Enjoy your visit ...
Dear Visitor,
I would like to take this opportunity
to extend a warm welcome to visitors
and guests of Socorro County. On behalf
of all of us who live and work here, I
thank you for your interest in our beauti-
ful and peaceful hometown.
In addition to our beautiful clear
skies, Socorro County is home to several
wonderful attractions for the outdoors-
man. Our county features two world-
renowned wildlife refuges, Bosque del
Apache National Wildlife Refuge and
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge,
where visitors can learn more about our
area’s habitat and wildlife.
We also have excellent rock climbing
opportunities in our many canyons and
hiking opportunities in the Magdalena
Mountains. We hope you will have time
to visit Escondida Lake, our popular
fishing hole with a park for children and
RV sites for longer visits.
The National Radio Astronomy
Observatory’s Very Large Array is also
open to visitors interested in learning
more about astronomy and exploration
of our stars. Our open skies are ideal for
observing by amateur astronomers.
For the historical enthusiast, we invite
you to visit El Camino Real International
Heritage Center, historic Fort Craig and
the ruins of Gran Quivira in the Salinas
National Monument.
We invite you to get to know the
many features and different faces of
Socorro County. I hope you enjoy your
visit as much as we enjoy sharing our
home with you.
Sincerely,
Rosalind F. Tripp
Board of Commissioners Chair
Socorro County
El Defensor Chieftain
Dear Visitor,
As mayor of the City of Socorro, I would
like to welcome you to our fair city.
The City of Socorro has much to offer to
both short- and long-term visitors. The City
of Socorro provides a Heritage and Visitors
Center, located at 217 Fisher St., where
information regarding various events and
sites can readily be obtained. The Heritage
and Visitors Center also contains many
items pertaining to our community’s rich
history. Call 575-835-8927 for information.
We at the City of Socorro hope you enjoy
your stay and we look forward to your con-
tinued visits throughout the year. Below is
an abbreviated list of events that may be of
interest to you:
• Bosque del Apache National Wildlife
Refuge (open year-round)
• Trinity Site Open House at White
Sands Missile Range (April 3 and Oct. 2)
• Battle of Socorro Civil War
Reenactment (February)
• New Mexico State Science Fair at New
Mexico Tech (April)
• Cinco de Mayo Celebration on the
Plaza (May 1)
• Socorro Open Golf Tournament at New
Mexico Tech Golf Course (June 6-12)
• Magdalena Old-Timers Reunion (July 9-11)
• Chile Harvest Triathlon (Aug. 7)
• San Miguel Fiesta at San Miguel
Mission (Sept. 24-26)
• Socorro County Fair & Rodeo (Sept. 1-4)
• Enchanted Skies Star Party (Oct. 6-9)
• Festival of the Cranes (Nov. 16-21)
• Christmas Candy Cane Electric Light
Parade (Nov. 27)
• Luminarias on the Plaza Arts Crawl (Dec. 3)
Sincerely,
Ravi Bhasker
Mayor
City of Socorro
Discover Socorro & Surrounding areas 3
Dear Visitor,
Welcome to Socorro County
and the Village of Magdalena.
Our village is small but has a lot
of friendly residents, as well as a
lot of history.
The Magdalena Livestock
Drivewway and mining in the
nearby Magdalena Mountains
played a big part in the history of
our village.
More recently the village has
become a center for various types
of artists. Their work is displayed
in several galleries and shops
around town.
Magdalena is surrounded by
the Cibola National Forest and
other public lands. This makes
Magdalena a good jumping off
point for getting off the beaten
path and enjoying your favor-
ite outdoor activities — such as
camping, hiking, and biking — or
just getting away for awhile.
While you are in Magdalena
or just passing through, take time
out to dine at one of our local
restaurants, visit the various gal-
leries and shops or just explore
the historic sites that are scattered
throughout the village.
Sincerely,
James A. Wolfe
Mayor
Village of Magdalena
4 Discover Socorro & Surrounding Areas El Defensor Chieftain

Table of Contents
On the Cover: The cover of this year’s visitors guide
— designed by Rebecca Apodaca — reflects some of the
elements that make Socorro County worth discovering.
Discover Socorro is a copyrighted publication
of El Defensor Chieftain, a part of Number Nine Media, Inc.
El Defensor Chieftain
T.H. Lang David B. Puddu
President Vice President/COO
Departments
T.S. Last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Manager
Jackie Schlotfeldt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor
Suzanne Barteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reporter
Nat Holland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sports Reporter
Rebecca Apodaca. . . . . . . Production Manager
Mary Baca. . . . . . . . . . Administrative Assistant
Becky Romero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising
Katherine Noe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising
Paul Ulibarri Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distribution
Melissa Montoya . . . . . . . . . .Business Manager
©2010 El Defensor Chieftain
Contact us at
200 Winkler St., Socorro, NM 87801
Telephone: 575-835-0520 • Fax: 575-835-1837
On the web at: www.dchieftain.com
Heritage
Welcome ................................................................. 6
Our Rich History ...................................................... 7
Heritage and Visitors Center ................................ 9
2010 Calendar of Events .................................... 10
Outdoors
Bosque del Apache ............................................. 11
Sevilleta ................................................................. 15
Nature Areas ......................................................... 16
Culture
Socorro’s Historic Plaza ......................................... 17
Agriculture ............................................................. 18
Farmers Market ..................................................... 18
San Miguel Mission ............................................... 19
El Camino Real International
Heritage Center ................................................... 20
Fort Craig ............................................................... 21
Hammel Museum ................................................ 22
Ghost Towns .......................................................... 22
Gran Quivira ......................................................... 23
Science and Technology
Very Large Array .................................................. 24
Astronomy ............................................................. 25
Trinity Site .............................................................. 26
New Mexico Tech ................................................. 28
Mineral Museum .................................................. 29
As seen on TV ...................................................... 29
Communities
San Antonio .......................................................... 30
Magdalena ........................................................... 34
Boxcar Museum .................................................... 35
Alamo .................................................................... 36
Our communities ................................................. 37
Sports and Recreation
New Mexico Tech Golf Course ........................... 38
Active Interests ...................................................... 39
Rock Climbing ...................................................... 40
Mountain Biking ................................................... 41
Camping ............................................................... 42
Birding ................................................................... 43
Horseback Riding ................................................ 44
Rock Hounding .................................................... 44
Hiking ..................................................................... 45
City Parks ............................................................... 46
On the Fly ............................................................. 47
Arts and Entertainment
Performing Arts Series ......................................... 48
Garcia Opera House ........................................... 49
Theater .................................................................. 49
There’s lots to do .................................................. 50
Arts and Music ...................................................... 52
For More Information .......................................... 53
Directories
Education .............................................................. 54
Church Directory ................................................... 54
Socorro County Resource Guide ........................ 55
Business Directory ................................................. 58
Vital Statistics ......................................................... 61
Socorro County Map ............................................ 61
Magdalena Map .................................................. 61
Socorro Map ......................................................... 62
 Bienvenidos! ... Welcome to Socorro County
W
e welcome readers to Socorro
County and our Discover Socorro Visitors
Guide, and hope you find our community
as unique and enchanting as we do.
Renowned for its diversity and con-
trasts, New Mexico is one of the nation’s
gems. Socorro, the second oldest com-
munity in this culturally rich state, is one
place you definitely don’t want to miss.
Inhabited for more than 800 years,
Socorro remains integrally linked to its
storied past while blazing new techno-
logical trails that will, no doubt, lay the
groundwork for a vibrant future as well.
While much of the county is rural, it also
plays host to one of the nation’s premier
research universities, New Mexico Tech.
While archaeologists survey the
remains of 800-year-old Indian villages,
astronomers are using a vast radiotele-
scope array to peer deep into the past and
future of the universe.
While visitors from around the world
visit the site of the first atomic bomb explo-
sion in 1945, researchers a few miles away
are developing the very latest information on
6 Heritage • Discover Socorro
explosives and counter-explosives technol-
ogy in one of the nation’s leading Homeland
Security programs.
Thousands of visitors come to see the
two wildlife refuges in the county —
many to attend the annual Festival of the
Cranes at Bosque del Apache National
Wildlife Refuge. Hundreds more come to
reenact one of the most important Civil
War battles for control of the West, the
Battle of Valverde, and to visit the remains
of 150-year-old Fort Craig, the Union fort
associated with that battle. Others come
to follow the route of El Camino Real,
the “Royal Road to the Interior” that
brought 16th-century Spanish explorers
through the valley. Their story is now
told at the one-of-a-kind El Camino Real
International Heritage Center south of
Socorro.
While old-timers return to Magdalena
each year to celebrate the village’s glory
days as a cattle railhead, just a few miles
away on 10,600-foot Magdalena Ridge
stands a new state-of-the-art, rapid-
response 2.4-meter optical telescope for
defense and private use. Magdalena Ridge
Observatory received “first light” late
in 2006. It has since been joined by an
optical interferometer (an array of several
optical telescopes) that have the equivalent
viewing power of a 400-meter telescope,
and keep the area on the cutting edge of
astronomical research.
While residents here enjoy a small-
town atmosphere year-round, Socorro
is home to one of the finest entertain-
ment venues — Macey Center — and
a Performing Arts Series unheard of in
cities this size.
The following pages expand on these
features and so much more that this
unique region has to offer the visitor, the
newcomer and even those who’ve been
around awhile.
In the end, you will likely conclude that
discovering Socorro and the surrounding
areas is an ideal pursuit.
We recommend, however, that you give
yourself ample time.
There’s a whole world of excitement and
enchanting times to be had — make sure
you don’t miss out on the myriad of sights,
sounds and attractions that make Socorro
County one of the richest destinations — not
only in New Mexico but in the country.
El Defensor Chieftain
 Our Rich History ... Cultures come together
T o say Socorro and the surrounding
communities are steeped in history and
tradition would be a huge understatement.
More than two centuries before
Christopher Columbus’ fabled sojourn to
the New World from Spain, Piro Indians
— the southernmost Pueblo tribe —
inhabited nearly two dozen villages along
the Rio Grande from San Marcial to La
Joya. The Piros, living in pueblos since at
least the 1200s, weren’t the only Indians
to call this land home — Apache Indians
also inhabited much of the area that today
is called the Middle Rio Grande Valley.
As the Spanish explorers in the mid-
16th century began to make their way
north from Mexico, they followed the Rio
Grande and established El Camino Real
— the Royal Road into “New Spain.” As
a result, they were frequent visitors at the
Piro villages.
Socorro got its name in 1598 from
explorer Juan de Oñate, whose tired and
hungry men were given food and shel-
ter by the Piros. He renamed the Pilabo
pueblo “Socorro,” which means “help” or
“succor” in Spanish. Fort Conrad in 1851, but found it indefen- of Mines (now New Mexico Institute of
In the early 1600s, Franciscan friars sible and relocated to the newly built Fort Mining and Technology, or New Mexico
built missions at Socorro, Senecú, near Craig in 1854. Tech for short), which opened in 1893.
San Marcial, and Sevillita, near La Joya. The Civil War made its way into New The glory days of mining are recalled
In 1680, when the Pueblo Indians Mexico and Socorro County. On Feb. each year in Socorro during the ’49ers cel-
of Northern New Mexico staged their 21, 1862, Union and Confederate forces ebrations, events put on by New Mexico
revolt against the Spaniards, the people of engaged in a daylong battle south of Tech to relive the school’s early days and
Socorro and surrounding areas fled. The
Socorro near Fort Craig — called the pay tribute to the area’s mining history.
Piros did not participate in the revolt and
Battle of Valverde. On March 30, the Livestock, ranching and agriculture
headed south to El Paso, Texas, with the
Spanish troops and settlers. Confederates met stiffer resistance and has always been integral to the fabric of
When the Spaniards came back up the lost the Battle of Glorietta near Santa the area and those who call it home. Huge
valley, they found the abandoned pueblos Fe, which forced their retreat from New cattledrives were commonplace, with
from Senecú to Sevillita had been pil- Mexico back to Texas. thousands of cattle driven to Magdalena
laged by the Apaches. For the next 100 The Battle of Valverde is reenacted every – “The Trails End” – where the cattle trail
years, there were few settlers in the area. year in Socorro, with hundreds of Civil War met the railroad. The cattledrive days are
The resettlement of Socorro began in buffs in attendance to participate or watch over. Cattle from area ranchers are now
the early 1800s, and, in 1815, 21 fam- the many demonstrations of warfare. shipped by truck. Magdalena still relives
ilies were given land grants to settle Socorro and the surrounding area those days each July in its annual Old-
here. Socorro flourished because of the boomed after the Civil War, thanks to Timers Days.
fertile farm land and grazing along the mining strikes — lead and zinc in the Agriculture remains a mainstay of the
river. However, occasional attacks by the Magdalena area and silver on Socorro Peak. area and is a key element of the annual
Apaches remained a constant threat. The railroad arrived in 1882, fueled from Socorro Fest. Local farmers sell their
When New Mexico became a territory the vast coal fields east of San Antonio. goods on the Socorro Plaza every Tuesday
of the U.S. in 1848, the region saw some Socorro, with her mines, mills, and afternoon and Saturday morning during
relief as the military established a series smelters, became the center to this diverse the city-sponsored Farmers Market.
of forts for protection against the Apaches. mining activity. In 1889, the government
In Socorro County, the Army established chose Socorro as the site for its new School n See History, Page 8
El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • Heritage 7
 History:
Continued from Page 7

Today, a new economy has emerged

in Socorro. It is based in part on New
Mexico Tech, recognized as one of
the nation’s premier research universi-
ties. An explosives test range, seismic
research center, optical telescopes, the
Very Large Array radiotelescope, and
other facilities have also made Socorro a
premier high-tech center.
Nature also plays a big role, since the
county contains two of the nation’s most
important national wildlife refuges, one
of which draws thousands to the area
annually to enjoy the majesty of the
Don’t miss This migrating sandhill cranes.
And the area’s rich and varied his-
Battles for Socorro tory has spawned a number of annual
The fourth weekend of February, Union and Confederate camps set up near Socorro to celebrations that continue to grow in
reenact the historic Battle of Valverde and occupy the town’s Plaza in the Siege of Socorro. popularity.
The Battle of Valverde and other skirmish scenarios are held out at “Fort Escondida,” about
three miles north of Socorro. Tours of the camps, dances, period secession debates and other Sources: City of Socorro, Socorro
entertainment also occur during the event. County Chamber of Commerce, New
Feb. 26-28 Mexico Tech, Socorro County Historical
Society, El Defensor Chieftain archives.

