The county seat of McKinley County is Gallup, a town whose population has stabilized at about 22,000.
It is a very cosmopolitan town, probably the most cosmopolitan in New Mexico. The population is about 1/3 Indian and 1/3 Mexican. The population is only 6% white, or Anglo. The rest of the population has a heavy concentration of Asians. There is a sizable Palestinian population in Gallup.
The town's location near several Indian Reservations makes it an economic center for a wide area. The WalMart in Gallup is the highest grossing WalMart store in the nation due to its drawing area from nearby Indian Reservations. The economy is also heavily influenced by service related businesses that draws customers from Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 491. Indian trade is a leading economic mainstay and trading posts are located all over town.
Gallup is a town that has a bad reputation by many people. It has frequently been called "The drunk driving capital of the world." and quite a few other unsavory names and it was criticized by Navajo author Leslie Silko in her book "Ceremony" for its slums, but I have explored Gallup extensively and I like the town. It has character. I really care less about its reputation because it is a town with great architecture, a scenic location and very nice people. I have always enjoyed my stays there. There are alot of hilly streets in town. The town has a rather unique layout in the fact that it is about 12 miles long, from east to west, but never more than 2 miles from north to south. That is the oldest part of town, most of the town is much narrower, only half a mile wide in places.
Yes there is an extensive problem with poverty in Gallup, but the whole county has that problem and Gallup is wealthier than the rest of McKinley County is.
Gallup was founded in 1881 when the railroad was being built through the area. most of the towns along this railroad were founded in 1881. Gallup started to develop along U.S. Highway 66 when it came through town. this was the beginning of the town making its livelihood from travelers.
The western city limits of Gallup are only 15 miles from the Arizona border and it is 137 miles west of Albuquerque.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
McKinley County, NM, an introduction
McKinley County is on the western border of New Mexico. It is bordered by Cibola, Sandoval, Rio Arriba and San Juan Counties and it is also bordered on the west by Arizona. The county covers 5,455 square miles, making it one of the largest counties in New Mexico and the United States. Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 491 are the lifeblood of the county and they meet in Gallup, the county seat.
The Navajo Indian Reservation covers about 60% of McKinley County and the Zuni Indian Reservation covers a sizable chunk of the county. Also, Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation covers a small portion of the county. This Indian reservation is actually a disjunct portion of the larger Navajo Reservation and votes in all tribal elections. The Ramah Navajos had a separate tribal government until the 1960s and they maintain a separate history from the larger Navajo Tribe. They were actually in this part of New Mexico before the larger tribe was. Another decent-sized chunk of the county is part of Cibola National Forest and a very small portion is part of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Most of the land that does not belong to an Indian tribe or the federal government belongs to mining companies, principally coal mines. The county seat, Gallup, is almost completely surrounded by Navajo Reservation land.
The population of McKinley County is 77% Indian, or Native American, 13% Mexican, 5% White and the remaining 5% belong to other races [mostly Asian] or a mixture of races. McKinley County's predominant language, spoken at home, is Navajo and it is one of very few counties in the United States in which the primary language spoken at home is neither English nor Spanish. The other counties in which the primary language is neither English nor Spanish are all Indian Reservation counties where the reservation covers all or most of the county. 46% of the population speaks Navajo at home, 39% speaks English at home, 9% speaks Zuni at home and 6% speaks Spanish at home as their primary language.
McKinley County was named for William McKinley, who was President of the United States when the county was created.
McKinley County is one of the poorest counties in the United States and the poorest in New Mexico, which is one of the poorest states. It has a critical poverty rate and is the leading recipient of food stamps in New Mexico. It also has one of the highest levels of hunger in the United States I once read a comprehensive study that calls McKinley County "the portrait of hunger in America." Social organizations in McKinley County are extremely busy due to the extreme poverty rate.
The Gallup-McKinley County school district, which covers the entire county and is one of the geographically largest school districts in the nation, is 93% "minority" and about 60% of the enrollment speaks English as a second language. 85% of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced lunches in school.
The Navajo Indian Reservation covers about 60% of McKinley County and the Zuni Indian Reservation covers a sizable chunk of the county. Also, Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation covers a small portion of the county. This Indian reservation is actually a disjunct portion of the larger Navajo Reservation and votes in all tribal elections. The Ramah Navajos had a separate tribal government until the 1960s and they maintain a separate history from the larger Navajo Tribe. They were actually in this part of New Mexico before the larger tribe was. Another decent-sized chunk of the county is part of Cibola National Forest and a very small portion is part of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Most of the land that does not belong to an Indian tribe or the federal government belongs to mining companies, principally coal mines. The county seat, Gallup, is almost completely surrounded by Navajo Reservation land.
