Colfax County, New Mexico, Place Names, N - Z

Colfax County

NARANJOS - Spanish for the folks with Naranjo surname, or orange grove. The surname came to New Mexico in 1600. Settlement on NM 120, 20 miles northwest of Wagon Mound. Post Office 1886 to 1888 and 1913 to 1917.

NEW ABBOTT - See ABBOTT.

NIGGER CREEK - Named for a young Black man, whose name is unknown, arrived in Elizabethtown some time during the boom years of 1865-1890. He made his home on a little creek in the north end of the Moreno Valley, which leads into the Moreno River.

NINE MILE CREEK - In the south end of the Moreno Valley, flows into the Cieneguilla Creek, which then flows into Eagle Nest Lake. Named because it was 9 miles south of Elizabethtown, which in the early days, was the center not only of the Moreno Valley, but the northeastern part of the State during the hectic mining years between 1865 and 1890.

NORTH PONIL - Creek near Baldy Mountain. See PONIL.

OCATE CREEK - Rises in Colfax County then flows southeast through Ocate, below which it is diverted into the Upper Charette Lake and then into Canadian River.

OSHA - The name of an herb, wild angelica root, found in various parts of the state and used for medicinal purposes. Post Office 1894 to 1903; changed to BLACK LAKE

OSHA MOUNTAIN - Between taos and Colfax counties. See CUESTA DEL OSHA PEAK.

OSHA PASS - Near the Taos Colfax County line, 3 miles north of Osha Mouontain.

OTERO - The family name appears in 1659, when Pedro Otero is listed in marriage records in Santa Fe. Members of this family are found in 18th century records in Albuquerque and Tome. The family achieved prominence in this and the following century. In Colfax county it was a lively spot near the foot of Raton Pass when AT&amp;SF RR reached there in 1878. After the division point was removed 5 miles north of Raton in 1879, most of the settlement moved with it.

PALO BLANCO - Spanish for white tree or white pole.

PALO BLANCO CREEK - Flows south to Holkeo Creek, 15 miles north of Gladstone, north of Palo Blanco Mountain. Named for Palo Blanco Mountain.

PALO BLANCO MOUNTAIN - 4 miles northwest of Malpie.

PALO BLANCO PEAK - 15 miles southwest of Capulin in the east end of Colfax county.

PALO FLECHADO - Spanish for "tree pierced with arrows". Mountain pass near Agua Fria. Named because many arrows were found sticking in the trees. There is a Taos Native American custom of shooting the remaining arrows into a large tree after a buffalo hunt. At the summit of the mountain near the pass is the tree containing the arrows.

PALO FLECHADO CREEK - Rises in the Taos Mountains and flows east to Agua Fria where it joins Agua Fria Creek.

PARKER ARROYO - 1 mile west of Hebron; connects with Canadian Red River in north central part of Colfax County.

PARTON - Formerly TROYBURGH. Post Office, 1884 to 1886; mail to Raton.

PATTON CREEK - Small stream which flows into Canadian Red River at its source near the Colfax County - Colorado state line in the northwest part of Colfax County.

PECK'S MESA - North of Holkeo Creek in the extreme southeast corner of Colfax County. Named for an early family in the neighborhood.

PENA FLOR - Post Office shown on a 1936 Department of Interior map, as 4 miles south of Colorado State line on the Upper Vermejo River. Post Office 1888 to 1901; mail to Catskill.

PERRYVILLE - Locality in Cimarron Canyon. Post Office 1894 to 1895; mail to Elizabethtown.

PHILMONT SCOUT CAMP - A Boy Scout Camp and game refuge covering 55 square miles. Established in 1938, as a gift of Waite Phillips, owner of nearby Philmonte Ranch.Covers 128,000 acres and stretches north and south of Cimarron about 25 miles. First named PHILTURN.

PHILTURN - See Philmont Scout Camp.

PIGGLY WIGGLY CANYON - Northeast of Johnson Mesa.

PINA - Spanish for pine tree.

PINE CREEK - Flows out of the pine covered mountainside in the north Moreno Valley and joins the Moreno River which flows into Eagle Nest Lake.

PINON HILLS - 10 miles west of Springer in the Maxwell Land Grant.

PITTSBURG - Once a community 25 miles east of Springer in center of a farming district. Post Office 1924 to 1932.

POINT OF ROCKS - A mound of syenite rocks, rising from the prairies, from which runs a clear, crystal spring. At the eastern end of the Colfax County line near Ute Creek. A noted battleground and landmark of the Santa Fe Trail.

POND CREEK - Rises in Colfax County and flows south to junction of Carisso Creek.