8 heritage • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

 Your first stop ...
Socorro Heritage and Visitors Center
S ocorro’s Heritage and Visitor
Center, at 217 Fisher, is the central
hub of planning and organizing for
a wide array of special events and
activities sponsored by the city for
the entertainment and enjoyment of
tourists and residents alike.
Housed in a historic structure
built in 1913 for the City Water
Commission, and later used for the
Police Department. The Visitor Center is open to the public from
March to October on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Winter hours are Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition to brochures for area attractions, the center displays
historical and cultural artifacts, including portraits of Socorro
mayors from 1883 to the present, photographs of the 1929 flood
that devastated the town of San Marcial, and a letter signed by the
notorious former lawman and mayor Elfego Baca. Visitors can
watch short documentaries about Socorro’s Hispanic heritage, and
purchase T-shirts, postcards and other souvenirs.
For more information, call 575-835-8927 or visit www.
socorronm.gov.

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • heritage 9

 Bienvenidos Socorro Heritage and Visitors Center

2010 Calendar of Events

Jan. 29-30 — RioFest Environmental Film Festival, Macey Center, www.riofilmfest.com or 575-312-1730.
Feb. 6 — Community Arts Party, Finley Gym. Local artists bring projects for kids and adults to make
and take home. Ronna Kalish, 575-835-5688.
Feb. 20 — Science Olympiad, N.M. Tech Campus. Middle and high schools compete for the state cham
pionship, 575-835-5678.
Feb. 20 — “Historic Forts Day,” El Camino Real International Heritage Center. Discover forts along the
ancient Camino Real. Admission: $5 for adults, children 16 and under are free. www.elcaminoreal.org
or 575-854-3600.
Feb. 26-28 — Civil War Reenactment. A reenactment of the fight between Union and Confederate sol
diers at the historic battle of Valverde. 575-835-8927.
March 21-23 — New Mexico Seniors Match Play Golf Tournament, New Mexico Tech Golf Course.
575-835-5335.
March 27 — Socorro County Arts Spring Open House. Alamo Mercantile Gallery. 575-838-2724.
April 3 — Trinity Site, White Sands Missile Range. This is where the first atomic bomb was exploded
July 16, 1945. 575-479-6124.
April 3 — Very Large Array Guided Tours. Learn about the radiotelescope array on the Plains of San
Agustin 50 miles west of Socorro. 575-835-7243.
April 3 — Egg Show, Bear Mountain Gallery (Magdalena). Decorative eggs and other items. Yvonne,
575-854-2151.
April 9-10 — New Mexico Science and Engineering Fair, New Mexico Tech. State competition for students
in grades 6-12. 575-835-5678.
April 17-18 — Tour of Socorro Mountain Bike Race. This event combines two competitive mountain bike
races on the New Mexico Off-Road Series. Camille, 505-350-4116.
April 22 — Earth Day Celebration, Socorro’s Historic Plaza. Socorro Visitors Center, 575-835-8927.
May 1 — Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Historic Plaza. Socorro Visitors Center, 575-835-8927.
May 8-9 — Socorro Mother’s Day Pow Wow, Sedillo Park. Gathering of Native Americans to showcase their
dances, colorful clothing, and arts & crafts. Donna Monette, 505-881-8847.
Just west May 9-11 — NMAA 5A State High School Golf Tournament, New Mexico Tech Golf Course. 575-835-5335.
of Plaza June 6-12 — Socorro Open Golf Tournament, New Mexico Tech Golf Course, and the Elfego Baca Shoot
from the top of “M” Mountain to the base. 575-835-5335.
June 19 — Socorro General Hospital Golf Tournament, New Mexico Tech Golf Course. Peter, 575-835-0861
217 Fisher or 575-835-5335.
Socorro, NM July through October — Socorro Farmers’ Market, Tuesday early evening and Saturday morning, Historic
Plaza. Deborah Dean, 575-835-8927.
575-835-8927 July 4 — “Fourth of July Celebration,” New Mexico Tech Campus. All-day events with lots of activities for
kids and adults. Fireworks after dark. Ronna Kalish, 575-835-5688.
July 9-11 — Magdalena Old-Timers Reunion, throughout Magdalena, 24 miles west of Socorro. An annual
event reliving the areas glory days as a livestock and mining railhead. Donna Dawson, 505-401-4352.
July 10 — Magdalena Old-Timers Parade, 10 a.m., Magdalena. Eleanor Dawson, 505-854-2261.
July 24-25 — Sun Country Women’s Championship Golf Tournament, New Mexico Tech Golf Course. 575-835-5335.
Aug. 7 — 16th Annual Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon. One of New Mexico’s biggest triathlons. 400-meter
swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run. Robert Gonzales, 575-517-0827.
Aug. 13 — Hot August Nights, 6-10 p.m., Historic Plaza. Live entertainment, food and fun. Socorro Visitors
Center, 575-835-8927.
10 heritage • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain
 Socorro celebrates History,
Technology, Birds & Enchanted Skies
Sept. 1-4 — Socorro County Fair & Rodeo, Fairgrounds south of Socorro. Rodeo, exhibits, music, games, judged art,
quilting, and more. Socorro County Extension, 575-835-0610.
Sept. 4 — Socorro County Fair Parade. Socorro Visitors Center, 575-835-8927.
Sept. 11 — “Hispanic Heritage Celebration,” El Camino Real International Heritage Center. Special performances, video
presentations and more. www.elcaminoreal.org or 575-854-3600.
Sept. 24-26 — San Miguel Fiesta, San Miguel Mission. Fiesta celebrating the Patron Saint of the Mission with music and
food and craft vendors. Parish Office, 575-835-2891.
Oct. 2 — Trinity Site, White Sands Missile Range. This is where the first atomic bomb was exploded July 16, 1945.
575-479-6124.
Oct. 2 — Very Large Array Guided Tours. Learn about the radiotelescope array on the Plains of San Agustin 50 miles
west of Socorro. 575-835-7243.
Oct. 2 — Oktoberfest, Hammel Museum. Annual celebration to commemorate the museum’s founding, 600 N. Sixth St.,
Bob Eveleth, 575-835-5325.
Oct. 2 — Blessing of the Animals, Historic Plaza. People bring pets of all kinds to be blessed by local priests and
ministers. 575-835-2891.
Oct. 2-3 — Chile Proppers Fly-In, held at New Mexico Tech. The local Chili Proppers Model Airplane Club model
airplane competition. Carl Moore, 575-835-4568.
Oct. 6-9 — 17th Annual Enchanted Skies Star Party. One of America’s leading star parties. The event includes a full
night of observing at 10,000 feet atop South Baldy Peak, workshops, a daytime lecture series, and the famous Chuck
Wagon Dinner. Socorro Visitors Center, 575-835-8927.
Oct. 8-9 — Alamo Indian Days, Alamo Navajo Reservation. The event includes food and craft vendors, gourd dancing
and more. Christine Monte, 575-854-2759.
Oct. 8-9 — 8th Annual Socorro Fest. Held on the Historic Plaza. There is live music all day, dancing, food and craft
vendors, music, games and a wine and beer tasting. Socorro Visitors Center, 575-835-8927.
Oct. 9 — Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge Open House. This event is held in northern Socorro County at the fifth
largest National Wildlife Refuge in the Continental U.S. There will be tours and speakers. 505-864-4021.
Oct. 22-24 — 88th Annual 49ers Celebration, mainly on New Mexico Tech Campus. Festivities and contests to celebrate
the history of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Colleen, 575-835-5352.
Oct. 23 — 88th Annual 49ers Parade, California Street. Colleen, 575-835-5352.
Oct. 30 — Socorro Amateur Radio Association Hamfest, Fire Training Academy. 575-835-3370.
Nov. 16-21 — 23rd Annual Festival of the Cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The largest event in
Socorro County held each year the week before Thanksgiving. The event has dozens of workshops, birding tours,
keynote speakers, fine arts show, photography seminars and a holiday crafts show.
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, 575-835-2077.
Nov. 19-21 — Festival of the Cranes Arts & Crafts Show, Garcia Opera House. This show features vendors that sell
jewelry, quilts, pictures, pottery, etc. Garcia Opera House. 575-835-8927.
Nov. 20 — 4th Annual Festival of the Cranes Art Studio Tour. 575-835-8927.
Nov. 20 — Celebración de Otoño, El Camino Real International Heritage Center. Celebrate the Center’s fourth
anniversary with living history demonstrations of period-life on the El Camino Real. www.elcaminoreal.org or
575-854-3600.
Nov. 27 — Posole Cook-Off, Historic Plaza. Socorro Visitors Center, 575-835-8927.
Nov. 27 — Christmas Candy Cane Electric Light Parade. Colorful nighttime parade down California Street.
Socorro Visitors Center, 575-835-8927.
Dec. 3 — 8th Annual Luminarias on the Plaza Arts Crawl, Historic Plaza. Behold the site of the Plaza filled with
luminarias, then check out works by local artists displayed in the Plaza stores. Socorro County Arts, 575-838-2724.

Most events are sponsored by the Lodgers Tax Fund.

For more information, stop at the Socorro Visitors Center, located at 221 Fisher St., just west of the Plaza.
Call 575-835-8927, or visit www.socorronm.gov.
El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • heritage 11
 Bosque del Apache ... A natural treasure
N
estled along the banks of the
fabled Rio Grande just south of Socorro
lies the expansive Bosque del Apache
National Wildlife Refuge — one of the
Southwest’s greatest natural treasures.
Located on more than 57,000 acres at
the northern tip of the Chihuahuan desert,
the Bosque — as it’s referred to locally —
is home to hundreds of species from mam-
mals to birds and reptiles to fish.
And while this unique wildlife wonder-
land boasts extensive farmlands and ripar-
ian forests — perfect habitat for countless
critters — it’s the 12,900-plus acres of moist
bottomlands that serves as home to the
Bosque’s most famed residents — the birds.
Tens of thousands of ducks, Canada
geese, light geese and sandhill cranes
make an annual sojourn to the Bosque
del Apache, where the often mild climate
provides a perfect winter habitat for these
majestic winged, part-time residents.
As you move away from the water, the
landscape changes dramatically. Rising
from an elevation of 4,500 feet — where
reptiles and amphibians share space with
their feathered friends — up to more than
than 6,200 feet, the riparian and desert
habitat welcomes a wide range of mam-
mals, including elk, deer, bobcats, coyotes
and javelina, among others.
If it’s more tame scenery and sightseeing
12 outdoors • Discover Socorro
opportunities you’re looking for, fret not.
Bosque del Apache is also home to breath-
taking flora.
While it’s an easy destination to reach by
vehicle, visitors will want to make a pit stop
at the refuge’s Visitor Center where they can
get some friendly advice about where to go,
pick up a souvenir or two and glean some
knowledge about this veritable paradise.
In addition, a 15-mile tour loop offers
hundreds, if not thousands, of spectacular
viewing and photographic opportunities.
For those who wish to experience the
Bosque on a more up-close-and-personal
level, a network of trails crisscross the
Bosque landscape. Strategically placed
benches and observation points line the ref-
uge trails offering respite for weary sightse-
ers. Picnic areas are popular for those who
need to refuel before hitting the trail again.
Three wilderness areas — Indian Well,
Little San Pascual and Chupadera — boasts
plenty of options for hikers who want to
further explore this outdoor paradise.
Numerous educational and instruc-
tional sessions — intended to arm visitors
with knowledge and insight — are held
throughout the year.
Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, the Bosque del Apache NWR
is one of the nation’s most progressively
managed facilities. The refuge’s manage-
ment — a team of talented and dedicated
individuals with a wealth of varied skills
and knowledge — works tirelessly to
ensure the Bosque’s goal of providing
habitat and protection for migratory birds
and endangered species is achieved.
The management team is not the only
group that makes the Bosque hum. The
Friends of the Bosque del Apache, a
dynamic and energetic group of volun-
teers, operates with the singular goal of
helping to ensure the refuge’s visitors
— whether feathered, finned, furred or
human — are well cared for.
So whether you’re stopping at the
Bosque del Apache for a few hours or a
few days, you will undoubtedly leave a
little wiser about the Refuge, its mission, its
inhabitants and the New Mexico treasure
that continues to draw a flock of visitors
each and every year.
The Bosque del Apache National
Wildlife Refuge is located approximately
10 miles south of San Antonio, N.M. Exit
139 off I-25. Drive approximately two
miles and take a right on N.M. 1. The
Visitor Center is located on the west side
of the highway.
For additional information, call the
Bosque del Apache NWR at 575-835-
1828, visit the Web site at www.fws.
gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque/
or visit the Friends of the Bosque’s Web
site at www.friendsofthebosque.org.
El Defensor Chieftain
 Don’t miss This

Festival of the Cranes

T he biggest event held in Socorro County each
year, the Festival of the Cranes will celebrate its 23rd
year this November.
Thousands of human visitors from around the
world will flock to Bosque del Apache National
Wildlife Refuge, where what some call a “miracle of
nature” occurs each year.
The event is a celebration of the sandhill crane’s
return to prominence in the Rocky Mountain flyway.
But other featured guests of honor are the blue heron,
Canada geese, light geese, bald eagles, American coot,
owls, swans, American white pelicans and others.
The festival is not just about viewing and photo-
graphing these fabled flyers. More than 100 special,
festival-related events — from hands-on workshops
to informational presentations — are held continu-
ously over the course of the five-day event.
Make plans early for this popular event, which is
a collaborative effort between the Bosque del Apache
NWR, the Friends of the Bosque del Apache and the
City of Socorro. Visit the Friends’ Web site at www.
friendsofthebosque.org/crane, or call 575-838-2120.
November 16-21

