Seven Rivers, New Mexico was formerly a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

, located between Carlsbad and Artesia,

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 ...

. The town itself was first settled in the mid-1860s, and for a time thrived as a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

. Its name derives from seven creeks that flowed through it, into the

Pecos River The Pecos River ( es, Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico ...

. The

Seven Rivers Warriors The Seven Rivers Warriors was an outlaw gang of the Old West known primarily due to its part in the Pecos War and the Lincoln County War. Formation The gang was initially formed during the mid-1870s by disgruntled small ranchers, feeling themse ...

, a gang that operated on the Murphy-Dolan side of the

Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the pa ...

, used the town as its refuge. Both the

Jessie Evans Gang The Jesse Evans Gang, also known as The Boys, was a gang of rustlers and robbers led by outlaw and gunman Jesse Evans, which lasted from 1876 until 1880. The gang was formed after Evans broke with the John Kinney Gang. After breaking away, he b ...

and the

John Kinney Gang The John Kinney Gang, also known as the Rio Grande Posse, was an outlaw gang of the old West, which operated during the mid-1870s into the mid-1880s. The gang was organized by outlaw John Kinney, in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. From its beginn ...

also frequented the town during that time. The town grown in the 1880s with the addition of a schoolhouse, hotel, post office and saloons. The town eventually declined until only the

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

remained until 1988, when the Brantley Dam was constructed and the cemetery was moved to Artesia.

References

{{coord, 32, 35, 42, N, 104, 25, 18, W, type:city_region:US-NM_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title Geography of Eddy County, New Mexico

Seven Rivers, New Mexico Seven Rivers, New Mexico was formerly a ghost town, located between Carlsbad and Artesia, New Mexico. The town itself was first settled in the mid-1860s, and for a time thrived as a trading post. Its name derives from seven creeks that flowed thro ...

History of Eddy County, New Mexico