Santa Fe Trail Day Annual Art Show

The Old Trail Gallery is having their 7th Annual Santa Fe Trail Day Art Show.  It opened on Santa Fe Trail Day and will run through May 10th. 

Monthly Board Meeting

The monthly Board/Membership meeting is held at 3:30PM on the 3rd Monday of the Month at the John W. Rawlings Heritage Center, 2nd floor library unless otherwise indicated.

Presentation of Bent County History - February 19th, McClave Elementary School

On February 19th, guests will have an opportunity to hear about the results of a recent survey of historic and prehistoric resources in the county.  Light refreshments also.  Starts 5pm to 6:30 pm.

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Santa Fe Trail Day Annual Art Show

The Old Trail Gallery is having their 7th Annual Santa Fe Trail Day Art Show.  It opened on Santa Fe Trail Day and will run through May 10th. 

Fort Lyon

Fort Lyon exemplifies Colorado’s rich cultural heritage for its association with Native Americans during the earliest period of the fort’s operation beginning in 1867;

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Kit Carson Chapel

In the midst of several historical buildings, just off the parade square at Fort Lyon, the small chapel stood a small building which bridged two centuries.  The Chapel, a native stone building, was erected early in 1868 by the U. S. Army for use as

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Rural Resources Survey

In partnership with Bent County, the PHSBC is conducting a Bent County Rural Resources Survey. The survey focuses on historic rural resources in Bent County. This area is rich in history including Native American rock art,

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Annual Meeting & Pot-Luck

The Annual Meeting and pot-luck will be held at the John W. Rawlings Heritage Center grand hall on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 5:00PM-8:00PM. Roche M. Lindsay, Instructor, University of Colorado,

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Fort Lyon

Fort Lyon

Fort Lyon exemplifies Colorado's rich cultural heritage for its association with Native Americans during the earliest period of the fort's operation beginning in 1867.
Read more about Fort Lyon in our featured post!

Women in White

Women in White

The Culver Family women in summer dress in the 1880's. The PHSBC archival library is available to research Bent County family genealogy. The PHSBC collection is rich in family photographs, scrapbooks, and costumes of the 19th and 20th Century.

Luke Cahil

Luke Cahil

Luke Cahil (bottom row 2nd from the left) served in the Army with Buffalo Bill and Kit Carson during the Indian Wars in the 1860's. He then became a cattle rancher and prominent Democrat in Bent County.

Old Democrat Building

Old Democrat Building

Constructed in 1898 of sandstone, the Ritz Theater, originally known as the Simons Movie Theater could seat 403 people. The adjacent Old Democrat building shared a supporting wall and housed the local newspaper, The Leader.

Las Animas City Hall

Las Animas City Hall

Looking North on what is now US Highway 50 lies the old Las Animas City Hall and the IOOF Lodge #11 in the early 1900 in Las Animas, CO. The Las Animas City Hall is now located on 5th and Carson. The IOOF Lodge is now the John W. Rawlings Heritage Center.