Raton, New Mexico
Raton is a city in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 7,282 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Colfax County.[1] The city is located just south of Raton Pass.
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Name
Ratón is the Spanish word for a mouse (literally "small rat"). The Raton Range and Raton Peak are located immediately north of the town. The Raton Range is a 75-mile long ridge that extends east from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Raton Pass and the Raton Basin are also named for the Raton Range.
The post office at this location was named Willow Springs from 1877 to 1879, then Otero from 1879 to 1880, and has been named Raton since 1880.[2]:286
History
Raton Pass had been used by Spanish explorers and Indians for centuries to cut through the rugged Rocky Mountains, but the trail was too rough for wagons on the Santa Fe Trail.
Raton was founded at the site of Willow Springs, a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The original 320 acres (1.3 km2) 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. Raton quickly developed as a railroad, mining and ranching center for the northeast part of the New Mexico territory, as well as the county seat and principal trading center of the area.
Geography
Raton is located at 36°53′49″N 104°26′24″W / 36.89694°N 104.44°W (36.897082, -104.439912).[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19.0 km²), all of it land.
Elevation: 6 680 ft (2 036 m)
Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 7,282 people, 3,035 households, and 1,981 families residing in the city. The population density was 992.4 people per square mile (383.1/km²). There were 3,472 housing units at an average density of 473.2/sq mi (182.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.04% White, 0.23% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 16.19% from other races, and 3.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 56.96% of the population.
There were 3,035 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,028, and the median income for a family was $31,762. Males had a median income of $24,946 versus $18,433 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,223. About 14.8% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Train stationRoad
Rail
- Raton Amtrak Station is a stop on the Southwest Chief route.
Air
Recreation
Raton sign located on a hill above the citySugarite Canyon State Park is located 12 miles (19 km) NE of Raton, NM. Elev. 8,800 ft (2,682 m). Camping, Fishing, Hiking.
NRA Whittington Center - Located 15 miles (24 km) SW of Raton, NM. Largest NRA shooting range in the US. National Competitions. High power rifle, skeet.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service manages the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge which is located approximately 25 miles south of Raton, NM . The Refuge offers excellent birding opportunities during the spring and fall migrations. It consists of several lakes, fields and woodlots managed for birds and the areas other wildlife.
The Philmont Scout Ranch is the largest youth camp in the world by size and number of participants. It is owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America used as a National High Adventure Base in which crews of Scouts and Venturers take part in backpacking expeditions and other outdoor activities. It is located 5 miles south of Cimarron, New Mexico.
Raton was the site of New Mexico's first horse racetrack, La Mesa Park, which closed in 1992. In 2008, the New Mexico Racing Commission approved a proposal to build a new racetrack in Raton. The facility is expected to open in 2010.[5]
Notable natives and residents
- Tom W. Blackburn - Western writer who also wrote the lyrics to "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"
- The Fireballs - Rock Band who had a number one hit with 1963's "Sugar Shack" and "Bottle of Wine, Fruit of the vine"
- Edwin Fullinwider - Olympic fencer
- Steven F. Havill - Writer of Mysteries and Westerns.
- John Morrow - United States Representative from New Mexico
- John R. Sinnock - US Mint engraver known for work on the FDR dime
- Robert W. Warren - Attorney General of Wisconsin
- Bennie L. Woolley, Jr. - racehorse trainer who won the 2009 Kentucky Derby
See also
Downtown Raton in 1972References
- ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Julyan, Robert (1998). The Place Names of New Mexico (Revised ed.). Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0826316891.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Horse racing returns to Raton in 2010". City of Raton. 2009-01-25. http://www.ratonnm.gov/news/featured/horse-racing-returns-to-raton-in-2010/. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
Further reading
Conway, Jay T., (1930). - A brief community history of Raton, New Mexico, 1880-1930: Commemorating Her Fiftieth Birthday. - Raton, New Mexico: Gazette Print. OCLC 21705239.
External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Raton, New Mexico |
- City website
- Raton Municipal Airport
- Raton Chamber & Economic Development Council
- Raton travel guide from Wikitravel
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Categories: Colfax County, New Mexico | Cities in New Mexico | County seats in New Mexico | New Mexico communities with Hispanic majority populations
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