Branson, Colorado
Town in the United States in Las Animas County
About Branson
Branson is a statutory town located in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 57 at the 2020 United States census. Branson is the southernmost town in the State of Colorado, located just 1 mile (1.6 km) from the New Mexico border.
Branson is located approximately 35 miles east of Trinidad, Colorado, on State Highway 389, in the Great Plains, as well in the Raton Mesa region. A few hundred feet south of Branson, Chicora Mesa rises 800 ft (240 m) above the village. It is a ranching community today. Farming in the area was severely impacted by the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and the population of Branson and its region has since been declining.
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How Branson is governed
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0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Branson
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
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The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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Population over time
From 74 in 2010 to 57 in 2020 (−23.0%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 57 |
| 2010 | 74 |
History
Branson was first known as Wilson, or Wilson Switch; then as Coloflats. The Coloflats, Colorado, post office opened on August 19, 1915, and the name was changed to Branson on July 30, 1918. The town was named for Josiah F. Branson (1867–1944) who platted the town on his land. The Town of Branson was incorporated on March 26, 1921. Branson is located north of a break in the mesas which separate Southeast Colorado from Northeast New Mexico, the route of a minor branch of the Santa Fe Trail. It was founded near a switch, Wilson Switch, of the Denver, Texas, and Fort Worth Railroad, later merged into the Colorado and Southern Railway, a predecessor of today's Burlington Northern Santa Fe. A depot was built in 1918. Despite being unsuitable for farming, many homesteaders attempted dryland farming in the early 20th century. In good years there were bountiful harvests of grain and in the early 1920s the town boasted of 1000 people and 3 grain elevators as well as facilities such as a bank and a newspaper. Two fires within a year, drought beginning in 1925, and the Dust Bowl of the 1930s caused the population to decrease as the economy turned from farming to ranching.
As a measure of the village's isolation, residents of Branson and vicinity shop in Trinidad, an hour's drive away.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.