14 outdoors • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

 Sevilleta ... A study of ecology
T he Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is about 20 miles
north of Socorro and covers an expanse of 230,000 acres.
The refuge includes four major ecological zones ranging from
Chihuahan desert to the riparian forest of the bosque.
The land belonging to the refuge was once part of the La Joya
land grant under Spanish rule and stayed as a large block until it
eventually came under ownership of Socorro County.
The land was purchased from the county, in 1936, by Thomas
Campbell who operated it as a cattle ranch for 30 years. The land
was later donated to the Nature Conservancy and then trans-
ferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 1973, and the
refuge was officially established.
In 1988, the refuge become home to the Sevilleta Long-Term
Ecological Research Program, conducted by the University of
New Mexico. The refuge plays host to dozens of research sites
that monitor the slow ecological changes occurring on the refuge. Don’t miss This
For information about the research conducted and photos of
animals and wildlife at the refuge, visit http://sev.lternet.edu. Sevilleta Open House
While much of the refuge is off limits to the public due to Most of Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is closed to the
the research-oriented nature of the facilities, the site does have public, but some areas are opened up for special tours and hikes
a visitors center and a short informative hiking trail. Small sec- once a year at its annual open house. The open house will fea-
tions are open to the public for limited hunting during the winter ture guided tours, hikes, exhibitions and lectures relevant to the
and for birdwatching, photography and other activities during refuge. For more information call 505-864-4021.
the summer. For more information about visiting the refuge, visit October 9
www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/Sevilleta/index.html

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • outdoors 15

 Nature Areas ... Enjoy the outdoors
S ocorro has many options for a quick picnic or a nature
walk within a few minutes of Socorro.
• Escondida Lake: Located a few miles north of Socorro,
Escondida Lake offers angling opportunities, camping, play-
grounds, picnic facilities and rest rooms. Catfish are stocked dur-
ing summer months and trout are stocked in the winter months.
• Box Canyon: The 320-acre Box Canyon Recreational Area
is a rugged and scenic area that is renowned for its technical rock
climbing and bouldering opportunities. The site is frequented by
both veterans and amateurs, as well as commercial companies
that bring visitors from Albuquerque to climb at the site. Rest
rooms are the only facilities at the site.
• Socorro Nature Area: The Socorro Nature Area is an
environment education area in the bosque north of Socorro. Two
trails are available for a self-guided tour, one a half-mile long
and the other just over a mile long. An information kiosk, pic-
nic tables, group shelter and rest rooms are available at the site.
Groups can also reserve the site for events or camping.
• San Lorenzo Canyon: A hidden jewel tucked into the hills
below Polvadera Peak north of Socorro. The scenic canyon is
great for day hikes and picnics. There are no facilities at the site.
• Quebradas Back Country Byway: The byway offers 24
miles of great views with the luxury of not having to leave
your air conditioned vehicle. The route winds its way from
Escondida to U.S. 380, just east of San Antonio, N.M., and a
stone’s throw from the entrance to the Stallion Gate at White
Sands Missile Range.
• Riverine Parks: A dozen small parks dot the Rio Grande
between San Antonio and San Acacia. There is access to the river
and picnic tables, but no other facilities.

16 outdoors • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

Socorro’s Historic Plaza ... The center of attention
L ocated in the heart of the city, the Historic Plaza is the
venue for many treasured events for which the City of Socorro is
well known. Like the end of the trail, it is the Plaza where events
such as the Fourth of July, 49ers and the Christmas Candy Cane
Electric Light parades come to the end of their downtown route.
It’s like coming home.
A roundabout adds to the enchantment of the Plaza, offering
visitors an extraordinary view of the community park.
The Historic Plaza’s charming gazebo, tall shade trees and
cozy benches provide an inviting atmosphere where old friends
gather and new friends are made.
A hot spot, the Plaza is the go-to place for music, socials,
cook-offs, history and arts.
Socorro Fest is but one of the annual celebrations of the events may differ but the location never changes.
community held at the Plaza. The daylong event is held every However, like the seasons, what does change is the look of the
October, and what you will find there is live music, dancing, food Plaza — from cool spring-like colors when the buds on the trees
and craft vendors as well as homegrown fruits and vegetables. are blooming, to the rich greens of summer, and the oranges and
Other events include the Blessing of the Animals, where our yellows of autumn. Winter sparks a different look as the glow
four-legged and sometimes two-legged friends receive the Lord’s from the luminarias light up the night at the Plaza and local
blessing. artists brave the cold to display their work and offer unique gift
And if you are more of a history buff, then the Battle of Socorro ideas for the upcoming holidays.
reenactment will take you back in time and back to the Historic Plaza. The Historic Plaza is more than just a venue for events — it’s
From posole cook-offs, Hot August Nights, the Farmers a magical place, a foundation that brings the community together,
Market to Earth Day celebrations and community yard sales, the maintaining old traditions and creating new ones along the way.

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • culture 17

 Agriculture ... A ‘growing’ industry
S ocorro County is the third largest county in New
Mexico and is abundant in farming and ranching.
From raising cattle to growing alfalfa and chile crops,
Socorro is rich in agriculture.
New Mexico State University Socorro County Cooperative
Extension agent Tom Dean said ranching consumes approxi-
mately 60 percent of the land mass in Socorro County, with
cattle production playing a big part.
“New Mexico produces a lot of beef for the nation,” Dean added.
Alfalfa and chile are two of the largest crops raised, along
with a variety of others such as corn, Sudan, oats and winter
wheat rotated in and out.
“Socorro has some of the best chile in the state,” Dean said.
And there’s nothing better than the smell of fresh green
chile being roasted at local roadside produce stands.
What also makes Socorro so unique, Dean explained, is that
produce grown by farmers is sold to produce stands in the county. Don’t miss This
“It goes from the field to the produce stands, and people like it Socorro County Fair and Rodeo
and keep coming back,” Dean said of the fresh chile and produce.
A four day celebration of heritage and agriculture with rodeo
There is also a number of dairy producers, with approxi-
events, country-western music, livestock competitions, commu-
mately 13 dairies located at the northern end of the county.
nity parade, carnival fun, gardening and home economic displays
County 4-H and FFA clubs are also very active through the
and plenty of food vendors.
extension service and Socorro High School. These organizations
participate in livestock and rodeo competitions at the County Fair. September 1-4

Farmers Market ... Locally grown goodies

T
he Socorro County Farmers Market
makes it easier to get your recommended five
to seven daily servings of fresh fruit and veg-
etables — as well as locally produced canned
goods, cheeses and crafts.
Traditionally the Farmers Market oper-
ates from July through October, until the
first freeze occurs. This year’s market will
start in mid-June. Vendors can be found
selling their wares every Tuesday, 5-7 p.m.,
and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. until noon, on
the Historic Plaza.
The Magdalena Farmers Market starts in
August. Residents of Magdalena can shop
for fresh produce every Thursday, 4-6 p.m.,
in the Peppers Gallery parking lot.
Deborah Dean, director of the City of
Socorro’s Tourism Department, stresses the
importance of the Farmers Market.
“You’re getting the freshest produce,
supporting local farmers, helping the local
economy and you know the person you
bought the food from — and it’s fresh,”
18 culture • Discover Socorro
Dean said. “Most of the time it’s picked the
same day.”
Vendors pay a fee of $25 for the season
or $5 per visit. Participating vendors are
only allowed to sell products they have
grown, caught or made themselves.
The market also serves as a social event.
“That’s what a farmers market is. It’s a
social gathering,” explained Dean. “You know
that every Tuesday you can go to a place and
talk with friends, buy some food, and go home
and cook it. One of the benefits is that we’re
here on the Plaza, the hub of the community.”
In recent years, the Women, Infants and
Children program has partnered with the
Farmers Market, offering nutrition vouch-
ers to their clients for produce. The Farmers
Market is also involved in two nutritional
enhancement programs for seniors in which
they are also given vouchers to purchase
produce at the Farmers Market.
A Socorro couple started the Farmers Market
over a decade ago. As many as 20 local farmers
and artists participate in the event, which has
attracted more than 600 shoppers at one time.
El Defensor Chieftain
 San Miguel Mission ... A place of sanctuary
F ounded by two Franciscan priests traveling on El
Camino Real, with Don Juan de Oñate in 1598, the mission
now known as San Miguel was originally called Nuestra
Señora del Socorro (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) and gave
Socorro it’s name. The mission was abandoned during the
Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and rebuilt on the same site in the
early 1800s.
Local legend tells the story that before settlers fled in
1680, parishioners took apart the solid silver Communion
rail and buried it along with other sacred and valuable items
belonging to the church. The buried treasure has been never
been found, although many have searched, and as recently as
1980 a reward was offered for its recovery.
The story is also told that the mission was renamed San
Miguel in honor of an apparition said to have appeared dur- Don’t miss This
ing an Apache raid, of the Archangel Saint Michael standing San Miguel Fiesta
on the church steps, brandishing a sword and scaring off the The annual San Miguel Fiesta honors the patron saint of
attackers. the mission with a three-day celebration of music, dance and
Once the center of a Spanish land grant extending three tradition. Events include a Mariachi Mass, a procession from
miles in every direction from the middle of the church, San the church to the Historic Plaza, and the coronation of the Fiesta
Miguel Mission is now the the center of a thriving parish King and Queen. Enjoy live music, bingo, food booths, and raffle
where Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish. drawings daily; and dances every night.
For more information, call 575-835-2891 or visit the San September 24-26
Miguel Web site at www.sdc.org/~smiguel/.

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215 Fisher (on the plaza) Socorro, NM
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El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • culture 19
El Camino Real International Heritage Center ...
A monument to ‘The Royal Road’
E l Camino Real International Heritage Center, a New Mexico State
Monument, honors the contribution El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro — The
Royal Road to the Interior — has had on New Mexico and its people.
Located between Socorro and Truth or Consequences, the center overlooks the
still prestine desert known as the Jornada del Muerto (the Journey of Death), a
100-mile stretch of the trail where no water could be found.
When the Spaniards began their conquest of “New Spain” in the 1500s, thou-
sands of Pueblo Indians lived along the Rio Grande in today’s New Mexico. Trails
along the river connected these pueblos.
In 1598, Juan de Oñate led the first expedition of colonists into New Spain.
Establishing a trail from Zacatecas, Mexico, to near Santa Fe, he followed these
Indian trails in places and blazed his own trail in others. For the next 300 years, El
Camino Real was the dominant road into New Mexico.
Over the trail came thousands of Spanish and Mexican colonists. Many of the
old New Mexican families living here today are direct descendents of these early
travelers. Along with these adventurous settlers came the culture and heritage of
Old Spain and Mexico.
Franciscan priests and friars, the Spanish language, music, stories, and legends. All
of these cultural elements arriving over the centuries are what formed the New Mexico
culture we know today — and a heritage unique to the rest of the United States.
El Camino Real International Heritage Center is open six days a week, and closed
on Tuesdays. To get there, take Exit 115 off I-25 and travel east for about 3 miles.
For more information, call 575-854-3600 or visit www.elcaminoreal.org.

20 culture • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

 Don’t miss These

Historic Forts Day

The event includes living history reenactments of soldier camp
activities including bullet making, black powder demonstrations,
treadle sewing, open fire cooking and more. Held at the El Camino
Real International Heritage Center 35 miles south of Socorro.
February 20

Hispanic Heritage Celebration

Various educational activities and programs celebrating the
Hispanic Heritage of New Mexico will be held at the El Camino
Real International Heritage Center 35 miles south of Socorro.
September 11

Celebracion del Otoño

El Camino Real International Heritage Center will celebrate
its fifth anniversay with ongoing activities that include a caretta
(wagon) building demonstration, living history reenactments, and
a folklorico dance performance.
November 20

Fort Craig ...

A Civil War battle site
F ort Craig was estab-
lished in 1854, after the failure
of the briefly occupied and ill-
conceived Fort Conrad, seven
miles to the north.
Like other forts of its
day, Fort Craig was built
to protect travel routes and
settlements from Indian
attacks. The location was chosen to protect both El Camino Real
and the Jornada del Muerto, both of which were primary links
between the Mexican port of Vera Cruz and cities of Albuquerque
and Santa Fe.
The fort is famous for the ensuing Civil War Battle of
Valverde on Feb. 21, 1862. Many consider the battle to have been
a Confederate victory, however the Union forces held the fort
and destroyed a number of Confederate supply wagons. What
supplies remained were destroyed later at the Battle of Glorietta
and forced a retreat that ended the Confederate push for military
conquest of the West.
In 1885, with the Indian Wars essentially over, the fort was
permanently closed. Nine years, later it was sold at auction. It
was later donated to the Archaelogical Conservancy and was
transferred to the Bureau of Land Management in 1981, but
nearly a century of looters, scavengers and nature have taken
their toll on the site.
El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • culture 21
 Hammel Museum ... A remarkable piece of history
T
he Hammel Brewery and Museum,
formerly known as the Illinois Brewing
Company, was built in the early 1880s by
the Hammel brothers after they headed
west from Illinois and settled in Socorro.
The museum started out as a beer gar-
den and progressed into a successful brew-
ery. A June 16, 1893, Chieftain newspaper
article, said the brewery produced “the best
beer made anywhere in New Mexico.”
Over its years of operation, the brewery
evolved into an ice plant and soda bottling
plant after Prohibition shut down beer
production in 1919.
Although electric refrigerators were
introduced in the 1920s, the ice plant con-
tinued to prosper, along with the introduc-
tion of cola drinks, the Hammel’s bottled
products for Pepsi Cola, 7-Up, Nesbitt and
Grapette flavored drinks.
The brewery itself consists of four
sections, including a three-story section
Don’t miss This
Oktoberfest
An annual event and celebration of the
founding of the Hammel Brewery and
Museum.
Oct. 2
used for storage. The two-story section,
the brew house, was used for cooking and
mixing hops during the boom years.
Although Prohibition was repealed in
1933, the brewery never went back to
making beer.
In 1986, Clarence Hammel donated
the brewery, located on the corner of
Sixth and Vigil streets, to the Socorro
County Historical Society. From the
original adobe building where the brew-
ery first opened its doors to the later
additions made of stone, the Historical
Society has preserved the brewery as a
museum, making it a “must see” attrac-
tion for visitors.
Eight rooms, each numbered, tell the
story of the history of the brewery that
once was a flourishing business for nearly
a century. From the main office, where
Hammel conducted business, to the mash
room where the beer was made, the muse-
um is a remarkable piece of history.
The museum is open the first Saturday
of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. For
more information, contact the Socorro
County Historical Society at 575-835-3183
or visit www.socorrohistory.org.

Ghost Towns ...

