Gypsy Heart
Gold Member
After Wesley and Martha Burris' son, Edward, was born in Rosedale in 1901, the family moved to Turkey Springs in East Red Canyon in 1903. By the early 1920s, Edward had started his own ranch.
The early 1920s were years of bad drought. Other ranchers moved to the Turkey Spring area for the water. Another dominant rancher of this area was Paul Woofter.
The complex of ranches and homes became a town, of sorts, known as Turkey Springs, although application for a post office was never made.
In 1930, the Burris families moved a few miles north to North Canyon, where they continued to ranch until the death of Wesley Burris, in 1937.
Edward and Julia Elizabeth Burris moved from North Canyon to south of Socorro, about where N.M. 107 joins Highway 1. This is where their son, Wesley Burris, grew up. Here they built a small complex for a grocery store, gas station, fishing supplies, road service and their home. They named it the Fort Craig Station. For many years it was a popular watering-hole on the original two-lane highway from El Paso, Texas, to Albuquerque.
The family continued to operate the Fort Craig Station, by now a small village of sorts, until 1967, when the land was condemned for the construction of the interstate highway.
Since 1899, it seems everywhere the Burrises showed up, a small town or village appeared. They all consider Rosedale their true home because three generations of the Burris families are buried at the Rosedale cemetery.
Today, nothing remains of the Fort Craig Station. The Fort Craig Rest Area on I-25, near Exit 115, covers the site of the station, store and the Burris home.
Water Canyon
Water Canyon began in 1886, as a railroad stop on the newly built Magdalena spur line. After climbing the steep, uphill grade from Socorro, the thirsty steam engines needed additional water to complete their trip to Magdalena. Water, from wells and reservoirs built in the canyon, were pumped to a large storage tank next to the tracks. A couple of buildings, built by the AT&SF railroad, housed the employees who maintained the pumping equipment.
A Post Office was established in 1887 at the Water Canyon station to serve the nearby ranchers. Lucy Radcliff, the wife of one of the railroad workers, was the first postmaster. Driving west to Magdalena today, the old black steel water tank can still be seen north of U.S. 60 at the turn-off to the Water Canyon campground. The old railroad grade can also be seen next to the railroad water tank (now used as a stock tank). This is the location of the original Water Canyon stop and post office.
During the early 1900s, new ranchers and small mining concerns caused the area to grow. A complex of homes and businesses formed a small town farther into the canyon. In 1915, the post office was moved to the home of Lilly Jennings, who also served as postmaster. Although located about 4 miles south of the railroad stop, the location in the canyon was more convenient to the majority of the area's people.
In 1916, Nathan Hall became postmaster and moved the post office into a small store he operated in the canyon. Between the small town of Water Canyon, and the nearby ranchers and miners, about 200 people lived in the canyon.
The mines never turned into big producers and began to close. By the late 1920s, more efficient locomotives made the stop for water at Water Canyon unnecessary.
AT&SF closed the station in 1929 and razed the buildings. Nathan Hall closed his store and post office by the end of that year.
Today, a few remnants of these earlier homes, ranches and corrals can be seen in the canyon on the drive to the Water Canyon Campground.
However, Water Canyon is not a true ghost town. Tom and Hilda Kelly, and brother Jim and his wife, Anabel, still live in the canyon along with Frank Jaramillo, who lives near the Water Canyon entrance. Of these five remaining residences, none of them yet consider themselves ghosts.
The early 1920s were years of bad drought. Other ranchers moved to the Turkey Spring area for the water. Another dominant rancher of this area was Paul Woofter.
The complex of ranches and homes became a town, of sorts, known as Turkey Springs, although application for a post office was never made.
In 1930, the Burris families moved a few miles north to North Canyon, where they continued to ranch until the death of Wesley Burris, in 1937.
Edward and Julia Elizabeth Burris moved from North Canyon to south of Socorro, about where N.M. 107 joins Highway 1. This is where their son, Wesley Burris, grew up. Here they built a small complex for a grocery store, gas station, fishing supplies, road service and their home. They named it the Fort Craig Station. For many years it was a popular watering-hole on the original two-lane highway from El Paso, Texas, to Albuquerque.
The family continued to operate the Fort Craig Station, by now a small village of sorts, until 1967, when the land was condemned for the construction of the interstate highway.
Since 1899, it seems everywhere the Burrises showed up, a small town or village appeared. They all consider Rosedale their true home because three generations of the Burris families are buried at the Rosedale cemetery.
Today, nothing remains of the Fort Craig Station. The Fort Craig Rest Area on I-25, near Exit 115, covers the site of the station, store and the Burris home.
Water Canyon
Water Canyon began in 1886, as a railroad stop on the newly built Magdalena spur line. After climbing the steep, uphill grade from Socorro, the thirsty steam engines needed additional water to complete their trip to Magdalena. Water, from wells and reservoirs built in the canyon, were pumped to a large storage tank next to the tracks. A couple of buildings, built by the AT&SF railroad, housed the employees who maintained the pumping equipment.
A Post Office was established in 1887 at the Water Canyon station to serve the nearby ranchers. Lucy Radcliff, the wife of one of the railroad workers, was the first postmaster. Driving west to Magdalena today, the old black steel water tank can still be seen north of U.S. 60 at the turn-off to the Water Canyon campground. The old railroad grade can also be seen next to the railroad water tank (now used as a stock tank). This is the location of the original Water Canyon stop and post office.
During the early 1900s, new ranchers and small mining concerns caused the area to grow. A complex of homes and businesses formed a small town farther into the canyon. In 1915, the post office was moved to the home of Lilly Jennings, who also served as postmaster. Although located about 4 miles south of the railroad stop, the location in the canyon was more convenient to the majority of the area's people.
In 1916, Nathan Hall became postmaster and moved the post office into a small store he operated in the canyon. Between the small town of Water Canyon, and the nearby ranchers and miners, about 200 people lived in the canyon.
The mines never turned into big producers and began to close. By the late 1920s, more efficient locomotives made the stop for water at Water Canyon unnecessary.
AT&SF closed the station in 1929 and razed the buildings. Nathan Hall closed his store and post office by the end of that year.
Today, a few remnants of these earlier homes, ranches and corrals can be seen in the canyon on the drive to the Water Canyon Campground.
However, Water Canyon is not a true ghost town. Tom and Hilda Kelly, and brother Jim and his wife, Anabel, still live in the canyon along with Frank Jaramillo, who lives near the Water Canyon entrance. Of these five remaining residences, none of them yet consider themselves ghosts.
