Colfax County, New Mexico, Place Names

ABBOTT. Also Called New Abbott. On NM 56/412 and intersection with state road 39, 19 miles east of Springer, near Abbott Lake. named for Horace C Abbott, who became the first postmaster. Post Office 1881-1963. In 1936 a number of the settlers moved to a location called "The Forks", at the junction of NM 58 and 39. Abbott formerly called Sauz. Map

ABREU. Former settlement on the Rayado River, 20 miles west of Springer. Named for Jesus Gil Abreuwho married Petrita Beaubien on October 26, 1859 and acquired 20,000 acres from her father for his ranch. The family sold the ranch in 1911 after his death. Waite Phillipsbought it in the 1920's and donated 35,857 acres to the now Philmont Scout Ranch. Abreu Canyon map, Abreu cemetery map, Old Abreu Camp map, New Abreu Camp map.

ADAMS LAKE. A small lake covering about 2 acres of land near Cassel Rock and Ash Mountain. Named for a prominent family of the vicinity. Map

AGUA FRIA. "agua fria" Spanish for "cold water". A small community between Taos and Eagle Nest, at the junction of US64 and state road 434. Post Office 1924-1934. Map 1, Map 2

AGUA FRIA PEAK - Altitude 11,000 feet. near the village of Agua Fria. The Agua Fria Rito rises near Agua Fria Mountain and forms Cieneguilla Creek to empty into Eagle Nest Lake. Map

AHOGADERA - See San Francisco Mesa.

ALMA - The post office was established in 1888 to 1926. See BALDY. Ghostowns. AMERICAN CREEK - Flows into Cieneguilla Creek in the Moreno Valley south of Eagle Nest. Map ; Cow Camp map.

ANGEL FIRE - 7 miles north of Black Lake; 15 miles south of Eagle Nest off US 64; 27 miles east of Taos. A recreation area, resort. Village web site, Background, Map APACHE - Post Office1877-1882; mail to Chico Springs. Apache Creek (stream) map; Apache Peak (summit) map; Apache Springs Camp (locale) map.

ARCH REDD CANYON - A valley with an elevation of 7,848 feet. Map

ARMS - Post Office 1879-1880. First postmaster, Henry M. Arms. ASH MOUNTAIN - 3 miles east of Taos County line on the Rito Leandro, in the Maxwell Land Grant. Map

BALDY, BALDY MOUNTAIN - Peak is so named because of the absence of timber on the rocky summits. Settlement 5 miles northeast of Elizabethtown. Post Office also known as Alma, 1888-1926. In 1897 Baldy had 200 inhabitants, a school, church, 12 mines, 4 stamp mills, a telephone line, blacksmith, barber, justice of the peace, store, stable, and many saloons. A little rubble remains. 10,098 acres including the summit donated to Philmont Scout Ranch by Norton Clapp. Wikipedia, Photos, Ghostowns, Map

BARELA MESA - On north boundary of the county. Named for Senator Barela, a prominent Spanish- American resident of Trinidad, Colorado., in the 1890's. Map

BARTLETT MESA - North of Raton at the Colorado state line. Named for Carlos Bartlett, an early settler and founder at the Bartlett Estate in Vermejo Park in 1906. Map BEAR LAKE - West of Eagle Nest Lake. BEAUBIEN - MIRANDA LAND GRANT - See Maxwell Land Grant.

BEAVER CREEK - Flows into the upper Rayado River in the southwest corner of Colfax County. Map

BELL - 12 miles northeast of Raton. Settled by a group of dissatisfied miners from Blossburg, who went to Johnson Mesa to farm. Named for Marion Bell, leader of the settlers. First postmaster, Alonso S Bell. Post Office, 1891-1933.

BEN THOMPSON CANYON - Map

BLACK CAT MINE - map. BLACK DIAMOND MINE -map; BLACK HAT MINE - map;

BLACK HILL - There are 2: 1.North of Chico and Farley, off state road 193 and county road A8. Map 2. South of Chico and est of Farley off state road 193 and point of Rocks Road and county road c-51.Map

BLACK HORSE GROUP MINE - map; BLACK JACKS HIDEOUT MINE - map, hideout map ; BLACK JOE MINE - map.

