This highway was originally numbered 660 because it was a branch of U.S. Highway 60. Then, in 1926, highway 60 was shifted farther south and the original routing was numbered 66. Subsequently, highway 660 was now a branch of highway 66. As a result, it was renumbered 666. When it received this designation, I am sure highway officials never dreamed about the firestorm it would create in the future. This number is mentioned in the Bible as being "the number of the beast." Many religions attach a negative connotation to the number and several Indian religions do as well. In Navajo culture, the number 6 is unlucky and 666 means three times as unlucky.
However, alot of mysterious things have happened on U.S. Highway 666. Is that because of this highway's former designation or was it a coincidence that these things happened on a highway that was once signed with "the "number of the beast?"
For example, there was once a flaming semi-truck that was barreling out of control on the highway. These things have happened elsewhere around the country and probably around the world, too. Yet, when the truck finally went off the road and crashed, no evidence of a driver was ever found. Nothing! The nearby desert was searched. Nothing! No footprints led away from the cab of the burning truck. I believe this happened sometime in the mid 1970s. This was probably "mythified" into the story of the Mad Trucker that hated life and deliberately tried to run people off the road.
There was a roaming pack of wild dogs on the highway once, probably more than once. I do know that a man that was changing a flat tire on the side of highway 666 and he was attacked by a pack of wild dogs. The legend of the "Hounds of Hell"most likely grew from this incident.
There are numerous cases of strange disappearances along the highway and mysterious loss of time that do give me pause and make me wonder. Such as the man that took 5 hours and 15 minutes to drive from Shiprock to Gallup, which is a distance of 93 miles. That should take 1 1/2 hours. The man had absolutely no explanation for this. There are many other cases where it would take someone about 3 hours, sometimes 4 hours, to drive that same distance and they had no idea why it took them so long. Many of the disappearances could be the result of criminals abducting people that stopped for some reason or they could be the result of someone breaking down and then walking off into the desert and perhaps got lost or dying of thirst. But there are also alot of strange disappearances that do not fit this pattern at all and remain a mystery to this day. Strange disappearances have happened on other highways as well, but these highway were not numbered 666.
There are cases of a driver picking up a hitchhiker, usually female, and then letting the hitchhiker off 20 or 30 miles down the road and then somehow that same hitchhiker would be standing beside the road many miles later and there is no way he or she could have gotten that far, that fast.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Highway To Hell?
No, this title does not refer to the album by AC/DC, it refers to one of the names that U.S. Highway 666 went by before the renumbering. This highway of legend and lore has had alot of stories told about it, some of them unexplained to this day while other stories are evidently more prosaic. I will now talk about some of the stories told about highway 666 and then, after that, I will give my own personal thoughts about it and that might take more than one blog entry.
Satan's Sedan--There are alot of stories that have been told about an ominous black sedan that terrorized people. This sedan "did its work" beginning at sunset. This black sedan, it is said, would charge at people that were driving on the highway. It would gain on people, no matter how fast they drove. Sometimes it would speed past them after frightening the occupants of the car. Sometimes it would tailgate people for miles. Sometimes it would speed past them and then turn around, aiming its high beams directly in the face of oncoming drivers, and charge them at a high rate of speed. Many people were so terrified that they would run off the road. Of the people that ran off the road, some say the black sedan would just keep speeding past them, some say it just vanished. Other people have reported that the black sedan would be just a foot or so behind them shining its high beams at them and then it would just disappear.
Mad Trucker -- Allegedly, there was a semi truck that roamed from one end of the highway to the other that despised anything living and would deliberately aim at people, causing them to drive off the road, sometimes with fatal results. Sometimes, it is said, that this semi truck would be on fire when it was heading towards a person's car.
Hounds of Hell --These dogs were said to wander along highway 666. It is said that they could run as fast as a car and that their razor sharp teeth could shred tires, even steel belted radials. It is also said that if anyone was driving with their window down that the Hounds of Hell would jump into cars and maul people. I am not sure what kind of dogs these were supposed to be, but every time I think of the story, I think of dobermans.
Pale Spirit -- There are many stories of a young girl, about 10 years old, that would stand along the highway with a very sad, forlorn expression on her face. The girl would always have tears in her eyes. When people would stop to see what was wrong, she would simply vanish in front of their eyes.
Spirits of Navajo Skinwalkers -- It is said that Navajo Indians would shapeshift into animals right in front of cars and cause people to either crash or run off the road. It is also said that Navajo medicine men or spirits of long dead Navajo Indians would suddenly appear in the back seat of a person's car. Sometimes these spirits would threaten the occupants of the car, sometimes they would warn the driver not to proceed because there was danger ahead.
