Located about twelve miles north of Trinidad, Ludlow, Colorado, is a ghost town known for an infamous event in 1914. A former mining camp, it was the location of the Ludlow Massacre.
Situated in Las Animas County, there are several original buildings and homesteads still standing. There is also a United Mine Workers of America Memorial honoring the fallen victims. Before the massacre, Ludlow was largely a tent city for miners and their families. It had a population of about 1200.
Ludlow is positioned just before a canyon in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The notorious Spanish peaks are visible from the town. You can visit the ghost town remains and Ludlow Monument year round.
Ludlow Massacre Site
On April 20, 1914, there was a violent massacre in Ludlow, CO, north of Trinidad. The Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel and Iron Company guards shot striking miners and burning their tents to the ground. Women and children were killed. Known as the Ludlow Massacre, 25 people lost their lives, 11 of which were children.
The massacre was the height of the Colorado Coalfield War, which began a year earlier in 1913. Two coal mining counties Las Animas and Huerfano were the center of the conflict. The United Mine Workers of America led the strike against the Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I), owned by Rockefeller. They were upset over the horrible working conditions. Both parties led attacks back and forth over the years.
After the Ludlow Massacre, miners sought their revenge over ten days in places from Trinidad north to Louisville. Federal soldiers arrived in April 1914 putting an end to the violence, but the strike continued through December. Estimates of up to 200 people died. It was dubbed as the
deadliest strike in the history of the United States.
Getting There
From Trinidad – Ludlow is easily accessible from Interstate 25 year-round. Take I-25 north from Trinidad for 13 miles to exit 27. You’ll drive on County Road 44 until it becomes County Road 61.5. You’ll reach Ludlow within 1.5 miles of the highway.
Details
Nearby Town: Trinidad, CO 81082
County: Las Animas County
Season: Year-round
Roads: 2WD