The Town of Manassa is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Conejos County, Colorado, United States. With a population of 1,042 at the 2000 census, Manassa is the largest community in Conejos County.
This small town, surrounded by farms and ranches, is exactly one square mile in size, with a small amount of residential development on its outskirts. A mostly agricultural community, there are few business establishments in the town. A small-town feel abounds with no traffic control signals or stop lights.
The U.S. Post Office zip code for Manassa is 81141, and the area code is (719).
History
Article About The Founding And History of Manassa by the Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network (c)
Today, approximately half of Manassa's residents are Hispanics, many of whom are the descendants of early New Mexican settlers of colonial Spanish origin. Most of the other citizens of Manassa are the descendants of the Mormon pioneers who founded Manassa in 1879, and named the town after a son of the Israelite, Joseph.
Manassa was located a short distance from two ranches purchased by the Mormons from Hispanos on the south side of the Conejos River, across from Los Cerritos.
The selection of the land for the colony was made on the assurance that the railroad would soon be built nearby. However, one year later the railroad bypassed the colony, and instead passed through Romeo, Colorado, just three miles to the west.
Geography
Just directly north of the New Mexico state border, Manassa is located in the San Luis Valley in just about the southernmost central part of the State of Colorado at 37°10′29″N 105°56′11″W / 37.17472°N 105.93639°W / 37.17472; -105.93639 ( Latitude 37.174695 North, Longitude 105.936359 West).
This legendary area is not far from the headwaters of the Rio Grande, a short distance from the Continental Divide and the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and is surrounded by the world famous Rocky Mountains.
Manassa's elevation is 7,683 feet above sea level, however, the land within Manassa city limits is entirely flat, with rolling hills nearby. Foothills and mountains (taller than 14,000 feet) are farther in each direction, including the Sangre de Cristo mountain range to the east and the San Juan mountain range to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,042 people, 362 households, and 280 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,110.9 people per square mile (428.0/km²). There were 398 housing units at an average density of 424.3/sq mi (163.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.00% White, 0.48% African American, 1.63% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 13.24% from other races, and 3.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.75% of the population.
There were 362 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the town the population was spread out with 33.7% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,092, and the median income for a family was $26,827. Males had a median income of $23,295 versus $16,029 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,576. About 23.2% of families and 28.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.8% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.
Streets
Manassa's wide streets, such as those typically found elsewhere in towns started by Mormons, are fashioned in a grid system. The town fits perfectly in a township and comprises one square mile made up of eight blocks by eight blocks for a total of 64 city blocks. From east to west, the streets are numbered First through Ninth. From south to north, the streets are named South, Jack, Morgan, Smith, Main (aka State Highway 142), Berthelson, Peterson, Dotson, and North.
Manassa's mile-long Main Street is also known as State Highway 142, connecting Romeo (3 miles to the west) with the historic town of San Luis (Costilla County) to the east. The San Luis Hills are east of Manassa, on State Highway 142, between Manassa and the town of San Luis.
Transportation
Travel connections to major cities are generally made at Colorado Springs, Denver, or Albuquerque. With daily flights to Denver, the nearest commercial airport is in Alamosa 24 miles to the north. Alamosa, with a population of about 8,500, is the home of Adams State College and is also the main trading center for the San Luis Valley.
Schools and churches
Manassa students attend public schools in the North Conejos RE-1J School District. There is an elementary school in Manassa, however, older students attend the district's middle school (Centauri Middle School) and high school (Centauri High School) about 10 miles north and west of Manassa, just south of the town of La Jara. The high school mascot is "Falcons" and the school colors are "Red" and "White".
There are two churches in Manassa. They are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and St. Theresa of the Baby Jesus Roman Catholic Church.
The oldest church in Colorado is located in nearby Conejos, Colorado, about ten miles southwest of Manassa and near the town of Antonito.
Pioneer Days
The community-at-large, and people from all over the San Luis Valley and beyond, still celebrates Manassa Pioneer Days with a remarkable parade on two days, horse races, rodeo, demolition derby, fireworks, entertainment, barbecues, 5K run and renewing of friendships while remembering the past.
A carnival at Pioneer Days brings the Tilt-a-Whirl, bumper cars, a merry-go-round and other midway rides. Bandstand entertainment and vendor booths line Manassa’s city park on Main Street.
One of the oldest festivals in the state, the 129th annual celebration was held in 2008 and is an annual event. The weekend-long affair is held on the weekend closest to July 24, in honor of the arrival of Brigham Young and fellow members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Utah's Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847.
The Mormon pioneers, as they were commonly known, left their settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois, and journeyed West seeking refuge from religious persecution.
Each year, attendance at Manassa's Pioneer Days is estimated at close to 10,000 per day, with people coming from many parts of the country to visit family and friends and to enjoy the festivities.
Notable people
- World-famous boxer Jack Dempsey. The Jack Dempsey Museum is located on the town's main street.
- William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), was one of the greatest heavyweight champions in history. Twenty-six of his opponents were knocked unconscious during round one. Professional boxing: 83 Fights 62 Wins 50 KOs 6 Losses 9 Draws 6 No contests. Jack Dempsey is buried in the Southampton Cemetery, Southampton, New York.
- Ken Salazar Secretary of the Interior, Former U. S. Senator, Democrat, first elected 2004 for a six-year term. Former Attorney General for the State of Colorado.
- John Salazar U. S. Representative, Democrat, Third Congressional District, first elected in 2004 (Members of Congress run for reelection every two years). Former State Representative. Colorado's 3rd congressional district covers a large part of the state - about half of all the state's counties.
- Ken Salazar and John Salazar are brothers and are the sons of Henry Salazar (deceased) and Emma Salazar of Manassa.
- Dr. Gary Wayne Lippincott, is an orthdonist who has been practicing in the Chicago suburbs for 29 years, first as a dentist and then an orthodontist. He completed his graduate training at the University of Illinois at Chicago, receiving a clinical certificate and a Master of Science degree in orthodontics and dento-facial orthopedics. Dr. Lippincott is a member of professional organizations in dentistry and orthodontics at the national, state and local level and is board certified to practice orthodontics in the state of Illinois. Dr. Lippincott
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