Antonito, Colorado

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Coordinates: 37°4′39″N 106°0′34″W / 37.0775, -106.00944
Town of Antonito, Colorado
— Town —

Location in Conejos County and the State of Colorado
Country	United States
State	State of Colorado
County^[1]	Conejos County
Incorporated (town)	December 29, 1889^[2]
Government
- Type	Statutory Town^[1]
- 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 ^[3]	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^[4]
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 population was 873.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Recent Years
4 Note-worthy Antonitoans
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Antonito is located at 37°4′39″N, 106°0′34″W (37.077490, -106.009489)^[5], along U.S. Highway 285.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all of it land. Antonito is also the Eastern Terminus of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, and the southern terminal of the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[6] 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/sq mi (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.

[edit] Recent Years

Antonito Town Hall

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 , facility management budget has been cut, and the town clerk comes in only as needed. The town eliminated health insurance for employees. But most worrisome to residents of this San Luis Valley community of about 800 people is that the town can not afford to support a police force.^{[citation needed]} In December of 2004 the police force was on a day to day operation, but as of January 2005 the police force was disbanded.^[7] In February of 2005 the town marshal was let go leaving no one to patrol the streets. After that there were several meetings between agencies on the issue of who would patrol the town. Neither of the appropriate agencies wanted to handle this because the work would entail a lack of compensation. Since disbanding the police force the town has been plagued by numerous crimes both violent and nonviolent.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Note-worthy Antonitoans

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While many people view Antonito as a "financially-struggling" town with a monetarily poor school district, note-worthy people were born, raised 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 and still resides there with his wife of 11 years, Michele Trujillo who is also an Antonito Native. Both Aaron and Michele are professors at Adams State College.

Abeyta won the American Book Award in 2001 for his first collection of poems, Colcha. His new book, Rise, Do Not Be Afraid came out in April 2007.