Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 9,096 as of the 2010 census, up slightly from 9,078 in 2000. The estimate as of 2012 was 8,771. Trinidad lies 21 miles (33 kilometers) north of Raton, New Mexico and 195 miles (305 km) south of Denver. Trinidad is situated upon the historic Santa Fe Trail.HistoryEarlyTrinidad was first explored by Spanish and Mexican traders, who liked its proximity to the Santa Fe Trail. It was founded in 1862 soon after coal was discovered in the region. This led to an influx of immigrants, eager to capitalize on this important natural resource. By the late 1860s, the town had about 1,200 residents. Trinidad was officially incorporated in 1876, just a few months before Colorado became a state. An important milestone for the town occurred in 1878, when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached Trinidad, making it easier for goods to be shipped from distant locations. In the 1880s, Trinidad became home to a number of well-known people, including Bat Masterson, who briefly served as the town's marshal in 1882. By 1900, the population of Trinidad had grown to 7,500. It was now home to two English-language newspapers, and one that was published in Spanish.In the early 1900s, Trinidad became nationally known for having the first woman sports editor of a newspaper, Ina Eloise Young. Her expertise was in baseball, and in 1908, she was the only woman sportswriter to cover the World Series. During the same period of time, Trinidad was also home to a popular semi-pro baseball team that was briefly coached by Damon Runyon. In the photograph to the right it is believed that Ina Eloise Young is sitting in the center of the front row, above the white dog, with her mother and father seated on her left. This was a good location to keep a box score and report on the game. Although there is no byline, Ina Eloise Young, as sporting editor, certainly wrote the article that appeared in The Chronicle-News on September 3, 1907 about the three-game series. Damon Runyon is possibly standing on the far left with the other dignitaries in the front-center of the photograph. This event illustrates the popularity of baseball in Colorado at the time and shows Ina Eloise Young and Damon Runyon right in the middle of it.