PONIL - Post Office 1879 to 1913.

PONIL CREEK - Has 3 branches, north, middle and south. They all arise north of Cimarron in adjacent canyons, join and flow to the Cimarron River, 2 miles east of the town, from the Vermejo Park area.

PONIL PARK - In the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, at the head of Ponil Creek; about 3 by 6 miles in size.

POTATO CANYON - Begins about 4 miles up Canadian Red River and extends southwest 7 miles. An eastern farmer settled here and raised potatoes, selling them to the miners in Blossburg; hence the name

POTATO MOUNTAIN - 5 miles east of raton.

PRAIRIE DOG CANYON - Small canyon extends north from the mouth of the Caliente Canyon, which is off the Vermejo River Canyon, 8 miles north of Dawson.

PRESTON - On the Ute Division of the AR&amp;SF RR, 10 miles southwest of Raton, where the track branches for Van Houten. Established in 1900.

PUERTECITO - Spanish for small mountain pass.

RAEL - A Spanish surname. Post Office 1901 to 1902; mail to Springer.

RAILROAD CANYON - Extends from Raton to the Raton Tunnel on AT&amp;SF RR, about 8.5 miles running north and south. The tracks follow this canyon to the highest point on the system, 7,622 feet.

RATON - Spanish for mouse, field mouse or prarie dog. On US 85 and 87, and NM 72, 8.5 miles south of Raton Pass. Started in 1879, with the arrival of AT&amp;SF RR. Now is the County seat.

RATON CREEK - First called WILLOW ARROYO, then WILLOW CREEK. Flows south of Railroad Canyon, north of Raton across Crow Creek Flats to join Una del Gato River, 7 miles south of Raton, and then into Canadian Red River.

RATON MOUNTAINS - Form part of the long range which divides northeastern NM from Colorado. Named for numerous rodents which fed here on the pinon nuts.

RATON PASS - Famed from days of covered wagon caravans on the Santa Fe Trail. The highest point is 7,622 feet.

RATON PEAK - Central and tallest peak of the range, directly north of Raton, almost at the Colorado state line.

RAYADO - Spanish for streaked. Certain Native American tribes were called "rayados" by the Spanish because of horizontal lines painted on their faces. This was a trading point on NM 21, 23 miles west of Springer. Post Office 1873 to 1881 and intermittently to 1919.

RAYADO CREEK OR RIVER - passes through Rayado and joins Urreca Creek 11 miles west of Springer.

RAYADO MESA - 14 miles west of Springer in the Maxwell Land Grant.

RAYADO PEAK - On the Rayado River near Rayado Pass.

RAYADO STATION - 5 miles south of Springer.

RED LAKES - Former community 10 miles sothwest of Black Lakes on NM 38.

RED RIVER CANYON - Begins at Red River Peak, 4 miles south of Raton and flows into Canadian Red River at the northwest corner of Colfax county.

RED RIVER PASS - At the Taos Colfax County line, the north end of the Moreno Valley where Nm 38 crosses the mountains into Red River Country.

RED RIVER PEAK - Small pointed peak at the mouth of the Little Red River Canyon. Named before the stage coaches came across Raton mountains.

REED CANYON - Ghost town near site of Elkins at the head of the Vermejo River. Named for "Cump" Reed from Missouori, an early settler in 1875.

RING - At one time in Ponil Park on North Ponil Creek in the Maxwell Land Grant. So called because the Ring Road ended in a circle where an engine could be turned.

RIO DEL PLANO - Anglicized "river of the plains or flats". Northeast of Springer and flows into the Canadian Red River

RIO PLANO - Flows west from Chico to enter the Canadian River north of Springer; course is over high, relatively smooth terrain, explaining the descriptive name.

RITO BERNAL - Rito is spanish for little river. In the northwest corner of Colfax County, flows into the Vermejo River.

RITO DEL ORO. Spanish for little golden river. In the northwest part of Colfax county, flows into the Vermejo River.

RITO LEANDRO - Leandro is a spanish given name. Flows into the Vermejo River.

RITO PRESA - Spanish for little river that has been controlled, ie a ditch, trench or dam. A small tributary of the Cimarron River. Perhaps named for an irrigation or fishing dam in the stream.

ROAD CANYON - Extends between Canadian Red River Canyon and Vermejo River Canyon in the northern part of Colfax county near the Colorado state line. One of the trails into the Vermejo country came down through this canyon; thus the name road canyon.

ROBINSON - See RAYADO.