The population of McKinley County is 77% Indian, or Native American, 13% Mexican, 5% White and the remaining 5% belong to other races [mostly Asian] or a mixture of races. McKinley County's predominant language, spoken at home, is Navajo and it is one of very few counties in the United States in which the primary language spoken at home is neither English nor Spanish. The other counties in which the primary language is neither English nor Spanish are all Indian Reservation counties where the reservation covers all or most of the county. 46% of the population speaks Navajo at home, 39% speaks English at home, 9% speaks Zuni at home and 6% speaks Spanish at home as their primary language.
McKinley County was named for William McKinley, who was President of the United States when the county was created.
McKinley County is one of the poorest counties in the United States and the poorest in New Mexico, which is one of the poorest states. It has a critical poverty rate and is the leading recipient of food stamps in New Mexico. It also has one of the highest levels of hunger in the United States I once read a comprehensive study that calls McKinley County "the portrait of hunger in America." Social organizations in McKinley County are extremely busy due to the extreme poverty rate.
The Gallup-McKinley County school district, which covers the entire county and is one of the geographically largest school districts in the nation, is 93% "minority" and about 60% of the enrollment speaks English as a second language. 85% of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced lunches in school.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Confusing Names
The second Rio Puerco is rather unknown to me. I have not found very much information about it and, until a few minutes ago, I could not find it on a map. Here is what I do know about it: It rises only 4 miles southeast of the first Rio Puerco that I spoke of. It is also in Santa Fe National Forest in the
Sierra Nacimiento. It is in the national forest for about one-third of its length. It flows generally in a northeast direction and empties into Abiquiu Reservoir, which was created by a dam across the Rio Chama. The Rio Chama is one of the major tributaries of the Rio Grande, so the first two "Rio Puercos" are in the same watershed, the Rio Grande watershed, even though they start on different sides of a mountain range.
This Rio Puerco is only about 45 miles long and flows past the villages of Arroyo del Agua, Coyote and Youngsville on its short journey. It also flows past a ghost town called Rio Puerco in its short journey. A detailed map I have marks it as a perennial stream for most of its length, but, that being said, I am sure the flow is small like it is in most of the rivers in New Mexico. The only major road this Rio Puerco crosses is State Highway 96, which is a major connector between U.S. Highway 84 and U.S. Highway 550. The latter highway follows the first Rio Puerco for over 20 miles.
The third Rio Puerco is commonly called "Rio Puerco of the West," but, officially, it is just "Rio Puerco."
It is west of the Continental Divide, whereas the other two rivers that share its name are east of the divide.
This Rio Puerco rises in two forks. The North Fork (the main stream) rises near Hosta Butte (elevation 8,620 feet) in central McKinley County about five miles south of Crownpoint, on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The South Fork rises in the Zuni Mountains, in Cibola National Forest near the town of McGaffey. The South Fork of the Rio Puerco is about 20 miles long. It meets the North Fork on the edge of Gallup, the county seat of McKinley County. From the head of the North Fork to the mouth of the Rio Puerco just outside Holbrook, Arizona, it is a distance, in river miles, of 132 miles. From the confluence of the two forks of the Rio Puerco of the West, the river is in a nearly straight, man-made, channel for about 10 miles. It is entrenched between the railroad tracks and Interstate 40 and 'flows' just north of downtown Gallup, the principal city on the river.This river 'flows' west and meets the Little Colorado River just outside of Holbrook, Arizona, so it is part of the Colorado River watershed.
The Rio Puerco of the West is one of the most polluted rivers in the country. For about 35 miles, from a mine on the North Fork near Church Rock, to a point a few miles inside Arizona, it has been a perennial,
or year-round, river in recent years. However, the river's year-round flow consists mostly of treated and untreated waste from uranium mines, waste from truck stops and trailer parks and repeated discharges of untreated effluent from the Gallup Sewage Treatment Plant.
