It’s always bracing to leave Denver and the stress of the Front Range metroplex in favor of rural Colorado. We tend to forget these towns and their adjacent open spaces are inhabited by fellow citizens committed to a richer quality of life — not in dollars and cents perhaps. but in terms of friendships and community spirit. A week ago, at 9:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning, 50-plus residents of Trinidad met to remember the contributions Dana Crawford made to the preservation of historical structures throughout their downtown. As one local noted, “We were lucky enough to be so poor for so long, after the mines closed, we couldn’t afford to tear down the buildings Dana demanded we save.” Crawford was so taken by the Victorian commercial strip along Main Street she purchased a “get-away” weekend home for herself and began partnering with Jay Cimino, owner of the Phil Long auto chain — a Trinidad native — to rescue architectural gems. Only Dana could earn a eulogy in the Urban Land Institute’s magazine the same week she was memorialized in rural Colorado.

Each died, well into their nineties, during the past year. Though a loss for Trinidad, their spirit is being carried forward by a phalanx of youthful acolytes. The last time I visited Trinidad, several years ago, to spread the ashes of my father-in-law, Tom Allen, the only letters functioning on the city’s electric sign atop Simpson’s Rest were “DAD” — appropriate for the occasion, to be sure, but they are all burning brightly now. Tom served as president of The Friends of Historical Trinidad for more than a decade assisting Crawford whenever possible.

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Upon statehood in 1876, Trinidad was comparable in size to the aspiring mercantile outpost in Denver. Located on the Santa Fe Trail at the bottom of Raton Pass, the city attracted a large enough Jewish community to construct Temple Aaron, designed by noted architect Isaac Hamilton Rapp. It will soon be recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The third-oldest continuously operated synagogue west of the Mississippi, it was designated as threatened by Colorado Preservation, Inc. in 2017. A trust was created, which has already replaced the furnace and will restore the roof later this summer. Substantial funds are still required for further restoration and repairs before the sanctuary returns to its original splendor, but this seems achievable although the building remains endangered.

At the close of the nineteenth century, when crime and violence started to get out of hand in nearby mining camps, city fathers hired the frontier gunman, Bat Masterson, as sheriff in order to restore civic decorum. At the next election, voters concluded Masterson was delivering a little more discipline than they wanted, electing his challenger. Former U. S. Attorney for Colorado, Henry Solano, returned to Trinidad from Denver in 2016 to run for district attorney. I managed his campaign and remained the following year to help organize his office. I was present on election night when voters opted for Donald Trump, the first Republican to carry Las Animas County since Herbert Hoover in 1928, according to the county clerk. It was my first inkling the times were a’changin.

Restoration projects currently underway include the Fox Theater, originally built as a burlesque stage, complete with the curtains and ropes for lifting stage sets. Converted to a movie house early in the 20th century, it retains most of the art deco features that characterized this earlier period. A nearby schoolhouse has been converted into studio and one-bedroom apartments for workforce employee and another school  is on the way with larger apartments. Work-live spaces for artists requiring workshops are also available on Main Street. Now that Taos has lost much of its former luster as an artist’s haven, overrun with cheesy T-shirt shops, Trinidad stands prepared to take its place. The local economy was propped up for nearly a decade following Colorado’s legalization of marijuana supporting nearly two dozen pot shops catering to eager customers from nearby Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Revenues have dropped off by 40% as legalization has expanded. Las Animas County still hosts numerous greenhouse “grow” facilities today.

I always try to skim the local newspaper when I am visiting a town because it predictably offers insight into what’s happening locally. As small newspapers disappear, this may prove a vanishing pursuit. At a recent medical appointment, I arrived with the New York Times tucked under my arm. The young man who greeted me asked if I was carrying a newspaper. When I confirmed it was, he blurted, “Wow. Do you subscribe? When I nodded in the affirmative, he added, “I’ve never met anyone who still reads a real paper.” I mentioned as a kid my family received two daily papers, morning and evening. What I discovered from the Huerfano, Las Animas and Colfax (Raton, New Mexico) County “World Journal” (a somewhat extravagant name) was a squabble regarding access to the Purgatoire Riverbank was roiling Trinidad, while Raton was approving its own greenhouses. It also appears you can be elected to the Huerfano County Fire Protection District Board with fewer than 100 votes, while you will need at least 500 to serve on the Hospital Board.

Notices included “Resistance Is Not Futile” announcing a “not quite spontaneous and not quite organized” protest against the Trump administration every Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the sidewalk in front of the County Courthouse in Walsenburg (try and place that story in either Denver daily paper). There were announcements for the Spanish Peaks Library Board, Tai Chi classes with a Master that looked intriguing, bake sales, children’s storytimes and a free wellness health fair all and more. Let’s hear three cheers for local news. Somewhat more disturbing were NARCAN trainings and Wildfire Preparedness forums. Even Dana Crawford’s Memorial had earned a mention.

Walsenburg is launching its own police force, and the First National Bank of Trinidad is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Every graduating senior had their photos published in a graduation supplement. I also learned Jairo Dominguez of tiny Primero High School has the third best shot-put toss in the state this year. What’s not to like about that? It was Dana who understood saving buildings helps a community save its memories, as well. My tip: save that supplement.

Miller Hudson is a public affairs consultant and a former Colorado legislator.