BLACK LAKE - In the southwestern corner of Colfax County. Named because, when viewed from a distance, dense timber surrounding the water makes it look black instead of blue. First inhabitants here were Don Jose Maria mares and his wife, Dona Jenara Trujillo, in 1886. Years earlier, in 1857, Jose Maria Mares had been captured by indians while he and his brother were with a hunting party. They were taken to Taos, where they were sold to Don Juan Mares, who adopted them and brought them up as his own children. Post Office 1903-1927. Map BLACK MESA - 8 miles southeast of Raton. Distinguished by interesting carvings on the west side. Map ; ARROYO map

BLACK MOUNTAIN - There are 2 in Colfax County Map 1, Map 2,

BLIND CANYON - At the head of the Vermejo River; extends east from Caliente Canyon. Cowboys called it "blind" because it has but one entrance. There are 2 in Colfax County. Map 1, Map 2, The second one appears at the Vermejo.

BLOSSBURG - 5 miles up Dillon Creek, northwest of Raton. Settled about 1881 as a coal mining town, by a Colonel Savage from Blossburg, Pennsylvania, and named it for his home town. There is now little left at the site, it is part Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch. Post Office, 1881 to 1905. Ghosttowns, Map

BLOSSER CREEK, GAP, MESA - Flows into Eagle Tail Creek, which empties into Hebron Reservoir. Creek flows through the gap about 15 miles southeast of Raton. This opening through the mountain range was named for a man by the name of Blosser, who had been evicted from his ranch by the Maxwell Land Grant Co., and who used the gap to run cattle through to the pinon country south of the mountains where the grazing was good. Map, Mesa Map,

BONITA CREEK - Spanish for 'beautiful" . Runs through Bonita Canyon in western Colfax county. Map. Cow Camp map.

BOX CANYON - 30 miles southwest of Raton; 3 miles north of Dawson. The name, in general, applies to a canyon closed at the far end, or so narrow as to make traffic through it difficult or impossible, that is, a man is boxed in. Map

BRACKETT - Post Office 1910-1917.

BRILLIANT - Former coal mining community on AT&amp;SF RR, 6 miles northwest of Raton. Post Office, 1906-1935 and 1940-1964. Very little remains today, it is part of Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch. Ghosttowns, Map,

BRILLIANT COAL MINE - map; BRILLIANT MINE - map.

BRILLIANT CANYON -

BRILLIANT CREEK -

BUFFALO HEAD - High point of rock north of Folsom; named for its resemblance to the head of a buffalo. Map

BUFFALOO PASTURE - map

CABRESTO CREEK CANYON - Local spanish for "rope, halter, lead ox". Runs into Red River northeast of Questa. Cabresto Peak is in Taos County is east of Questa.

CABRESTO LAKE - 4 miles southwest of Baldy Mountain. Map

CALIENTE CANYON, CREEK - Spanish for "hot". At the head of Vermejo River, 12 miles north of Dawson. Map

CANADIAN RIVER also called RED RIVER - Name originating from the Caddo Indian word "kanohatino" meaning red; or the Spanish word "Canada" meaning ravine or gulch. River starts in northern New Mexico, Colfax County, to form the Mora-Harding County line of separation, then turns east through San Miguel and Quay counties, until it goes across Texas into Oklahoma, where it is known as Beaver River. Finally it joins the Arkansas, and becomes the Red River of Louisiana. An 1828 map shows it as the "Canadiano Rio". Spanish land titles call it "Rio Rojo" or Red River. While trying to find the origin of the river in 1806, Zebulon Pike was arrested and deported by Spanish authorities.

CANN CREEK - Small stream entering the Ponil Creek.

CANNONBALL MINE - map

CARESSO CREEK - Flows southeast into the Cimarron River east of Springer.