Gone but not forgotten
M any ghost towns are scattered throughout Socorro County,
dating from the Territorial days before New Mexico became a state
in 1912. Some, like Council Rock and Rosedale, were founded on the
promise of silver and gold, but were abandoned when the riches failed
to materialize or the mines were depleted. Others, like Adobe and San
Pedro, began as stage stops and trading posts that faded when trad-
ing routes changed over time. Still others, like Riley, were victims of
drought or, like San Marcial, were drowned by floods.
All of them serve as reminders of Socorro’s rich and varied
past. However, not all of them are accessible to the public. When
the U.S. government approved the establishment of the White
Sands Proving Ground in 1945, several ghost towns located within
the missile range’s boundaries became permanently off-limits. In
other cases, the original town sites are located on private property
and can’t be visited without the permission of the property owner.
A Ghost Town Guide, written by local historian Paul Harden and
published by the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce, is available
that gives driving directions and GPS coordinates for six sites that are
open to the public and can be reached year-round by vehicles with two
wheel or four wheel drive.
For more information, call the Socorro County Chamber of
Commerce at 575-835-0424 or visit www.socorro-nm.com.
22 culture • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain
Gran Quivira ...
Ruins of a lost society
L ocated in the far northeast corner of Socorro County,
Gran Quivira is one of three pueblo ruins that make up the
Salinas Pueblo Missions, a National Monument.
Abo, Quarai and Gran Quivira were home to a people who
lived in stone, apartment-style complexes for centuries until
they abandoned the area in the 1670s. They forged a stable agri-
cultural society and participated, through rule and ritual, in the
cycles of nature.
These Pueblo Indians were a mix of two ancient southwestern
cultural traditions — the Ancestral Puebloans, or Anasazi, and
Mogollon — whose roots date back 7,000 years.
When the Spanish came to the area some 400 years ago,
they worked to Christianize the natives and had missions built
at each pueblo. At Gran Quivira, two mission sites can be
found, although one was never completed. Remnants of kivas,
used by the native people in practicing their own religion, are
located nearby.
Gran Qiviria, also known as Las Hermanas, is the larg-
est of the Salinas pueblos and was an important trade center
before and after the Spanish entrada. The people who once
lived there were absorbed by other communities after the 312 CALIFORNIA STREET
Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
Gran Quivira is located about 20 miles south of U.S. 60 on
N.M. 55. A visitor center for the Salinas Missions is located at
SOCORRO, NM
the turn-off in Mountainair.
For more information, call 505-847-2585 or visit www.nps.gov/sapu.
575-835-1553
El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • culture 23
 Very Large Array ... A heavenly experience
T he National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which oper-
ates radio telescopes from Hawaii to the Virgin Islands, has the
majority of its workforce in Socorro County, where it operates the
Very Large Array.
The VLA consists of 27 radio antennas, 82 feet out over the
Plains of San Agustin, about 20 miles west of Magdalena and 50
miles from Socorro on U.S. 60.
The signals from each antenna are combined electronically
to simulate the resolution of an antenna capable of extending 22
miles in diameter.
The original Very Large Array was the backdrop to the 1997
film “Contact,” starring Jodie Foster.
Radio telescopes observe spectrums outside the range of vis-
ible light, helping scientists make discoveries that would never be
detectable to the naked eye.
Using VLA technology, scientists recently were able to detect
water in a galaxy 11 billion light-years away, track the contin-
ued expansion of a supernova that happened 140 years ago, and
observe a distant galaxy that is creating 700 new suns per year
– 200 times the rate of the Milky Way Galaxy.
In 2010, the VLA flipped the switch on retooled telescopes,
24 science & technology • Discover Socorro
Don’t miss This
VLA Tours
Special two-hour guided tours are offered twice a year at the
Very Large Array west of Magdalena, coinciding with the two
dates Trinity Site is open to the public. The tours are held every
30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 575-835-7243 to sign up.
April 3 and October 2
with new electronics that replaces outdated parts to become the
Expanded Very Large Array. This expands the spectrum and
bandwidth available for scientists to explore. The updates also
increase the array’s efficiency about 10 times, improving its sen-
sitivity enough to detect the weak transmission of a cell phone
from as far away as Jupiter.
For information on the VLA and the research of the NRAO,
visit www.nrao.edu.
The VLA is open everyday from 8:30 a.m. to dusk for
self-guided walking tours. A gift shop and learning center is
located on site.
El Defensor Chieftain
 Astronomy ... A star gazer’s delight
T
he high desert climate of
Socorro and its location well-distant
from urban light pollution create excel-
lent dark sky observing opportunities
year-round for both amateur stargazers
and professional astronomers.
When there are no clouds, the
Milky Way shines overhead in the
night sky. Given the ideal condi-
tions, it’s no wonder that public and
private star parties and astronomy
workshops abound at the local obser-
vatories and many other locations.
The Etscorn Observatory on the
New Mexico Tech campus, built in
1993, is run by the New Mexico Tech
Astronomy Club and is surrounded
by earth berms to minimize light
pollution from the campus and town.
Telescopes include a 20-inch
Dobsonian inside a 15-foot dome and a
Celestron 14 on a Paramount GT-1100
mount, and visitors are welcome to
El Defensor Chieftain
come take a look. To find out about
public outreach events at Etscorn
Observatory, call 575-835-5101.
The Magdalena Ridge
Observatory — at 10,600 feet on
top of South Baldy Mountain to the
west of Socorro — is a prime astro-
photography location. Although its
primary purpose is for research, the
MRO is open to the public on spe-
cial occasions, including the annual
Enchanted Skies Star Party. Don’t miss This
Guests of the ESSP are also given
another rare opportunity to tour a Enchanted Skies Star Party
facility normally off-limits to the pub- Isolated from big city lights, Socorro is an ideal
lic. Twenty miles east of San Antonio location for nighttime viewing of planets, stars and
is the U.S. Air Force GEODSS site galaxies. For 17 years, Socorro has played host to
at White Sand Missile Range, one of the Enchanted Skies Star Party, a four-day event that
three deep space surveillance oper- features seminars, workshops, lectures and star gaz-
ing. While some events require a fee and advanced
ations that are part of the United registration, some activities are free and open to the
States Strategic Command’s Space public. For more information, call 575-835-8927 or
Surveillance Network. Scientists at visit www.enchantedskies.org.
the GEODSS can track objects as
small as a basketball and as far as October 6-9
20,000 miles away.
Discover Socorro • science & technology 25
Trinity Site ...
Where ‘The Bomb’ was born
T he sun rose twice over the New Mexico desert southeast of
Socorro on July 16, 1945. Trinity Site is the location of the deto-
nation of the first atomic bomb on White Sands Missile Range.
Twice a year, on the first Saturday of April and October, the
site is open to the public for a walk-through visit. A monument and
various artifacts associated with the test are available for viewing
— such as a sample of Trinitite, a glass-like substance left behind
when the sand fused together from the heat of the blast.
Buses leaving at regular intervals take visitors to the McDonald
Ranch House where the plutonium bomb was assembled.
For more details on the site and requirements for visiting, visit
the Web site at www.wsmr.army.mil.

Don’t miss This

Trinity Site Open to Public
Located on White Sands Missile Range, Trinity Site is open to
the public just twice a year. Socorro Transportation offers a shuttle
to the site each day. Call 575-835-1501.
April 3 and October 2

26 science & technology • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

 New Mexico Tech ... World class education
S
ocorro is home to the New Mexico Institute of Mining
and Technology, originally founded in 1889, as the New Mexico
School of Mines. As the largest employer in the county, the uni-
versity offers not only a world-class education to students; it also
is an important economic cornerstone to Socorro.
The student population at Tech is close to 2,000. Graduate
and undergraduate degrees are offered in areas such as science,
technology, engineering, math, physics, computer science, earth
sciences, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, biology
and chemistry.
Education isn’t the only focus at Tech.
Sometimes referred to, in jest, as a “research institution with
a university attached,” the university has more than a dozen
research divisions that allow for groundbreaking science experi-
ments to be conducted.
From the skies, with the Magdalena Ridge Observatory
located high atop Mount Baldy, to below ground at the
National Cave and Karst Research Institute, scientists’
study how the world works.
The largest research division at Tech is the Energetic Materials
Research and Testing Center, which conducts anti-terrorism
training and land mine detection. Socorro residents are accus-
tomed to earthshaking explosions and deep booms that drift
down from the research facility behind “M” Mountain.
28 science & technology • Discover Socorro
New Mexico Tech is also well known among scientists, engi-
neers and employers — and that reputation gives Tech graduates
an advantage in the job market, often with higher-paying salaries.
While education and research are top-notch at Tech, there is also an
abundance of opportunities for students as well as community members.
The school has more than 40 clubs and organizations that
range from rock climbing, caving and off-roading to ballroom
dancing and rugby.
The Performing Arts Series at Tech brings musicians and
artists from around the world to Macey Center, where more
than a dozen shows are performed each year.
Tech’s year-round swimming pool and full-featured gym are
available to students and faculty. The university’s outdoor facilities
include a rock-climbing wall, tennis courts and intramural fields.
In addition to all the academic and community programs, Tech
offers classes to the general public through its Community College
at Tech program. There are a multitude of courses to choose from
including: fine arts such as photography, ceramics and metal art,
to classes that get your heart rate going like aerobic kickboxing
and karate. Classes in yoga and pilates are also available as well as
classes in dance, music and basic computer programs.
In 2010, Tech was ranked number 12 in the nation in the “best
value” category by the Princeton Review.
To find out more about what New Mexico Tech has to offer,
visit www.nmt.edu.
El Defensor Chieftain
Mineral Museum ... As seen on TV ...
A hidden gem
T he New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral
Resources’ Mineral Museum is one of Socorro’s hidden gems.
Located in the Workman Addition on the NM Tech campus,
the collection features more than 15,000 specimens, with a
special emphasis on minerals found in New Mexico. Highlights
include a collection of gold, silver and precious gems referred
to as “Coronado’s Treasure Chest,” smithsonite from the
nearby Kelly Mine, and a stunning ultraviolet-mineral exhibit.
Historic tools and equipment used in the mining industry
throughout time are displayed in the main gallery.
Other exhibits include meteorites, fossils, thematic displays
illustrating the mineral wealth from around New Mexico.
In addition to the display gallery, the Mineral Museum
maintains a large reference collection for scientific research.
Access to the reference collection can be arranged by contact-
ing the museum director.
One of the big events of the year is the New Mexico Mineral
Symposium. Celebrating its 31st anniversary in 2010, the sym-
posium is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13-14.
The museum is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For
more information, call 575-835-5420 or visit http://geoinfo.nmt.
edu/museum.
El Defensor Chieftain
Ka-booms, busters, burgers & UFOs
F irst-time visitors may have first heard about Socorro
County by seeing it on television. No less than four television
productions featuring local talent were aired on TV in 2009.
Beginning in April, the first of several episodes of the popu-
lar science show “Mythbusters” filmed at New Mexico Tech
were shown on the Discovery Channel.
Tru-TV aired the mini-series “Man vs. Cartoon” last sum-
mer. The premise of the show was to see if Wile E. Coyote had
a proper engineering education, would he have been able to
successfully catch the his nemesis, the Roadrunner.
Assisted by Energetic Materials Research Testing Center
personnel, two teams of Tech engineering students attempted to
recreate 10 stunts that were featured in six hourlong episodes.
Meanwhile, over on the Food Network, Bobby Olguin, pro-
prietor of the Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, N.M., prevailed
in a “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.”
Although Flay cooked up a great gourmet burger that rated
high on the judge’s scorecard, Olguin’s traditional New Mexico
green chile cheeseburger rated higher.
Switch back to Discovery Channel, and there was an episode
of “UFO Hunters” dedicated in part to the UFO sighting by
Socorro Police Officer Lonnie Zamora, in 1964. Co-host Pat
Uskert interviewed several Socorroans, including Zamora.
Discover Socorro • SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 29
 San Antonio ... A ‘Burger Town’
S an Antonio, N.M., is known to
some as the gateway to the Bosque del
Apache National Wildlife Refuge where
thousands of visitors come every year to
photograph the flocks of Sandhill Cranes
and other migrating birds who make the
refuge their winter home.
San Antonio is also the birthplace of
Conrad Hilton, one of New Mexico’s ear-
liest legislators and founder of the Hilton
hotel empire.
Since the 1940s, when scientists work- framed photographs and articles about their name and home town on a dollar
ing on the Manhattan Project at the nearby the men who prepared the ground for the bill and pin it to the wall. At the end of
Trinity Site stopped here for meals, San first test of the atomic bomb. The beauti- the year, the bills are taken down and the
Antonio has been known as the place to go ful hardwood bar that runs the length of money is donated to charity. So many visi-
for a world-class green chile cheeseburger. the café came from the first Hilton Hotel. tors honor this tradition that by December
For decades, hungry travelers in the know The story goes that after the hotel burned every year, the walls and ceiling are
have planned their itineraries to arrive at down, Civilian Conservation Corps work- covered with the names of people who
San Antonio just in time for lunch or dinner. ers carried the bar from its original site to have come to the Owl Bar from all over
The Owl Bar Café & Steakhouse serves the Owl Bar. It took them two days, and all the globe. In 2003, the Owl Bar Café &
up several slices of history with their they asked for in compensation was burg- Steakhouse was listed on Epicurious.com
World Famous Burger. While waiting — ers and a little beer. as one of the top 10 burgers in America.
it’s not a long one — to get on the outside A tradition for many years at the Owl
of a hot juicy burger, visitors can look at Bar is for first-time customers to write n See San Antonio, Page 31

San Antonio General Store

Home made Fudge

Ice Cream

Beverages

Refreshments

Gasoline

575-835-4594
#75 US Hwy 380 San Antonio NM 87832
30 COMMUNITIES • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain
San Antonio:
Continued from Page 30

Across the street is the Buckhorn Tavern, built in 1943, and

known to locals as just Manny’s for the original owner, Manny
Olguin. Since the early days, the Buckhorn has been a place
where people come to listen to live music and enjoy an outstand-
ing burger. Manny’s piano has a place of honor on the stage, and
since his death, people claim to have heard his ghost playing the
piano at odd hours of the night. The tavern is still in the family,
run now by Manny’s son, Bobby Olguin, a blues musician who
takes to the stage every other Monday night with a band called
Blue Monday.
The succulent Buckhorn Burger has had its share of acco-
lades. In 2005, GQ magazine named it the seventh best burger
in America and, in 2009, Marlboro.com’s “Nightlife Flavor
Roundup” called it the No. 3 “baddest burger in the land.”
The Buckhorn Burger gained national attention again in
2009 when Food Network Chef Bobby Flay came to town
and challenged Bobby Olguin to a Green Chile Cheeseburger
Throwdown. Since then, people regularly flock to San Antonio
from as far away as Las Cruces and Albuquerque just to eat the
burger that bested Bobby Flay.
Which burger is best? Our suggestion is that you try them
both, and make up your own mind. Either way, you won’t be
disappointed.

