Union County, New Mexico, Place Names F-L

FISHER PEAK- A little valley, 3 miles northwest of Folsom, along highway 72. Named for the pioneer Fisher Family.

FOLSOM - Cattle shipping and ranching community at the junction of NM 72 and NM 325, 6 miles east of Colfax County line. Named for President Cleveland's wife Frances Folsom. Post Office 1888 to present day. Name has been associated with a culture period in the history of human life in the Southwest. Chipped stone darts of unique shape, dating from the time when men hunted the giant ground sloth and the mammoth, have been found in the Capulin Folsom region. Those spearheads indicate the existence of man here for more than 15,000 years.

FOLSOM CAVES - On Robinson Peak, southwest of Folsom. Contains stalactites of smooth red lava.

FOLSOM FALLS - A natural waterfall fed by springs. Located 4 miles northeast of Folsom on the Dry Cimarron River. Pinebeta Creek joins the river just above the falls.

GARCIA - First postmaster, Lino Garcia, Post Office 1904 to 1909.; mail to Barney.

GEM COMMUNITY - Between Bible Top Mountain on the east and Mt. Dora on the west, and US 87 and Seneca Creek on the north and south. Named for George E Merrilatt, one of the first homesteaders, whose initials spell "gem". Settled about 1914 and 1915, it was once a thickly settled dry farming community, but now is owned by a few cattlemen.

GENOVA - Shown on 1895 map, 10 miles southeast of Gallegos, in present day Harding County. Post Office 1884 to 1898; mail to Gallegos; 1904 to 1905; mail to Logan. GLADSTONE - Farming and ranching community on NM 58, 36 miles east of Springer, near the Union and Colfax County line. Founded about 1880 by William Harris, and said to have been named for the English statesman, W.E. Gladstone, who Harris knew. The original inhabitants were from Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Post Office 1888 to the present.

GLEASON CANYON - On Cross Ell Ranch, about 24 miles northeast of Raton. A prong of Cimarron Canyon, the mouth of which is not far from US 64. Named for Alvaro Fritz Gleason, who came here in the later 1860's bringing a herd of cattle.

GLEASON SPRINGS - On the Cross Ell Ranch.

GOULD - Post Office 1906 to 1908; mail to Mosquero.

GRANDE - Spanish for "large or great". Small community on US 87, and C&amp;S RR, 11 miles northwest of Grenville. Named for Sierra Grande Mountain, directly east of the settlement. Post Office 1908, intermitently to 1913.

GRENVILLE - Dairying and ranching town on US 87, NM 120, and C&amp;S RR, 27 miles northwest of Clayton. At this point NM 120 begins. Named for a Mr. Grenville, a prominent man in pioneer days. Post Office 1888 to present.

GRENVILLE CAVES - 8 miles west of Grenville and 4 miles south of US 87. The entrance is on top of a little knoll.

GUY - Former settlement on NM 370, 37 miles northwest of Clayton. Once headquarters for Colorado Arizona Sheep Co., founded by Edmund D Hunig. Post Office, 1910 to 1945.

HARRINGTON - Post Office 1910 to 1918.

HAYDEN - Trading point in ranching area, 29 miles north of Nara Visa. Originally platted as CENTRAL CITY on line of survey for the Denver and New Orleans Railroad never constructed. Renamed Hayden by George L. Cook. Site of annual Hayden Rodeo. Post Office 1908 to present day.

HOLLAND - Post Office 1905 to 1917.

IONE - In the southwest corner of Union County on NM 65, and 9 miles southeast of Rosebud. Settled in 1908 by Iowa farmers. E.F.Snyder was the first postmaster. He is reported to have named the place for a girl he left behind in Iowa. Post Office 1908 to 1962.

JAMES DAM - Large earth rock dam on the Corrumpa creek, 8 miles east of Des Moines; used for irrigation. At former headquarters of Thomas P James Ranch. Now called WEATHERLY LAKE for present owner, A.D.Weatherly.

JOHNSON - First postmaster, David C Johnson, Post Office 1906 to 1911; mail to Kenton, Oklahoma.

KEPHART - Former store and post office on farm of Tom Kephart, 20 miles southeast of Abbott. Dwelling became the headfquarters of Jay Lemon Ranch.

LEIGHTON - First postmaster, Hampton W Leighton. Post Office, 1890 to 1904; mail to Folsom.

LEON CREEK - Small creek that flows southwest into Pinabete Arroyo.

LONG CANYON - 23 miles northeast of Folsom and 3 miles below the Cross L ranch. The canyon opens into the Dry Cimarron Canyon. It runs in a northwest direction, forking in the upper part of the canyon. It was named for its length. George Hardesty was the first settler in the canyon.