Baca History Reprint Update

Published by:

Kent Brooks

August 12, 2025

baca county, Broomcorn, Duffy, Southeast Colorado

Baca County History Book Reprint Nears Final Proof — and Volume II Submissions Coming Soon

The reprint of the original 1983 Baca County History Book is one step closer to completion. After sending off the first proof copy earlier this month, we’ve been carefully reviewing every page, making improvements to ensure the final product is worthy of the original.

Some of the updates include cleaning up images that had faint lines running through them (See Below) and restoring the inside front and back covers, which were missing in the proof. These covers contain valuable historical information and will now be included as full pages in the reprint. Once these adjustments are complete, we’ll send off for an updated proof copy for final review.

Pages of the 1983 reprint with the original covers included with the following message: “The next two pages are faithful scans from the inside front and back covers of the original 1983 book. They capture a little extra detail—those small touches that made the first edition so special. While it isn’t possible to recreate them exactly, we felt they deserved a place here, just as a nod to the spirit of the original work.
We hope they bring back memories for those who remember the first book, and offer a glimpse of its character for those discovering it for the first time. Enjoy.” —The Baca County History Book Reprint Committee

At the same time, we’ve been developing the submission process for Volume II. We hope to have that finalized soon so that both online contributors and those without internet access can easily share their family histories, photographs, and community stories.

And along the way, we’ve been uncovering treasures we’d overlooked before. One example is a photo of a Johnny Renner and Geraldine Duffy in a broomcorn field — another reminder of Baca County’s role as the “Broomcorn Capital of the World.” This discovery highlights exactly why this reprint matters: it’s about preserving history, but it is also about rediscovering the details that help us tell the county’s story more fully.

The Baca County History Book reprint is being done in partnership with the the Plainsman Herald and the newly reestablished Baca County Historical Society. The society was revived specifically to make this reprint possible after securing the copyright release from the original publisher. With that foundation in place, we’re looking not only to reprint the original volume but also to expand the story with Volume II — a collaborative effort to honor the past while recording the present for future generations.

Stay tuned for announcements about when you can view the updated proof, how to submit materials for Volume II, and upcoming events where we’ll be sharing more about the project.

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