429:
417:
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dangers of crossing the nearby Ratón Pass. Surviving the crossing, they found water and firewood at the river. Over time, the true meaning of the river's name became lost, and various interpretations emerged. By the end of the 18th-century
Spanish traders believed it to be "Rio de las Ánimas en Purgatorio," or "River of the Souls in Purgatory," after a supposed massacre that occurred on its banks. This led to the birth of a legend of the same name that explained its history. French trappers learned the name and later translated it as "Rivière des âmes au Purgatoire." They related their translation to members of the
260:
448:
31:
440:
508:
in 1865 and soon became the major economic activity in the hilly and mountainous country west of
Trinidad. By the early 1900s the coal mines in the Purgatoire watershed employed thousands of men, most of them born in southern and eastern Europe. Collectively they were called "Slavs." Labor disputes,
499:
The first settlers arrived in the
Purgatoire valley in the late 1850s or early 1860s. Ninety percent of the early settlers in the Purgatoire watershed were Hispanics and they were farmers and ranchers. Severe winters and drought forced many of the farmers and ranchers out of the region in the 1880s.
435:
Despite the various misinterpretations and name changes, the Las Animas-Purgatoire River remains an essential symbol of
Colorado's history and legends as it is one of the state's oldest continuously named rivers, spanning over 300 years. Ironically, most locals today refer to it simply as "Purgatory"
407:
The
Purgatoire River, also known as Rio de las Ánimas, has had multiple names. It was named by New Mexican Governor Antonio Valverde y Cosío in 1719 during his exploration of the region. Valverde named it "Rio de las Ánimas," meaning "River of the Spirits," as a warning to subsequent explorers of the
394:
The
Purgatoire River watershed is lightly populated and its population has been declining for almost 100 years. Las Animas County in which most of the watershed is located has seen its population drop by more than 60 percent since 1930. Two towns, Trinidad and Las Animas, are located near the river.
351:
and the
Arkansas River near the town of Las Animas at an elevation of 3,852 ft (1,174 m). The Purgatoire River watershed has an area of 3,449 sq mi (8,930 km). 96.4% of the watershed is in Colorado and the remainder is in New Mexico. Average annual precipitation ranges from
524:
The Piñon Canyon
Maneuver Site (PCMS), belonging to the U.S. Army, comprises a large land area used for seasonal maneuvers and training exercises. It is located along the western bank of the Purgatoire River. Plans to expand the base aroused the opposition of local ranchers and citizen groups. On
424:
Depending on the language spoken, the river had five different names - Ánimas, Purgatorio, Purgatoire, Purgatory, and
Picketwire - by the end of the 19th century. On December 6, 1911, the US Board on Geographic Names resolved the naming issue by selecting the French translation "Purgatoire" as the
412:
expedition in 1820 who renamed it "Purgatory Creek" by removing all references to souls. Mexican traders on the old Santa Fe Trail expanded on the legend and named the river "Rio de las Ánimas
Perdidas en Purgatorio," or "River of the Souls Lost in Purgatory," believing the souls to have become
852:
Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains, performed in the years 1819 and '20 : by order of the Hon. J.C. Calhoun, sec'y of war: under the command of Major Stephen H. Long. From the notes of Major Long, Mr. T. Say, and other gentlemen of the exploring
867:
359:
Most of the water in the Purgatoire originates from melting snow at higher elevations. The flow of the river is highly variable depending upon the season, averaging about 60 cubic feet per second (cfs). Periods of zero water flow have been recorded near
352:
43 in (1,100 mm) in the Culebra Range to 13 in (330 mm) near its mouth. Ground cover in the watershed consists of 18.4 percent evergreen forest at higher elevations, 20.0 percent shrub and scrub at medium elevations, and 55.7 percent
413:
lost. Mountain Men had difficulty pronouncing the French translation and called it "Picatoire," while Anglophone settlers during the Colorado Gold Rush anglicized it to "Picketwire," despite the river having no relation to any fence.
909:
323:. The Purgatoire River watershed is lightly populated. Population has been declining since 1920 as former coal mining and agricultural communities have become ghost towns.