Socorro Plaza Realty

116 Plaza, on the Plaza • 575-835-2498 • Fax: 575-838-0095
socorroplazarealty.com

Don Brown norma meeks DenelDa Chavez

Qualifying Broker Associate Broker Associate Broker
(505) 507-2915 (505) 550-0235 (575) 418-1408

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • COMMUNITIES 31

 Magdalena ... A real Old West town
N icknamed “Trail’s
Magdalena was once the destination for
End,”

those who traveled the “Hoof Highway.”

The historic Stock Driveway was a
thoroughfare used by ranchers and cow-
boys to drive cattle and sheep from as far
away as Arizona across the San Agustin
Plains to the stockyard in Magdalena. The
driveway was used annually from 1885,
when a railroad spur was built connecting
Magdalena to Socorro, through 1971, when
trucking supplanted transport by train. The
trail became a designated driveway by the
Grazing Homestead Act of 1916.
The driveway was 5 to 10 miles wide
and extended about 125 miles west to
Springerville, Ariz. Another branch of the
trail extended from Reserve and merged
with the main trail at Datil.
Cowboys could drive cattle about 10
miles a day, while herders moved their
sheep about 5 miles a day, allowing them
to graze along the way. Wells were drilled
every 10 miles to accommodate the herds.
In 1919, as many as 150,000 sheep and
21,000 cattle used the trail to reach the
stockyard. The original stockyards are Old West town with its annual Old-Timers Shooting events a few miles west of town.
still intact. Reunion in July. Acknowledging its past, The railroad also played a big part.
The village celebrates its history as an the Magdalena Schools adopted the Steer Much of the town’s history is preserved at
as its mascot. the Box Car Museum, located next to the
But Magdalena also owes its origins restored railroad depot that now houses the
to the mining industry. The operators of village’s administrative offices and library.
Kelly Mine, located about 3 miles south of Many of the historic buildings are still in
town in the Magdalena Mountains, were use, either as homes or housing businesses.
at least partly responsible for bringing the Today, Magdalena is a quiet town of
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad roughly 1,000 residents. It’s history, gal-
spur to Magdalena, so its ore could be leries and outdoor recreation opportuni-
brought to Socorro some 20 miles away by ties make it a popular tourist destination.
rail to be smeltered. Magdalena is also home to the London
When the mining ran its course and Frontier Theatre, housed in the old WPA
Kelly became a ghost town, Magdalena building on Main Street.
absorbed many of its residents during the There’s plenty to see and do within
early 1900s. easy driving distance of Magdalena. The
Serving both the ranching and mining National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s
industries, Magdalena was once a bustling Expanded Very Large Array is just 19
Old West town. The post office was estab- miles west on U.S. 60. The Alamo Indian
lished in 1884. Several saloons and hotels Reservation is a half-hour drive down
catered to the cowboys, miners and fron- N.M. 169. There are also numerous hiking
tier families that lived in the area. trails and camping facilities in the sur-
Cattle rustling, shootouts on Main rounding Cibola National Forest. Deer and
Street and barroom brawls are part of the elk hunters also are attracted to the area
town’s legendary history. during hunting season.
Even today, the Magdalena Trail Drivers For more information on Magdalena, visit
Association regularly holds Cowboy Action the Web site: www.magdalena-nm.com.
34 COMMUNITIES • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

Don’t miss This
Old-Timers Reunion
For more than 30 years, the Village of Magdalena has celebrated
its history as an Old West mining and cattle-shipping center on the
second weekend of July. The event includes a rodeo and street dance
on Friday; a parade and barbecue cookout and more rodeo events
on Saturday; a pancake breakfast and the Kelly Mine walk-run on
Sunday; as well as a arts, crafts and music throughout the weekend.
One of the highlights is the crowning of the Old-Timers Queen,
preceded by the parade down Main Street on Saturday morning.
July 9-11
El Defensor Chieftain
Boxcar Museum ...
Next stop: Magdalena’s past
T he Village of Magdalena could not have a more fitting place
to house the stories of its early mining and ranching days than the
Boxcar Museum. The museum is located in a Santa Fe Rail Road
boxcar at the former train depot, now the village library.
The railroad spur built in 1885, connecting Magdalena to
Socorro, played a huge role in the village’s history. Until the 1970s,
ranchers drove cattle from as far away as Arizona to the Magdalena
stockyards to be shipped by train, and ore from the Kelly Mine was
transported by rail to smelters until the mine closed in the 1950s.
The Boxcar Museum collection holds photographs, memo-
rabilia and artifacts donated by residents that tell the story of
miners, cowboys and the homesteaders who settled the area.
Museum volunteers are compiling notebooks of letters and pho-
tographs for more than 40 area families.
The museum hours are the same as the hours of the library
in the former depot: Monday, Tuesday and Friday, from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and
Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Children of people who moved away come back to look up their
family history,” said Lucy Pino, director of the library, who unlocks
the museum for visitors. “We also get a lot of visitors who worked
on the railroad or who had family members who were railroad men.”
Discover Socorro • COMMUNITIES 35
 Alamo Navajo ... A ‘state’ of a nation
N early 30 miles from Magdalena
on N.M. 169 is the Alamo Navajo Indian
Reservation, an isolated division of the
Navajo Nation.
Alamo Navajo encompasses 63,000
acres in the northwest corner of Socorro
County, an area that provides spectacu-
lar views of mountains, rolling hills and
slanted mesas. Bordered on the south by
the Gallinas Mountains, the landscape is
dotted with chamizal and cactus, juniper
and piñon trees.
Sheep can be spotted grazing in seclud-
ed sections of the countryside, even on the
north side of “Unnecessary Ridge” — so
named in a previous era when it blocked
access to a trading post. Shepherd markers
still stand atop some peaks. Former homes
(called hogans) and sweat lodges used for
purification rituals remain scattered on
parts of the reservation.
Other evidence of the past can be found
in petroglyphs painted on rock bordering
the Rio Salada. Fossils millions of years
old are imbedded in rock and shark teeth
have been found scattered over some of
the land’s flat, rocky floor. of the great “war shaman” Geronimo.
Today, roughly 2,200 residents live on The Alamo people hold a celebration Don’t miss This
the reservation and many of them carry on of their culture and customs each October.
the traditions and language passed down Alamo Indian Day is typically held the Alamo Indian Day
from their ancestors. weekend prior to Columbus Day. Alamo Indian Day celebrates the heri-
How the people came to live at Alamo Although rich in culture, Alamo is one tage and culture of the people of the Alamo
remains a bit of a mystery. It could be the of the poorest communities in New Mexico Navajo Indian reservation. The event
Anasazi migrated to the area after aban- and it has suffered the affects of socioeco- includes the crowning of Miss Alamo, a
doning settlements to the north. Another nomic conditions. Much of its development parade, dance, song, storytelling, cook-
theory is that bands of nomadic Indians has come in recent decades, with the build- ing and weaving demonstrations, exhibits
wandered from Canada and the Northwest ing of a modern school, courthouse, health and contests, most of which takes place at
— perhaps initially across the Berring clinic and wellness center. Walter’s Park.
Straight — down the western slope of the The modern development that has October 8-9
Rocky Mountains. The Navajo people — come to the reservation in the last 10 years
known in their native language as Diné, is largely due to the Alamo Navajo School
which means “the people” — meandered Board Inc., which has been instrumental Alamo is served by KABR-AM radio,
to the American Southwest. in bringing services to the area. which, for the last 25 years, has provided
The tribe probably sustained them- In 2009, the T’iis Tsoh Mini-mart information and entertainment to those
selves as hunters and gatherers long opened, providing the people with con- who reside there.
before bands turned to shepherding and venient access to food and gasoline. As a chapter of the Navajo Nation,
formed settlements. Previously, residents had to travel 29 miles Alamo is governed much like a state in the
The bloodlines of the people living at to Magdalena for such services. United States. Decisions affecting tribal
Alamo are largely mixed. The territory Housing is another priority on the reserva- members and Alamo’s infrastructure are
roamed by the Apache Indians and settled tion, since some residents still live in a tradi- made by elected officials at the Chapter
by the Navajo overlapped and intermar- tional fashion without indoor plumbing and House — the center of the reservation.
riage between the tribes occurred. Some electricity. Tribal leadership is also working to For more information on Alamo, call
residents of Alamo claim to be descendents bring a new senior center to the community. the Chapter House at 575-854-2686.
36 COMMUNITIES • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain
 Our Communities ... More places we call home
Abeytas — North of
Bernardo along the west banks
of the Rio Grande, the small
farming and ranching com-
munity of Abeytas has ties to
the Belen Land Grant of 1740.
Alamillo — Alamillo lies
north of Socorro, on the east
side of I-25 across from San
Acacia. In the early 17th centu-
ry, Franciscans established the
Santa Ana de Alamillo mission
at the Piro Indian Pueblo there.
Bernardo — Bernardo is
mainly thought of as the place
where U.S. 60 intersects with
I-25. Navajo and Apache horse
thieves, and later American
ones, hid in the mountains
to the west, known as Los
Ladrones (The Thieves).
Escondida — Escondida,
at the north edge of Socorro,
boasts a recreational lake and
a State Police station, despite
its small size.
El Defensor Chieftain
Farley — Farley was a proj-
ect of the one-time train mas-
ter at San Marcial, J.B. Frailey.
Workers quarried limestone,
loaded it onto wagons or rail
cars, which were hauled to San
Antonio, N.M., and connected
there to AT&SF rail lines.
Las Nutrias — The Las
Nutrias community exists on
N.M. 304 between U.S. 60 and
Veguita. In 1765, 30 families
settled in an area known then
as San Gabriel de Las Nutrias.
La Joya — Spanish for
“the jewel,” the area just across
the Rio Grande from the I-25
Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge off-
ramp. Piro Indians inhabited it
before the Spaniards came.
Lemitar — The small com-
munity of Lemitar lies just
off I-25 several miles north of
Socorro. The town started around
1831, according to David Pike’s
book, “Roadside New Mexico.”
Polvadera — Polvadera
lies just north of Lemitar. The
name is from polvareda, the
Spanish word for dusty. The
book “Roadside History of New
Mexico” mentions a story that
God told the people that the spot
would be a desert if no rain came
by Aug. 10. When it didn’t, they
named the town “Polvadera,”
according to the story.
Sabinal — Heading north
from Abeytas on N.M. 116, the
tiny community of Sabinal is
the last stop before crossing into
Bosque and Valencia County.
Don Fernando de la Concha,
governor in the late 1780s and
early 1790s, established the idea
of an Indian reservation long
before the United States intro-
duced the concept. The farming
and ranching town sits on the
west bank of the Rio Grande.
San Acacia — The town
of San Acacia lies east of
Discover Socorro • COMMUNITIES 37
Alamilla, between I-25 and the
Rio Grande. In the area, a
black basalt butte that was a
landmark on the trading route
El Camino Real carries the
same name.
San Marcial — On the east
bank of the Rio Grande between
what is now the Bosque del
Apache Nation Wildlife Refuge
and Fort Craig. The town was
buried in a flood in 1929. Today
there are a few scattered resi-
dents of San Marcial.
San Pedro — About a mile
east of San Antonio, N.M. is the
small town of San Pedro. Listed
as a ghost town, there are still
residents in the area.
Veguita — This small com-
munity is located in a hilly area
east of the Rio Grande in the
northernmost part of Socorro
County. Originally part of the
land grant of Casa Colorado
(sometimes Colorada).
 New Mexico Tech Golf Course ... 18 challenging holes
G olf enthusiasts enjoy the New
Mexico Tech Golf Course for its challeng-
ing layout, scenic vistas and value.
The 18-hole championship course is
located just west of the university and boasts
“M” Mountain as a backdrop. The track
takes golfers over rolling hills and dramatic
elevation changes, while providing dynamic
views of the Rio Grande Valley.
Golfers will use every club in the
bag to get around the 6,688-yard, par-72
course (5,887, 73 for women). The course
carries a 71.2 rating and 126 slope for
men; 72.8, 122 for women.
Trees line the well-groomed course,
which features several devious doglegs
and requires players to dodge water haz-
ards. There are two dozen sand bunkers to
contend with and 11 ponds, which come
into play on 10 holes. The greens are
mostly level but are known to be quite fast.
The signature hole is No. 10, which
runs east of the clubhouse parallel to
Canyon Road. Players strike their tee shot
between a funnel of trees that line both
sides of the fairway. Their second shot
on the 371-yard par-4 is aimed at a green
completely surrounded by ponds.
While the course is open year-round, it
blossoms in the spring. The Bermuda fair-
way grass turns green, and when all the trees
are in bloom the fairways become narrower
and the course becomes more scenic.
New Mexico Tech Golf Course has all
the amenities, including a well-stocked pro The Socorro Open, held Sunday through
Don’t miss This
shop, men’s and women’s locker rooms, a Saturday, June 6-12, is an official Sun
Country PGA tournament open to profes-
driving range, and putting and chipping
sionals and amateurs. The tournament,
Socorro Open
greens. The “M” Mountain Grill serves
breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages. known as the Hilton Open in its early years, Elfego Baca Shoot
Typically uncrowded, the course fills up will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2010. Socorro’s own professional golf tour-
for various tournaments throughout the year. A side event to the Socorro Open is the nament will celebrate its 50th year in
In 2010, the New Mexico Tech Golf Elfego Baca Shoot, one of the most unique 2010. While the pro flight attracts some
Course plays host to the New Mexico — and challenging — golf competitions in of the best golfers in the Southwest, the
Seniors Match Play Golf Tournament on the world. Golfers tee off from atop “M” tournament is open to amateurs who are
Sunday through Tuesday, March 21-23. The Mountain, at an elevation of 7,423 feet, Sun Country Golf Association members
course will attract the top teenage players in and play to a 50-foot wide “hole” near the and have registered handicaps. In addition
the state for the Class 5A state high school base of the mountain that’s roughly 2,000 to the 54-hole headline event, the tourna-
tournament Sunday through Tuesday, feet below and three miles away. ment includes the famous Elfego Baca
May 9-11. The Sun Country Women’s But most people prefer playing the cham- Shoot, where golfers tee off from near the
Championship Golf Tournament comes to pionship course, which is challenging enough. peak of “M” Mountain and play over rug-
NMTCG on Saturday and Sunday, July For more information on the New ged terrain to a target 2,000 feet below.
24-25. Dozens of other tournaments are Mexico Tech Golf Course and the events June 6-12
held throughout the year that serve as fund- it hosts, call 575-835-5335 or visit http://
raisers for local groups and organizations. externalweb.nmt.edu/nmtgolf.
38 SPORTS & RECREATION • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain
 Active Interests ... Living a healthy lifestyle
S ocorro offers a many opportunities for casual outdoor recreation and
there are a number of groups to link up with depending on your interests.
Socorro Striders and Riders is one of the most active groups and
regularly holds small events for area residents who are into running and
cycling, and some larger competitions that draw hundreds of athletes
from around the state and beyond.
Many of the SSR events are designed to be competitive for partici-
pants at all levels of fitness. For current and upcoming activities visit
www.stridersandriders.blogspot.com.
The Socorro Tennis Association had a wide range of players from
teens to seniors. Players meet daily and tournaments are held once a
month. Visit www.socorro.com/sta/ for more information.
The City of Socorro sponsors sports leagues for both adults and Don’t miss This
children. During the summertime, youth baseball, T-ball and men’s and
women’s softball is played weeknights at Sedillo Park. During the fall Chile Harvest Triathlon
and winter, the city has adult volleyball and youth basketball leagues Socorro Striders and Riders hosts the annual Chile
that compete at Finley Gym, the city’s recreation center. Harvest Triathlon, which is part of the Southwest Challenge
Series. The sprint triathlon starts with a 400-meter swim
For young soccer players, AYSO Region 364 holds spring and fall sea- followed by a 20K bike route ends with a 5K run on a loop
sons that play at Sedillo Park. For more information visit www.ayso364.org. course. It has a seeded, time trial event start and follows all
Socorro has a junior wrestling team and several boxing clubs for USA Triathlon rules.
those who are interested in martial competition. For more information on the triathlon and details on the
Magdalena is home to the Magdalena Traildrivers, a club for those route visit www.socorro.com/ssr/chile/.
who are interested in Cowboy Action Shooting. For more information August 7
visit www.magdalenatraildrivers.com.

