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<br />SE CTION I <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />The Town of Starkville was incorporated in April of 1955, as a <br />community in Sou thern Colorado near Trinidad in Las Animas County. The <br />town limits encompass about 74 acres with a population of 160 in the 1970 census. <br /> <br />Starkville is about 2-1/2 miles South of Trinidad on Interstate 25, the <br />main north-south highway route through Colorado. The town is setting at the <br />"foot of Raton Pass at an elevation of about 6,400 feet. Raton Creek passes through <br />the town and one of its tributaries is the source of water supply. <br /> <br />\ <br /> <br />The climate in Starkville is comparable to Trinidad which shows an annual <br />mean temperature of 48.30 F. Annual precipitation is about 16 inches with a <br />growing season of about 156 days. <br /> <br />Area settlement started in 1595 when a band of Spanish Conquistadores <br />led by Liva Bonilla and Juan de Humana extended an Indian suppression expedition <br />from present day New Mexico. Starkville was probably started in the 1870's by <br />the Santa Fe and Rio Grande Railroads as a waterstop for the steam locomotives. <br />The railroads made it possible to exploit the COAL mining of the area. Much of <br />the coal was excellent for making coke and from about 1877 to 1917 there was <br />a gradual expansion of coke manufacturing. With the advent of oil and gas fuels <br />the coal and coke manufacturing industry started on a decline to its present con- <br />dition of only the Allen Mine west of Trinidad still in operation. I1Bi! v'Ielj f./;'IO'.e.-- <br /> <br />Presently there are about 42 families within the town limits of Starkville. <br />Of this total 23 are Spanish-Americ an with an average annual inc orne of $4, 128 <br />and the aggregate income for the community is only $5,270. The job market is <br />the businesses of Trinidad, the Allen Mine, and the agricultural industry of the <br />area, There has been a st rong indication that coal mining will again occur in <br />the area to strenghten the job opportunities, <br /> <br />Starkville existed as a train waterstop and coal load-out facility for many <br />years. The SF & RG Railroad developed the town's existing water system. When <br />the town became incorporated, the SF & RG Railroad gave the water system to <br />the community. The source of supply is from springs on the west side of Fishers <br />Peak in the Clear Creek watershed. The railroad installed over six miles of <br />