Wagon Mound
About this property
The Wagon Mound is a butte that was a major landmark for pioneers along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Old Santa Fe Trail, a well-known settlement route connecting St. Louis, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is located just east of Wagon Mound, New Mexico, a village named after the butte. The butte is a designated National Historic Landmark, along with Santa Clara Canyon, a site just northwest of the village where travelers on the trail frequently camped and took on water. Wagon Mound is a roughly lozenge-shaped mesa with its highest point at about 6,930 feet (2,110 m). New Mexico State Road 120 runs eastward from the village of Wagon Mound to the north of the mesa, while New Mexico State Road 271 runs southeasterly from the village to its south and west. The village is located directly west of the mesa, with two small mesas, known as the Pilot Knobs, to its west. Wagon Mound is readily visible from the Rabbit Ears, the major landmark further east on the trail. Wagon Mound was an important landmark on the Cimarron Cutoff branch of the Santa Fe Trail for several reasons. First, it was the last major landmark before reaching Santa Fe, signaling the approaching end of the journey to westbound travelers. Second, the Santa Clara Canyon, located about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the northwest, had a spring that was a reliable source of water in the desert environment. It also served as a cautionary point, because the topography of Santa Clara Canyon made groups camping there vulnerable to attacks by Native Americans protecting their land from these new settlers, with one notably large attack, the Wagon Mound massacre, occurring in 1850. The route was heavily used between about 1822 and the American Civil War. Usage declined with the advent of the railroad (which followed the Santa Fe Trail route in this area) in the 1870s. National Register of Historic Places listings in Mora County, New Mexico
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Wagon Mound listed on the National Register?
Wagon Mound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.
What type of historic resource is Wagon Mound?
Wagon Mound is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Wagon Mound a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Wagon Mound has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Wagon Mound?
The period of significance for Wagon Mound is recorded as the pre_contact era.
Can I research the history near Wagon Mound?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Wagon Mound will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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