www.swmls.com

We never
stop moving!

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • SPORTS & RECREATION 39

 Rock Climbing ... Ascending new heights
W
e’re going to let you in on a not-
so-well-kept recreational secret: Socorro
rocks!
Climbers from around the state, coun-
try and even points beyond flock to
Socorro County to experience one of the
state’s greatest outdoor recreational pas-
times — rock climbing.
Box Canyon — a Bureau of Land
Management holding located some six
miles southwest of Socorro on U.S. 60
— boasts a wealth of climbing opportu-
nities for novices, weekend warriors and
seasoned rock jocks, alike.
Whether you’re a sport climber or a boul-
derer, the Box will not leave you wanting.
Dozens of top-roped routes — rang-
ing in difficulty from easy to daunting
— await traditional climbers. For those
who want a more pure climbing experi-
ence, thousands of boulder problems stand
ready to challenge even the most skilled.
40 SPORTS & RECREATION • Discover Socorro
The Box comprises 320 acres of pre-
dominately igneous outcroppings. The
porphyritic andesite, which typifies the
popular Waterfall wall, is brutal on tender
skin, but solid for making ascents.
Although getting to the Box is easy,
deciding where to climb once you arrive
provides the biggest challenge.
From the parking lot — where a devel-
oped restroom facility adds to the func-
tionality of the venue — roped routes and
stellar boulders, including Ultimate, are
within a few hundred yards. Traveling
north from the parking lot, Waterfall is
about a half-mile hike.
For those who are looking for addition-
al challenges, a quick jaunt past the park-
ing lot broadens the bouldering options
exponentially. From the recently estab-
lished Fight Club Wall to the consummate
Unbeatable and the expansive Spook area,
Box is truly a bouldering paradise.
Socorro’s climbing aficionados are con-
stantly discovering new rocky treasures to
ascend so “stale” is a rarely uttered word
when describing this Mecca.
Climbing opportunities, however, are
not limited to the Box alone.
Further west on U.S. 60 lies the town
of Datil, where traditional climbers have
been taking the sport to new heights for
more than two decades. Climbs here range
from easy to “there’s no way a human
being could make it up that” routes.
Continuing on past Datil, Monster
Island — a recently discovered granite
playground — is gaining popularity and
providing further challenges for climb-
ers to tame.
To the east of Socorro lies the Quebradas
Backcountry area, where pockets of lime-
stone afford climbers yet another option.
Regardless of experience and ability,
climbers are reminded that risk is involved
with every route. Climbing with partners
is always recommended as are regular
equipment checks to ensure that gear is
working properly.
El Defensor Chieftain
Mt. Biking ... Fat tire fun
T he Socorro area offers a plethora of routes for those who
are interested in mountain biking.
Many experienced mountain bikers prefer the roads and trails
that circuit their way through the rough Quebradas hills just east
of Socorro. Others tackle the high altitude trails that can be found
along Magdalena Ridge or near Mount Withington.
For more casual riders, the ditch banks and roads around
Socorro offer seemingly endless miles of trails to explore. Bikers
can stick to shorter loops near town, travel north to San Acacia or
south to San Antonio, N.M., in the scenic Bosque.
For up-to-date information on trails and accessibility it is a good
idea to stop by the Bureau of Land Management Office at 901 S.
Highway 85, or the Magdalena Ranger District Office in Magdalena.

Don’t miss This

Tour of Socorro
The Tour of Socorro consists of the grueling South Baldy
Hill Climb, an 8.3-mile course that climbs nearly 4,000 feet and
the Cerillos del Coyote, a course that winds through the arroyos
and hills of the Quebradas, just east of Socorro. Event informa-
tion can be found on-line at www.socorro.com/ssr/tour/.
April 17-18

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • SPORTS & RECREATION 41

 Camping ... Pitch a tent and enjoy the outdoors
W ith more than 800,000 acres of
national forest land located within the
immediate vicinity, camping opportuni-
ties abound in the Socorro area.
The Cibola National Forest has six
campgrounds for people to enjoy that are
available during the spring and summer
months. Arguably the most popular camp-
ing spot is Water Canyon.
• The Water Canyon campground is a
popular camping venue that was recently
renovated, and has about 15 sites for
overnight camping, as well as picnicking
areas and a spot dedicated to a large-group
gatherings. There is no water at the camp-
ground, but there are areas for garbage and All of the established campgrounds in Magdalena, or call 575-854-2281. The
restroom facilities. afford visitors with countless hiking office is open Monday through Friday,
• The Bear Trap campground has rest- trails, wildlife viewing opportunities from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and offers a
rooms, camping and picnicking areas, and and other recreational pursuits, including variety of National Forest and Wilderness
trailer parking. rock climbing, mountain biking trails and maps for sale.
• Springtime campground offers rest- much, much more. Since water is scarce, visitors are strong-
rooms, and camping and picnicking areas. For up-to-date and complete informa- ly encouraged to bring their own water.
• Hughes Mill offers restrooms, camping tion on trails and campgrounds visit the See Directory on next page for area
and picnicking areas, and trailer parking. National Forest office located on U.S. 60 commercial campgrounds.

AG Country Propane

42 SPORTS & RECREATION • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

Campground Directory
Bosque Bird Watchers Santa Fe Diner &
Birding ...
RV Park
1481 N.M. 1
RV Park
I-25 & Highway 107
Seek out our feathered friends
V
San Antonio, NM 87832
575-835-1366 Exit at Mile Marker 115
575-854-2784 isitors from all over the
globe come to Socorro for the
Casey’s Socorro
opportunity to see sandhill cranes
RV Park Tom’s RV Park #4 and other migratory birds wintering
1101 S.Frontage Road 506 U.S. 60 #4, Socorro at the Bosque del Apache National
Socorro Wildlife Refuge — but birdwatch-
575-838-2075
575-835-2234 ing on the refuge can be excellent
year-round. A list of 377 species
Datil Well Campground Water Canyon sighted throughout the year is avail-
Datil Campground able from the Friends of the Bosque birds like the Flammulated Owl and
575-835-0412 Cibola National Forest del Apache’s Web site, www.friend- the Western Screech Owl.
U.S. 60, Mile Marker softhebosque.org. Closer to Socorro, but also on U.S.
Escondida Lake Park At Water Canyon, 16 miles west 60, is Box Canyon, where you can see
Escondida 123.5 of Socorro on U.S. 60, birders can Montezuma Quail, Grey Vireos and
575-835-2041 575-854-2281 spot Scaled Quail, Western Tanagers many others.
and Red-faced Warblers among the North of Socorro, the LaJoya
Montosa RV Park The Western Bed & many species supported by the var- Waterfowl Area and the Gordon
& Campground ied habitat, which ranges from des- Ladd Waterfowl Complex provide
Breakfast/RV Park
U.S. 60, ert grassland to montain forest. winter feed and a secure habitat for
Magdalena 404 First St., Magdalena Water Canyon is also considered many species of water fowl and the
575-854-2235 575-854-2417 an excellent location to see noctural occasional bald eagle.

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • SPORTS & RECREATION 43

 Horseback Riding ... Saddle up and enjoy the ride
S ome of the most breathtaking views in Socorro County are
those that can be seen from horseback.
With the Rio Grande River to the east of Socorro, and “M”
Mountain to the west, riders can experience a multitude of terrain
right in their own backyard.
Dacodah Herkenhoff, owner of San Acacia Riding Adventures,
said there is a tremendous amount land, managed by the Bureau
of Land Management, open for horseback riding.
“There are hundreds of thousands of acres to ride on,”
Herkenhoff said. “Any kind of terrain you can experience
throughout the country we have right here in New Mexico.”
So what makes horseback riding in Socorro County so good?
Herkenhoff said the reason is that 90 percent of the time you can
walk, trot and gallop in a safe manner because of the terrain in the
area, where in other parts of the country that’s not always the case.
“We have the best terrain for full-out run rides,” he said. “As
a beginner you can experience cantering on your first time out.”
In addition, the many canyons in the surrounding area allow for
riders to explore the hidden treasures visitors may otherwise not see. “Our mission and goal and purpose is to keep the trials open,
“San Lorenzo Canyon is one of the most beautiful canyons in and we do this by volunteering our time, effort, and by educating
the world,” Herkenhoff said. “It’s absolutely phenomenal.” people,” Bryant explained.
You don’t own a horse? No worries. SARA provides all kinds Although there is some work involved in preserving and
of riding opportunities to those who want to experience the thrill cleaning up trails during some of the rides, being out in nature,
of riding. With 22 horses in the stable, Herkenhoff said their on horseback, is the only way to see some of the beautiful, New
horses are gentle enough for even the most inexperienced rider. Mexico landscape.
Another organization that explores the great outdoors by horse- “There are great trails here,” BCHNM board member John
back is the Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico. Young said. “We get to see petroglyphs and really neat rock
The Socorro chapter received their charter in 2006, and has formations. You get to go to a lot of locations you (normally)
been active in preserving trails and conducting clean-ups — all couldn’t go to by yourself.”
the while enjoying the ride. Bryant added that Socorro County is one of the best-kept
“We are a service organization,” Socorro BCHNM president secrets around, where five minutes out of town you can find
Tom Bryant emphasized. “We maintain trials and work to keep plenty of places to ride horses.
trails open.” “We live in one of the nicest places in the world,” Bryant said.
While anyone is welcome to join the BCHNM, as a general “You can ride all year round.”
rule, you need to have your own horse to participate in the trail For information on San Acacia Riding Adventures, visit
rides, or know someone who can lend you a horse. www.acaciaridingadventures.com or call Dacodah Herkenhoff
The BCHNM members conduct two rides per month, one at 575-517-0477.
trail ride and one work project, Bryant said. In addition, they For information on Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico,
also conduct horsemanship clinics for those who are interested in visit www.bchnm.org or call Tom Bryant at 575-517-0413.
learning more about horses as well as riding in the back country. BCHNM meets the third Tuesday each month.

Rock Hounding ... Sniffing out stones

F
or rock hounds there are dozens of locations in Socorro
County to find interesting minerals.
A stroll in San Lorenzo Canyon can yield beautiful agates.
Magdalena Ridge has locations with fluorite. Limestone outcrops
in the Quebradas, and elsewhere in the county, have fossilized
shells and other sea creatures in them.
44 SPORTS & RECREATION • Discover Socorro
Many abandoned mine sites have outcroppings or tailing
piles with unique crystals and minerals — but be sure to check
whether the mine is on claim status first, and do not enter
mine shafts.
For more information on sites around Socorro or mineral tips,
stop by the Mineral Museum at New Mexico Tech first, or visit
www.geoinfo.nmt.edu.
El Defensor Chieftain
 Hiking ... Hitting the trail
A n abundance of scenic trails and wildlife viewing oppor-
tunities are available in Socorro to hikers who want to trek their
way to hidden vistas. Hikers have more than 200 miles of trails
through the backcountry to experience.
During the warmer months, a honeycomb of hiking trails
are available in the Cibola National Forest areas. The mountain
heights help to provide cool relief for hikers during the summer
months, but be prepared for rapidly developing rain storms and
strong winds at the higher elevations.
Water is scarce and the New Mexico sun, particularly at high
altitudes, can quickly cause dehydration. Hikers should pack
plenty of water and dress appropriately for the conditions.
A half-dozen wilderness study areas open to hiking are within
15 to 30 minutes driving timee from Socorro for those who are
looking for a more primitive experience.
Explore the narrow canyons and vivid sandstone cliffs on that preyed upon travelers of El Camino Real. For a greater chal-
display in the Quebradas, which means “broken hills.” Each lenge, take an extended hike all the way to the top of Ladron Peak
ridge and canyon offers something different to see as a jumble for an unmatched view of central New Mexico.
of geology creates unique rock formations and the Sonoran and For information on hiking trails, one of the best sources is
Chihuahuan deserts meet in the Quebradas for an extremely wide the National Forest office, located on U.S. 60 in Magdalena, or
variety of desert plants. call 575-854-2281. The office is open Monday through Friday,
Explore hidden routes through the hills and valleys of the 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and offers a variety of National Forest and
Sierra Ladrones that may have once harbored bands of robbers Wilderness maps for sale.

