History and culture - Mountains
The coke ovens west of Trinidad explain how this county was built
Stone coke ovens and old company towns along the Highway of Legends are physical reminders that coal mining shaped where people settled in Las Animas County.
Published June 10, 2026 - Last verified June 15, 2026
Drive west out of Trinidad on Colorado Highway 12 and you pass rows of arched stone structures along the road. These are old coke ovens. They turned local coal into coke, a fuel used in smelting, and they help explain why towns grew where they did in Las Animas County.
Coal mining drew companies, railroads, and workers from many places, and the result was a string of mining and company towns tucked into the valleys. Cokedale is one that survives. It is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, and its old ovens still stand as a record of that work. The county seat, Trinidad, grew as the commercial center for all of it, and the Trinidad History Museum, part of History Colorado, helps tell that story.
For someone moving here, this past is not just scenery. It shows up in old mine workings, in the shape of small towns, and in the pride people take in that heritage. Knowing why a place exists makes its layout and its names make sense.
To learn the documented history of these towns and ovens, start with the National Register program at the National Park Service, History Colorado, and the official state byway record for the Highway of Legends.