Re: Monero, New Mexico

I am involved with the Tracks Across Borders Scenic & Historic Byway, which runs between the Cumbres & Toltec in Chama, NM and the Durango & Silverton in Durango. It is made up of roadways for a scenic drive by auto, along the old grade for the D&RGW. I am trying to compile a narrative for travelers to use as they drive.

I am trying to write up something on Monero, NM and here is what I have so far. If any of you have more to share, please do !

"Monero, NM, located along the Tracks Across Borders Scenic & Historic Byway, was a small town and site important to the railroad, since there was a lot of timber there and a small coal mine. In 1892, E. M. Biggs built a sawmill plant about 550 feet southeast of the Denver & Rio Grande and Western's Monero water tank, to which the railroad built a mill spur. According to Biggs' son, the Monero mill operated less than a year, closing in 1893.

Shown are 3 Vintage scenes from the 60's from Greg Scholl along the D&RGW Narrow Gauge line between Chama, NM and Durango, CO. The line was removed in 1970.

Coal was mined in the area, hauled to Monero, then loaded via a ramp into a tipple which loaded the coal into locomotive tenders and also into gondolas to be transported to other locations along the line where it was needed. Some of that shows in these clips.

Monero means “money” in Italian and at the time of its settlement in 1884 as a small coal mining community, a number of Italians lived there. It is deserted today.

The country between Chama and Tierra Amarilla and Monero, once so heavily forested, was stripped of its cover of timber. Without the protection of the trees, water from rains and snows eroded vast gulleys in the land; without its carpet of pine needles, the soil became poisoned with alkali, and the once rocky-bottomed and clear streams became muddy and brackish and bitter. Sage and cactus grew. The loggers had succeeded in converting a forest into a desert, dotted here and there with the rotting stumps of once-great trees. Those stumps are the monuments to the lumberman's contribution to the valley of the Rio Chama." See a short YouTube video from the 60's here: [youtu.be]

Thank you, Muriel



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2018 03:08PM by murieleason.