Steve Chapman

Benjamin “Baxter” Stingley, An Early Salida Marshal

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By Steve Chapman Baxter Stingley was one of the first people to arrive in Salida, in 1880. He was part of the exodus from nearby Cleora, when that boom town went bust overnight, following the relocation of the railroad. Stingley and his brother Jessie arrived in the Arkansas Valley from Iowa. Not much is written …

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Occupational Hazards: The Violent Deaths of Three Colorado Lawmen

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By Steve Chapman One of the first things old West boom towns looked to establish was law and order. After enduring (or enjoying, depending on your perspective) early days of “anything goes” debauchery, criminal activity and survival of the fittest, citizens of mining communities such as Leadville, Buena Vista and Salida pitched in to hire …

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