Alma, New Mexico

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Alma, New Mexico
Census-designated place
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Alma
Location within the state of New Mexico
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Alma
Alma (the United States)
Coordinates: 33°22′46″N108°53′55″W / 33.37944°N 108.89861°W / 33.37944; -108.89861 [1]
Country United States
State New Mexico
County Catron
Area
[2]
 • Total
3.26 sq mi (8.44 km2)
 • Land3.25 sq mi (8.43 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
[1]
4,918 ft (1,499 m)
Population
 (2020) [3]
 • Total
47
 • Density14.44/sq mi (5.58/km2)
Time zone UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MDT)
Area code 575
FIPS code 35-02560
GNIS feature ID2806685 [1]

Alma is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Catron County, New Mexico, United States, north of Glenwood and south of Reserve.

Contents

History

Sergeant James C. Cooney laid out a town on site of Alma in the early 1870s, but left it undeveloped. The town was bought by a Captain Birney, who named it "Alma" for his mother. In 1882 the U.S. Post Office opened in Alma, lasting until 1931.

The town was home of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang for a short period. They worked at the nearby WS ranch. [4] Reportedly, the foreman and ranch manager were very happy with the Wild Bunch's work since the rustling stopped while they were employed at the ranch. [5] Tom Ketchum, Harvey Logan and William Antrim, Billy the Kid's stepfather, also lived in Alma at some point. [6] Artist Olaf Wieghorst once worked on the Cunningham Ranch near Alma.

Charlie Siringo wrote that Butch Cassidy "ran a saloon there under the name of Jim Lowe." [7]

Alma is the site of a Boot Hill cemetery, which is located about two miles north of the town.

Alma Massacre

The "Alma Massacre" involved an Indian raid on United States settlers' homes around Alma in 1880. As many as 41 people were killed during and immediately after the event. There were two memorials erected to commemorate these events.

Present

Today, Alma is labeled as a "ghost town" by the New Mexico Tourism Department. Situated on U.S. Route 180, the town has a restaurant and a small store, as well as a few dozen scattered homes. There is a cemetery with more than 100 burials dating from the 1880s to present. The well-kept grounds are marked with a hand-crafted sign. [8] There are several other cemeteries in Alma's proximity, as well, including the WS Ranch Cemetery [9] and Cooney's Tomb. [10]

The town is in the middle of the Blue Range Wilderness, which is part of New Mexico's Gila National Forest and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona.

In the 1998 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced the Mexican gray wolf to its historic range, including the area surrounding Alma. [11] Ranchers in the area have expressed concerns about the impact of the wolf on the local cattle population while environmentalists contend that ranchers are not managing their herds properly. [12] [13] In 2000 a local newspaper reported a number of wolf sightings and wolf attacks on cattle. [14] Meanwhile, environmentalists in the area contend that the federal government is acting in the favor of the ranchers, with forty-nine percent of all reintroduced wolves "captured or killed because of conflicts with ranchers." [12] The wolf reintroduction program remains a "hot issue", and there are environmentalists, ranchers, law enforcement, and a variety of others involved. [13]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
2020 47—
U.S. Decennial Census [15]

Education

It is in the Reserve Independent School District. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catron County, New Mexico</span> County in New Mexico, United States

Catron County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,579, making it New Mexico's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Reserve. Catron County is New Mexico's largest county by area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Cassidy</span> American Old West outlaw (1866–1908/1937)

Robert LeRoy Parker, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Curry (Wild Bunch)</span> American outlaw (1871–1900)

George Sutherland Currie, also known as George "Flat-Nose" Curry, was a Canadian-American robber of the American Old West. Curry was a mentor to Harvey Logan, who would adopt the surname Curry, and the two robbed banks together before both became members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch. Curry was killed by a sheriff while rustling in Grand County, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch</span> Old West train robbing gang

Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch was one of the loosely organized outlaw gangs operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall, near Kaycee in Wyoming, a natural fortress of caves, with a narrow entrance that was constantly guarded. In the beginning, the gang was referred to as the "Hole in the Wall Gang" during the Old West era in the United States. It was popularized by the 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and took its name from the original Wild Bunch. The gang was led by Butch Cassidy, and it included his closest friends Elzy Lay, the Sundance Kid, Tall Texan, News Carver, Camilla "Deaf Charley" Hanks, Laura Bullion, Flat-Nose Curry, Kid Curry, and Bob Meeks. They were the most successful train-robbing gang in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundance Kid</span> American train robber (1867–1908)

Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch in the American Old West. He likely met Butch Cassidy during a hunting trip in 1883 or earlier. The gang performed the longest string of successful train and bank robberies in American history.