ROBINSON MOUNTAIN - Northwest of Capulin, just inside the Colfax Union County line. Named for the Robinson Hoover Commission Co. of Kansas City, Missouri, which served the livestock men of Colfax and Union counties in the early days. Post Office 1882 to 1883; mail to Fairview.

RYADO - Post Office 1873 to 1881; changed to RAYADO

SAIL ROCK - Peculiar rock formation in Cimarron Canyon, resembling the sail of aboat moving in shallow waters.

SALTPETER CREEK - Begins 5 miles below Dawson where it empties into Vermejo River, and flows south through a canyon of the same name.

SALTPETER MOUNTAIN - 15 miles southeast of Dawson, on banks of Saltpeter Creek.

SALYERS CANYON - Begins in northwest part of Colfax county. Runs southeast to Vermejo near former Elkins Post Office. An early settler had this name.

SAN FRANCISCO MESA - Franciscan pioneers of NM named many places for their founder St. Francis of Assissi. FORMERLY called AHOGADERA, "place of the drowned" because a sheepherder had lost eight hundred sheep in the stream.

SAN FRANCISCO PASS - Connects the north western part of Colfax county with Colorado, 5 miles east of the Colfax Taos county line.

SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS - This mountain range runs north and south in the southernmost section of the Rockies, extending from southern Colorado to Santa Fe and Pecos. It forms the western boundary of Mora County. Also called the SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS as late as 1790. Present name started at the beginning of the 19th century and seems to be associated with the birth of the Penitente religious society.

SANTA FE FORKS - See HOXIE

SAUA CREEK - Perhaps a corruption of the spanish word "sacia" or "sap". The creek flows into the Canadian Red River at the Colfax Harding county line. Named for maple trees along its bank. SAWMILL CANYON - Heads in Gallo Mountains; runs northeast into Largo Creek, 13 miles east of Agua Fria Mountain. SAWMILL CREEK - There are two sawmill Creeks in Colfax county. One in the north end of the Moreno Valley that empties into the Moreno River, which flows into Eagle Nest Lake. The other, flows into the Canadian Red River above the town of Red River. Along both creeks there were sawmills.

SCHOMBERG - On AT&amp;SF RR, 5 miles north of Maxwell. Named for one of the managers of the Maxwell Land Grant.

SCHUREE CREEK - Tributary to the Ponil, northwest of Cimarron.

SEELEY CANYON - Begins near Gardiner in Dillon Canyon and extends west. SEGAL CREEK - 10 miles southeast of Maxwell.

SENODAN CREEK - In the south end of the Moreno Valley, flowing into Cieneguilla Creek, which flows into Eagle Nest Lake. Senodan was a family name in the area. SHEEP SPRING CREEK - In the Raton Mouontains; flows into the Canadian Red River.

SIX MILE CREEK - Flows east from the Taos Peak region into Eagle Nest Lake in the Moreno Valley.

SLAGLE - First postmaster, Florence B. Slagle. Post Office 1901 to 1902; mail to Chico. SLAGLE CANYON - 5 miles west of the Chico post office.

SOUTH PONIL - Little stream southwest of Cimarron. See Ponil Creek. SOUTHSIDE - Post Office, 1878 to 1879.

SPRING ARROYO - Small stream that flows into the Canadian Red River.

SPRING CANYON - Extends northwest from Vermejo Peak.

SPRING CREEK - Flows through Spring Canyon, 3 miles east of Dawson and empties into the Vermejo River.

SPRINGER - Town on US 85, NM 58 and 199, 41 miles south of Raton on the Cimarron River. Settled in 1879, and became the third county seat in 1882, Raton followed in 1897. Two brothers named Springer gave their name to the town: Charles a rancher near Cimarron, and Frank a lawyer and official of the Maxwell Land Grant Co. Post Office 1879 to the present. SPRINGER LAKE - 3 miles northwest of Springer.

SQUAW PEAK - See KIT CARSON PEAK

STAGE CANYON - Begins 5 miles north of Dawson and runs west from the Vermejo River Canyon.

STERN POST OFFICE - 10 miles northwest of Cimarron on Ponil Creek in the Maxwell Land Grant. Named for an early settler.

STOCKTON'S - The Stockton family owned ranches in several NM counties. Postmaster, William H. Stockton. Post Office, 1878.

STOUT CANYON - Begins 7 miles north of Dawson and extends east from Vermejo River canyon. Named for a Pennsylvania pioneer who made his home here.

SUGARITE - Post Office, 1912 to 1944. See CHICARICA.

SWASTIKA - 5 miles west of Raton in Dillon canyon. Formerly a coal mining town owned by the St. Louis Rocky Mountain and Pacific Co. The Gardiner-Swastika branch of AT&amp;SF RR once extended from Dillon to Swastika for the purpose of shipping coal. Post Office 1919 to 1940; changed to BRILLIANT.