CARISBROOK or CARRIS BROOK - AT&amp;SF RR stop in Sugarite Canyon. Post Office 1907-1908; mail to Raton. Map.

CARSON NATIONAL FOREST - Wikipedia, CNF Website

CASSEL ROCK - Near the Colfax - Taos County line

CATALPA - Post Office, 1882-1884; mail to Madison.

CATSKILL - Former community on Little Red River, 30 miles northwest of Raton. Originally settled in August 1890 by a group of lumbermen under company management of H.G. Frankenburger. The Union Pacific Railroad built a spur from Trinidad, Colorado, and C.F.Meek, the railroad's general manager, is said to have named the town because the scenery resembled the Catskill Mountains near his home town in New York. As the timber resources failed, the railroad pulled up its tracks in 1902. By 1916, Catskill was a ghost town. Now a tourist attraction. Post Office 1890-1905. Map

CEDAR HILLS - At the mouth of Cerrososo Canyon. Map

CERRITO GATO - Map

CERROSOSO CREEK - "Cerro" is spanish for "hill or peak". Crosses US 64, 3 miles east of Cimarron. Map

CHASE CANYON - 6 miles north of Cimarron, named for M.M.Chase, a pioneer settler in the canyon. Map

CHASE RANCH Map

CHICO - means "small" in Spanish, but it is also the nickname for the Spanish name "Francisco". In New Mexico "chico" is also identified with dried green corn. The town is 12 miles north of Abbott and 22 miles east of Maxwell. Sen. Stephen Dorsey lived here for a time. (See Dorsey) Post Office 1895-1956. Formerly known as CHICO SPRINGS. Map

CHICO CREEK - Rises near Chico, and flows into the Canadian River. Map

CHICO HILLS - Roughly, in the area between Chico and Abbott. Map

CHICORICO also called SUGARITE - The word is a version of "achicorio" which refers to a wild native endive or chicory. However, Calvin Jones testified in litigation over the Maxwell Land Grant that the creek, mesa, and canyon known by the word "chicarica" were named by the Comanches for the great quantity of birds which lived in the pine timber there. The Comanche word for bird, he testified, was "rico" and the word for "spotted" was "choco". The Spanish words "chico rico" mean "rich little fellow" The Anglo transposition of the words was "Sugarite". Map

CHICORICO/A CREEK - Named first. Rises near Colorado state line and flows down the canyon into Raton Creek, then into a stream called Una de Gato (Cat's Claw in Spanish), and finally joins the Canadian Red River. The Creek is now called the Sugarite River. In Sugarite Canyon the river flows through Lake Maloya and Lake Alice. Lake Maloya is the reservoir from which the city of Raton gets its water supply. As the Sugarite River flows into Raton, it runs by Sugarite Street. Map 1, Map 2, East Fork Chicorica Creek Map

CHICARICA MESA - is now called BARELA MESA see Barela Mesa. Chicarica Mesa is seperated from the Raton Mesa by Manco Burro Pass. Map

CHICORICO CANYON or SUGARITE CANYON - is 2 miles south of Lake Maloya. Map

CHICO SPRINGS - Post Office 1877-1895; changed to CHICO. Map

CHICOSO - Post Office 1876-1877. Map

CHICOSO CREEK - Map

CHIMNEY CANYON - Runs east from Caliente Canyon which branches from Vermejo River Canyon 10 miles north of Dawson.Map; West ForkMap, East Fork Map

CIENEGUILLA - In Spanish "cieneguilla" means "mittle marsh or marshy place". Cieneguilla Creek Map; Cieneguilla Mountain Map