Mysterious Loss of Time -- There are hundreds of cases along highway 666 of people experiencing a mysterious loss of time. For example, it takes 1 1/2 hours to drive from Gallup to Shiprock, New Mexico, a distance of 93 miles, but there are many cases of people arriving in Shiprock after three or four hours and they would have no explanation for why it take so long to get there. They drove the speed limit and did not experience any traffic delays, and yet it took them an inordinate amount of time to drive the 93 mile distance. There is one case where it took a person 5 hours and 15 minutes to drive from Shiprock to Gallup and that person has no idea why. He went the speed limit the whole way, there was no road construction to slow him down and there were no other traffic delays.
Strange Disappearances -- Many people have disappeared without a trace on highway 666. In some cases the car was found but the occupant(s) were missing. In other cases, a person or even a car would disappear only to reappear miles down the road. In other cases, there is no evidence that the person was ever on the road at all. The person was seen leaving town, the car or person are not at home, but they are nowhere to be found and their whereabouts are still unknown.
Satan's Sedan--There are alot of stories that have been told about an ominous black sedan that terrorized people. This sedan "did its work" beginning at sunset. This black sedan, it is said, would charge at people that were driving on the highway. It would gain on people, no matter how fast they drove. Sometimes it would speed past them after frightening the occupants of the car. Sometimes it would tailgate people for miles. Sometimes it would speed past them and then turn around, aiming its high beams directly in the face of oncoming drivers, and charge them at a high rate of speed. Many people were so terrified that they would run off the road. Of the people that ran off the road, some say the black sedan would just keep speeding past them, some say it just vanished. Other people have reported that the black sedan would be just a foot or so behind them shining its high beams at them and then it would just disappear.
Mad Trucker -- Allegedly, there was a semi truck that roamed from one end of the highway to the other that despised anything living and would deliberately aim at people, causing them to drive off the road, sometimes with fatal results. Sometimes, it is said, that this semi truck would be on fire when it was heading towards a person's car.
Hounds of Hell --These dogs were said to wander along highway 666. It is said that they could run as fast as a car and that their razor sharp teeth could shred tires, even steel belted radials. It is also said that if anyone was driving with their window down that the Hounds of Hell would jump into cars and maul people. I am not sure what kind of dogs these were supposed to be, but every time I think of the story, I think of dobermans.
Pale Spirit -- There are many stories of a young girl, about 10 years old, that would stand along the highway with a very sad, forlorn expression on her face. The girl would always have tears in her eyes. When people would stop to see what was wrong, she would simply vanish in front of their eyes.
Spirits of Navajo Skinwalkers -- It is said that Navajo Indians would shapeshift into animals right in front of cars and cause people to either crash or run off the road. It is also said that Navajo medicine men or spirits of long dead Navajo Indians would suddenly appear in the back seat of a person's car. Sometimes these spirits would threaten the occupants of the car, sometimes they would warn the driver not to proceed because there was danger ahead.
Mysterious Loss of Time -- There are hundreds of cases along highway 666 of people experiencing a mysterious loss of time. For example, it takes 1 1/2 hours to drive from Gallup to Shiprock, New Mexico, a distance of 93 miles, but there are many cases of people arriving in Shiprock after three or four hours and they would have no explanation for why it take so long to get there. They drove the speed limit and did not experience any traffic delays, and yet it took them an inordinate amount of time to drive the 93 mile distance. There is one case where it took a person 5 hours and 15 minutes to drive from Shiprock to Gallup and that person has no idea why. He went the speed limit the whole way, there was no road construction to slow him down and there were no other traffic delays.
Strange Disappearances -- Many people have disappeared without a trace on highway 666. In some cases the car was found but the occupant(s) were missing. In other cases, a person or even a car would disappear only to reappear miles down the road. In other cases, there is no evidence that the person was ever on the road at all. The person was seen leaving town, the car or person are not at home, but they are nowhere to be found and their whereabouts are still unknown.
A Cursed Highway?
In 2003, U.S. Highway 491 received its current designation. The three states that it goes through; New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, all agreed on 491 as the number because none of these states were using that number in their respective state highway systems. Until the renumbering, this highway was the most ominously numbered highway in the nation. It used to be called U.S. Highway 666. This designation was bestowed upon the highway because it was the 6th branch of U.S. Highway 66. However, people of many cultures and religions associate the number 666 with Satan and this instilled fear in alot of people.
Until 1992, U.S. Highway 666 was alot longer. Before its length was truncated to Gallup, it "jogged" west 32 miles, into Arizona and then split off again from Interstate 40. Then it ran down the east side of Arizona until it ended 336 miles later, just outside of Douglas. The end of the highway was only about one mile from the border with Mexico.
