San Francisco Plaza, New Mexico

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San Francisco Plaza, New Mexico
Unincorporated community
Frisco store.jpg
The Frisco Store in Lower Frisco Plaza
Catron County New Mexico Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Reserve Highlighted.svg
Location of San Francisco Plaza, New Mexico
Coordinates: 33°41′36″N108°45′58″W / 33.69333°N 108.76611°W / 33.69333; -108.76611 [1]
Country United States
State New Mexico
County Catron
Elevation
[1]
5,725 ft (1,745 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total0
Time zone UTC-5 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)MDT
Area code 575
GNIS feature ID923678 [1]

San Francisco Plaza was the name of three towns in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Located in the San Francisco River Valley, the towns were settled by Spanish settlers in the 1860s. Today Middle San Francisco Plaza is called Middle Frisco, Lower San Francisco is called Lower Frisco, and Upper San Francisco was renamed Reserve when U.S. Forest Service headquarters were built there.

Contents

About

Located in the San Francisco Valley, Reserve was named Upper San Francisco Plaza by its original Hispanic settlers in 1874. Apaches made frequent attacks on the community, which sit within Apache hunting lands. [2] In the late 1870s Anglo settlers began arriving. They renamed Upper Frisco Plaza as Milligan's Plaza after a town merchant and saloon owner.

Lower San Francisco Plaza was the site of the legendary Frisco shootout of Elfego Baca in 1884. [3] The self-appointed deputy sheriff made a stand-off against a mob of Texas cowboys in Lower San Francisco Plaza in 1884, [4] quickly gaining a reputation as the hero of the Frisco shootout. Author Louis L'Amour included Upper San Francisco Plaza in his novel Conagher , calling it "The Plaza". [5] The Tularosa River flows into the San Francisco River at Middle San Francisco Plaza.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aragon, New Mexico</span> Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States

Aragon is a census-designated place on the Tularosa River in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 94. It is located 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Apache Creek.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frisco shootout</span> 1884 Old West gunfight in New Mexico

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 air and into buildings at random while intoxicated.

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Glenwood is a census-designated place in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 143. The area was founded in 1878 as Bush Ranch. Located near the San Francisco River, Glenwood is 61 miles (98 km) northwest of Silver City on U.S. Route 180, and is 38 miles (61 km) south of Reserve.

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.

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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 Tularosa north of San Francisco Plaza. Buffalo Soldiers from the United States Army's 9th Cavalry, led by Sergeant George Jordan, repulsed the attack.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Frisco, New Mexico</span> Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States

Lower Frisco is a census-designated place in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 31 as of the 2010 census. The community is part of San Francisco Plaza.

Middle Frisco is a census-designated place in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 77 as of the 2010 census. The community is part of San Francisco Plaza.

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: San Francisco Plaza, New Mexico
  2. ↑ Collier, H.P. (1936) San Francisco Plaza, Catron County: Brief history. Workers Progress Administration. Retrieved 6/12/07.
  3. ↑ Jun 2008 google maps Street View 33.6925922,-108.7672114 current address 163 NM-435 Reserve, New Mexico
  4. ↑ Carter, R. (2004) SouthWestSlide: A journal of a journey across Desert Rat country. Archived 2007-08-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 6/12/07.
  5. ↑ (nd) Louis L'Amour's New Mexico Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine TheHistoryNet.com. Retrieved 6/12/07.



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