CIMARRON - The term "cimarron" is an Americanism in Spanish.The meaning of the word generalized to describe a wild or unruly person or untamed animal. Applied in New Mexico to the wild bighorn sheep of the Rocky Mountains. Fray Angelico Chavez pointed out that the wild red plum which grew abundantly along the northeastern rivers of New Mexico was called "ciruela cimarrona". Thence, the word specifies a place once inhabited by wild sheep and wild plums. Both wild horses and cattle were later known as cimarrones. It is a town on US 64, 38 miles southwest of Raton. Settled in 1841 by the Beaubien Miranda Land Grant. In the 1860's and 1870's Cimarron was the principal stopping place for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail going to Taos. Cowboys, both lawless and law abiding, made it their hangout. Buffalo Bill organized his Wild West show here. The first postmaster was Lucien B Maxwell. Post Office 1861 to present day. CC Website, Background, Historic District,Map, Photos.

CIMARRON CANYON - West of the town of Cimarron. May have been named earleir than the town. Cimarron Canyon State Parkis 3 miles miles east of Eagle Nest and west of the town of Cimarron, and in the Colin Neblett Wildlife area. Map

CIMARRON CREEK, RIVER - Flows from Eagle Nest Lake, through the Cimarron Canyon east then south tothe south of Springer (60 miles or 97 km) to form a tributary of the Canadian Red River. In the Cimarron canyon it forms the famous Palisadesof the Cimarron. It is the southwesternmost major tributary flowing into the Mississippi River. It is shown as "Semerone" on an 1828 map and also known as Le Flecha. Map 1, Map 2,

CIMARRON RANGE - Map  CIMARRON MESA -Map  CIMARRON MINE - map; CIMARRON TUNNEL MINE - map

CIMARRONCITA CREEK - Flows into the Cimarron River. Map

CIMILORIO See VERMEJO PEAK  Map

CLEAR CREEK - Rises near Clear Mountain and flows north to the Cimarron River in Cimarron Canyon. The waters of Clear Creek prompted its naming, as they are fed by snows and run deep through a heavily wooded section. Map

CLEAR CREEK MOUNTAIN - In the northeast part of Colfax County.

CLIFTON, CLIFTON HOUSE - 6 miles south of Raton on the Canadian Red River. Built in 1867 by Tom Stockton, a rancher, as headquarters for cattle roundups. During the 1870's and 1880's, it was leased for a station of the Barlow-Sanderson Stage Line, which added a blacksmith shop and stables. With the arrival of the AT&amp;SF RR in 1879, the stage was discontinued, and so was the Clifton House. Nothing remains of the site, but the graveyard, with its boardmarkers. Post Office 1869 to 1879. Map ; Historical Marker map; Clifton Hills - map.

COAL CANYON - The Maxwell Land Grant of 1889 shows two canyons with this name, one extending west from Dillon Canyon near the Swastika Coal Camp, the other extending southwest from the mouth of the Canadian Red River Canyon. Map 1, Map 2, Map 3, Map 4,

COLEMAN - A community started in 1885 in the Maxwell Land Grant, when many war weary Southerners were seeking new homes in northeastern New Mexico. Coleman was the name of people living near Elkins in the 1870's. Map

COLEMAN CANYON CREEK - At the head of the Vermejo River Canyon, near the ghost town of Elkins. Coleman Canyon Map, Coleman Creek Map

COLFAX - On US 64, 5 miles south of Dawson and on a branch of the AT&amp;SF RR. Enjoyed its peak of prosperity in the 1890's, during a mining boom at Dawson. Post Office 1908 to 1921. Map

COLFAX COUNTY- Created on January 25, 1869, and named for Schuyler Colfax, Vice President of the US, 1869-1873. At this time the county extended from Taos County to the Texas - Oklahoma line, and included the larger part of the Maxwell Land Grant.Map

COLFAX MINE - Map

COLMOR - On US 85 and AT&amp;SF RR, 11 miles south of Springer. The railroad came through on July 4 1879, and Colmor came into existance ten years later. First settlement was in February, 1887. Name came from joining the first three letters each of Colfax and Mora Counties, whose edges the town touches. Post Office 1887 to present. Map

COMANCHE CREEK - Waters of this creek originate in the north end of the Moreno Valley, flow into Moreno Creek, and then go into Eagle Nest Lake. It was a marauding spot for Comanche Indians and therefore named for them. Map 1, Map 2

COSTILLA PARK - Costilla in spanish means "rib". It is 6 miles west of Van Bremer Park.

