Garita, also known as Variadero, is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
located in
San Miguel County,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, United States. The community is located on
New Mexico State Road 104
New Mexico State Road 104 (also termed State Highway 104 or NM 104) is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The route travels through San Miguel and Quay counties, and through the communities of Las Vegas, Alta Vista, Tremen ...
where it crosses the
Conchas River. It was founded in 1872 by Jesús Angel, a settler from
Bernal.
Garita has a
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
with
ZIP code 88421, which opened on January 19, 1907; the post office used the name Variadero intermittently until the 1920s.
The community's two names both come from Spanish terms; Variadero derives from ''variar'', meaning "to change", due to the changes in the river's course, while Garita means "lookout" or "government building".
Variadero was initially called "Estrada" after the first settler, Jose Laureano Estrada, who made a permanent home along the Conchas Arroyo around the time of the Civil War. Jose Laureano is buried at the Catholic Cemetery across highway 104 from the Catholic Church in Variadero. His wife Filomena Estrada de Madrid is buried at his side. The gravemarker is still visible for both of them and his reads "Jose Laureano Estrada, 1835 - 1898, The first settler of Variadero."
Garita was settled as stated above. Garita, however, was the name given to the huge square blocks of sandstone about eight miles southeast of Variadero along highway 104 which reminded early settlers of a ''garita'' which is "sentry post" in Spanish. A small arroyo about a quarter mile northwest of the garita was named the Garita Creek. Later settlers made homes to the west, along the Garita Creek and a small community in that area was known as Garita. When Postal services were combined, the area developed the dual names of Garita and Variadero.
[Grave marker for Jose Laureano Estrada, family history]
References
Unincorporated communities in San Miguel County, New Mexico
Unincorporated communities in New Mexico
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