Doc Leonetti
Contributor
The Chronicle-News

The ninth Sopris reunion was held at the South Shore of Trinidad Lake on Saturday July 5, 2025, much to the delight of approximately 200 hardy souls who attended the gathering to pay respects to their old homes, now completely inundated by the Trinidad Lake.

The first reunion was situated at Lincoln School (grades one through 12) in 1970. Subsequent reunions were held at ten year intervals until 1990 when a five year span was introduced due to the diminishing population of the small coal mining camp. Previous to the gathering held in 2016, the 2025 reunion was rescheduled by the intrusive and deadly COVID pandemic.

Proceedings were initiated by Father Jim Koengsgseld, a priest who served the community for nine years. The remainder of the morning and afternoon hours was passed with friends and relatives of the lost town, sharing food, talking about old times, drinking beer and other beverages; just having a great time.

“I totally enjoyed seeing Joe Terry, Butch Veciellieo, Gary (Archie) Archuleta, Doc Leonetti, and all the many people that I haven’t seen for 60 years” said Phil (Camel) Shablo who drove non-stop with grandson Porter from St. Paul Minnesota. (By the way, 22 year old Porter drove all the way, coming and going!) “Seeing them again, if even so briefly, brought back many old memories of our life in Sopris. If I am still alive, I’ll be back for the next one. It was a wonderful experience.”

“The Lost Sopris,” a book published by Genevieve Faro-Johannsen and Robert B Vigil, cites 1873 as the year Eldridge B. Sopris discovered coal in the area of southern Colorado. Richard Sopris, son of Eldridge, whose father was a one-time Mayor of Denver wielded much influence across the state of Colorado.

The younger Sopris (Richard) focused on Las Animas County where he hunted the vast coal veins that abounded the Trinidad area. He was believed to have considerable properties across southwest of town. The land would eventually come under control of John D. Rock Rockefeller who quickly fostered the development of small houses for immigrants, and more homes were constructed.

An 1888 directory discloses three general stores, a lumber yard, four saloons, a furniture store and a butcher, baker and barber plying their wares in Sopris. The population consisted of 1,700 people in 1910, all intertwined in the mining industry.

Life revolved around the Catholic Church, the school, and the mines. The highly sought ‘black gold’ extricated from belching black holes would remain king for some time to come.

Albert (Butch) Veciellio mirrored Shablo’s thoughts about his long lost home. “It was good meeting with old friends,” noted Veciellio. “It makes one feel good. It was good for family, grandchildren, and friends. My daughter LeAnn and son-in-law Cody Jones drive me here from Farmington, New Mexico, and it’s good to spend some quality time with them and their kids, and all the other Sopris folks I was able to visit with.”

Several veterans of the “The Greatest Generation,” and a younger soldier who served in the military, were also in attendance at the South Shore; Sam Incitti (Army-WWII), Germany), Doc Leonetti (Germany), Jimmy (Rio) Martinez (Viet Nam), Gary (Archie) Archuleta, (Army Reserve, Rocky Mountain Arsenal), Paul Mondragon, Dominic Incitti (Ft.Bliss, Texas, Grand Island New York), Gene Veciellio (Army, Viet Nam), Phil (Camel) Shablo (South Korea), Paul Santistevan (Viet Nam), Chuck Cambruzzi (Navy, Japan and other ports in the Far East), Joe Sanchez (Army), Brian Santistevan (Marines), Tom Santistevan (Navy), and the youngster of the group, Jared Veciellio (Afghanistan).

Sam Incitti was deployed to Germany in the final stages of World War II. Jared Veciellio, Grandson of Gene and MaryAnn Veciellio, was wounded twice by IED’s in Afghanistan, and is now retired from the military with a medical disability.

Soprisites, all, are grateful for their service. Jim (Rio) Martinez, Dan Leonetti, Paul Santistevan, and Gene Veciellio witnessed numerous atrocities during their time served. All the veterans served with valor; Gene Veciellio, Jimmy (Rio) Martinez, Sam Incitti, Dan Leonetti, Paul Santistevan, and youngster Jared Veciellio particularly deserve special gratitude. Each of them risked their lives daily for the salvation of our homeland, America!

“Will you be ‘walking in the footsteps of your grandfather,’ as my cousins did in Italy,” said Archuleta. “Somewhere on that shore and in that lake they walked, they worked, they hunted, they played bocce and baseball, and they sojourned to far off lands to serve, protect, and honor their country. And they all lived to just enjoy one another. It was great growing up in Sopris.”

A lengthy article written about Sopris was published in the Colorado Springs Gazette by Seth Boster on June 1, 2025. Boster quoted the short book, “The ‘People of Sopris,’ by Doc Leonetti that described “the sentiment of the people who lived there. Among the generations that grew up in Sopris and saw it submerged, Leonetti wanted to capture ‘the despairs and delights, the toughness and the tenderness, and the grit and the gumption’ that the people of Sopris will forever be remembered.”

*A special thanks to Louise Terry, Loretta Archuleta, and Gary Archuleta for their helpful research for this story.