Collection M 028, Series 14.10.1:
La Plata County (Colo.) Government  Register of the poor, 1891-1942
Indexes Part 1:
Family names A- through F-

1 volume
Arranged and described by Cindy Beam and Todd Ellison
 ©1998, 2000 by Fort Lewis College Foundation, Center of Southwest Studies account


Links to Contents
Preface
Introduction/ 
Scope and Contents
 Full Data Tables, Sorted by Name
Index by Date Aided Index by Place of Birth: in U.S. Index by Place of Birth: outside U.S. Index by Nationality
Index by Cause of Poverty

Center of Southwest Studies collection inventories
Center of Southwest Studies main page
 

Introduction/ Scope and Contents

This single volume, labeled on its broken spine "REGISTER OF THE POOR/ "LA PLATA COUNTY" contains five hundred and seventy-three handwritten entries on the double-wide pages 1-21 of the 159 pages of printed tables in the ledger.  Pages 22-159 contain no entries.  Data columns are as follows:  when given, names, nationality, where born (state and county), when emigrated to the United States, when to Colorado, when to County, ages (with sections for 1 to 10, 10 to 20 . . . and 80 & over), sex, what aid given and its dollar value, cash or merchandise (entries were seldom made in this field), poor house or hospital, how long maintained, and cause of poverty.  A look at the index sorted by date aided reveals that there are numerous and possibly considerable lapses in the entries, notably from mid-December 1895 through the end of August 1911.  Let the reader note that because there is no overlap in the centuries of data in this ledger, we have left off the 18-- and 19-- prefixes.

The special research strength of this volume and the indexes we have produced is that they permit a study of individuals and social conditions in the earlier days of the modern-day settlement of Durango and La Plata County for over fifty years, including the topic of immigration into the state and into the county.  The data can be accessed through various means, including date, name, birthplace, nationality and cause of poverty.

Note:  For purposes of data entry and sorting, if the ledger entry gave no date of the month we dated the entry as the first of the month.

Because of the large size of the ledger book (nearly 14.5" wide and 17.25" high) and the breakdown of its leather binding, access to the material will be through these printed indexes.  Researchers may consult the actual volume at the Southwest Center if necessary for purposes of verifying data, assuming that the volume is used at a table of adequate size and with proper supports for the binding.  Ask for assistance at the reference desk.

Cindy Beam, a volunteer from the Durango community, contributed more than 15 hours to the Center for the data entry that is the basis of this particular guide.  We express our thanks to her, and issue an invitation to other historically-minded persons in the community who would find satisfaction in preserving and providing access to the historical records of our region.

La Plata County (Colorado) Register of the Poor
Full Data Table, Sorted by Name

Note:  This table actually serves also as an index, sorted by name of the person assisted and then by the dates that person was aided.  The names of some of the individuals assisted appear numerous times in the Poor Register.  The four indexes that follow these full data tables refer to the name, which can then be looked up in this name index to see the full information given about that person.

Because this table is so large, we have divided it into four web pages by the person's family name.  Search tip: you can do a keyword search of each web page by using the Edit-> Find in Page (Ctrl+F) feature on your Web browser.

A-F G-L M-R S-Z

Akers, W. J.

First date aid was given: 7/17/26

Age: 40

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: AR

Where born: county: Clay

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/25

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/25

Poor house (p) or hospital (h)?: p

Cause/poverty: crippled by burns

Notes: Sent to CA 7/24/1926.

 

 

 

 

Alexander, John D.

First date aid was given: 8/19/40

Last date aid was given: 10/21/40

Age: 18

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: TX

Where born: county: New Hope

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/40

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/40

Notes: Delivered by Undersheriff Dunger;

left here via Dunger.

 

 

 

 

Allan, James

First date aid was given: 8/19/29

Age: 75

Nationality: Scotch

Sex: m

Where born: county: Scotland

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/79

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/02

Cause/poverty: old age and insanity

Notes: Left 8/24/1929.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alpolaca, Joe

First date aid was given: 2/06/34

Age: 64

Nationality: Mexican

Sex: m

Where born: state: NM

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/70

Cause/poverty: destitute

 

 

 

 

Anderson, B.