SWEETWATER - Post Office on Sweetwater Creek, 1878 to 1882; mail to Springer.

SWEETWATER CREEK - east of NM 21, 7 miles north of Mora, along the southern border of Colfax County; flows into Ocate creek, which enters the Canadian Red River.

TAFOYA - Ranching community on county road 8 miles northwest of Farley. The first Tafoyas, the three sons of Juan de Tafoya Altamirano, natives of Mexico City, came to NM shortly after the Reconquest of 1692. Post Office 1936 to 1953.

TAOS PASS - At the south end of the Moreno Valley; the pass where US 64 crosses the Taos Mountains into Taos county.

TAOS PEAK - 6 miles west of Eagle Nest Lake almost on the Colfax Taos county line.

TAYLOR SPRINGS - 8 miles southeast of Springer on the Canadian Red River near NM 58. Sometimes called TAYLOR. Named for Elijah Taylor, who started Taylor Springs Ranch many years ago. Post Office, 1905 to 1909 and 1909 to 1941. TEMPLE - On the Rio del Plano. 18 miles northeast of Springer, near Chico. First started with the Temple Ranch, then became a small community, now abandoned.

TEMPLE PEAK - In the southeast corner of Colfax county, near Chico. Named for the Temple family.

TENAJA MOUNTAIN - See Tinaja Mountain

THERMA -  Post Office 1821 to 1835. See EAGLE NEST.

THOMPSON - 20 miles west of Des Moines. Once a station on the old SLRM&amp;P RR, 4 miles west of Vigil. Named for William Lee Thompson, who moved here from San Lorenzo in Grant county in the 1870's and established a store and a fruit orchard.

TINAJA - Spanish "large earthern jar for holding water or other liquids". Small settlement 16 miles south of Raton.

TINAJA ARROYO CREEK - South of Eagle Tail Mountain; flows into Canadian Red River. Named for Tinaja Mountain, directly east.

TINAJA AND EAGLE TAIL MOUNTAINS - These two peaks lie 12 to 16 miles south of Raton. Descriptive names chosen by early stage drivers on the Santa Fe Trail, for Tinaja is flat on top and has a short, narrow neck like a jar. Eagle tail reminds one of the sloping, swooping, back of an eagle.

TIN PAN CANYON - Extends west of Dillon Canyon a few miles beyond Blossburg. Named for s shining tin pan nailed to a post by a miner as a guide to his friends who were to follow him to his camp.

TOLBY CREEK - Tributary of Cimarron River, emptying into it from the south just below Eagle Nest Dam.Name recalls the mysterious death of a preacher named Rev. Thomas J Tolby, who was found murdered here, during the Land Grant Wars of Colfax County.

TOOTH OF TIME MOUNTAIN - west of Philmont Ranch and 9 miles southwest of Cimarron. An immense wind cut rock having the appearance of a tooth, on top of a ridge.

TORIL - Spanish for "pen for bulls before the fight" On the AT&amp;SF RR, 6 miles south of French.

TOWNDROW - 6 miles from the Colorado state line, just south of NM 72. TOWNDROW PEAK - On Johnson Mesa, 10 miles east of Raton. Named for an early family now scattered over northern New Mexico. It is one of two peaks on the mesa.

TOWNER - First postmaster, John C Towner, Post Office 1877 to 1878.

TRES HERMANOS - Spanish for "three brothers", 13 miles east of Maxwell and 24 miles south of Raton. The three peaks are close together and are  linked near the summits.

TRINCHERA - Spanish "trench". Post Office 1882 to 1883; mail to Madison.

TRINCHERA CREEK - Rises in the north east corner of Colfax county; flows north into Colorado to Purgatoire River.

TRINCHERA PASS - In the northeast corner of Colfax county at the east end of Johnson Mesa; cuts through mountains into Colorado, which explains the name.

TROY - Named for the Troy family, homesteaders here. First postmaster, Daniel Troy. Post Office, TROYBURGH, 1878 to 1884; changed to PARTON.

TWIN MOUNTAINS - Small cinder peaks on NM 7, between Des Moines and Folsom.They supplied C&amp;S RR with cinders for ballast. This source also furnishes cinders for building blocks.

TWINING -

UNA DE GATO CREEK - Spanish for "cat'slaw", Rises in Johnson Park near the Colorado state line and flows southwest  URRACA - Spanish for magpie. Settlement on NM 21, 22 miles northwest of Springer and 5 miles south of Cimarron.