The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang was a gang in the American Wild West, which took its name from the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming, where several outlaw gangs had their hideouts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Ketchum</span> American outlaw (1863–1901)

Thomas Edward Ketchum was an American cowboy who later became an outlaw. He was executed in 1901 for attempted train robbery. The execution by hanging was botched; he was decapitated because the executioner used a rope that was too long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William A. Richards</span> 4th Governor of Wyoming

William Alford Richards was an American surveyor, rancher, and politician. He was the fourth Governor of Wyoming from January 7, 1895, until January 2, 1899, and also served as the 30th Commissioner of the General Land Office from 1903 to 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Logan</span> American outlaw and gunman (1867–1904)

Harvey Alexander Logan, also known as Kid Curry, was an American outlaw and gunman who rode with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite being less well-known than his fellow gang members, he has since been referred to as "the wildest of the Wild Bunch", having reputedly killed at least nine law enforcement officers in five shootings and another two men in other instances. He was involved in numerous shootouts with police and civilians and participated in several bank and train robberies with various gangs during his outlaw days.

Joe Lefors was a lawman in the closing years of the Old West. He is best known for obtaining the confession that led to the conviction of gunman Tom Horn in 1903 for the alleged murder of 14-year-old sheepherder Willie Nickell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Siringo</span> American detective (1855–1928)

Charles Angelo Siringo was an American lawman, detective, bounty hunter, and agent for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hole-in-the-Wall</span> Mountain pass in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States of America

Hole-in-the-Wall is a remote pass in the Big Horn Mountains of Johnson County, Wyoming. In the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang and Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang met at the log cabin, which is now preserved at the Old Trail Town museum in Cody, Wyoming.

William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay was an outlaw of the Old West in the United States. He was a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, gang, operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming. Lay was Cassidy's best friend and assisted him in leading the Wild Bunch gang.

Josie Bassett was a rancher. She and her sister "Queen" Ann Bassett are known for their love affairs and associations with well-known outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Mateo Mountains (Socorro County, New Mexico)</span> Landscape and mass

The San Mateo Mountains are a mountain range in Socorro County, in west-central New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The highest point in the range is West Blue Mountain, at 10,336 ft. The range runs roughly north–south and is about 40 miles (64 km) long. It lies about 25 miles (40 km) north-northwest of the town of Truth or Consequences and about 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Socorro. They should not be confused with the identically named range in Cibola and McKinley counties, north of this range.

Luna is a census-designated place in northwestern Catron County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 158. It is situated on the San Francisco River and U.S. Route 180, 7 miles (11 km) east of the Arizona border and 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Reserve, the Catron county seat.

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. While scouting for the 8th U.S. Cavalry north of Mogollon and east of Alma, he discovered silver ore in the Mogollon Mountains. He began working the claim after leaving the Army in 1876.

Apache Creek is a census-designated place in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 67. Located 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Cruzville, it is situated at the confluence of Apache Creek and the Tularosa River. The Apache Creek Pueblo, also called the "Apache Creek Ruin", is near the town. It was listed by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission in 1969.

Cooney is a ghost town in Catron County, New Mexico, United States, east of Alma. Cooney was once home to gold and silver prospectors in the nearby Mogollon Mountains.

Cooney's Tomb is a historic location near Alma, Catron County, New Mexico. Marked by a large boulder on the side of a roadway, it is the site where former Army Sergeant James C. Cooney was interred in 1880 after being killed by a group of Apaches.

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alma, New Mexico
  2. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ French, Capt William: Memoirs of a Western Ranchman
  5. ↑ Gibson, E. (nd) Kid Curry, the Wildest of the Bunch Archived 2003-12-19 at the Wayback Machine ; retrieved 11 June 2007.
  6. ↑ (nd) "Alma" Ghost Towns, Atjeu Publishing; retrieved 31 May 2011
  7. ↑ Siringo, Charles (1912). A Cowboy Detective. Arcadia Press. pp. 138, 143. ISBN   9781545001882.
  8. ↑ "Alma" Archived 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine . New Mexico Tourism Department. Retrieved 11/16/10.
  9. ↑ "WS Ranch Cemetery" Archived 2010-11-29 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 11/17/10.
  10. ↑ "Cooney's Tomb" Archived 2010-11-29 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 11/17/10.
  11. ↑ "Welcome to the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program", US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 11/15/10.
  12. 1 2 Valdez, L. (May 22, 2008) "Wolf country: Ranchers fighting comeback of a predator that's good for the land", The Arizona Republic .
  13. 1 2 Holmes, S.M., June 27, 2007. "Wolf program remains hot issue" Archived May 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Mail Tribune.
  14. ↑ "Return of the wolf", Mountain Times. February 2000. Retrieved 11/15/10.
  15. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  16. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Catron County, NM" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved July 12, 2022.

Bibliography

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