Four Generations of
Law Enforcement in
Las Animas County
By Sergeant Steve Garcia, CSP/Homeland Security
when I was a boy in Trinidad,
Colorado, the title of Sheriff seemed
very close to me. From as far back
as I can remember I could look at
my Poppa’s badge that was pinned
upon his left breast pocket. Filbert
Garcia (Poppa) had lived among the
camaraderie of law enforcement since
his father, Felix Garcia, was appointed Sheriff of Las Animas County
when Ray Marty died in 1945. But to
tell you my story, I must first tell you
about them.
Our home town, Trinidad, lies
just southeast of the legendary
Spanish Peaks, twin mountains that
jut to elevations surpassing twelve
to thirteen thousand feet. The lone,
flat-topped sentinel of Fishers Peak ,
Raton Mountain, rises just south of
town toward Raton Pass. The name,
Trinidad, was chosen at a meeting of
the first settlers when they decided
to dedicate the place directly to the
Holy Trinity. The Santa Fe Trail not
only attracted farmers and ranchers,
but it also made Trinidad a center
of commerce. As Trinidad’s role as
a regional hub grew, so too did the
historic fabric of its buildings and
streets. The brick streets that remain
are a defining feature of Trinidad’s
historic downtown district. One of the
most prominent of early Trinidad’s
families was that of Dolores and
Felipe Baca.
A savvy business family, the Baca’s
farmed, raised sheep and cattle, ran
a lumber mill, and owned substantial
acreage. Dolores encouraged her
cousin Felix Garcia to homestead in
Bon Carbo, where the established
family ranch remains today under the
direction of my Grandfather Filbert.
46
N
Great Grandfather
Felix Garcia
My great-grandfather
Felix Garcia was perhaps
the most colorful of the
family legends. Choosing
not to become part of
the sprawling coalfields,
Felix watched as families
lived in camps like Sopris,
Starkville and Cokedale
(all within a few miles of
Trinidad). Miners lived
dangerous and physically
exhausting lives. Felix was 25 years
old when the violent clash between
striking miners and company guards
prompted the famous Ludlow
Massacre.
Felix became a deputy sheriff
in 1935, serving under the
administrations of Elmer Marty, and
later his son, Ray Marty. When Ray
suffered a fatal heart attack in 1945,
Felix was appointed sheriff by the
board of county commissioners. The
following year, he was elected to the
office of sheriff and served as county
sheriff for 27 years. And so began
the family stories about the legendary
Grandpa Garcia. During the 1940’s
Felix was asked for the most agonizing
sacrifice; his sons to help with World
War II. Filbert and George served in
the armed forces while the remaining
four children helped the war effort at
home in Trinidad.
A POW camp for German
prisoners was built east of Trinidad in
early 1943. The first prisoners arrived
June 6 of that year. Waste was taboo.
“Use it, wear it out, make it do, or do
without “ was the philosophy of those
years. Grandpa and Grandma Garcia
moved their family into the designated
sheriff residence on the second floor
of the County Court House. The
prisoners were one floor above.
Grandfather Filbert Garcia
In 1946, Filbert returned from
Great Britain having served in the
European theater as part of the U.S.
Air Force 65th Fighter Wing. The
highlight of Filbert’s military service
was Alice May Bayley, my beloved
grandmother, whom he met and
courted in Saffron Walden, England.
She arrived in Trinidad one year
later to become his bride. One of
the largest snowstorms ever to hit
Trinidad started on April 15, 1947,
and continued for 50 hours leaving
two feet of snow on the level and drifts
of five to ten feet – their wedding day!
My grandfather Filbert returned
home to Las Animas County to pick
up the broken pieces after World War
II. He did not take advantage of the
GI Bill to attend college; he was happy
to start his career as a police officer
for the City of Trinidad. He walked
a night beat that covered downtown,
one of the roughest parts of the city
– and he never wore a duty side arm.
Never one to shirk responsibility, he
worked as a law officer full time and
helped Felix maintain the family
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