Folsom, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
Folsom is a village in Union County
, New Mexico
, United States
. The population was 75 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Frances Folsom, the fiancee of President Grover Cleveland
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
Folsom is situated in a wide valley near the headwaters of the Cimarron River, locally known as the Dry Cimarron as it runs underground during part of its course through eastern New Mexico. The village is ringed by buttes, mesas, and old volcanic cones and lava flows. Most of the valley is rich grassland with a pinyon pine and juniper forest found on slopes and in rocky areas. Ponderosa pines are found in canyons and at higher elevations. Large ranches and cattle grazing are typical of the area although some irrigated agriculture is found downstream from Folsom. Hunting for deer, bear, elk, pronghorn, and turkey is popular on local ranches.
Capulin Volcano National Monument
is located seven miles (11 km) south of Folsom. Rising to 8,182 (2,494 m) feet above sea level, Capulin is the highest mountain near Folsom. Folsom Falls are five miles (8 km) east of the city. The Cimarron River, only a small stream a few feet wide here, is stocked with trout annually. Eight miles (13 km) west of the city below Johnson Mesa
is Wild Horse Arroyo
where in 1908 a Black cowboy named George McJunkin
discovered the bones of an extinct bison. This was the archaeological find that later proved ancient man had been in the Americas at least 10,000 years, far longer than earlier believed. See Folsom Site
.
Folsom is commonly called a “ghost town” as it has hardly any active businesses. Most community life centers around the Folsom Museum, established 1966 in the Doherty Mercantile building. The museum, with a large collection of local artifacts, sponsors several events each year. It is open seven days a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Climate. Folsom’s elevation moderates summer temperatures. July is the warmest month with an average high temperature of 84 (28C) degrees and an average low of 56 (13C). January is the coldest month with an average high temperature of 45 (7C) and an average low of 17 (-8C). The highest recorded temperature is 99 (37C) degrees and the lowest was minus 28 (-33C). Folsom receives 18 inches (45mm) of precipitation per year, mostly as summer rainfall but with about 30 (76mm) inches of snow annually. July and August are the wettest months and January and February are the driest.
for the Folsom Tradition
, a Paleo-Indian cultural sequence dating to between 9000 BC and 8000 BC. The Folsom site was excavated in 1926 and found to have been a marsh-side kill site or camp where 23 bison
had been killed using distinctive tools, known as Folsom point
s.
In the first half of the 19th century, the region was a hunting ground for Comanche
, Ute
, and Jicarilla Apache
Indians. The first White settlement near Folsom was Madison, settled in 1864 and named for its founder, Madison Emery. In 1877 a post office was established. Madison became a ghost town in 1888 when the Colorado and Southern Railroad was completed and Folsom was established nearby on the railroad line. The train was held up three times near Folsom by Black Jack Ketchum
and his gang. The final robbery in 1899 led to the capture and hanging of Ketchum.
Folsom prospered in the early years with the largest stockyards west of Fort Worth. Homesteaders moved in and attempted to farm and the town reached a peak population of nearly 1,000. However, the area proved unsuitable for farming because of drought and large ranches soon replaced the small farms. The town suffered a blow from which it never recovered on August 27, 1908 when a devastating flood nearly destroyed the town and killed 18 people. (The flood also uncovered the bison bones that George McJunkin found)
A high school operated briefly in Folsom. Its only graduates were three students in 1931. In 1966 the elementary school at Folsom closed and the students transferred to the school in Des Moines
eight miles away. Folsom has a post office.
of 2000, there were 75 people, 31 households, and 19 families residing in the village. The population density
was 139.1 people per square mile (53.6/km2). There were 44 housing units at an average density of 81.6 per square mile (31.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 73.33% White, 2.67% Native American, 21.33% from other races
, and 2.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.67% of the population.
There were 31 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples
living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $17,083, and the median income for a family was $25,750. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $16,000 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $9,561. There were 32.0% of families and 35.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 51.3% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
takes place in Folsom (though this is only mentioned in the show two or three times).
Union County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.7% White*1.8% Black*2.0% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.3% Two or more races*11.7% Other races*39.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 75 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Frances Folsom, the fiancee of President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
.
Geography
Folsom is located at 36.848152°N 103.918176°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
Folsom is situated in a wide valley near the headwaters of the Cimarron River, locally known as the Dry Cimarron as it runs underground during part of its course through eastern New Mexico. The village is ringed by buttes, mesas, and old volcanic cones and lava flows. Most of the valley is rich grassland with a pinyon pine and juniper forest found on slopes and in rocky areas. Ponderosa pines are found in canyons and at higher elevations. Large ranches and cattle grazing are typical of the area although some irrigated agriculture is found downstream from Folsom. Hunting for deer, bear, elk, pronghorn, and turkey is popular on local ranches.
