1893 Map of Las Animas

About this map

Las Animas sits at the vital confluence of the Arkansas River and the Purgatoire River, serving as a primary rail hub in the late nineteenth century. This topography reveals a landscape defined by its waterways and the steel tracks of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which follows the southern riverbank. Further north, the Missouri Pacific Railroad cuts across the arid plains of Kiowa and Bent counties, connecting isolated stops like Haswell and Arlington. The presence of Fort Lyon to the east of the county seat highlights the area's strategic importance during the territorial era. A network of seasonal drainages, including Adobe Creek and Horse Creek, dictates the location of early settlements and ranching outposts like Robinson and Kilburn, illustrating how water access shaped the expansion of the Colorado high plains before modern irrigation.