COSTILLA RESERVOIR - Map

COTTONWOOD - This tree grows commonly along waterways, in spanish it is "alamo". Former small town 10 miles north of Dawson, on Cottonwood Creek. Map

COTTONWOOD CANYON - 4 miles south of Raton and south of the mouth of Canadian Red River Canyon. There is also a second COTTONWOOD CANYON -15 miles north of Dawson and east of the Vermejo River Canyon. There are 4: Map 1, Map 2, Map 3, Map 4,

COTTONWOOD CREEK - former settlement in the Maxwell Land Grant, now deserted. Map

COW CAMPS - See: American Creek Cow Camp, Bonito Cow Camp, Cottonwood Cow Camp, Garcia Cow Camp, La Grulla Cow Camp, Martinez Cow Camp, Sweetwater Cow Camp.

COW CREEK -

COYOTE CREEK - Upper Coyote Creek Dam, Map ;  Also Little Coyote Creek

CROW CREEK - Flows from mountains past Koehler into Canadian Red River, west of Eagle Tail Mountain. Named for the vast quantity of crows that flew over the country. They built nests in the cottonwoods on the streams, and the early American settlers used poison to cut down their numbers. Map Creek flows across Crow Creek Flats. See Raton Creek.

CS RANCH - 130,000 acres, part of the Maxwell Land Grant. Established by Frank Springer (and his brother) and currently managed by Les Davis, his grandson, and his family. Operated since 1873. Map Cattle co website

CUESTA DEL OSHA PEAK - Spanish "hill or peak of the Osha plant". On the Colfax and Taos County border, 5 miles southeast of Tienditas. Named for the osha plant which grows abundantly here. Osha has a stem which tastes like celery, and the root is used for medicine. Peak in Taos County, Map; Historic post office in Colfax county, Map.

CUNICO - On NM 193, 30 miles southeast of Raton. Post Office 1927 to 1942. See KIOWA Map 1, Map 2,

CUNNINGHAM - Settlement 15 miles southeast of Raton on the old Maxwell Land Grant. Named for Dr. J. M. Cunningham of Las Vegas, who was one of the New Mexicans who left the state just to ride in on the first train of the AT&amp;SF RR in 1879. In 1901, he was involved in litigation centering around land grant suits with Charles Springer as defendant.

CUNNINGHAM BUTTE - 9 miles southeast of Raton.

CURTIS CREEK - Flows across Crow Creek Flats from mountains to Canadian Red River, almost paralleling Crow Creek, 2 or 3 miles to the south. Named for old "Dad" Curtis, pioneer, who started the Curtis Ranch.Map Curtis Canyon, Map

DAWSON - 14 miles northeast of Cimarron in the Maxwell Land Grant. Named for two brothers, John Barliley and L.S.Dawson, who settled on the Vermejo River in 1867. JB Dawson started to develop the coal mine which after 1901 was made  productive by the Phelps Dodge Corporation, and the SP RR. After railroads started converting to diesel power, the community gradually disappeared. The mine closed on April 30, 1950. Post Office from 1900 to 1954. Wikipedia. Map

DAWSON CANYON - Map; Mine #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10Maps.

DEAD HORSE CANYON - 11 miles north of Dawson, up Vermejo Canyon. Map

DEAN - On NM 234, 20 miles northwest of Maxwell. Probably named for the canyon.

DEAN CANYON - With its little stream, the canyon begins at a point on the Ponil, 4 miles north of Cimarron and extends westward. Named for an early settler who had a cabin here. Map

DILLON - On AT&amp;SF RR, 3 miles south of Raton. Named for Richard C. Dillon, Governor of New Mexico from 1928 to 1932. Town established by the railroad company shortly after the railroad was built in 1880. At this point, the railroad branches, and these lines extend up Dillon Canyon to former coal camps of Gardiner, Swastika, Brilliant, and Blossburg. Map

DILLON CANYON - Starts about 3 miles southwest of Raton and winds in a northern direction to the Colorado state line. Map; Dillon Mountain Map.