Arizona renumbered its portion of highway 666 in 1992. I remember a beautiful drive south through the White Mountains in eastern Arizona when the renumbering was in process. At that time, the highway was numbered with both designations, its current U.S. Highway 191 designation with a U.S. Highway 666 shield underneath it. Eventually a sign was put between the two numbered signs that said "OLD," in reference to the fact that it used to be U.S. Highway 666 but now was known as U.S. Highway 191. Where old highway 666 split off from Interstate 40, in the small town of Sanders, it is only a six mile "jog" to the west to where highway 191 splits off again and heads north through the Navajo Indian Reservation.
The Arizona Transportation Department gave two reasons for designating this 336 mile stretch of highway as U.S. Highway 191 instead of U.S. Highway 666. First, the north-south routes are supposed to end with odd numbers and 666 did not fit the pattern. Second, all of the U.S. Highway 666 signs were repeatedly getting stolen and the state was tired of replacing them all the time. The signs were being stolen because of the "666" designation.
After the southern 3/4 of highway 666 was renumbered, that left a 193 mile long highway running from Gallup, New Mexico to Monticello, Utah. This stretch also had a serious problem with sign thefts and, in the few month's time after it was announced that the highway would be renumbered, every 666 sign was stolen, in some cases, the entire metal post was cut just above ground level. That must have made travel difficult for some people because they did not know if this was actually the highway that was indicated on their road maps. The states would replace the signs, but the signs would immediately get stolen again.
Until 1992, U.S. Highway 666 was alot longer. Before its length was truncated to Gallup, it "jogged" west 32 miles, into Arizona and then split off again from Interstate 40. Then it ran down the east side of Arizona until it ended 336 miles later, just outside of Douglas. The end of the highway was only about one mile from the border with Mexico.
Arizona renumbered its portion of highway 666 in 1992. I remember a beautiful drive south through the White Mountains in eastern Arizona when the renumbering was in process. At that time, the highway was numbered with both designations, its current U.S. Highway 191 designation with a U.S. Highway 666 shield underneath it. Eventually a sign was put between the two numbered signs that said "OLD," in reference to the fact that it used to be U.S. Highway 666 but now was known as U.S. Highway 191. Where old highway 666 split off from Interstate 40, in the small town of Sanders, it is only a six mile "jog" to the west to where highway 191 splits off again and heads north through the Navajo Indian Reservation.
The Arizona Transportation Department gave two reasons for designating this 336 mile stretch of highway as U.S. Highway 191 instead of U.S. Highway 666. First, the north-south routes are supposed to end with odd numbers and 666 did not fit the pattern. Second, all of the U.S. Highway 666 signs were repeatedly getting stolen and the state was tired of replacing them all the time. The signs were being stolen because of the "666" designation.
After the southern 3/4 of highway 666 was renumbered, that left a 193 mile long highway running from Gallup, New Mexico to Monticello, Utah. This stretch also had a serious problem with sign thefts and, in the few month's time after it was announced that the highway would be renumbered, every 666 sign was stolen, in some cases, the entire metal post was cut just above ground level. That must have made travel difficult for some people because they did not know if this was actually the highway that was indicated on their road maps. The states would replace the signs, but the signs would immediately get stolen again.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
An Enchanted Highway
There is a highway, a very busy highway, that comes into Gallup from the north. In town, it is called North Munoz Drive, but it is part of U.S. Highway 491. It is a very busy and congested street in town and, outside of town, it is a busy highway. The New Mexico Department of Transportation is currently in the process of making it a 4 lane, divided highway for the 93 mile distance between Gallup and Shiprock. North of Shiprock, the highway is still fairly busy, but it is not nearly as busy as the Gallup to Shiprock stretch. North of Shiprock, U.S. Highway 491 goes across the southwest corner of Colorado and then it angles to the northwest and enters Utah, ending in the town of Monticello. The entire highway is 193 miles long. From Gallup to the Colorado border, this highway goes through the eastern part of the Navajo Indian Reservation. At the state border, it leaves the Navajo Reservation and enters the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation. It leaves the Ute Mountain Reservation about eight miles south of Cortez, Colorado.
It starts out as a desert road, but then north of Cortez, it begins to climb up out of the desert and into grassy pinon and juniper country.
The highway drops from 6,515 feet above sea level at Gallup to 4,912 feet at Shiprock and then climbs back up to 6,201 feet at Cortez and ends at a lofty 7,050 feet above sea level in Monticello, Utah.
Twelve miles west of the town of Shiprock is the rock formation called Shiprock, called Tse Bit'A'I in Navajo. This Navajo name means "rock with wings." It is one of four sacred peaks to the Navajo tribe.
I will have more to say about Shiprock, the rock formation, after I talk about the history of highway 491, which was renumbered in 2003 because its previous number made it one of the most infamous and feared highways in the country.
