Cimarrón and Philmont

Images of America: New Mexico

by Randall M. MacDonald, Gene Lamm, Sarah E. MacDonald

Situated where the High Plains meet the Rocky Mountains and where the Santa Fe Trail crosses the Cimarron River, the village of Cimarrón has a richly varied history. Spectacular rock columns, thick seams of coal, dinosaur footprints, pit houses, and petroglyphs echo an early geologic and human presence. Spanish explorers encountered area Native American settlements in the 1700s, and by the 1820s, mountain men roamed these Rockies while eastern merchants followed Indian trails to Santa Fe. By the 1860s, Cimarrón was the headquarters of a vast Mexican land grant managed by Lucien Maxwell and Kit Carson. A gristmill supplied local soldiers and Indians, and the discovery of gold attracted thousands. The Colfax County War erupted after speculators purchased the grant in 1870. When the railroad arrived in 1906, a “New Town” was built on the north side of the river. Today, through tourism and the Philmont Scout Ranch, the Cimarrón area offers a unique window into the history and growth of the West.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2012

Reviews

[David]

A wonderful pictorial history of the little corner of Colfax County, New Mexico known as Heaven on Earth, or HOmE. I've read other histories of the Philmont area, but this one pulled together photos from different eras with minimal but informative text to bring to life the evolution of the town of Cimarron. I never knew there had been so many different people, buildings, businesses in town. I wish I had a copy of this book prior to being an interpretive camp CD in 1991. Highly recommended for any Philmont phriends and others interested in frontier history.

PS: I love this idea of this publisher, Arcadia Publishing, which is encouraging every local historian in American to pull out their oral histories and shoeboxes of photos to add to the national narrative. I don't know their backstory, but the results are pleasing.

[Michelle Hansen]

Can read and reread. Wish for more info on deaths at Philmont. Also more on the mining, the miners, etc.

[Davis Kernodle]

Great coffee table book full of old pictures from the area and a somewhat linear history telling of cimarron and philmont.

[Carl Nelson]

Lovingly gathered collection of old photographs of Cimarron, New Mexico, and the lands that are now Philmont Scout Ranch. Detailed captions set the historical context. A great preservation of the colorful past of the area, and will add appreciation for any Philmont or Cimarron visitor.