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Introduction ...

So far, we found very little information about Sopris Plaza. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>

We've added Sopris Plaza to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Sopris Plaza, please Contact Us.

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Sopris Plaza (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Sopris Plaza. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Although our information shows that the community of Sopris Plaza is historic, it would have been located within present day Las Animas County.

To see how the shape of Colorado's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Las Animas County: Baca, Bent, Costilla, Huerfano, Otero, Pueblo, Colfax (NM) & Union (NM).

Below are the counties that are near Sopris Plaza. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Sopris Plaza:

  • Las Animas County     (The home county of Sopris Plaza)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sopris Plaza, with the one closest to Sopris Plaza listed first.
    • Sopris ‑ Historic
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sopris. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sopris
      • Sopris is located in Las Animas County
    • Cokedale
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cokedale
      • Cokedale is located in Las Animas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 121 people
    • Starkville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Madrid ‑ Historic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madrid
      • Madrid is located in Las Animas County
    • Trinidad
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Engleville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Engleville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Engleville
      • Engleville is located in Las Animas County
    • Segundo
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Valdez
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valdez
      • Valdez is located in Las Animas County
    • El Moro
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Moro
      • El Moro is located in Las Animas County
    • Boncarbo
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boncarbo have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boncarbo
      • Boncarbo is located in Las Animas County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boncarbo <3>
    • Morley
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morley have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morley
      • Morley is located in Las Animas County
    • San Miguel ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Miguel have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Miguel
      • San Miguel is located in Las Animas County
    • Beshoar
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Beshoar. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beshoar
      • Beshoar is located in Las Animas County
  • Colfax County (NM)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sopris Plaza, with the one closest to Sopris Plaza listed first.
    • Brilliant ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brilliant
      • Brilliant is located in Colfax County (NM)
    • Raton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raton
      • Raton is located in Colfax County (NM)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,923 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Raton <3>

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Sopris Plaza, see our County-by-County Page for Sopris Plaza.

Cemeteries Near Sopris Plaza ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sopris Plaza.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Sopris Plaza covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Sopris Plaza, with the one closest to Sopris Plaza listed first.

  • Carpios Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Carpios Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Carpios Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Vigil Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vigil Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vigil Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jansen Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jansen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jansen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Starkville Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Starkville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Starkville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Tijeras Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tijeras Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tijeras Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Masonic Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Catholic Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Garcia Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garcia Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garcia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Valdez Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Valdez Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Valdez Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Burro Canyon Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Burro Canyon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Burro Canyon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cordova Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cordova Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cordova Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gallegos Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gallegos Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gallegos Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (36 more) ...
    • San Juan Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the San Juan Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the San Juan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • San Juan Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the San Juan Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the San Juan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Rivera Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rivera Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rivera Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.

While we didn't find Sopris Plaza in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Sopris Plaza.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Sopris Plaza, with the one closest to Sopris Plaza listed first.

  • Sopris ‑ Historic
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sopris. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sopris
    • Sopris is located in Las Animas County
  • Madrid ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madrid
    • Madrid is located in Las Animas County
  • Starkville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Trinidad
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Engleville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Engleville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Engleville
    • Engleville is located in Las Animas County
  • Morley
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morley have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morley
    • Morley is located in Las Animas County
  • El Moro
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Moro
    • El Moro is located in Las Animas County
  • Forbes ‑ Historic
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forbes have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forbes
    • Forbes is located in Las Animas County
  • Wootton
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wootton have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wootton
    • Wootton is located in Las Animas County
  • Gulnare
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Weston
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Barela
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barela have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barela
    • Barela is located in Las Animas County
  • Continue List   (8 more) ...
    • Aguilar
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Raton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raton
      • Raton is located in Colfax County (NM)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,923 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Raton <3>
    • Dillon
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dillon have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillon
      • Dillon is located in Colfax County (NM)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Sopris Plaza. See our List of 1890's Communities around Sopris Plaza.

Newspapers Published in Sopris Plaza ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 31 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sopris Plaza.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sopris Plaza, there are papers which were published within 18 miles [29 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sopris Plaza.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Sopris Plaza:

The official website for Las Animas County: www.tlac.net/county/

The official website for State of Colorado: https://www.colorado.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Sopris Plaza, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Sopris Plaza) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Sopris Plaza. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.1406, Longitude: -104.5755       In this case, the coordinates for Sopris Plaza have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025