Wagon Mound | |
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| Nearest city | Wagon Mound, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°0′39″N104°42′10″W / 36.01083°N 104.70278°W /36.01083; -104.70278 |
| Area | 150 acres (61 ha) |
| Built | 1868 (1868) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000478[1] |
| NMSRCP No. | 32 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | May 23, 1963[2] |
| Designated NMSRCP | December 20, 1968 |
TheWagon Mound is abutte that was a major landmark for pioneers along theCimarron Cutoff of the OldSanta Fe Trail, a well-known settlement route connectingSt. Louis, Missouri andSanta Fe, New Mexico. It is located just east ofWagon Mound, New Mexico, a village named after the butte. The butte is a designatedNational 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.[3][4]
Wagon Mound is a roughly lozenge-shapedmesa 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, whileNew 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 theRabbit Ears, the major landmark further east on the trail.[4]
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, theWagon Mound massacre, occurring in 1850. The route was heavily used between about 1822 and theAmerican Civil War. Usage declined with the advent of the railroad (which followed the Santa Fe Trail route in this area) in the 1870s.[4]
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