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<br />.. \ <br />0:)122'3 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />"" <br /> <br />55. Population. - The changes in population in Las Animas County <br /> <br />and Trinidad are shown in the following tabulation as taken from the <br />records of the U. S. Census Bureau. <br /> IB80 l890 1J.QQ 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 <br />Las Animas <br />County 8,903 l7,20B 2l,B4l 33,643 38,975 36,00B 32,369 25,918 <br />Trinidad 2,226 5,523 5,345 lO,204 lO,906 11,732 13,223 12,200 <br /> The city population showed a gradual increase until 1940, whereas <br />the county population decreased from 1920 to 1950, which can probably be <br /> <br />attributed to economic conditions during part of this period and to the <br /> <br />migration of people from rural to urban areas. Since 1940, the city pop- <br /> <br />ulation has shown a decline due mai~ly to discontinuance of mining oper- <br /> <br />ations. <br /> <br />56. Land use--irrigation farming. - The first irrigation enterprise <br /> <br />in the Purgatoire Valley was started in l846 when a stage coach driver <br /> <br />named Hatcher, from Taos, New MexicO, built a ditch diverting from the <br /> <br />Purgatoire River about 20 miles below Trinidad. Following construction <br /> <br />of the ditch, a crop was ~lanted in l847. During this season, Mr. <br /> <br />Hatcher was driven out by marauding Indians and irrigation operations <br /> <br />were abandoned until l86" when the ditch was again put into operation <br /> <br />by a Mr. Lewelling. The ditch, lmown as the Lewelling and McCormick <br />