From time to time it might be fun to look at what was happening in Chama during the boom times.
March 1, 1890 (just before the rotary) From Santa Fe New Mexican.
FROM CHAMITA TO CHAMA A CONTRACT LET TUESDAY FOR CARRYING THE MAIL AROUND THE SNOW BLOCKADE. The D. & R.G. road is blocked with snow on the Durango line west of Antonito and east of Chama station. From reports form Cumbres, as near as can be told, over four feet of snow fell in the past three days. The railroad cuts, where the snow reached above the tops of the cars left form the last blockade, have been filled full and running over with the fresh snow carried there by the high winds. It is simply guess work when there will be any real connection with Durango again. But this isn’t going to entirely cut the people of northwest New Mexico and southwestern Colorado out of communication with the outside world. Today a telegram came to the Santa Fe post office from the postmaster general directing that a contract be make for carrying the mails around the blockade in teams by way of the Rio Chama. Accordingly a contract was closed with Lowitzki who will deliver the mails every other day between Chamita station on the Espanola branch, and Chama on the Durango branch. This contract stands for one month, at the end of which time regular trains over Cumbres Mountain will likely be resumed. The distance from Chamita to Chama is 110 miles. The trains will continue to run regularly between the latter town and Durango. Sol Lowitaki’s men and six teams left of Chamita this afternoon and will make the first trip to Chama Monday. It was only day before yesterday that the attention of the post office department was called to the necessity of this temporary service, and the closing of the contract today shows how quickly the public needs are looked after when brought squarely to the attention of the present administration.
Aug 18, 1890
, STONE AND BEEF; A TALK WITH A CHAMA CITIZEN ON THE GROWTH OF RIO ARRIBA INDUSTRIES. Mr. W. E. Broad, of Chama, is in the capital on business [Santa Fe] before the district court. He says the farming interests in his locality have doubled within the past year, and all crops are growing luxuriantly, abundant rains have made it possible to produce quite a good crop this season as with irrigation. Many substantial buildings are going up at Chama, and on every side are evidence of thrift and industry. Chama, outside of Durango, is the most important shipping station on the southern division of the D&RG road, and the company seems to be appreciating this fact, for it is now doing more work in the way of improving its line than at any time since construction. Several steel bridges have been put in and the smaller bridges are being replaced by filling in, making the road much more pleasant to travel over. A branch road has been built south of Chama some three miles, to the lumber camps, and steel is now arriving to extend this [track] four miles further toward Tierra Amarilla; eventually this spur will be pushed down the Rio Chama to a connection, probably, with the main New Mexico line near Chamita, just above Espanola. Chama has come into great prominence in a few years as a shipping point for cattle and sheep and lumber. By this means, many will be surprised to learn, $40,000 to $50,000 per month is expended there. The lumber shipments from Chama now amount to 3,000,000 feet a month, and it goes to Denver, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs. In other words, Colorado citizens send annually into New Mexico $360,000 for lumber, to say nothing of the vast quantities of building stone shipped from Amargo.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2019 06:14AM by OC MP62.
