Branson, Colorado
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Branson is a town located in Las Animas County, Colorado. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 77.
It is the site of a state supported online high school open to Colorado residents of school age. Students must have been enrolled in a Colorado public or charter school and be no older than 20 on October 1 of the school year.
Branson is located east of Trinidad, Colorado on the Great Plains. It is a ranching community today. Farming in the area was severely impacted by the dust bowl. Branson is much smaller than it once was in more optimistic days and features some picturesque abandoned buildings.
First known as Wilson, or Wilson Switch, then Coloflats, Colorado, a post office established in 1915, its name was changed to Branson in 1918, after Josiah F. Branson who platted the town on his land. The town was incorporated in 1922. Branson is located north of a break in the mesas which separate Southeast Colorado from Northwest 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, now the Colorado and Southern Railway. 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 1920s the town boasted 1000 people and 3 grain elevators as well as facilities such as a bank and a newspaper. After the drought and dust bowl of the 1930s population decreased rapidly as the economy turned from farming to ranching.
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External links
- Template:Mapit-US-cityscale
- History, photos and information on Sangres.com (http://sangres.com/places/branson.htm)
- Branson School Online (http://www.bransonschoolonline.com/) Branson School Online
- Branson history (http://www.bransonschoolonline.com/history.htm)
- Article in the New York Times on Bronson School Online (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/09/education/09online.html)
2000 Census information
Geography
COMap-doton-Branson.PNG
Location of Branson, Colorado
Branson is located at 37°0'55" North, 103°53'1" West (37.015291, -103.883684)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²). 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 77 people, 37 households, and 24 families residing in the town. The population density is 118.9/km² (309.6/mi²). There are 43 housing units at an average density of 66.4/km² (172.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 97.40% White, 0.00% African American, 1.30% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 19.48% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 37 households out of which 32.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% are married couples living together, 16.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% are non-families. 35.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 18.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.08 and the average family size is 2.63.
In the town the population is spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 1.3% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 71.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 62.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $24,583, and the median income for a family is $23,214. Males have a median income of $19,167 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the town is $14,933. 25.0% of the population and 26.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 33.3% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
In addition to the material from the 2000 census this article incorporates material from the Wikinfo article.