DORSEY - 1 mile west of the Canadian Red River near Eagle Rock Mountain. Named for Dorsey Lake. Post Office 1879, intermittently to 1912.

DORSEY LAKE - Small lake, 2 miles south of Koehler Junction, on Crow Creek Flats. Named for Stephen W Dorsey, US Senator from Arkansas, co-owner of the Ingersol Dorsey Alley Ranch. When Ingersol successfully defended Dorsey in a law suit over government mail contracts, Dorsey paid Ingersol with 5,000 acres of land and some cattle. Dorsey at one time lived at Chico. Map

DORSEY MANSION STATE MONUMENT- Map

DOVER - See GATO

DRY CIMARRON RIVER - The river is beleived to have been a disappearing river because of the notable feature of sinking and rising. Flows from the foot of Johnson Mesa in Colfax County, cuts a deep canyon across the northern part of Union County, across a corner of Oklahoma, and finally empties into the Arkansas River near Dodge City, Kansas.

DUTCHMAN'S CANYON - Extends west from Dillon Canyon where Blossburg was a one time busy coal camp. Named because of an old Dutchman who lived in the canyon when mining operations first started at Blossburg. Map

DUTCHMAN MINE - Map ; DUTCHMAN COAL MINE - Map

EAGLE NEST - Settlement on US 64, 20 miles northeast of Taos. Established in 1920, and called THERMA, Greek for "hot". Name Eagle Nest advocated in 1935 because golden eagles live in the mountanous region. Their feathers are used by the Taos Native Americans for ceremonial worship. Village Website, Background, Photo, Map

EAGLE NEST LAKE - Created by a dam finished in 1919 by Charles Springer at the head of Cimarron Canyon. It is 5 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is located midway between Taos and Cimarron. Map

EAGLE PARK - Referred by Lewis H Garrard in 1846. Probably an early name for Ute Park.

EAGLE ROCK MOUNTAIN - 5 miles west of Eagle Tail Mountain on the west bank of the Canadian Red River, in the Maxwelll Land Grant.

EAGLE ROCK PILLAR - map

EAGLE TAIL CREEK - North of Eagle Tail Mountain, about 15 miles south of Raton, flowing into the Una de Gato Creek. Name comes from the mountain, whose shape resembles the long, sweeping rail, of a resting eagle. See Blosser Creek, Gap. Map

EAGLE TAIL MESA - In eastern edge of the Maxwell Land Grant, near Eagle Tail Mountain, named for the mountain. Map

EAGLE TAIL MOUNTAIN - About 25 miles northest of Springer. See Tinaja Mountain. Map

ELIZABETH MINE - Map

ELIZABETH PEAK - Also called Baldy Mountain. A short distance northeast of Elizabethtown, east of the Moreno River; elevation 12,491 feet. Named for the daughter of a first settler in Elizabethtown, Elizabeth Moore. See Elizabethtown. Map

ELIZABETHTOWN - Former copper and gold mining camp on NM 38, 5 miles northeast of Eagle Nest, in the north end of the Moreno Valley. First house was built in 1865, when the place was called VIRGINIA CITY. In 1866 a group of prospectors found gold near Willow Creek. The city was named in honor of Elizabeth Moore, daughter of John W Moore. A ditch was excavated from Red River for a place dredge called "The Eleanor". Prospecting continued in Old Baldy Mountain as late as 1930. The town was the first county seat of Colfax County. It is now deserted. Post Office from 1868 to 1931. Wikipedia., photos, Legends of America, Map

ELLIOT BARKER WILDLIFE AREA -

ENGLAND - Post Office from April to December in 1881.

E TOWN - See Elizabethtown.

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.