On July 16, 1979; 94 million gallons of radiactive water and uranium tailings spilled into the North Fork of the Rio Puerco after breaching a nearby tailings pond. It seriously contaminated about 50 miles of the river. This contamination was on top of the other contamination that had been occurring over the years from the effluent and other types of waste. The river is considered by most people to be a dumping ground unfit for humans and animals. At least in the past few years, some "progress" has been made. Most of the time, the Rio Puerco just a dry, sandy bed again. Normally, drying up a river is not progress, but in this case, it is. The Gallup Sewage Treatment Plant still sends the occasional discharge down the riverbed, but for the most part, the only time it flows is after spring snowmelt or heavy rains. I would prefer this situation to the alternative.
The Navajo word for the river is "To Nizhoni," which means "beautiful water." But that description is no longer accurate.
The Rio Puerco of the West lends its name to Gallup's shopping mall--Rio West Mall. Interstate 40 and the railroad follow the river for most of the river's length. The legendary Route 66 once shadowed the river for nearly 100 miles.
To further add to the confusion of three rivers in New Mexico called Rio Puerco, consider this: As soon as the Rio Puerco of the West crosses the state border into Arizona, it is no longer called "Rio Puerco." Instead, it is called "Puerco River." "Puerco River" appears on all highway signs in Arizona while "Rio Puerco" appears on all highway signs in New Mexico. The "Rio Puerco" appellation in New Mexico is due to that state's heavy Spanish influence, even though this part of the state has a heavy Indian influence and very little Spanish influence.
Sierra Nacimiento. It is in the national forest for about one-third of its length. It flows generally in a northeast direction and empties into Abiquiu Reservoir, which was created by a dam across the Rio Chama. The Rio Chama is one of the major tributaries of the Rio Grande, so the first two "Rio Puercos" are in the same watershed, the Rio Grande watershed, even though they start on different sides of a mountain range.
This Rio Puerco is only about 45 miles long and flows past the villages of Arroyo del Agua, Coyote and Youngsville on its short journey. It also flows past a ghost town called Rio Puerco in its short journey. A detailed map I have marks it as a perennial stream for most of its length, but, that being said, I am sure the flow is small like it is in most of the rivers in New Mexico. The only major road this Rio Puerco crosses is State Highway 96, which is a major connector between U.S. Highway 84 and U.S. Highway 550. The latter highway follows the first Rio Puerco for over 20 miles.
The third Rio Puerco is commonly called "Rio Puerco of the West," but, officially, it is just "Rio Puerco."
It is west of the Continental Divide, whereas the other two rivers that share its name are east of the divide.
This Rio Puerco rises in two forks. The North Fork (the main stream) rises near Hosta Butte (elevation 8,620 feet) in central McKinley County about five miles south of Crownpoint, on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The South Fork rises in the Zuni Mountains, in Cibola National Forest near the town of McGaffey. The South Fork of the Rio Puerco is about 20 miles long. It meets the North Fork on the edge of Gallup, the county seat of McKinley County. From the head of the North Fork to the mouth of the Rio Puerco just outside Holbrook, Arizona, it is a distance, in river miles, of 132 miles. From the confluence of the two forks of the Rio Puerco of the West, the river is in a nearly straight, man-made, channel for about 10 miles. It is entrenched between the railroad tracks and Interstate 40 and 'flows' just north of downtown Gallup, the principal city on the river.This river 'flows' west and meets the Little Colorado River just outside of Holbrook, Arizona, so it is part of the Colorado River watershed.
The Rio Puerco of the West is one of the most polluted rivers in the country. For about 35 miles, from a mine on the North Fork near Church Rock, to a point a few miles inside Arizona, it has been a perennial,
or year-round, river in recent years. However, the river's year-round flow consists mostly of treated and untreated waste from uranium mines, waste from truck stops and trailer parks and repeated discharges of untreated effluent from the Gallup Sewage Treatment Plant.
On July 16, 1979; 94 million gallons of radiactive water and uranium tailings spilled into the North Fork of the Rio Puerco after breaching a nearby tailings pond. It seriously contaminated about 50 miles of the river. This contamination was on top of the other contamination that had been occurring over the years from the effluent and other types of waste. The river is considered by most people to be a dumping ground unfit for humans and animals. At least in the past few years, some "progress" has been made. Most of the time, the Rio Puerco just a dry, sandy bed again. Normally, drying up a river is not progress, but in this case, it is. The Gallup Sewage Treatment Plant still sends the occasional discharge down the riverbed, but for the most part, the only time it flows is after spring snowmelt or heavy rains. I would prefer this situation to the alternative.