488:. In 1841, the south bank of the Purgatoire from the crest of the Sangre de Cristos extending eastward almost to the future site of Trinidad were part of the
480:
occupied the Great Plains of southeastern Colorado. Several Spanish expeditions passed through the Purgatoire region. In 1821, American traders pioneered the
1073:
1285:
319:. The Purgatoire River drains an area of 3,449 square miles (8,930 km), mostly in Colorado but a small percentage of the watershed is in
339:. The river, formed by many upstream tributaries, flows eastwards for about 40 mi (64 km) through the mountains and foothills to
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691:
1164:
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151:
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grassland at lower elevations. The remaining 5.9 percent is mostly under cultivation, developed, or barren rock above timberline.
516:
The population of Las Animas County (in which most of the watershed is located) declined from 38,975 in 1920 to 14,535 in 2020.
1058:
1008:
820:
769:
75:
836:"Expedition conducted in 1719 by Antonio Valverde Cossío, governor of New Mexico, to punish the Comanche and Ute Indians"
647:
1250:
849:
James, Edwin; Long, Stephen Harriman; Say, Thomas; Adams, John; John Adams Library (Boston Public Library) BRL (1823).
725:
677:
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555:
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November 25, 2013, the U.S. Army announced that it had abandoned its plan to expand the PCMS. Near the PCMS is the
1141:
652:
721:
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to New Mexico. The Mountain Branch of the trail crossed the Purgatoire watershed near Trinidad and went through
959:
1226:
642:
856:. John Adams Library at the Boston Public Library. Philadelphia : H.C. Carey and I. Lea ... p. 76.
934:
573:
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unsafe working conditions, and diminishing demand for coal caused most of the mines to shut down after
372:
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332:
1221:
850:
782:
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at an elevation of 6,010 ft (1,830 m) where it turns to the northeast and flows across the
443:
The Coke Ovens of Cokedale. Coal mining was previously the major economic activity west of Trinidad.
388:
1222:"North America's largest dinosaur trackway site: Implications for Morrison Formation paleoecology"
1196:
384:
1116:
542:
468:
In 1598 when the Spanish first settled in New Mexico, the Purgatoire River was the home of the
371:
Most of the land in the Purgatoire watershed in privately owned, but the headwaters are in the
868:"Country drained by the Mississippi Western Section. - David Rumsey Historical Map Collection"
561:
348:
316:
910:"The Rocky Mountain News (Daily) January 31, 1868 — Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection"
585:
505:
312:
218:
1172:
985:
8:
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and the river flows east-northeastward 196 miles (315 km) to a confluence with the
496:
by the New Mexican government. In 1846, New Mexico was conquered by the United States.
538:
504:-owned, on the Great Plains portion of the Purgatoire watershed. Coal mining began at
489:
361:
340:
1246:
251:
893:
750:
U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.
452:
300:
272:
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678:"USGS Current Conditions for USGS 07128500 PURGATOIRE RIVER NEAR LAS ANIMAS, CO"
1217:
794:
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137:
1188:
Mark Udall Welcomes the U.S. Army's Decision on the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site
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through several canyons it has cut through the bedrock. It empties into the
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The river is frequently referred to as the Picketwire River in the film
805:
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473:
320:
729:
576:, developed by English-speaking settlers who later came to the area.
469:
456:
375:
and land along or near the river on the Great Plains belongs to the
30:
898:. Internet Archive. Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday. p. 10.
533:
sites in North America. The site is located on public land of the
477:
447:
436:
due to the difficulties associated with pronouncing the full name.
288:
1023:
513:(1914-1918). Most of the former coal mining towns were abandoned.
368:, a large (in area) U.S. army base on the west side of the river.
1192:
1046:
996:
580:
379:, including Picketwire Canyon with one of the largest numbers of
353:
35:
The Purgatoire River has cut a canyon through the Great Plains.
603:, as the place where the renegade Blue Duck goes into hiding.
