09/19/2026
đź“ś Did you know? The Colorado Constitution was written in three languages: English, Spanish, and German. This was largely due to the efforts of Casimiro Barela, a territorial legislator who was born in then-Mexico on March 4th, 1847.
Barela began his political career at just twenty two when he was elected Justice of the Peace in Trinidad. In 1875 Barela helped write Colorado’s State Constitution. He fought to makesure that the constitution was published in English, Spanish, and German so that it would be accessible to more people across the state.
After being in the Colorado State Senate for almost forty years, Barela earned the nickname the “Father of the Colorado Senate.”
Learn more in "38th Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State," an exhibition now on view at the History Colorado Center. Delve into Colorado's origins through the authentic photographs, documents, artifacts, and voices that formed our state.
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Casimiro Barela sitting down in an office ,1905-1915, History Colorado 84.193.302
