time zone          = Mountain
 | web   = www.conejoscounty.org
 | named for = [[Conejos River]]
 | ex image             = CONEJOS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, CONEJOS, COLORADO.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Conejos County Courthouse
 | district             = 3rd 
}}

'''Conejos County''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "rabbits") is a [[county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Colorado]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 7,461.<ref name="2020Census">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/conejoscountycolorado/PST045219|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is the [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] of [[Conejos, Colorado|Conejos]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> Being 50.7% Hispanic in 2020, Conejos was [[List of Majority-Hispanic or Latino Counties in the U.S.|Colorado's largest Hispanic-majority county]].<ref name="2020Hispanic">{{cite web |title=P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=P2%3A%20HISPANIC%20OR%20LATINO,%20AND%20NOT%20HISPANIC%20OR%20LATINO%20BY%20RACE&g=0100000US%240500000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2&hidePreview=true |website=2020 Census |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=October 10, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918210419/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=P2:%20HISPANIC%20OR%20LATINO,%20AND%20NOT%20HISPANIC%20OR%20LATINO%20BY%20RACE&g=0100000US$0500000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2&hidePreview=true |archive-date=September 18, 2021 }}</ref>

==History==
The first European known to visit this area was [[Juan de Oñate|Juan de Oñate y Salazar]] in 1550 followed by  [[Don (honorific)|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.<ref>Mead, Frances Harvey, ''Conejos County:The Canyons...The River...The Villages and the People'', copyright, Frances Harvey Mead, 1894, p.1,2</ref>

Conejos County was one of the original 17 counties created by the [[Colorado General Assembly|General Assembly]] of the [[Territory of Colorado]] on 1851-11-01. Conejos County was originally named [[Guadalupe County, Colorado Territory|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, Colorado|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 County, Colorado|Hinsdale]], [[La Plata County, Colorado|La Plata]] and [[Rio Grande County, Colorado|Rio Grande]] counties, and Conejos County achieved its modern borders in 1885 when its western half was taken to create [[Archuleta County, Colorado|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".<ref name=parish>{{cite web|url=http://www.ologp.com/read-more--1-.html|title=History|work=ologp.com|publisher=Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish|location=Conejos, Colorado|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref>  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 [[Antonito, Colorado|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.<ref>Alice Eichholz, ''Red Book American State'', County and Town Sources; Ancestry.com, Colorado.</ref> Websites that will be of use when doing genealogical research are [http://www.cogensoc.us/ The Colorado Genealogical Society] and [http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/military/enlistments/conejos.html 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==
[[File:The Pinnacles (Conejos County, Colorado).JPG|thumb|275px|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 {{convert|1291|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1287|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.6|sqmi}} (0.3%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

Conejos County is in a broad high mountain valley in South Central [[Colorado]]. It has an area of approximately {{convert|825446|acre|km2|0}} in {{convert|1290|sqmi|km2|-1}}. Roughly half the area is on the nearly level floor of the valley, where the average elevation is about {{convert|7700|ft|m|-1}}. The western half of the county ranges from gently rolling to steep foothills with mountains that rise in elevation to about {{convert|13000|ft|m|-2}}.

Conejos County is situated with the [[United States National Forest|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 [[United States National Forest|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&nbsp;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===
*[[Rio Grande County, Colorado|Rio Grande County]] - north
*[[Alamosa County, Colorado|Alamosa County]] - northeast
*[[Costilla County, Colorado|Costilla County]] - east
*[[Taos County, New Mexico]] - southeast
*[[Rio Arriba County, New Mexico]] - south
*[[Archuleta County, Colorado|Archuleta County]]- west

===Major highways===
* [[File:US 285.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 285 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 285]]
* [[File:Colorado 15.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 15|State Highway 15]]
* [[File:Colorado 17.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 17|State Highway 17]]
* [[File:Colorado 136.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 136|State Highway 136]]
* [[File:Colorado 142.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 142|State Highway 142]]
* [[File:Colorado 368.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 368|State Highway 368]]
* [[File:Colorado 371.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 371|State Highway 371]]

===National protected areas===
* [[Rio Grande National Forest]]
* [[San Juan National Forest]]
* [[South San Juan Wilderness]]
* Rio Grande Natural Area

===Historic trails and sites===
* [[Old Spanish National Historic Trail]]
* [[Pike's Stockade]], which is a [[National Historic Landmark]]

===Scenic trails and byways===
* [[Continental Divide National Scenic Trail]]
* Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic & Historic Byway

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 2504
|1880= 5605
|1890= 7193
|1900= 8794
|1910= 11285
|1920= 8416
|1930= 9803
|1940= 11648
|1950= 10171
|1960= 8428
|1970= 7846
|1980= 7794
|1990= 7453
|2000= 8400
|2010= 8256
|2020= 7461
|estyear=2024
|estimate=7549
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 7, 2014|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/co190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="2020Census" /> 2024<ref name=qf/>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 8,400 people, 2,980 households, and 2,211 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 3,886 housing units at an average density of {{convert|3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 72.76% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.21% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.69% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.15% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.07% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 21.50% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.61% from two or more races. 58.92% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|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 [[Marriage|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 1900). Recently, Conejos has trended 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 in Colorado|2004]].