The Navajo word for the river is "To Nizhoni," which means "beautiful water." But that description is no longer accurate.
The Rio Puerco of the West lends its name to Gallup's shopping mall--Rio West Mall. Interstate 40 and the railroad follow the river for most of the river's length. The legendary Route 66 once shadowed the river for nearly 100 miles.
To further add to the confusion of three rivers in New Mexico called Rio Puerco, consider this: As soon as the Rio Puerco of the West crosses the state border into Arizona, it is no longer called "Rio Puerco." Instead, it is called "Puerco River." "Puerco River" appears on all highway signs in Arizona while "Rio Puerco" appears on all highway signs in New Mexico. The "Rio Puerco" appellation in New Mexico is due to that state's heavy Spanish influence, even though this part of the state has a heavy Indian influence and very little Spanish influence.
A Land Of Little Rain
The majority of McKinley County, New Mexico is either desert or semi-desert, but the entire county is extremely arid. There are no permanent streams in the county, just "part-time" streams. The principal streams in the county are: Zuni River, Rio Nutria, Rio Pescado. Rio Puerco of the West, South Fork Rio Puerco of the West, Chaco River, Sand Springs Wash, Arroyo Chico, Fajada Wash, Whitewater Arroyo, Red Willow Wash and Bread Springs Wash.
A point of clarification. There are 3 Rio Puerco's in New Mexico. The one in McKinley County is called 'Rio Puerco of the West' , but that is an unofficial name. It is officially Rio Puerco. The other 2 "Rio Puerco's" are east of the Continental Divide, this one is west of the divide. The longest river with this name is 237 miles long. It rises northeast of the little town of Cuba, NM on the west slope of San Pedro Peak in the Sierra Nacimiento in Santa Fe National Forest. It is a tumbling mountain stream in its nebulous beginnings in the
San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area. It is mostly dry throughout its length, but early Spanish explorers wrote about all of the vegetation that once lined its banks and that the line of trees along the Rio Puerco could be seen from many miles away and were a welcome respite from the parched desert through which it travels. Today, most of the trees and other vegetation have disappeared and, through most of the river's length, it has steeply eroded banks. This was caused by a lowering of the water table because of excessive groundwater pumping.The disappearance of the vegetation that once lined the river has created serious erosion problems and excessive dust problems in the vicinity of the dry riverbed. This Rio Puerco meets the Rio Grande about 50 miles south of Albuquerque. I say "meets" because the Rio Puerco rarely flows anymore. The river generally runs in a south-southeast direction, but at its beginning in the Sierra Nacimiento, it flows west.
The most famous portion of the Rio Puerco is west of Albuquerque where old U.S. Highway 66 crosses it on a very narrow bridge. The bridge is still standing and is still in good condition, but is closed to traffic. People can walk across the bridge, however.
Cuba, with about 800 people, is the biggest town on the Rio Puerco. It flows mostly through lightly populated or uninhabited areas, although it does just miss a major city, Albuquerque. When the old Route 66 bridge and also the Interstate 40 bridges nearby cross the Rio Puerco, they are only 9 miles west of the Albuquerque city limits.
I will continue talking about the other 2 Rio Puerco's in the next installment of this blog before this installment gets too long.
A point of clarification. There are 3 Rio Puerco's in New Mexico. The one in McKinley County is called 'Rio Puerco of the West' , but that is an unofficial name. It is officially Rio Puerco. The other 2 "Rio Puerco's" are east of the Continental Divide, this one is west of the divide. The longest river with this name is 237 miles long. It rises northeast of the little town of Cuba, NM on the west slope of San Pedro Peak in the Sierra Nacimiento in Santa Fe National Forest. It is a tumbling mountain stream in its nebulous beginnings in the
San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area. It is mostly dry throughout its length, but early Spanish explorers wrote about all of the vegetation that once lined its banks and that the line of trees along the Rio Puerco could be seen from many miles away and were a welcome respite from the parched desert through which it travels. Today, most of the trees and other vegetation have disappeared and, through most of the river's length, it has steeply eroded banks. This was caused by a lowering of the water table because of excessive groundwater pumping.The disappearance of the vegetation that once lined the river has created serious erosion problems and excessive dust problems in the vicinity of the dry riverbed. This Rio Puerco meets the Rio Grande about 50 miles south of Albuquerque. I say "meets" because the Rio Puerco rarely flows anymore. The river generally runs in a south-southeast direction, but at its beginning in the Sierra Nacimiento, it flows west.