URRACA CREEK - Rises near Clear Creek Mountain and Black Mountain in the southwest part of Colfax county; flows east, passing 5 miles south of Cimarron to Canadian Red River.

URRACA MESA - 12 miles southwest of Cimarron. UTE CREEK - Post Office 1868 to 1895; mail to Mt Baldy. UTE LAKE STATE PARK AND RECREATION AREA - Dam is earth filled structure 5,750 foot long, impounding the Canadian the Canadian River just west of Logan. Designed for industrial and recreational purposes.

UTE PARK - Settlement and area in Cimarron Canyon on US64, and at terminal of Ute Park branch of AT&amp;SF RR. At one time inhabited by the Ute people. Other settlers moved in about 1867. Post Office 1908 to present day.

VAN BREMMER CREEK - Rises in Van Bremmer Park northeast of Cimarron, near Dawson Canyon, and flows southeast for 25 miles to join Vermejo River 10 miiles west of Maxwell.

VAN BREMMER PARK - Area 4 square miles in the midst of tall rugged mountains. At the head of the Van Bremmer Creek, and 6 miles east of Costilla Peak.

VANDERITOS - Post Office, 1886 to 1887; mail to Halls Peak; 1907 to 1907; mail to Aurora.

VAN HOUTEN - Abandoned mining town 6 miles west of US 85, and 18 miles southwest of Raton. Named for Jan Van Houten, of Raton, manager of coal mines and American Representative of the Dutch syndicate which acquired the Maxwell Land Grant from Lucien Maxwell. Van Houten became the president of the St Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Co., associated with the grant. Post Office 1902 to 1952; mail to Raton.

VERMEJO PARK - Ranching community on NM 234, 30 miles west of Raton on Vermejo River. When AT&amp;SF RR was built over the Raton Mountains, most of the inhabitants moved to Raton. Vermejo Park is the center of the old Bartlett Estate, a 350,000 acre ranch, now owned by Ted Turner. Post Offices, Vermejo, 1874 to 1883; Cimilorio, 1883-1898; Vermejo 1902 to 1907; Vermejo Park 1907 to present day.

VERMEJO RIVER - Rises in the northwest corner of Colfax county; fed by many smaller streams. Flows through Vermejo Canyon, through Dawson, and southeast to join the Canadian Red River 6 miles south of Maxwell. Along its banks, the earliest settlers of northeastern NM made their homes.

VERNON - Ranching community on SP RR, 18 miles southeast of French, and 10 miles southeast of Taylor Springs. Post Office 1911 to 1917.

VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA CITY - Postal records list Taos, Mora, and Colfax counties for this station. between April 9, 1868 and October 22, 1869. See Elizabethtown.

WALLACE - 28 miles west of Des Moines. Said to be named for General Lew Wallace, author of "The Fair God", and "Ben Hur". While Governor of New Mexico Territory 1878-1881, he tried to settle one of the most famous feuds in western history, the Lincoln County War. WERSONICK CANYON - Above Yankee, where a family by this name lived.

WET CANYON - In the extreme northwest corner of Colfax county.

WHISKEY CREEK - Tributary to the Ponil northwest of Cimarron.

WHITNEY -

WHITSON - Post Office 1878.

WILLOW - Post Office 1902; changed to VAN HOUTEN.

WILLOW ARROYO - See Raton Creek

WILLOW CREEK - 3 miles south of Elizabethtown.

WILLOW SPRINGS - Post Office 1877 to 1879; 1914 to 1917; mail to Corrumpa. See Raton

WILSON -

YANKEE - Former coal town and trading point on NM 72, 8 miles northeast of Raton. Founded in 1904 by Wall Street brokerage firm of E.D. Sheppard and Co., and named it Yankee, because several Boston men were involved in this coal mining venture. AD Ensign, representing a group of Eastern investors, was the promoter of the building of AT&amp;SF RR from Raton to Yankee. Town was owned by the railroad, but abandoned because of faulty manipulation of the capital involved. Coal mining was later resumed. Post Office 1906 to 1922.

YANKEE CANYON - 10 miles east of Raton. NM72 winds through this beautiful canyon, which goes up to Johnson Mesa.

YORK CANYON - Near the site of former Elkins post office, at the head of the Vermejo River.

YOUNG CANYON - Near the former site of Elkins, at the head of the Vermejo River. Named for the Young family, pioneers from Missouri.

Source: New Mexico Place Names, A Geographical Dictionary. T.M. Pearce, Ina Sizer Cassidy, Helen S pearce; The University of New Mexico Press, 1965. LCCC No. 64-17808.