Baca County History

by the Plainsman Herald

Tioga County


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The Springfield Herald had a regular series in 1918 called “Persons, Stories, and Incidents of Old Boston and the Old Days.”  The episode author is listed as “The Writer”.  The February 1, 1918 edition of the series was titled “Tioga County”.   The story as told by the Herald is as follows:

“Probably there are not many and possibly not any of the old-timers in Baca County who remember Tioga County

It is just barely possible that most of those directly concerned about it and connected with it would remember Tioga County only after having their attentions called to the events of those old days that left Boston out in the cold, and finally resulted in the disintegration and scatterment to the four winds of the earth.

It was down at Trinidad that most of the conspiracies of those old days were hatched and it was there that Tioga County had its birth.   The Democrats were then the majority party in old Las Animas County, and had been for many years, and three or four Democrats of Trinidad and all those old days practically constituted the Democratic Party of the county.

Judge Jennings – lawyer, doctor, politician and orator – the weasel of the East End, Albert Hughes president of the Town company and a good second to Jennings in wire manipulations and cunningness, arranged the county seat matters with the “powers” of Trinidad under which arrangements, A. Hughes was supposed to be sent to the legislature from the east end and of course the election of Hughes meant Boston for the county seat.

Doctor Brown always called “Doc” was the paternal progenitor of the name.   “Tioga” is intended as the name to be applied to the intended cut off from the east end of Los Alamos. “Tioga”  was the name of the county in New York he came from and Doc’s influence with the republican was needed to call the new county Tioga.

INCIDENTS OF THE COUNTY SEAT FIGHTS

The incidents wrapped up in the history of Tioga County of course belonged to the scheme of making Boston the county seat of whatever was cut off the east end.

When the plan was consummated to send Hughes to the legislature, the Western World mildly opposed his nomination, particularly because of his occasional relapses from the strict state of sobriety and, partly out of the fear of last minute treachery.

It was argued go by practically everyone that Hughes interest in Boston were so great that no opposing interest could afford to buy him and that consequently he would be the safest man in that respect and could be sent to Denver.

As to Hughes, whether he came back a broken hearted man or not we do not know,  but we do know that he came back broke as well as coming out back to a broken and friendless town.

He remained in town but a short time, a week or so matter, and like all others afterward, left never to return. He came to Boston repeated to be worth $75,000 and he got away with anything from $1000 to $6000.

Hughes we understand went to Washington into the store business, but whether he’s still there and whether he’s made good we do not know.

But Boston, the probable one-time County of Tioga County, the largest town in all of the east end – all there is now there to tell the tragic story are piles of stone and holes in the ground.

That is how close to the banks of the North Fork of the Great American desert, lying midway between the range lines third 43 and 44, and a mile post south of the center of the town lines of 32 and 33 – all somewhere in the north temperate zone of the 112 North American continent.

Should you ever chance to visit the shrine of the defunct city, stop long enough to shed a tear on the tomb of its departed glory and offer up a prayer for the souls of those are buried beneath its ruins.

It’s all over now and has been for the past 30 years during which the ground has been made hallowed as a range for livestock, coyotes, and badgers, while its one time rollicking,  hopeful care-free people have been scattered as were the children of lost tribes of Israel.

Goodbye poor ol’ Boston for the present — will call again another day.”


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