Brodhead, Colorado

Introduction

The town site is about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) north of Aguilar on the western side of Interstate 25 approximately 18 miles (29 km) north of the town of Trinidad. Nearby points of interest include the Ludlow Monument, a monument to the coal miners and their families who were killed in the 1914 Ludlow Massacre.

The population was a mix of Mexican and European immigrants. Some of the miners are known to have come from Stafford, England

Evolution of the Town

Brodhead was a mining town built and owned by a company formed by three brothers: Henry C. Brodhead (President) who was married to the author Eva Wilder Brodhead, Albert G. Brodhead (Vice President), and Robert S. Brodhead (Secretary and General Manager)[1] and operated between the late 1890s and the mid 1960s. The Brodhead brothers had previously operated a mine in Gonzales Canyon between 1896 and 1899. Initially the town was built as a company town

1911

The 1911 Gazetter Publishing Company Business Directory listing for Brodhead, Las Animas Co.[2] describes the town as:

Coal mining town in Las Animas county, 2 1/4 miles north of Aguilar, the railroad point. Stage to Aguilar and Lynn. Population 300.

And lists notable residents as:

Carl V. Bates, Physician
F Baudina, General Merchandise Store, G B Norman (Manager)
Howell & Bennett, Boarding House
Las Animas Coal Co, Win Burt (Superintendent)
E C Reck Jr., Postmaster (The Post Office had opened on Aug 14th 1902 and was closed on April 15th 1913 [3])
J M Williams, Saloon

1929

The 1929 edition of the American Mining & Metallurgical Manual lists the Temple Fuel Company operating in the canyon[4] as:

F.R. Wood, Trinidad, Colorado, President, General Manager.
Alexander Shields, Brodhead, Colorado, Superintendant.
Brodhead Colliery, (110,000 Tons) Slope. Steam Electric Plant.
7 Electrical Coal Cutters. Trolley Electric Locomotives, 200 Men.

A Post Office had also re-opened on July 19, 1915, only to close again on Apr 29th 1939 [3]

Mining around Brodhead

There were a number of mines in the canyon:[4][5]

Mine Name (Also Known As) Operator Operating Dates
Brodhead #1 Brodhead Coal Co 1949-1951
Brodhead #2 (Alfreda) Vasquez and Vigil 1947-1950
Brodhead Coal Co 1950-1958
Brodhead #3 (Las Animas) Las Animas Coal Co 1900-1911, 1917-1919
Brodhead #4a Brodhead Coal Co 1958-1965
Brodhead #9 (Temple #9) Temple Fuel Co 1911-1939
Brodhead #10 (Alta) Temple Fuel Co 1911-1913, 1917-1919, 1920-1922
Brodhead #11 (Alta) Temple Fuel Co 1911-1913, 1917-1919, 1920-1922

Deaths in the Mines

There are a number of deaths known at the mines, which, in common with all mining then and now was a dangerous occupation, including:

Name Date of Death NationalityOccupation Years of Mine Experience Age at Death Marital Status Surviving Children Company Name Mine Name Cause of death/comments
Jacob GARCIA,[6] 19 Sep 1922 Mexican Machine Miner 2 30 Single Temple Fuel Co. Brodhead No. 9 Electrocuted
Roy GRAVIS[6] 31 Jan 1904 American Miner 20 Single Brodhead Roof Fall
Thomas GREGORY[6] 13 Nov 1936 American Mine Foreman 36 50 Single Temple Fuel Co. Brodhead No. 9 Squeezed between the motor and the roof
Deno GUERRI[6] 4 Sep 1929 Italian Motorman 4 21 Single Temple Fuel Co. Brodhead No. 9 Electrocuted
Isidro TAFOYA[7] 10 Nov 1922 American Machine Miner 5 34 Married 1 Temple Fuel Co. Brodhead No. 10 Rock Fall
Cerillos TRUJILLO[7] 8 Feb 1928 Mexican Pick Miner 5 34 Married 3 Temple Fuel Co. Brodhead No. 9 Rock Fall
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References
  1. "Biographical Sketch and Ancestry of Robert Packer BRODHEAD".
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2014-02-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Colorado Post Offices Bauer W, Ozment J, Willard J ISBN 0-918654-42-4
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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