By Darren Marcy Like many Southwestern mountain towns, Red River's past is checkered with mining, gambling, outlaws, and the regular cycle of boom and bust associated with a group of residents trying to scratch a living from beautiful, but unforgiving, country.  Trapping, the area's first industry, formed as fur traders became attracted to the area in the early 1800s. At the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains, the Red River area offered a slightly more temperate climate than some of the higher elevations to the north. This coupled with abundant game drew mountain men from throughout the region.  Like many mountain areas of the region, Red River soon attracted prospectors. When the first gold, silver, and copper were found in the surrounding hills later in the century, the rush was on. "Get rich quick" schemes drew people from across the country; everyone was looking for a chance to strike it rich. News of a few big finds quickly spread and the gold rush drew people of all stripes. Soon, Red River was a thriving mining town complete with all the trappings of the old west.  A part of that old west tradition, made famous in movies and on the big screen, was the desperados and lawless gunslingers that often found themselves holed up in beautiful and out-of-the-way places. Sometimes they were trying to hide out from lawmen looking to right a wrong or collect a bounty. And other times they came to town looking for trouble. Most folks were peaceful, but there were still colorful characters.  Professional gamblers and burlesque dancers added to the local lore. Black Jack Ketchum was one of the area's earliest characters. While Ketchum earned a living with his six guns, robbing the lucky who did find gold, he was also quite the lady's man and was frequently known to appear at area dances and other social gatherings.  Also in the early days, there were wars between Indian tribes. The Ute and Jicarilla Apache tribes traveled the area and fought with area Pueblos. However, these Native Americans were actually well down the timeline from the first Americans who inhabited the area. About 9,000 years ago, man hunted oversized bison here. And in the 1600s, Spanish explorers and settlers farmed in the area south of Red River near the boundary of the Wheeler Peak Wilderness. Bands of the western Native American tribes continued to roam the area until they were rounded up and moved to reservations in the 1870s, although the mountains of the area remained an important location for hunting and religious rituals.  But it was the gold rush that really brought people into the town now known as Red River. From a relatively quiet old west town, Red River grew continuously through the 1800s until, by 1905, it had a population of 3,000 people and was equipped with 15 saloons, four hotels, two newspapers, a barbershop, hospital, sawmill, and active red light district. Red River could be a wild place to spend the weekend 100 years ago.  As with most mining booms, though, a downward turn was soon to follow. Mining claims went bust and people began leaving in droves. The town soon became a ghost town. And despite a short-lived comeback in 1912 following a bit of mining success, it finally succumbed. In the end, the ore content was too low and the production costs too high for the average miner to make a living. Most of the gold, silver, and copper mines shut down by 1925.  Still, mining persisted. Molybdenum was discovered just after the turn of the century. This element was soon found to be a great alloy when added to steel for its strength and hardening qualities. The first mill was erected in 1916; since molybdenum has remained an important mineral for the area, the mill continues to operate.  By 1920 and into the 1930s, Red River began to be re-discovered as a mountain playground. An increasingly mobile society was seeking out holiday and vacation destinations and Red River offered the perfect climate, beautiful scenery, and a little bit of everything for the active lifestyle.  In 1928, Jack Munden built tourist cabins where the Riverside Lodge stands today. Even more cabins were added by Will Johnson. In 1930, a grocery store was added, followed by the town's first gas pump. More cabins were added, another grocery showed up, and soon it was clear where Red River's future rested. Little has changed today from 70 years ago.  While the mining boom and bust was happening and the tourism industry began to burst open on the scene, Red River was also developing into a quiet little town. Ed Westobey and brothers Orin, George, and Sylvester Mallette homesteaded the first land. Many people who came to Red River to try their hand in the mines or as trappers stayed on and homesteaded. It wasn't long before homesteaders outnumbered miners; slowly, the rogue element began to drift away and Red River became more like the town it is today.  The first school was built just before the end of the 19th Century, but the log schoolhouse burned down in 1915. The Red School House, still standing today, replaced it that same year.  The town still rests in a sleepy canyon with some of the most beautiful mountain scenery anywhere in New Mexico. Although the town was platted in 1895 by E.I. Jones, Red River was not incorporated until 1971. The existing ski area, which identifies the town as much as anything that draws tourists to the area, formed in 1958 and today is one of the more popular ski areas in the state.  Many structures still stand as a testament to the people who helped create the town of Red River. The Red School House is one of the most recognizable, but others, including four log homes and one house made of brick, are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Red River Miners' Hospital and the Ed Westobey Cabin are also considered historic buildings.  Today, tourists can take advantage of a couple of trails to get a glimpse into the 100-year-old mining history of Red River. The eight-mile Placer Creek Trail and the shorter three-mile Pioneer Canyon Trail each offers a chance to peer through a time machine into the heyday of Red River's mining history.  For more information on this and other Jeep Jamborees, please visit http://www.jeepunpaved.com/jamboree/index.html.  Photos by Darren Marcy. Copyright (c) 2000 by Darren Marcy. All rights reserved.

All Outdoors® is a registered trademark of All Outdoors, Inc. Copyright © 2000 All Outdoors, Inc.
All rights reserved. Copyright ©1995-2000 DaimlerChrysler Corporation. All rights reserved.
Jeep is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
Important information and applicable terms and conditions