Deora, Colorado
Deora, Colorado | |
|---|---|
  Deora, Colorado Location within the state of Colorado  Deora, Colorado Deora, Colorado (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 37°34′49″N 102°58′00″W / 37.58028°N 102.96667°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  State of Colorado |
| County | Baca County |
| Elevation | 4,672 ft (1,424 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code[1] | Las Animas CO 81054 |
| Area code | 719 |
| GNIS feature ID | 196051[2] |
Deora is an unincorporated community in Baca County, Colorado, United States.[2]
History[edit]
Deora was once the site of a post office, rail siding, school, and store, but little remains today.
Early 20th Century[edit]
When a post office was established in 1920, the postmistress suggested naming the settlement de oro, meaning "of gold" in Spanish.[3] Examinations for rural carriers in Stonington and Deora took place in June 1921.[4] The excavation work for what the Springfield Democrat-Herald called a large post office building began in March 1922.[5] Construction began in August.[6]
A graded road between the county seats of Springfield and Las Animas, going through Deora, was completed in September 1923.[7] This was later called a "fine road" in the Democrat-Herald.[8] J.S. Dockum operated the Deora store in the 1920s.[9]
The school in Deora was named Valley View school.[10] In 1927, the teacher assigned to Deora was a student at Colorado State Teachers College.[11]
In 1933, the Big Rock chapter of the 4-H youth club was started in Deora, with 40 members. The chapter still operates, and is the largest 4-H club in the county, although the members now meet in Springfield.[12]
In 1937, the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF) built a rail line connecting Baca County towns, including Springfield and Campo.[13] A rail siding on the AT&SF called Frick opened 0.7 miles (1.1 km) north of the Deora townsite.[14]
Deora was a small, rural community. In the 1940s, the town of Deora and the Baca County communities of Graft, Edler, and Utleyville were described as "outlets for cream and produce and as centers for the distribution of staple groceries and gasoline."[15] Deora's population remained small, being listed as high as 10,[16] and as low as 4.[3][17]
Later years[edit]
In the 1950s, Deora still appeared in publications of the Colorado State Planning division, listed alongside Baca communities such as Lycan, Bartlett, and Utleyville.[18][19] Deora's population was 4 in 1960.[20] The Frick rail station was still operating in 1963.[21]
In 2007, researchers from the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History collected specimens of plants one mile south of Deora. The observers noted Hesperostipa neomexicana (needlegrass), Achnatherum hymenoides (ricegrass), and Chondrosum gracile (grama). These specimens are held by the museum.[22]
Deora gives its name to the Deora quadrangle, a US Geological Survey topographical map.[23]
Geography[edit]
Deora is located 23 mi (37 km) northwest of Springfield, the county seat. It is north of the junction of County Road 6 and County Road SS.[24]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. January 3, 2007. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on November 22, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2007.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deora
- ^ a b Taylor, Ralph C. (1963). Colorado, South of the Border. Sage. p. 538.
- ^ "Untitled". Springfield Democrat-Herald. May 27, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "Rock Crossing". Springfield Democrat-Herald. March 31, 1922. p. 4. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "Rock Crossing". Springfield Democrat-Herald. August 18, 1922. p. 4. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "Deora". The Democrat-Herald. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. September 14, 1923. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "Deora". The Democrat-Herald. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. October 12, 1923. p. 2. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "Deora". Springfield Democrat-Herald. September 14, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "Deora". The Democrat-Herald. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. July 20, 1923. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Bureau Places Many Students in Winter Work". The Mirror. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. September 22, 1927. p. 3. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ "Big Rock 4-H Club". Baca County Extension. Colorado State University. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Colorado Preservation, Inc". coloradopreservation.org. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Deora". www.mindat.org. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ Service, United States Soil Conservation (1941). Physical Land Survey. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. p. 34.
- ^ The Attorneys List. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department. 1940. p. 150.
- ^ "State Museum". Colorado Magazine. 1940. p. 193.
- ^ Colorado. Colorado State Planning Division. 1956. p. 706.
- ^ Division, Colorado State Planning; Commission, Colorado State Planning (1956). Year Book of the State of Colorado. Colorado State Planning Division. p. 706.
- ^ "Colorado". World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. C. Chicago: Field Enterprises Educational Corporation. 1960. pp. 672–673.
- ^ "Santa Fe Time Table" (PDF). Summer 1963. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "University of Colorado Museum of Natural History Herbarium Detailed Collection Record Information". botanydb.colorado.edu. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Deora Quadrangle" (PDF). US Department of the Interior. 2016.
- ^ Google (December 12, 2020). "Deora, Colorado" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
Municipalities and communities of Baca County, Colorado, United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||