Catron County, New Mexico
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Catron County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,725, making it New Mexico's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Reserve. Catron County is New Mexico's largest county by area.


History

Human settlement in the Catron County region dates to some of the earliest in the Americas. During the
Clovis Clovis may refer to: People * Clovis (given name), the early medieval (Frankish) form of the name Louis ** Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler ** Clovis II (c. 634 – c. 657), ...
period, between 10999 BC and 8000 BC, and Folsom period, between 7999 BC and 5999 BC, the Ake Site was occupied near Datil.(nd
National Register of Historic Places - Catron County, New Mexico
Retrieved June 13, 2007.
Bat Cave, near Horse Springs, was occupied around 3,500 BC. The Mimbres culture was expressed by the Mogollon people. They lived throughout the Catron County area from AD 1000 to 1130. Their art is renowned for its beauty. In the 16th century, Spanish explorers and colonists came to the region, declaring it in 1598 to be part of Santa Fé de Nuevo México, a province of
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
in the Americas. The province remained in Spanish control until Mexico gained independence in 1821. Under the
1824 Constitution of Mexico The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 ( es, Constitución Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos de 1824) was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new Fr ...
, this became the federally administered Territory of New Mexico. Mexico ceded the region to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after being defeated in the Mexican–American War. In 1849, President Zachary Taylor proposed that New Mexico, including this region, immediately be admitted as a state in order to sidestep political conflict over the expansion of slavery in the territories. That did not happen. European-American settlers from the southern and eastern states began to arrive here, including some with enslaved African Americans. The territory did not become a state until 1912, long after the Civil War and abolition of slavery. In 1880, Sergeant
James C. Cooney James C. Cooney was a sergeant of the U.S. Army in the 8th U.S. Cavalry when he found large silver and gold reserves in the Mogollon Mountains of Catron County, New Mexico. He was transferred to Fort Bayard, near Silver City, New Mexico in 1870 ...
was the first person to find silver and gold ore in the mountains of Catron County. He was reportedly killed by
Chiricahua Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans. Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua (Tsokanende ) are related to other Apache groups: Ndendahe (Mogollon, Carrizaleño), Tchihende (Mimbreño), Sehende ...
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
led by Victorio that year, in what the European Americans called the " Alma Massacre". His remains are buried at Cooney's Tomb. The foothills and canyons provided many hiding places for Apache warriors as they continued to resist American encroachment. During this time Cochise was another well-known
Chiricahua Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans. Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua (Tsokanende ) are related to other Apache groups: Ndendahe (Mogollon, Carrizaleño), Tchihende (Mimbreño), Sehende ...
leader. Noted war chief Goyaałé (Geronimo) had several hideouts in the county. Later in 1880, Buffalo Soldiers led by Sergeant George Jordan defeated
Chiricahua Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans. Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua (Tsokanende ) are related to other Apache groups: Ndendahe (Mogollon, Carrizaleño), Tchihende (Mimbreño), Sehende ...
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
warriors led by Victorio in the
Battle of Fort Tularosa The Battle of Fort Tularosa occurred in May 1880 near the present-day town of Aragon in Catron County, New Mexico. In an ongoing campaign to keep from being forced to live on reservations, Chiricahua Apache warriors led by Victorio attacked Fort ...
. Four years later, self-appointed sheriff
Elfego Baca Elfego Baca (February 10, 1865 – August 27, 1945) was a gunman, lawman, lawyer, and politician in New Mexico; during the later years of the New Mexico Territory frontier he became an American folk hero. His goal in life was to be a peace office ...
was the hero of the so-called
Frisco shootout The Frisco shootout was an Old West gunfight that began on December 1, 1884, involving lawman Elfego Baca. The shootout happened in Reserve, New Mexico, and stemmed from Baca's arrest of a cowboy, Charlie McCarty, who had been shooting into the ...
in San Francisco Plaza. The country also attracted European-American outlaws. In the mid-1880s
Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West. Parker engaged in crimina ...
and his Wild Bunch gang holed up at a ranch near
Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...
. Notorious outlaw Tom Ketchum also lived in Catron County around this time. Socorro County included all of Catron County's territory from the creation of Santa Fé de Nuevo México until 1921. At that time, Catron County was organized and named for
Thomas B. Catron Thomas Benton Catron (October 6, 1840May 15, 1921) was an American politician and lawyer who was influential in the establishment of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and served as one of its first United States Senators. Catron was a native of Mi ...
, a leading figure in New Mexico statehood and its first US senator. In 1927, the State Legislature attempted to abolish both Socorro and Catron in order to create a new Rio Grande County. A court suit voided this act, and the two counties retained their independence.
The Lightning Field ''The Lightning Field'' (1977) is a land art work in Catron County, New Mexico, by sculptor Walter De Maria. It consists of 400 stainless steel poles with solid, pointed tips, arranged in a rectangular 1 mile × 1 kilometre grid array. It is mai ...
, an art installation on the open earth, brought national attention to Quemado in this county in the late 1970s.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.08%) is water. Catron County is the largest county, by area, in New Mexico. At almost , Catron County is larger than four states. With a population of only 3,400 people, the county is as sparsely populated as many an old West frontier area. The elk population at some 12,000 head, is much larger than the sparse human population. Within the boundaries of Catron County lie parts of the Gila National Forest, the Apache National Forest and the Cibola National Forest. The establishment of these national forests, in the past called "forest reserves," led to the name Reserve being given to a village on the San Francisco River, which also serves as the County Seat. There are no stop lights in the whole county, so when license tests are given in Reserve, an artificial portable stop light is set up in a parking lot. Bordering Arizona, Catron County affords the shortest route between Albuquerque and Phoenix or Tucson. Reserve can also be reached by following
U.S. Route 180 U.S. Route 180 is an east–west United States highway. Like many three-digit routes, US 180 no longer meets its "parent", US 80. US 80 was decommissioned west of Mesquite, Texas, and was replaced in Texas by Interstate 20 and Interstate 1 ...
north from Silver City and
New Mexico State Road 12 New Mexico State Road 12 (NM 12) is a primarily west–east state road in western New Mexico. The road is long and runs from U.S. Route 180 (US 180) west of Reserve to US 60 in Datil. NM 12 is located entirely within C ...
east for a total of . In Catron County there is a volcanic area that until recently contained sufficient heat to cause steam to rise after a slight rain. It is called Burning Mountain and appears to have been used by the
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
for healing purposes. The county is home to the Red Hill Volcanic Field as well as the
Plains of San Agustin The Plains of San Agustin (sometimes listed as the Plains of San Augustin) is a region in the southwestern U.S. state of New Mexico in the San Agustin Basin, south of U.S. Highway 60. The area spans Catron and Socorro Counties, about 50 miles ...
.


