Wagon Mound is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in Mora County,

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, United States. It is named after and located at the foot of a

butte In geomorphology, a butte ( ) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and table (landform), tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from the French l ...

called Wagon Mound, which was a landmark for covered wagon trains and traders going up and down the Santa Fe Trail and is now

Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark The Wagon Mound is a butte that was a major landmark for pioneers along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Old Santa Fe Trail, a well-known settlement route connecting St. Louis, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is located just east of Wagon Moun ...

. It was previously an isolated ranch that housed four families that served as local traders. The shape of the mound is said to resemble a

Conestoga wagon The Conestoga wagon, also simply known as the Conestoga, is a horse-drawn freight wagon that was used exclusively in North America, primarily the United States, in the 18th and 19th centuries. Such wagons were probably first used by Pennsylvania ...

. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 266. It was also called Santa Clara for many years. The village, with brightly painted houses and several stores and shops, is located on the plains of northeastern New Mexico.

Interstate 25 Interstate 25 (I-25), also known as the Pan-American Freeway, is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 st ...

, which skirts the western side of town, gives a view of the majority of the town. Wagon Mound is not growing rapidly, but it has seen new construction along I-25, with new buildings on the northeast side of town as well.

Geography

Wagon Mound is located at (36.007223, -104.707194). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 369 people, 172 households, and 99 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 230 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 45.53%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 51.22% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and 3.25% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 87.80% of the population. There were 172 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.81. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $17,273, and the median income for a family was $21,667. Males had a median income of $20,357 versus $16,964 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $10,459. About 23.8% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 28.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Wagon Mound Public Schools is the only school in Wagon Mound, serving kindergarten through 12th grade. The population of the school has been steadily decreasing and the student population is an estimated 67 as of the beginning of the 2008–2009 school year. Wagon Mound Public Schools is working with Luna Community College in

Las Vegas, New Mexico Las Vegas, often known simply as Vegas, is a city in and the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas: West Las Vegas ("Old Town" ...

to provide students with opportunities for college credit.

Notable people

Hector Balderas Hector Hugo Balderas Jr. (born August 16, 1973) is a distinguished lawyer, executive leader, and public servant who has dedicated his career to advancing justice, accountability, and educational opportunity in New Mexico. A trailblazing Hispanic l ...

, New Mexico Attorney General * Edward Chávez, painter

1930 Tornado

On May 31, 1930, a deadly tornado struck the town, killing two men at an auto repair garage that was destroyed. As of 2022, this tornado and the March 23, 2007, Clovis EF2 tornado are the deadliest tornadoes to ever occur in

Gallery

File:Wagon Mound Marker.JPG, Wagon Mound Scenic Marker File:Santa Clara Catholic Church.JPG, Santa Clara Catholic Church File:Santa Clara Cemetery.JPG, Santa Clara Cemetery File:Wagon Mound.JPG, Wagon Mound from Santa Clara Cemetery

References

External links

Wagon Mound, New Mexico
{{Authority control Villages in Mora County, New Mexico Villages in New Mexico