263:
The watershed of the Purgatoire River, Colorado and New Mexico
819:
sfn error: no target: CITEREFPurgatoire_River_watershed2014 (
768:
sfn error: no target: CITEREFPurgatoire_River_watershed2014 (
501:
439:
814:
763:
395:
Many former coal mining and agricultural communities, now
335:
reaching an elevation of 14,053 ft (4,283 m) at
684:
1165:"New Mexico: Population of Counties by Decennial Census"
1109:
960:"Historic Context Study of the Purgatoire River Region"
795:"Population of Counties by Dicennial Census, 1900-1990"
572:
phonological approximation of the French pronunciation
331:
The Purgatoire River rises in the Culebra Range of the
701:. Purgatoire Watershed Partnership. pp. 18–19, 51
500:In the 1910s an era began of large ranches, mostly
295:. The river originates in the high mountains of the
1057:
sfn error: no target: CITEREFHistoric_Context2011 (
1007:
sfn error: no target: CITEREFHistoric_Context2011 (
848:
1267:
1052:
1002:
952:
728:, Environmental Statistics Group. Archived from
589:. It is also mentioned as the Purgatory in the
579:The Purgatoire River is referenced in the 2017
1084:
1245:. Oxford University Press. pp. 132–133.
1042:Archaeological Landscapes on the High Plains.
1028:Archaeological Landscapes on the High Plains
476:also frequented the area and after 1700 the
1134:
720:Gustafson, Daniel L. (January 24, 2003).
719:
459:and the abandoned company store (center).
391:are recreational lands in the watershed.
1231:, October 1986, v.97, n.10, p.1163-1176.
1156:
978:
891:
657:United States Department of the Interior
446:
438:
415:
402:
258:
63:Confluence of North Fork and Middle Fork
1240:
1065:
1024:"Purgatorio, Purgatoire, or Picketwire"
451:The remains of the coal mining town of
1268:
1199:from the original on December 21, 2021
1021:
1015:
692:"Purgatoire River Watershed Plan 2014"
548:
537:, along the Purgatoire River south of
277:Rio de las Ánimas & Río Purgatorio
1286:Rivers of Las Animas County, Colorado
1220:, Karen J. Houck and Nancy K. Price,
935:"Geographic Names Information System"
196:3,449 sq mi (8,930 km)
1162:
1080:. University of Southern California.
1078:Colorado Fuel and Iron Company Mines
833:
1096:Mine Disasters in the United States
1071:
1022:Church, Minette C. (January 2008).
648:Geographic Names Information System
635:
13:
986:"Santa Fe National Historic Trail"
914:www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org
427:
14:
1302:
1281:Tributaries of the Arkansas River
834:Polt, John H. R. (May 14, 2013).
420:The Purgatoire River at Trinidad.
299:. Several tributaries merge near
556:The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
29:
1291:Rivers of Bent County, Colorado
1234:
1211:
1179:
1142:"State & County QuickFacts"
927:
902:
885:
860:
842:
827:
815:Purgatoire River watershed 2014
764:Purgatoire River watershed 2014
653:United States Geological Survey
787:
783:Comanche Paleontology brochure
776:
744:
713:
670:
529:, one of the largest dinosaur
145: • coordinates
69: • coordinates
1:
1227:Geological Society of America
1144:. United States Census Bureau
1092:"Tercio No. 3 Mine Explosion"
628:
559:(1962), and once in the film
463:
425:official name of the river.
112:14,053 ft (4,283 m)
41:Physical characteristics
326:
188:3,852 ft (1,174 m)
184: • elevation
108: • elevation
7:
1241:Stewart, George R. (1975).
623:Comanche National Grassland
618:Purgatoire River track site
606:
535:Comanche National Grassland
527:Purgatoire River track site
377:Comanche National Grassland
214: • location
132: • location
59: • location
10:
1307:
964:Colorado Preservation, Inc
699:U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
613:List of rivers in Colorado
373:San Isabel National Forest
366:Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site
333:Sangre de Cristo Mountains
287:River, is in southeastern
226: • average
1169:U.S. Bureau of the Census
1117:"Coal Mining in Colorado"
799:U.S. Bureau of the Census
754:, accessed March 31, 2011
722:"Hydrologic Unit Project"
243:
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67:
57:
49:
45:
40:
28:
23:
1072:Schreck, Christopher J.
892:Lavender, David (1954).
726:Montana State University
399:, are in the watershed.
389:Trinidad Lake State Park
519:
385:Fishers Peak State Park
460:
444:
432:
421:
276:
264:
167:38.06500°N 103.17694°W
91:37.15722°N 104.94083°W
1195:. November 26, 2013.
1175:on February 20, 2003.