The most famous portion of the Rio Puerco is west of Albuquerque where old U.S. Highway 66 crosses it on a very narrow bridge. The bridge is still standing and is still in good condition, but is closed to traffic. People can walk across the bridge, however.
Cuba, with about 800 people, is the biggest town on the Rio Puerco. It flows mostly through lightly populated or uninhabited areas, although it does just miss a major city, Albuquerque. When the old Route 66 bridge and also the Interstate 40 bridges nearby cross the Rio Puerco, they are only 9 miles west of the Albuquerque city limits.
I will continue talking about the other 2 Rio Puerco's in the next installment of this blog before this installment gets too long.
Friday, December 3, 2010
A Diverse Land
I will now "move" north up New Mexico's western border and talk about McKinley County. McKinley is the poorest county in New Mexico and one of the poorest in the United States. The county seat, Gallup, is the most demographically and culturally diverse city in New Mexico.
McKinley County is also diverse in terms of landscape. It ranges from aspen forest to spruce forest to ponderosa pine forest to juniper woodland to grassland to desert. It is also known for its stunning, red rock formations. This red rock country spills over from the more famous red rock country of southern Utah and northern Arizona. This is the eastern edge of that stunning, eroded, volcanic, red landscape. Most of the county consists of broad, desert to semi-desert valleys with a backdrop of eroded buttes and mesas. The semi-desert valleys are sprinkled with pinon and juniper trees and have a little bit more grass than the desert areas.
The average elevation of McKinley County is about 6,200 feet. The highest points in the county are all clustered near each other in the southeast corner of the county in the San Mateo Mountains. they are:
Cerro de Alejandro (8,989 feet), Cerro Redondo (8,976 feet) and Cerro Chivato(8,917 feet). While these are the highest points in the county, they are really mesas [flat-topped hills] and not really mountains, per se.
The "real" mountains in the county are the Zuni Mountains in southern part of McKinley County. Most of this range is in neighboring Cibola County. The Zuni Mountains are part of Cibola National Forest and are the most heavily forested part of McKinley County.
McKinley County is also diverse in terms of landscape. It ranges from aspen forest to spruce forest to ponderosa pine forest to juniper woodland to grassland to desert. It is also known for its stunning, red rock formations. This red rock country spills over from the more famous red rock country of southern Utah and northern Arizona. This is the eastern edge of that stunning, eroded, volcanic, red landscape. Most of the county consists of broad, desert to semi-desert valleys with a backdrop of eroded buttes and mesas. The semi-desert valleys are sprinkled with pinon and juniper trees and have a little bit more grass than the desert areas.
The average elevation of McKinley County is about 6,200 feet. The highest points in the county are all clustered near each other in the southeast corner of the county in the San Mateo Mountains. they are:
Cerro de Alejandro (8,989 feet), Cerro Redondo (8,976 feet) and Cerro Chivato(8,917 feet). While these are the highest points in the county, they are really mesas [flat-topped hills] and not really mountains, per se.
The "real" mountains in the county are the Zuni Mountains in southern part of McKinley County. Most of this range is in neighboring Cibola County. The Zuni Mountains are part of Cibola National Forest and are the most heavily forested part of McKinley County.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A Once Lively Place
There isn't much left of Cloverdale. The old adobe store is boarded up and shuttered. On one side of the cream-colored building there is a darker that looks like a door might have been located in that spot at onetime. farther west along the dirt road is an abandoned flagstone house that is still in decent condition and still farther west is an old wooden outdoor dance pavilion. There is little else to Cloverdale these days. A few broken chunks of concrete, rusty nails and tin cans and scattered detritus from years gone by. There are no substantial ruins to tell their story of this dead, isolated town, just two intact buildings and a dance pavilion. On my two trips to Cloverdale over the years, I was unable to even locate where the school once stood.