Mountains

*
Black Mountain Black Mountain may refer to: Places Australia * Black Mountain (Australian Capital Territory), a mountain in Canberra * Black Mountain, New South Wales, a village in Armidale Regional Council, New South Wales * Black Mountain, Queensland, a loca ...
*
Black Range Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
* Datil Mountains * Diablo Range * Gallo Mountains *
Mangas Mountains Manges (; Greek language, Greek: μάγκες ; Grammatical number, sing.: mangas , μάγκας ) is the name of a social group in the Belle Époque era's counterculture of Greece (especially of the great urban centers: History of Athens#Modern At ...
* Mogollon Mountains * Saliz Mountains * San Francisco Mountains *
Tularosa Mountains Tularosa is a villageFor census purposes it is called a village, but in New Mexico it is historically called a town. See, for example, Otero, Miguel A. (1903) ''Report of the Governor of New Mexico to the Secretary of the Interior - 1903'' Governme ...
* Whitewater Baldy


Bodies of water

* San Francisco River *
Tularosa River The Tularosa River is a stream in Catron County, New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None ...
* Rio Salado *
Middle Fork Hot Springs Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek (d ...
*
Jordan Hot Springs (New Mexico) Jordan Hot Springs is series of thermal mineral springs located in the Golden Trout Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, California. History Prior to European contact, the hot springs and the surrounding areas were used by the local Indigenous p ...
*
Turkey Creek Hot Springs Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in S ...
* Zuni Salt Lake


Forests

* Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest *
Blue Range Wilderness Blue Range Wilderness, along with Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Gila Wilderness, is part of Gila National Forest. It is located on the western border of New Mexico and west of U.S. Route 180 between Reserve and Glenwood. The wilderness is crossed b ...
* Cibola National Forest * Gila Wilderness * Gila National Forest * Whitewater Canyon National Forest Recreation Area


Adjacent counties

* Cibola County - north * Socorro County - east * Sierra County - southeast * Grant County - south * Greenlee County, Arizona - west * Apache County, Arizona - west


National protected areas

* Apache National Forest (part) * Cibola National Forest (part) * Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument * Gila National Forest (part)


Demographics


2000 census

As of the 2000 census of 2000, there were 3,543 people, 1,584 households, and 1,040 families living in the county. The population density was 0.51 people per square mile (0.20/km2). There were 2,548 housing units at an average density of 0.37 per square mile (0.14/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.75% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 2.20% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.42% from other races, and 3.61% from two or more races. 19.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 1,584 households, out of which 22.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.75. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.10% under the age of 18, 4.20% from 18 to 24, 19.50% from 25 to 44, 36.40% from 45 to 64, and 18.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 104.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $23,892, and the median income for a family was $30,742. Males had a median income of $26,064 versus $18,315 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,951. About 17.40% of families and 24.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.60% of those under age 18 and 14.90% of those age 65 or over.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 3,725 people, 1,787 households, and 1,080 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 3,289 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 89.8% white, 2.7% American Indian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 3.8% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 19.0% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: * 29.1% American * 18.8% English * 17.5% German * 10.4% Mexican * 9.8% Irish * 5.1% Spanish * 3.3% Scottish * 2.3% Scotch-Irish * 2.1% Navajo * 1.8% Swedish * 1.8% Welsh * 1.7% Danish * 1.2% Dutch * 1.1% Italian * 1.1% Norwegian Of the 1,787 households, 16.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.6% were non-families, and 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.57. The median age was 55.8 years. The median income for a household in the county was $31,914 and the median income for a family was $40,906. Males had a median income of $46,304 versus $23,325 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,895. About 10.1% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.