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument, located in northeastern New Mexico, was designated a U.S. National Monument on August 9, 1916. It is an example of an extinct cinder cone volcano that is part of the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field. A paved road spirals around the volcano and visitors can drive up...
is located seven miles (11 km) south of Folsom. Rising to 8,182 (2,494 m) feet above sea level, Capulin is the highest mountain near Folsom. Folsom Falls are five miles (8 km) east of the city. The Cimarron River, only a small stream a few feet wide here, is stocked with trout annually. Eight miles (13 km) west of the city below Johnson Mesa
Johnson Mesa
Johnson Mesa is a prominent mesa in Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico just south of the Colorado border. The city of Raton is on the west and Folsom on the east.-Description:...
is Wild Horse Arroyo
Wild Horse Arroyo
Wild Horse Arroyo is an archeological site which was excavated in 1926 near Folsom, New Mexico. This site is significant because it was the first time that artifacts indisputably made by humans were found directly associated with faunal remains from an extinct form of bison from the Late Pleistocene...
where in 1908 a Black cowboy named George McJunkin
George McJunkin
George McJunkin was the African American cowboy in New Mexico who discovered the Folsom Site in 1908.The son of slaves who was born in Midway, Texas, McJunkin was about 14 years old when the Civil War ended. He worked as an oxen driver, working on freighters. He reportedly learned how to read from...
discovered the bones of an extinct bison. This was the archaeological find that later proved ancient man had been in the Americas at least 10,000 years, far longer than earlier believed. See Folsom Site
Folsom Site
Folsom Site , in Folsom, New Mexico, is the archaeological site that is the type site for the Folsom tradition, a Paleo-Indian cultural sequence dating to between 9000 BC and 8000 BC...
.
Folsom is commonly called a “ghost town” as it has hardly any active businesses. Most community life centers around the Folsom Museum, established 1966 in the Doherty Mercantile building. The museum, with a large collection of local artifacts, sponsors several events each year. It is open seven days a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Climate. Folsom’s elevation moderates summer temperatures. July is the warmest month with an average high temperature of 84 (28C) degrees and an average low of 56 (13C). January is the coldest month with an average high temperature of 45 (7C) and an average low of 17 (-8C). The highest recorded temperature is 99 (37C) degrees and the lowest was minus 28 (-33C). Folsom receives 18 inches (45mm) of precipitation per year, mostly as summer rainfall but with about 30 (76mm) inches of snow annually. July and August are the wettest months and January and February are the driest.
History
Folsom is the type siteType site
In archaeology a type site is a site that is considered the model of a particular archaeological culture...
for the Folsom Tradition
Folsom tradition
The Folsom Complex is a name given by archaeologists to a specific Paleo-Indian archaeological culture that occupied much of central North America...
, a Paleo-Indian cultural sequence dating to between 9000 BC and 8000 BC. The Folsom site was excavated in 1926 and found to have been a marsh-side kill site or camp where 23 bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
had been killed using distinctive tools, known as Folsom point
Folsom point
Folsom points are a distinct form of chipped stone projectile points associated with the Folsom Tradition of North America. The style of toolmaking was named after Folsom, New Mexico where the first sample was found within the bone structure of a bison in 1927....
s.
In the first half of the 19th century, the region was a hunting ground for Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
, Ute
Ute
-Tribes:*Ute people, an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado**Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado**Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah...
, and Jicarilla Apache
Jicarilla Apache
Jicarilla Apache refers to the members of the Jicarilla Apache Nation currently living in New Mexico and speaking a Southern Athabaskan language...
Indians. The first White settlement near Folsom was Madison, settled in 1864 and named for its founder, Madison Emery. In 1877 a post office was established. Madison became a ghost town in 1888 when the Colorado and Southern Railroad was completed and Folsom was established nearby on the railroad line. The train was held up three times near Folsom by Black Jack Ketchum
Tom Ketchum
Thomas Everard Ketchum , known as Black Jack, was a cowboy who later turned to a life of crime. He was hanged in 1901 for attempted train robbery.-First train robberies and murders:...
and his gang. The final robbery in 1899 led to the capture and hanging of Ketchum.
Folsom prospered in the early years with the largest stockyards west of Fort Worth. Homesteaders moved in and attempted to farm and the town reached a peak population of nearly 1,000. However, the area proved unsuitable for farming because of drought and large ranches soon replaced the small farms. The town suffered a blow from which it never recovered on August 27, 1908 when a devastating flood nearly destroyed the town and killed 18 people. (The flood also uncovered the bison bones that George McJunkin found)
A high school operated briefly in Folsom. Its only graduates were three students in 1931. In 1966 the elementary school at Folsom closed and the students transferred to the school in Des Moines
Des Moines, New Mexico
Des Moines is a village in Union County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 177 at the 2000 census. It is located northeast of Sierra Grande, a large shield volcano.-Geography:Des Moines is located at ....
eight miles away. Folsom has a post office.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 75 people, 31 households, and 19 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 139.1 people per square mile (53.6/km2). There were 44 housing units at an average density of 81.6 per square mile (31.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 73.33% White, 2.67% Native American, 21.33% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.67% of the population.
There were 31 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $17,083, and the median income for a family was $25,750. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $16,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $9,561. There were 32.0% of families and 35.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 51.3% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Notable People
- George McJunkinGeorge McJunkinGeorge McJunkin was the African American cowboy in New Mexico who discovered the Folsom Site in 1908.The son of slaves who was born in Midway, Texas, McJunkin was about 14 years old when the Civil War ended. He worked as an oxen driver, working on freighters. He reportedly learned how to read from...
(1851–1922) Black cowboy and finder of the Folsom site which revolutionized American archaeology - Sally J. Rooke (1840–1908) Telephone operator who perished in the 1908 flood "while at her switchboard warning others of their danger."
In popular culture
The Cartoon Network series Cow and ChickenCow and Chicken
Cow and Chicken is an American animated series, created by David Feiss. The series shows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam or hurt them...
takes place in Folsom (though this is only mentioned in the show two or three times).