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • SPORTS & RECREATION 45

 City Parks ... Plenty of places to play
W hether you’re into relaxing under a shade tree, read-
ing a book or engaging in more physical activities such as jog-
ging, baseball or basketball, the City of Socorro has more than
six parks to choose from when making vacation plans or, for
residents living in Socorro County, simply looking for a way to
spend a day off.
Residents and visitors alike can take their pick of one of
the many parks scattered throughout the City of Socorro. With
amenities such as jogging tracks, basketball courts, baseball
diamonds, a swimming pool, outdoor grills and picnic tables, in
addition to every child’s favorite park attraction — playground
equipment — you may want to take your time and visit them all.
Sedillo Park, located on Francisco de Avondo, offers fun for
the whole family. Patrons of the park can choose to utilize the
athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, regulation horse-
shoe pits, two playgrounds, an Olympic-sized swimming pool
or the baseball diamonds. The park also has a covered picnic year-round pleasure at all the parks.
area with outdoor grills that can be reserved for private parties One event you don’t want to miss is the Annual Easter Egg
or celebrations. Hunt held the Saturday before Easter at Sedillo Park. It’s guaran-
Without even knowing it, children and adults can turn teed fun for everyone.
exercise into fun by bringing along their own sports equip- A new park addition the city offers is Clarke Field, located at
ment, creating games and a little competition through these the corner of California and Spring streets.
available outdoor amenities. Clarke Field has a jogging track and skate park, as well as
Even in winter, the mild temperatures in Socorro make for covered picnic tables, outdoor grills and playground equipment.
Reservations can be made if you’d like to host an event or party.
Other public playgrounds include B Street Park, on B Street
behind the Circle K convenience store; Western Hills Park,
on Garden Circle; West Place Park on West Street; and Lena
Jaramillo Park, on Granada Street off U.S. 60.
Although not as large as Sedillo Park and Clarke Field, these
parks have plenty of playground equipment to entertain young
and old alike, and are wonderful picnic spots.
For more information on reserving outdoor grills for pri-
vate parties or events, call Socorro City Hall at 575-835-0240
or 575-835-8927 for the Parks and Recreation Department.

46 SPORTS & RECREATION • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

 On the Fly ... Airports give aviators access
R
ecreational flyers have access to
two public airports in Socorro County.
Socorro Municipal Airport, located
south of town, has undergone several
upgrades in the last year. The ter-
minal was completely renovated and
an Automated Weather Observation
System went online for the first time in
July 2009.
Pilots can now set their radio frequen-
cy to 118.325 to hear the weather condi-
tions at the airport, including tempera-
ture, wind speed and direction, ceiling,
visibility, altimeter, and density altitude.
The same information is available to
pilots — or anyone else for that matter —
before take off by calling 575-838-3993.
At an elevation of 4,875, Socorro
Municipal Airport consists of two asphalt
runways. Runway 1 runs east-west and is
60 feet wide and 4,590 feet long. Runway
2, the north-south approach, is 100 feet
wide and 5,841 feet long.
El Defensor Chieftain
The airport plays host to the “M”
Mountain Fly-in on Sept. 25.
Airport Manager David Chavez can
be contacted at 575-835-4477.
Magdalena’s Ambers Guin Field is
located a few miles west of the village
limits at an elevation of 6,727 feet. It
has a natural soil runway that runs
5,650 feet in length and 50 feet wide.
The airport gets most of its use during
the fall and winter, during deer and elk
hunting seasons.
Airport Manager Ambers Guin, can Don’t miss This
be reached at 575-854-2462.
Aviation Day
Model airplane enthusiasts also have
a place to fly their planes. Airplane enthusiasts will enjoy the
The Chile Proppers model airplane “M” Mountain Fly-in on Aviation Day at
club has its own airfield located on the Socorro Municipal Airport. The event
Energetic Materials and Testing Center attracts dozens of planes, from modern
property. The club holds an annual fly- Cessnas to old war birds. The hundreds of
in of its own, this year it’s scheduled for visitors who come for the event can walk the
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2-3. tarmac and get an up-close look at a variety
of flying machines.
For information on the Chile Proppers,
call club president Larry Vanlandingham September 25
at 575-418-0678.
Discover Socorro • SPORTS & RECREATION 47
 Performing Arts Series ... Taking center stage
S
ocorro may be small, with a popu-
lation under 10,000, but it boasts an excep-
tional diversity of arts and entertainment
to rival any major metropolitan area.
The New Mexico Tech Performing
Arts Series, currently under the direc-
tion of Ronna Kalish, has been bringing
internationally acclaimed performers to
Socorro audiences since the mid-1980s.
The list of artists who have performed
at the NM Tech Macey Center in recent
years includes Arlo Guthrie and Family,
Leo Kotke, Tish Hinojosa, and Natalie
MacMasters. Visitors to the Performing
Arts Series have seen concerts by the New
Mexico Symphony Orchestra, operettas
by the Santa Fe Opera Apprentices, dance
programs by the National Ballet Hispanico
and performances by the Golden Dragon
Acrobats from China and the Shidara
Taiko ensemble from Japan.
“One of my biggest priorities,” said
Kalish, “is working with a statewide con-
sortia of non-profit performing arts pre-
senters throughout the state to put together
tours and make it worthwhile for artists to
come our smaller venues.”
Another priority for Kalish, who
recently won a New Mexico Distinguished
48 aRTS & eNTERTAINMENT • Discover Socorro
Public Service Award for her contributions
to the community and the state, is bring-
ing performance artists into the schools to
interact with the youngest members of the
community. The Performing Arts Series is
also a partner in community events from
the annual Fourth of July Celebration to
Socorro Fest to the annual Community
Arts Party.
The Performing Arts Series concert
line-up for the spring season includes
Grammy Award-winning artist Robert
Mirabal, performing ancient and con-
temporary Native American flute at the
Macey Center in April 2010. For more
information about upcoming shows, call
575-835-5688 or visit www.nmtpas.org.
The Macey Center is a spacious and
versatile venue, and hosts not only the
Performing Arts Series but a multitude of
other events and conferences throughout
the year. The 615-seat theater is used for
dance recitals and school concerts, spring
musicals and winter feasts, film festivals
and workshops.
The large lobby and meeting rooms
accomodate a variety of functions, from
weddings and banquets to the occasional
Sci-Fi Convention and the annual Mineral
Symposium every fall. The state Science
Fair and the Science Olympiad are held
there each year in spring.
The Macey Center includes a 3400
square foot art gallery featuring exhibits
by local photographers, painters and fiber
artists, open Monday through Friday from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery space is large
enough to hold catered luncheons and the
annual spring fashion show, and on some
occasions, even local arts and crafts vendors.
For information about upcoming events or
available services, call 575-835-5342.
The center is also home to classical
music performance sponsord by NM Tech
President Dr. Dan Lopez. The Presidential
Chamber Music Series holds concerts
four times a year, hosted by New Mexico
Symphony Orchestra violist Willy Sucre.
The concerts are free, and open to the
entire community.
Socorro’s thriving local arts and music
scene includes other venues. Visitors can
enjoy many kinds of live music at restaurants,
coffeehouses and bars, from country to Celtic
to the blues. Events as varied as plays and
poetry slams can be found on weekends.
For information about upcoming
events, check the calendar listings in the
El Defensor Chieftain, or visit www.
socorromusic.com.
El Defensor Chieftain
Garcia Opera House ... Theater ...
A vintage venue Go see a show
• The Socorro Community Theater has staged
T he Garcia Opera
House was built in 1886,
an average of two productions a year in the his-
toric Garcia Opera House, from Shakespearian
plays to modern comedies and dramas, every
in a decade when the year since 1994. For more information about
discovery of lead and Socorro Community Theater, call 575-835-2564
silver in the nearby or visit www.socorro.com/sct/.
Magdalena Mountains • The London Frontier Theatre performs in-
transformed Socorro house plays and melodramas at the historic WPA
from a quiet town of theater at Main & Fourth street in Magdalena.
a few hundred people For more information, call 575-854-2519 or visit
to a thriving center of www.londonfrontiertheatre.com.
commerce and indus- • The New Loma Stadium Cinema on
try, with a population of Manzanares Street is the place to go to see a
more than 4,000. flick. The movie theater was recently renovated
The opera house opened on Dec. 1, 1886, with an event advertised as a with stadium-style rocking seats, new curtains,
“musical festival composed of 100 musicians, followed by a grand dance and new stucco on the building’s exterior, new
supper.” Since that first spectacular extravaganza, the Garcia Opera House has poster cases and state-of-the-art digital video
been the setting for events including masquerade balls, political rallies, arts and sound systems. Movies are shown every
and crafts festivals, school concerts, weddings and banquets. evening beginning at 7 p.m. with afternoon
For more information, contact the Garcia Opera House Foundation at matinees on the weekends. For more informa-
575-835-8211 or visit www.socorrobanking.com/garciaoperahouse. tion, visit www.lomacinema.com

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 49

 There’s lots to do ... Enhancing the Quality of Life
S ocorro’s mayor of 20 years, Dr. Ravi Bhasker, makes it his
personal and public goal to strive continuously to raise the qual-
ity of life in Socorro for the benefit of both residents and visitors.
The City of Socorro organizes and sponsors a variety of
activities all through the year that make Socorro not just a great
place to live, work and raise a family, but also a fun and exciting
place to visit.
Every February, civil war reenactors recreate the Battle
of Valverde and the Siege of Socorro, and tourism director
Deborah Dean collaborates with them to produce a celebration of
Victorian-era fashion, music and dance.
Every May, the city organizes an annual Cinco de Mayo cel-
ebration with live music, dancing, food and drink, and games
and art projects for the kids.
The annual Posole Cook-Off and Tortilla Making Contest, in
November, is another free city-sponsored event that celebrates
Socorro’s rich cultural heritage.
Not all the events arranged by the city hark back to
Socorro’s past.
April’s Earth Day Celebration draws the community together
with a common purpose, with live music and special events
throughout the day. Competitors and spectators alike take a spe-
cial interest in the Trash Fashion and Costume Contest, which
requires all entries to be made from “trash” or at least from
materials that would otherwise be discarded.
On the same theme, the city sponsors a program called Keep
Socorro Beautiful, that rewards school groups and civic organi-
zations who spend a day picking up litter with donations to sup-
port their fundraising efforts.
The annual Community Arts Party, held every February,
draws hundreds of families to Finley Gym for free arts and crafts
activities.
The annual Community Yard Sale every summer is a great
way to spend the day, strolling around in the sunshine and visit-
ing with your neighbors. In Socorro, everyone is your neighbor.
The gazebo on the Plaza is the perfect stage for free music
concerts featuring local bands. In the spring, summer and fall,
when the weather can be counted on to be clear and sunny, the
50 aRTS & eNTERTAINMENT • Discover Socorro
Don’t miss This
Mother’s Day Pow Wow
The annual Mother’s Day Pow Wow is held each May on
Mother’s Day weekend, at Sedillo Park. The event includes
gourd dancing, singers and drum groups, and a Chicken Dance
contest. Food as well as arts and crafts vendors are also on
hand, and it’s traditional for all mothers in attendance to receive
flowers on Sunday. For information call Donna Monette at
575-881-8847.
May 8-9
city welcomes visitors who come to Socorro for special events
like the Chile Harvest Triathlon and the Socorro Open Golf
Tournament with a “Social on the Plaza.”
Other city-sponsored events that draw visitors from all across
the country and the world include a Hamfest, for amateur radio
enthusiasts, and the Enchanted Skies Star Party, for astronomers
of every stripe.
One of the most anticipated celebrations of the year is the
annual two-day music festival known as Socorro Fest. The event
began seven years ago as a one-day showcase for local musicians,
and has grown into a major draw that still showcases local talent
but also features an eclectic mix of performers from around the
Southwest.
Everybody loves a parade, and the City of Socorro has several.
For the Candy Cane Electric Light Parade in late November,
participants build elaborately decorated floats and compete for
a number of prizes, including Best Illuminated. The illumina-
tion theme is continued the following weekend with the annual
Luminarias on the Plaza and Beyond Art Stroll, which combines
tradition and shopping in an evening of holiday cheer.
For more information about the many exciting things
happening in and around Socorro, contact the Heritage and
Visitor Center at 575-835-8927, or visit the city’s Web site at
www.socorronm.gov.
El Defensor Chieftain
 Don’t miss This
Socorro Fest
Socorro Fest is a free outdoor music festival sponsored by
the City of Socorro. The festivities begin Friday evening with a
street dance on the Historic Plaza. Live music is performed non-
stop on two outdoor stages all day Saturday. Performances and
workshops are scheduled throughout the day at various indoor
venues as well.
Socorro Fest features regional bands as well as local musi-
cians, playing every kind of music from folk to latin to country to
rock. But Socorro Fest is more than just music. The event is held
at a time when the chile harvest is still fresh, and there’s a wide
variety of food vendors stationed around the Plaza throughout
the day.
Spirits tents serve alcoholic beverages to the over-21 crowd,
including wine from New Mexico vineyards and award-winning
micro-brewed beers from the Socorro Springs Brewing Company.
There are also activities scheduled especially for the kids,
who can build sandcastles, play games and participate in arts and
crafts.
A popular feature of Socorro Fest celebrates a 1953 proc-
lamation declaring Socorro a free and independent state. Free
passports to the Free State of Socorro are issued at the “Port of
Entry” on the Plaza.
October 8-9

See you along the way

Featuring Super Start Breakfast Daily
Wireless Internet
1121 Frontage Rd. NW • Socorro, NM
575-835-4626 • 800-800-8000
Fax: 505-835-3988
www.super8.com
El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 51
 Arts & Music ... Sights and sounds abound
W hile Socorro County is well known for the science
and technology that is being initiated at such places as the New
Mexico Tech and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory,
there’s also astonishing work emanating from its art studios, gal-
leries and local establishments that provide live music.
Socorro County Arts, a loosely affiliated group of local art-
ists, operates the newly revived Alamo Mercantile & Gallery
on California Street in Socorro. The store provides space for 25
artists, specializing in virtually every medium, from watercolor
paintings to jewelry to woodwork to sculpture.
The Fullingrim-Isenhour-Leard Gallery on Abeyta Street is
Socorro’s most well-known gallery. But artwork by other local art-
ists can be found at various other shops and galleries around town.
The arts scene has blossomed in Magdalena, and there are
now more than a half dozen places one can go to shop for the Manzanares Coffeehouse periodically features Celtic music
original works. or entertainment by local musicians. The Roadrunner Lounge
Many private studios are also scattered across the county from also brings in bands and is Socorro's venue for karaoke.
San Antonio to Polvadera. The Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, N.M., hosts a blues
Music can be heard streaming from such Socorro establish- night every other Monday. And the Golden Spur Saloon is the
ments as the Stage Door Grill, which holds weekly jam sessions place to check out live music while in Magdalena.
on Thursdays, and provides live music on Fridays and Saturdays. So while there’s a lot of science and technology coming out of
The Capitol Bar regularly brings in bands on weekends, and Socorro County, the arts and music also thrive.