First date aid was given: 12/23/15

Age: 93

Nationality: American

Where born: state: MD

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/08

Cause/poverty: infirmity

 

 

 

 

 

Anderson, B., Mrs.

First date aid was given: 3/08/16

Age: 93  Date died: 8/12/16

Nationality: American

Sex: f

Where born: state: MD

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/07

Aid given: care and attendance

Cause/poverty: infirmity

Notes: Was maintained 1 year, 6 months, 22        days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apadaco, Joe Lewis

First date aid was given: 6/28/32

Nationality: Mexican

Sex: m

Where born: state: NM

Notes: Left for town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apalaca, Joe

First date aid was given: 8/25/37

Date died: 9/06/37

Nationality: Mexican

Sex: m

Where born: state: NM

Cause/poverty: sickness

Notes: Removed to hospital 8/25; returned

from hospital 8/27.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apodaca, Joe Lewis

First date aid was given: 9/03/31

Age: 68

Nationality: Mexican

Sex: m

Where born: state: NM

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/68

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/95

Cause/poverty: old age

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aragon, Tony

First date aid was given: 6/13/41

Last date aid was given: 7/10/41

Age: 32

Nationality: Mexican

Sex: m

Where born: state: CO

Where born: county: Saguache

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/08

Notes: Deliv. here by Miss Conway; ret.

3/7/42; left 4/10/42; ok'd by Conway.

 

 

 

 

 

Archer, Lizzie

First date aid was given: 9/01/11

Last date aid was given: 12/05/11

Sex: f

Notes: Last meal Dec. 5, 1911, breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baca, Cosma

First date aid was given: 6/04/28

Age: 68  Date died: 7/16/37

Nationality: Mexican

Sex: m

Cause/poverty: blindness

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baca, Cosma

First date aid was given: 7/05/37

Date died: 7/16/37

Nationality: Mexican

Sex: f

Cause/poverty: sickness

Notes: Removed to hospital this date.

 

 

 

 

 

Bachman, Goldie

First date aid was given: 6/12/40

Age: 16

Nationality: American

Sex: f

Where born: state: CO

Where born: county: Archuleta

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/33

Aid given: delivered here by Conway & Dunger

Cause/poverty: sickness

Notes: Born here; went to hosp. 8/23/40;

ret. 8/28/40; went to hosp. 9/27/40.

 

 

 

 

Bain, Pleasant

First date aid was given: 5/05/30

Nationality: American

Sex: f

Where born: state: KY

Where born: county: Knox

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/82

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/00

 

 

 

 

Bain, Pleasant

First date aid was given: 10/27/31

Nationality: American

Sex: f

Where born: state: KY

Cause/poverty: sickness

Notes: Went to hospital.

 

 

 

 

 

Baines, James

First date aid was given: 5/01/95

Age: 43

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: WI

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/90

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/90

Aid given: medicine ‑ $.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baker, Nelson

First date aid was given: 11/14/27

Age: 69

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: IL

Where born: county: Whiterock

Date emigrated to CO.: 1/01/92

Date came to LaPlata Co.: 1/01/92

Cause/poverty: old age

Notes: Went to work 4/26/1928.

 

 

 

 

 

Baker, Nelson

First date aid was given: 10/02/28

Age: 70  Date died: 4/17/30

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: IL

Notes: Returned.  Went to work 4/10/1929;

returned in May.

 

 

 

 

Baker, Nelson

First date aid was given: 9/28/29

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: IL

Notes: Returned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baker, Nelson

First date aid was given: 5/24/30

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: IL

Notes: Went to Farmington, N.M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baker, Nelson

First date aid was given: 11/05/30

Nationality: American

Sex: m

Where born: state: IL

Notes: Returned.