It starts out as a desert road, but then north of Cortez, it begins to climb up out of the desert and into grassy pinon and juniper country.
The highway drops from 6,515 feet above sea level at Gallup to 4,912 feet at Shiprock and then climbs back up to 6,201 feet at Cortez and ends at a lofty 7,050 feet above sea level in Monticello, Utah.
Twelve miles west of the town of Shiprock is the rock formation called Shiprock, called Tse Bit'A'I in Navajo. This Navajo name means "rock with wings." It is one of four sacred peaks to the Navajo tribe.
I will have more to say about Shiprock, the rock formation, after I talk about the history of highway 491, which was renumbered in 2003 because its previous number made it one of the most infamous and feared highways in the country.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
A Melting Pot, Part 2
Members of 23 different Indian tribes live in Gallup. It is a town that is known for its ethnic diversity. There is a new high school in town that is named for a person of Japanese ancestry that grew up in Gallup and still makes the city his home, Hiroshi Miyamura. He earned a purple heart in the Korean War and, for that reason, Miyamura's sports teams are called the Patriots and their colors are purple and silver, the colors on a purple heart.
During World War II, the federal government was attempting to send about 800 Gallup residents of Japanese ancestry to an internment camp and the people of Gallup fought it, but eventually lost. This is a remarkable feat considering the segregated society that permeated American life in those days.
With the recent expansion of the Navajo Indian Reservation, the city of Gallup is nearly surrounded by the reservation. Now the only way to come into Gallup without being on reservation land is from the east, on Interstate 40. However, about 20 miles east of Gallup, the interstate does go through Navajo land for a few miles. This recent addition, which still does not show up on maps, was long a "checkerboarded" area that consisted of reservation land, privately owned farms and ranches, state government land and mine company lands. Navajos long referred to it as "The Checkerboard." Now it is officially part of the reservation even though a few private inholdings remain that were grandfathered in. This area has always appeared on the Navajo Tribal flag because even though, until recently, it was not officially part of the reservation, it was predominantly Navajo land.
In fact, the Navajo Tribe recently opened its first casino just outside the city limits of Gallup. It is called Fire Rock Casino.The reservation boundary now extends south of Gallup until it meets the Zuni Indian Reservation.
The downtown business district of Gallup is predominantly adobe or stucco, which is a typical look for a New Mexico town. The McKinley County Courthouse is an adobe structure that consists of two parts. The older part opened in 1914 and is mostly law offices and has a courtroom. The newer part opened in 2003 and houses county administration, plus another courtroom. It is a gleaming modern structure with a large picture window in the front of the building that faces Veterans Memorial Plaza, which is a large plaza dedicated to America's war veterans. It has statues, monuments, interpretive displays and landscaped paths. It also honors the Navajo Code Talkers. This plaza was constructed by closing one block of West Hill Avenue in front of the courthouse to provide unimpeded access from the courthouse to the plaza.
During World War II, the federal government was attempting to send about 800 Gallup residents of Japanese ancestry to an internment camp and the people of Gallup fought it, but eventually lost. This is a remarkable feat considering the segregated society that permeated American life in those days.
With the recent expansion of the Navajo Indian Reservation, the city of Gallup is nearly surrounded by the reservation. Now the only way to come into Gallup without being on reservation land is from the east, on Interstate 40. However, about 20 miles east of Gallup, the interstate does go through Navajo land for a few miles. This recent addition, which still does not show up on maps, was long a "checkerboarded" area that consisted of reservation land, privately owned farms and ranches, state government land and mine company lands. Navajos long referred to it as "The Checkerboard." Now it is officially part of the reservation even though a few private inholdings remain that were grandfathered in. This area has always appeared on the Navajo Tribal flag because even though, until recently, it was not officially part of the reservation, it was predominantly Navajo land.
In fact, the Navajo Tribe recently opened its first casino just outside the city limits of Gallup. It is called Fire Rock Casino.The reservation boundary now extends south of Gallup until it meets the Zuni Indian Reservation.
The downtown business district of Gallup is predominantly adobe or stucco, which is a typical look for a New Mexico town. The McKinley County Courthouse is an adobe structure that consists of two parts. The older part opened in 1914 and is mostly law offices and has a courtroom. The newer part opened in 2003 and houses county administration, plus another courtroom. It is a gleaming modern structure with a large picture window in the front of the building that faces Veterans Memorial Plaza, which is a large plaza dedicated to America's war veterans. It has statues, monuments, interpretive displays and landscaped paths. It also honors the Navajo Code Talkers. This plaza was constructed by closing one block of West Hill Avenue in front of the courthouse to provide unimpeded access from the courthouse to the plaza.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
A Melting Pot
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.
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.
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.
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