1163:Forstall, Richard L.
1121:Colorado Encyclopedia
1074:"Starkvill Coal Mine"
1053:Historic Context 2011
1003:Historic Context 2011
990:National Park Service
939:edits.nationalmap.gov
472:Apache. The Southern
450:
442:
431:
419:
403:History and etymology
349:John Martin Reservoir
317:Bent County, Colorado
279:), also known as the
262:
732:on February 10, 2012
219:Las Animas, Colorado
172:38.06500; -103.17694
96:37.15722; -104.94083
966:. December 31, 2011
872:www.davidrumsey.com
549:Cultural references
239:Basin features
163: /
87: /
1276:Rivers of Colorado
1243:Names on the Globe
643:"Purgatoire River"
567:folk-etymologizing
565:(2010). This is a
490:Maxwell Land Grant
461:
445:
433:
422:
362:Thatcher, Colorado
265:
230:60 cu/ft. per sec.
1055:, pp. 23=25.
1040:Chapter Seven of
1005:, pp. 23–24.
766:, pp. 47–52.
305:Las Animas County
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1171:. Archived from
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752:The National Map
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136:Confluence with
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24:Purgatoire River
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410:Stephen H. Long
405:
381:dinosaur tracks
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1252:978-0195018950
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1218:Martin Lockley
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601:Larry McMurtry
591:Pulitzer Prize
574:/pyʁ.ɡa.ˡtwaʁ/
550:
547:
521:
518:
494:Lucien Maxwell
482:Santa Fe Trail
465:
462:
404:
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383:in the world.
328:
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309:Arkansas River
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1101:September 27,
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817:, p. 17.
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596:Lonesome Dove
593:winning book
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297:Culebra Range
294:
293:United States
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1236:
1225:
1213:
1201:. Retrieved
1187:
1181:
1173:the original
1168:
1158:
1148:September 5,
1146:. Retrieved
1136:
1124:. Retrieved
1120:
1111:
1099:. Retrieved
1095:
1086:
1077:
1067:
1048:
1041:
1032:. Retrieved
1027:
1017:
998:
989:
980:
968:. Retrieved
963:
954:
942:. Retrieved
938:
929:
917:. Retrieved
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894:
887:
875:. Retrieved
871:
862:
851:
844:
829:
798:
789:
778:
759:
746:
734:. Retrieved
730:the original
715:
703:. Retrieved
698:
686:
672:
660:. Retrieved
646:
637:
594:
584:
578:
560:
554:
552:
543:Otero County
531:fossil track
523:
515:
498:
467:
434:
423:
406:
393:
370:
358:
345:Great Plains
337:Culebra Peak
330:
284:
280:
268:
266:
15:
895:Bent's Fort
736:February 8,
662:January 30,
583:miniseries
511:World War I
492:awarded to
397:ghost towns
252:Mississippi
244:Progression
170: /
158:103°10′37″W
94: /
82:104°56′27″W
1270:Categories
629:References
570:anglophone
506:Starkville
486:Raton Pass
464:Settlement
321:New Mexico
313:Las Animas
285:Picketwire
193:Basin size
155:38°03′54″N
79:37°09′26″N
944:April 13,
919:April 13,
877:April 13,
562:True Grit
470:Jicarilla
457:slag pile
327:Geography
281:Purgatory
205:Discharge
1229:Bulletin
1203:July 29,
1197:Archived
1126:July 15,
1034:July 10,
970:July 10,
607:See also
539:La Junta
478:Comanche
364:and the
341:Trinidad
289:Colorado
248:Arkansas
138:Arkansas
1193:KRDO-TV
705:June 9,
586:Godless
581:Netflix
273:Spanish
1249:
453:Tercio
354:steppe
301:Weston
208:
126:
53:
50:Source
1030:: 178
853:party
695:(PDF)
502:Anglo
311:near
122:Mouth
18:River
1247:ISBN
1205:2015
1150:2021
1128:2023
1103:2022
1059:help
1036:2023
1009:help
972:2023
946:2023
921:2023
879:2023
821:help
770:help
738:2008
707:2023
664:2011
520:PCMS
474:Utes
455:: a
387:and
283:and
267:The
599:by
541:in
315:in
303:in
1272::
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