Points of interest

* Ake Site - A prehistoric archaeological location near the town of Datil in the San Augustine Basin, it has been dated during the
Clovis Clovis may refer to: People * Clovis (given name), the early medieval (Frankish) form of the name Louis ** Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler ** Clovis II (c. 634 – c. 657), ...
period between 10999 BC 8000 BC, and during the Folsom period between 7999BC and 5999 BC, making it among the oldest inhabited sites in the American Southwest. * Bat Cave - Formed by ancient wave, the cave was covered by an inland sea 35 miles long and 165 feet deep 15,000 years ago. In the late 1940s and early 50s, archeologists found stone artifacts of human inhabitation spanning 5,000 years. * Bearwallow Park *
Bearwallow Mountain Lookout Cabins and Shed The Bearwallow Mountain Lookout Cabins and Shed are located in the Bearwallow Park near Mogollon, New Mexico. Built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration, they are one of three New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public ...
- Built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration, they are one of three New Deal-era buildings in the Gila National Forest. * Black Mountain Lookout Cabin * Catwalk National Recreation Trail - A remnant of a water system for the former mining town of Graham, as many as 29,000 visitors a year walk on the Catwalk's trail or picnic at the mouth of the canyon. * Cooney's Tomb - Located on the outskirts of
Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...
and near the ghost town of
Cooney Cooney may refer to: Mahyar MIMB * Cooney (name), people with a surname of Irish origin * Cooney, New Mexico * Cooney, Ohio Cooney is an unincorporated community in Williams County, in the U.S. state of Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwes ...
, Cooney's Tomb is a large boulder beside the road. It marks the burial location of James C. Cooney, a miner in the area who was killed by Apaches in 1880. * El Caso Lake * El Caso Lookout Complex - Built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration, the complex was one of three New Deal-era forest fire lookouts built in Catron County. * Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument * Gila Wilderness * Glenwood State Trout Hatchery * Mangas Mountain Lookout Complex * Mogollon Historic District - The site of many historic buildings, Mogollon was a successful mining town until the turn of the 20th century. * Mogollon Baldy Lookout Cabin * Mogollon Pueblo
The Lightning Fields
- A 640-acre art installation by Walter De Maria. Commissioned and maintained by Dia Art Foundation * Tularosa River Site and Tularosa Ranger Station - A collection of more than 500 petroglyphs and a historic US Forest Service ranger station dating to the 1920s. * Whitewater Canyon National Forest Recreation Area * Zuni Salt Lake and Sanctuary - The Pueblo people of the Southwest have made annual pilgrimages to Zuñi Salt Lake to harvest salt, for both culinary and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years. Ancient roadways radiate out from the lake to the various pueblos and ancient pueblo sites.


Politics


Communities


Village

* Reserve (county seat)


Census-designated places

*
Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...
*
Apache Creek The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...
*
Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
* Cruzville * Datil * Escudilla Bonita * Glenwood * Homestead * Lower Frisco * Luna * Middle Frisco * Mogollon * Pie Town *
Pleasanton Pleasanton may refer to: Places * Pleasanton, California * Pleasanton, Iowa * Pleasanton, Kansas * Pleasanton, Nebraska * Pleasanton, New Mexico * Pleasanton, Ohio * Pleasanton, Texas * Pleasanton Township, Michigan Other * Pleasanton High School ...
* Quemado *
Rancho Grande Rancho Grande is a municipality in the Matagalpa department of Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, C ...
*
Rivers A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...


Unincorporated communities

* Old Horse Springs * San Francisco Plaza


Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> * Quemado Independent Schools *
Reserve Independent Schools The Reserve Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Reserve, New Mexico. It includes the southern portion of Catron County. Communities in the district include, in addition to Reserve: Alma, Apache Creek, Aragon, Cruzv ...


Notable people

*
Elfego Baca Elfego Baca (February 10, 1865 – August 27, 1945) was a gunman, lawman, lawyer, and politician in New Mexico; during the later years of the New Mexico Territory frontier he became an American folk hero. His goal in life was to be a peace office ...
* Agnes Morley Cleaveland *
Jerry D. Thompson Jerry Don Thompson (born November 21, 1942) is Regents Professor of History at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. He is a prolific author of books on a variety of related topics, specializing in the American Civil War, the his ...
, historian of the American Southwest, American Civil War, and Texas, was reared in Quemado in Catron County. *
Beverly Magennis Beverley Magennis (born 1942) is a ceramic sculptor who works within the nexus of tile and architectural form. Early life Born in Toronto, Beverley Magennis is a self-described Feminism, feminist who covers architectural forms in ceramic tiles. ...
, tile artist, author


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Catron County, New Mexico


References

{{Coord, 33.92, -108.42, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NM_source:UScensus1990 1921 establishments in New Mexico Populated places established in 1921