That outdoor dance pavilion was a story in an of itself. In 1918, The annual Cowboy Picnic was launched to honor soldiers returning from World War I. In that first year, approximately 150 people showed up in this isolated locale for a day of barbecue, horse racing, music and other events and the day ended with a big dance that night where people danced under the stars. This event became more and more popular over the years as people would drive in from Animas, Lordsburg, Deming, Silver City and even Douglas, Arizona to attend the festivities that got bigger and better every year. In the years when automobiles were in widespread use, this became a big problem for this little town not accustomed to crowds. Sometime after World War II,
I am not sure of the exact year, the dance was discontinued because it had become too popular and also because the town itself was nearly a ghost town, still clinging to a tenuous existence.
That outdoor dance pavilion was a story in an of itself. In 1918, The annual Cowboy Picnic was launched to honor soldiers returning from World War I. In that first year, approximately 150 people showed up in this isolated locale for a day of barbecue, horse racing, music and other events and the day ended with a big dance that night where people danced under the stars. This event became more and more popular over the years as people would drive in from Animas, Lordsburg, Deming, Silver City and even Douglas, Arizona to attend the festivities that got bigger and better every year. In the years when automobiles were in widespread use, this became a big problem for this little town not accustomed to crowds. Sometime after World War II,
I am not sure of the exact year, the dance was discontinued because it had become too popular and also because the town itself was nearly a ghost town, still clinging to a tenuous existence.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A Rather Mysterious Town
Not much is known about Cloverdale's establishment as a town. Not much is known about the town during its lifespan either. This is probably due to the extreme isolation of the town.
It seems to have gotten its start around 1895, fifteen years after Michael Gray and his two sons started their ranch in the area. That is the year a small store was established to serve a small number of ranchhands, homesteaders and miners over a wide area. Cloverdale did not have a post office until 1913, and it was discontinued in 1943. For a while, the tiny town even had its own school that served students up to eighth grade. The school was most likely started in 1913, the year the post office opened, but that is not a certainty. At any rate, the school burned in 1926 and was never rebuilt.
As near as anyone can determine, either Bob Anderson or John Weames filed on a section of land (640 acres) in the area where the store was eventually built. If this is the case, the establishment of the ranch by Michael Gray was not the beginning of the town as many people had previously thought.
The town served as a supply center for a very wide area that also includes southeastern Arizona. The town was evidently very spread out for several miles east and west along the principal dirt road that leads from this area to Animas and, eventually, Interstate 10. The store was located at the junction of this road and another dirt road that leads over the mountains into Arizona. Today these mountains, the Guadalupe mountains, are part of Coronado National Forest. These are not the same Guadalupe Mountains that exist farther east near Carlsbad, it is another mountain range with the same name.
During its existence, Cloverdale claimed a population as high as 250, however no Census records have ever been found for the town, as far as I can tell. Was it too isolated for Census takers to reach? After visiting this ghost town on two occasions, I wish I could have seen it when it was still an active town. It was evidently very far removed from the rest of society. It did, however, have one big event that is was known for. An event that was a held weekly during the summer months and, less frequently, other times of the year as well.
It seems to have gotten its start around 1895, fifteen years after Michael Gray and his two sons started their ranch in the area. That is the year a small store was established to serve a small number of ranchhands, homesteaders and miners over a wide area. Cloverdale did not have a post office until 1913, and it was discontinued in 1943. For a while, the tiny town even had its own school that served students up to eighth grade. The school was most likely started in 1913, the year the post office opened, but that is not a certainty. At any rate, the school burned in 1926 and was never rebuilt.
As near as anyone can determine, either Bob Anderson or John Weames filed on a section of land (640 acres) in the area where the store was eventually built. If this is the case, the establishment of the ranch by Michael Gray was not the beginning of the town as many people had previously thought.
The town served as a supply center for a very wide area that also includes southeastern Arizona. The town was evidently very spread out for several miles east and west along the principal dirt road that leads from this area to Animas and, eventually, Interstate 10. The store was located at the junction of this road and another dirt road that leads over the mountains into Arizona. Today these mountains, the Guadalupe mountains, are part of Coronado National Forest. These are not the same Guadalupe Mountains that exist farther east near Carlsbad, it is another mountain range with the same name.
During its existence, Cloverdale claimed a population as high as 250, however no Census records have ever been found for the town, as far as I can tell. Was it too isolated for Census takers to reach? After visiting this ghost town on two occasions, I wish I could have seen it when it was still an active town. It was evidently very far removed from the rest of society. It did, however, have one big event that is was known for. An event that was a held weekly during the summer months and, less frequently, other times of the year as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)