What is the history of Raton New Mexico?

What is the history of Raton New Mexico?

Raton was founded at the site of Willow Springs, a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The original 320 acres (129.5 ha) for the Raton townsite were purchased from the Maxwell Land Grant in 1880. In 1879, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway bought a local toll road and established a busy rail line.

What is Raton New Mexico named after?

mouse
Raton is an important mining and ranching center for northeast New Mexico. The town is named after the Spanish word for mouse.

What is Raton Pass known for?

As the first major passage west through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Raton Pass National Historic Landmark celebrates the development of American trade, cultural interaction, and westward expansion.

Is Raton NM a good place to live?

Raton is one of New Mexico’s safest cities; City is ranked as the #5 safest in the state for 2018. Out of all crimes committed in Raton, 94.36% were property crime, and 5.64% were violent crime.

Does it snow in Raton New Mexico?

Raton averages 46 inches of snow per year.

How many miles is Raton Pass?

It is located on the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New Mexico, approximately 180 miles (290 km) northeast of Santa Fe. Ratón is Spanish for “mouse”….Raton Pass.

Ratón Pass
Area 1,520 acres (620 ha)
Built 1866
NRHP reference No. 66000474
CSRHP No. 5LA.2182

Is Raton Pass open or closed?

Nestled among the majestic Sangre de Cristo mountains, the pass is open to traffic throughout the year.

What is the crime rate in Raton New Mexico?

11 per 1,000 residents
Raton has an overall crime rate of 11 per 1,000 residents, making the crime rate here near the average for all cities and towns of all sizes in America. According to our analysis of FBI crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in Raton is 1 in 90.

Does Raton NM get snow?

Who has the biggest ranch in New Mexico?

CNN founder Ted Turner may own more land in New Mexico than his friend and longtime business partner John Malone — who bought the 290,100-acre Bell Ranch in northeastern New Mexico in 2010, but Malone has surpassed Turner as the biggest individual landowner in the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Where is the county seat of Raton New Mexico?

Raton, New Mexico by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. Located in northeastern New Mexico on the border between New Mexico and Colorado, Raton (pronounced Rah-tone) is the county seat of Colfax County. The city sits at an elevation of 6,680 feet at the base of the fabled Raton Pass.

Why was Raton Pass important to New Mexico?

Raton Pass, at the border of present day New Mexico and Colorado, was one of the most important, yet treacherous, segments of the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail. The pass cut through the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains, allowing wagons access to the vast western territory.

Where was the first town in New Mexico?

Raton, New Mexico. The post office at this location was named Willow Springs from 1877 to 1879, Otero from 1879 to 1880, then renamed Raton in 1880. Raton was founded at the site of Willow Springs, a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The original 320 acres (129.5 ha) for the Raton townsite were purchased from the Maxwell Land Grant in 1880.

Who was the first person to visit Raton Pass?

When the first Spanish explorers arrived in the area in the early 1700s, the Ute tribe lived in the mountains and the plains were occupied by the Apache, Comanche, and Kiowa. When Mexico won her independence from Spain in 1821, the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail was blazed by William Becknell over Raton Pass.