[[Donald Trump]] flipped the county in 2016, held it even in his loss against [[Joe Biden|Biden]] in 2020, and won it by 18 points in 2024, the strongest Republican showing in Conejos County since 1920. In [[2022 Colorado elections|2022]], despite both Governor [[Jared Polis]] and Senator [[Michael Bennet|Micheal Bennet]] easily winning re-election by large margins, Conejos voted against both of them (even flipping to support Bennet’s opponent [[2022 United States Senate election in Colorado|Joe O’Dea]] after Bennet had won the county in [[2016 United States Senate election in Colorado|2016]]).

{{PresHead|place=Conejos County, Colorado|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 26, 2017}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|2,358|1,627|120|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|2,286|1,959|88|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|1,914|1,771|337|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|1,835|2,213|53|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|1,653|2,154|67|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|1,864|1,894|45|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|1,772|1,749|150|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|1,149|1,726|311|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|1,160|1,705|600|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|1,445|1,976|26|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|1,669|1,553|25|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|1,597|1,503|132|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|1,426|1,698|70|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|1,658|1,140|189|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|1,361|1,492|127|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,031|2,033|12|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|1,367|2,069|87|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|1,884|1,471|16|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|2,194|1,610|98|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,532|2,236|59|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,740|2,028|0|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|2,028|2,481|17|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,305|2,347|58|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,190|2,641|20|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|1,463|1,692|79|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,475|995|156|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,595|886|31|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|928|1,721|22|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,587|2,147|885|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,736|1,335|24|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,018|901|25|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|1,853|912|6|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|96|2,388|4|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|823|0|624|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|982|669|6|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|728|583|2|Colorado}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Democratic|608|611|2|Colorado}}

==Communities==

===Towns===
* [[Antonito, Colorado|Antonito]]
* [[La Jara, Colorado|La Jara]]
* [[Manassa, Colorado|Manassa]]
* [[Romeo, Colorado|Romeo]]
* [[Sanford, Colorado|Sanford]]

===Census-designated places===
* [[Capulin, Colorado|Capulin]]
* [[Conejos, Colorado|Conejos]]

===Other communities===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* Bear Creek
* [[Bountiful, Colorado|Bountiful]]
* Cañon
* Carmel
* Cenicero a.k.a. Lobatos
* Elk Creek
* [[Fox Creek, Colorado|Fox Creek]]
* [[Guadalupe, Colorado|Guadalupe]]
* Horca
* La Florida
* La Isla
* Los Sauses a.k.a. [[Lasauses, Colorado]]
* Las Mesitas
* [[Mogote, Colorado|Mogote]]
* Ortiz
* Osier
* [[Platoro, Colorado|Platoro]]
* Richfield
* Rincones
* San Antonio
* Sheep Creek
{{div col end}}

==Notable people==
*[[Fred Haberlein]] - Muralist
*[[Jack Dempsey]] - Boxer born in Manassa, Colorado
{{clear}}

==See also==
{{portal|Government|History|Mountains|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Bibliography of Colorado]]
*[[Geography of Colorado]]
*[[History of Colorado]]
**[[Guadalupe County, Colorado Territory]]
**[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Conejos County, Colorado]]
*[[Index of Colorado-related articles]]
*[[List of Colorado-related lists]]
**[[List of counties in Colorado]]
*[[Outline of Colorado]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.conejoscounty.org Conejos County Official Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070526064512/http://www.ccionline.org/counties/conejos.html Conejos County Government]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Conejos County, Colorado
|North     = [[Rio Grande County, Colorado|Rio Grande County]]
|Northeast = [[Alamosa County, Colorado|Alamosa County]]
|East      = [[Costilla County, Colorado|Costilla County]]
|Southeast = [[Taos County, New Mexico]]
|South     = [[Rio Arriba County, New Mexico]]
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Archuleta County, Colorado|Archuleta County]]
|Northwest = 
}} 
{{Conejos County, Colorado}}
{{Colorado}}
{{authority control}}
{{coord|37.21|-106.19|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Conejos County, Colorado| ]]
[[Category:Colorado counties]]
[[Category:San Luis Valley of Colorado]]
[[Category:1861 establishments in Colorado Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1861]]