Badito, Colorado
Ghost town in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Badito is a historic ghost town along the Huerfano River in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States.[1] "Huerfano" is a Spanish language noun meaning "orphan". Badito is located at the intersection of Colorado State Highway 69 and County Road 520.
History
The long-abandoned community, located at the crossing of the Huerfano River, marks a path used by the Ancestral Puebloans during the Basketmaker era.
A Spanish expedition led by General Juan de Ulibarrí is the first known recorded journey through Badito. He documented the journey through Cuchara Pass, west of the Spanish Peaks in 1706. Juan de Ulibarrí's command reached the Rio de San Juan Baptista (currently named the Huerfano River) at Badito.
In 1819, Jacob Fowler noted an abandoned Spanish adobe fort at the location. Later, the Taos Trappers Trail, joining the Santa Fe Trail with the Cherokee Trail, passed through this location.
On February 28, 1861, Territory of Colorado was organized.[3] The Little Orphan, Colorado Territory, post office opened on May 1, 1865, but the name was changed to Badito on September 12 of that year.[4] Badito served as the seat of Huerfano County, Colorado Territory, from 1868 until 1874, when the county seat moved to Walsenburgh.[5][6] Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876.[7] The Badito, Colorado, post office finally closed on November 15, 1910.