52 aRTS & eNTERTAINMENT • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

 For More
Information:
Socorro County Chamber Magdalena Chamber
of Commerce of Commerce
101 Plaza, Socorro 105 N. Main St., Magdalena
575-835-0424 866-854-3217 toll-free
www.socorro-nm.com www.magdalena-nm.com
chamber@socorro-nm.com
Magdalena Visitors Center
Socorro Heritage
& Visitors Center (Bear Mountain Coffee
House & Gallery)
201 Fisher, west of the Plaza 902 W. First St.
575-835-2927 575-854-3310

Socorro Public Library Magdalena Public Library

401 Park 108 N. Main St.
575-835-1114 575-854-2361

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • DIRECTORIES 53

 Socorro
Education ... Getting Schooled Magdalena New Mexico Tech

Warriors Steers Miners

Public Schools Zimmerly Elementary Magdalena Middle School Socorro Cooperative
Grades 4-5 Grades 6-8 Nursery School
Socorro Consolidated 511 El Camino Real NW 575-854-8011 304 McCutcheon Ave.
Schools 575-835-1436 Socorro, NM 87801
700 Franklin Magdalena High School 575-835-1336
575-838-0300 Sarracino Middle School Grades 9-12
Grades 6-8
1425 El Camino Real NW
575-854-8011 Universities
Midway Elementary 575-835-0283
Grades K-5 Charter Schools New Mexico Institute of
9 Midway, Polvadera Socorro High School Mining and Technology
575-835-1098 Grades 9-12 Cottonwood Valley (New Mexico Tech)
575-835-0700 Charter School 801 Leroy Place
Parkview Elementary 201 Neel Ave., Socorro, NM 87801
Grades K-3 Magdalena Municipal Socorro 575-835-5011
107 Francisco De Avondo Schools 575- 838-2026
575-835-1086 200 Duggins Dr., Magdalena
575-854-2241 New Meico Tech
San Antonio Elementary Pre-Schools Community College
Grades K-5 Magdalena Elementary 801 Leroy Place,
South Highway 380, School Headstart Socorro, NM 87801
San Antonio, N.M. Grades PreK-5 239 Garfield Cramer Hall 201
575-835-1758 575-854-8006 575-835-0008 575-835-6581

Church Directory ... Where to worship

Socorro Family Christian Center
Assembly of God
Seventh Day Adventist
218 Garfield
The Church of Jesus
Christ Latter-Day Saints
First Baptist Church
of Magdalena
Calvary Chapel U.S. 60 and Fowler 505-440-9587 El Camino Real Kelly Road at Poplar
701 S. Hwy 85 575-835-0185 (leave a message) 575-835-0570,
575-854-2389
575-838-9535 575-835-4806
First Baptist Church Society of Friends
Church of Christ 203 Spring Street (Quakers) Trinity Christian St. Mary Magdalene
1001 El Camino Real 575-835-0041 94 Hope Farm Road Fellowship Third and Elm St.,
575-835-2272 575-835-0013, 1403 El Camino Real Magdalena, NM
First Presbyterian 575-835-0998 575-838-9000 575-835-2891
Cops for Christ Church
Non-Denominational 304 McCutcheon Ave. Socorro Baptist Magdalena-
Christian Fellowship 575-835-0942 Temple
Datil-Pie Town Veguita-Lemitar-
Meets at Socorro
Baptist Temple, Hope Lutheran Church
South Fairgorunds Rd. #2
575-835-3306 Polvadera
S. Fairgrounds Rd. #2 908 Leroy Pl. Church of Jesus Christ
575-835-3306 575-835-9648 Socorro Unitarian of Latter-day Saints
Chihuahua Bible Chapel
Universalists Pie Town
575-773-4623 1 Carlos Maritnez Rd.,
El Buen Pastor Jehovah’s Witnesses 908 Leroy Place, Vegita, NM
Park St. Behind BLM 922 Ake Ave. Parish Hall
Community Church 575-861-0008
575-835-2172 575-838-2049 575-838-7114 in Magdalena
Main St. at Fourth
Epiphany Episcopal San Miguel Mission St. Paul’s United First Assembly of God
575-854-2364
Church 403 El Camino Real Methodist Rt. 1, Box 156, Rd. 6
908 Leroy Pl. 575-835-2891, 1000 Goad St. Datil Baptist Church ABC, Polvadera
575-835-1818 575-835-1620 575-835-1372 575-772-5577 575-835-3817
54 DIRECTORIES • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain

Socorro’s finest shops, stores and merchants
The Chamber recommends these businesses because they exhibit quality, reliability, and excellence.
Socorro County Chamber of Commerce Member Directory
Abstract & Title
JM Abstract & Title Company Inc., 575-835-1997
Security Title and Abstract, 575-838-1440
Superior Title Co., 575-835-4743
Accountants
Beckham & Penner CPA, 575-835-1091
Caroline R. Hooper, Accountant, 505-761-0138
Adult & Children’s Services
Tresco Inc, 575-835-0204
Advertising
Directory Plus, 575-937-4482
Local Pages, 505-264-7234
PenGwen Productions/Steppin’ Out, 575-835-2127
Sun Vista Outdoor Advertising LLC, 505-239-3125
Aerospace
Aerojet, 575-835-2070
Apartments
Loma Vista Apartments, 575-835-3393
Socorro Village, 575-835-2330
Vista Montaño Apts, 575-835-0500
Appraisals
Winton Appraisal Company, 575-835-1857
Architect
Gerard R. Brown, Architect, 505-877-2838
Arts
BJ Lesperance, 575 418-1848
Fernando Mercado, 575-418-7238
Fullingim, Isenhour, Leard Galleries, 575-835-4487
Georgette Grey, 575-838-0680
Holly Modine Studio, 575-854-2918
NM Tech Performing Arts Series (PAS), 575-835-5688
Pictographics, 575 835-2406
Socorro Community Theater, Inc., 575-838-0379
Socorro County Arts, 575-838-6047
Socorro Picture Framing & Art Gallery, 575-835-3348
Wild Horses of the West Art Gallery, 505-417-7005
Arts and Banquet Facilities and Conference
NM Tech Macey Center, 575-835-5342
Attorneys
Deschamps Law Firm, 575-838-0777
Fitch & Tausch LLC, 575-835-0048
Jerry Armijo, PA, 575-835-1400
John Gerbracht, Attorney, 575-835-2520
Visit www.newmexico.org and www.socorro-nm.com
58 DIRECTORIES • Discover Socorro
Welcome to Socorro!
Auction Disabled American Veterans, Chapter #24,
Tumbleweed Equipment & Auction Co., 575-835-2321 575-835-0843
Fraternal Order of Eagles 4017 Auxiliary,
Auto Repair 575-835-9952
All Around Auto, 575-835-2667 Friends of the Bosque, 575-838-2110
Leseberg’s Auto, 575-838-4101 Friends of the Socorro Public Library, 575-835-1114
Rudy’s Auto Repair, 575-838-2012 Literacy Volunteers of Socorro County, 575-835-4659
Socorro Auto Clinic, 575 835-4611 Merry-Achi Christmas, 575-838-4696
Southwest Auto Body LLC, 575-835-1006 NARFE Chapter 1402, 575-835-2040
Auto Sales Save Our Bosque Task Force, 575-835-3516
Monette Ford, 575-835-1190 Socorro Civitan, 575-838-4716
Socorro County Fair & Rodeo Association, 575-835-0360
Auto Supplies Socorro Lions Club, 575-835-2855
Scott’s Auto Supply, Inc., 575-835-0550 Socorro Rotary Club, 575-835-1768
AGGI Bros. CarQuest, 575-838-4382 The Socorro Storehouse, 575-517-7194
Avon Sales Representatives
Clothing
AVON, 575-835-2842 Brownbilt Shoe & Western Wear, 575-835-0730
Awards & Recognition Jessie’s Fine Clothing, 575-835-1772
All About Trophies & More, 505-881-2504 Computer Sales & Service
Banks Computers By LTJ Services, 575-838-0576
Bank of America, 575-835-1569 Conservation
Wells Fargo Bank, 575-835-2410 LaJencia Creek Conservation Ranch, 505-992-8316
Beauty & Barber Construction and Contractors
HeLynn’s Mane Attraction Beauty & Barber Salon, 575-838-4247 William H Hall, General Contractor, 575-835-3636
Blinds A-1 Quality Redi Mix Inc., 575-835-2417
Hartwell Custom Blinds, 575-838-1677 Christensen Construction, 575-443-3544
Copy Shop
Body Shops
Goehrings Body Shop, 575-835-4792 Corner Copy, 575-835-9054
Hicks Body Shop & Towing, 575-835-2973 Cycles
Spoke ‘N’ Word Cycles, 575-835-9673
Casinos
Cities of Gold Casino Resort, 866-455-0515 Dance Instruction
Julie Cottom’s School of Dance, 575-621-9622
Catering
Chartwells, 575-835-6710
Dentists
Greens Kitchen, 575-418-1291 Dr. C. Bonner Oates, Dentist, 575-835-1623
Dr. Duane Beers, DMD, 575-835-3662
Cellular and Wellness/Health
Michelle’s, 575-418-0442 Dog Training
ABC Dog Training LLC, 505-410-5810
Churches
First Baptist Church, 575-835-0041 Dumpster Sales and Rental
Hope Lutheran Church, 575-838-0540 Dumpster Express, 505 899-3867
San Miguel Church and Missions 575-835-2891
Socorro Baptist Temple, 575-835-3306 Education
Alamo Navajo School Board, Inc., 575-854-2545
Civic Organizations & Community Service Groups Cottonwood Valley Charter School, 575-838-2026
Animal Protective Association of Socorro 575-835-2948 New Mexico Tech, 575-835-5011
Big Brothers Big Sisters, 505-837-9223 NM Tech Community College, 575-835-6581
El Defensor Chieftain
Business Directory:
Socorro County Chamber of Commerce Member Directory
Small Business Development Center, 505-925-8980
Socorro Consolidated School District, 575-835-0300
Electricians
Ross Electric Inc., 575-835-1320
Equine
Middle Rio Grande Riding Stables, 575-517-0477
Equipment
Acosta Equipment, 575-835-3961
Exercise
Curves for Women, 575-835-2646
Exterminators
Milton Ulibarri Pest Control, 575-835-2881
Fabric & Embroidery
Bobbie’s Bobbin, 575-838-0001
Farms/Ranches/Markets
A & J Family Farms, LLC, 575-838-0802
Rosales Produce, 575-835-3611
Feed, Clothing
Western Mercantile, 575-835-1155
Financial Services
Farm Bureau Financial Services, 575-835-0555
Florists & Nurseries and Gift Shops
Bambi’s Flowers and Gifts, 575-835-2683
Christmas Store Gifts & Flowers, 575-838-0575
Gene’s Flowers & Gifts, 575-835-0552
Favor-It Things LLC, 575-838-0300
Hope Farms Nursery, 575-838-4512
Toonda’s Treasures, 575-835-1033
Casa De Regalos Gifts, 575-835-0770
Harold’s Southwestern Gifts, 575-835-3231
Sundance Gifts, 575-835-2498
Honey
Bee Chama Honey, 575-918-1023
Funeral Services
Steadman-Hall Funeral Home, 575-835-1530
Individual Members
Mary Aguilar
Bill Basham
Susan Bieber
Fara Earl
George and Rebecca Funkhouser
Mary Gillard
Carol Griswold
Gin Jue
Judge Ted Kase
Judy Lovelace
Visit www.newmexico.org and www.socorro-nm.com
El Defensor Chieftain
Donna Monette
Gary and Vanetta Perry
Barbara Romero
Denise and Mike Shrum
Gerald Watson
Clinton Wellborn
Furniture/Appliance Sales
Plaza Furniture, 575-838-0499
Hub Furniture & Carpet Co., 505-864-4536
Aaron’s Sales & Lease, 575-838-2336
Gardening
Socorro Garden Club, 575-838-2539
Golf
NM Tech Golf Course, 575-835-5335
Sierra del Rio Golf Course, 575-744-5135
Government Agencies
Bosque Del Apache NWR, 575-835-1828
Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 575-835-0412
County of Socorro, 575-835-0589
El Camino Real International Heritage Center,
575-854-3600
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, 505-864-4021
Socorro County Sheriff’s Department, 575-835-0941
Socorro Heritage & Visitor Center, 575-835-8927
Socorro Municipal Court, 575-835-2558
Socorro Soil & Water Conservation District,
575-838-0078
South Central Council of Governments, 575-744-0039
City of Socorro, 575-835-0240
Graphic Design
Creative Graphics, 575-418-7113
Lucky Signs, 575-854-2264
MsWisWorks Computer & Website, 575-418-8190
Smiley House Creations, 575-418-8612
Grocers
John Brooks Supermart, 575-835-1553
San Antonio General Store, 575-835-4594
Smith’s Food & Drug Store, 575-835-2101
Wal-Mart Super Center # 5492, 575-838-1415
Hardware
Gambles True Value Store, 575-835-1230
RAKS Building Supply, 575-835-1270
Randy’s Ace Hardware, 575-835-1872
Health and Wellness
Hypnotherapy & EFT Services, 505-259-8332
JCB Healthy Green Enterprises, 575-517-7613
Light Moves, 575-835-1109
Discover Socorro • DIRECTORIES 59
Smart Health Now, 505-423-3267
Tame Your Life, 505-350-4116
Heavy Equipment
Caldwell Equipment, 575-838-2020
Home Health Care/Respite/Senior Services
Good Samaritan Society-Socorro, 575-835-2724
Hospitals
Socorro General Hospital, 575-835-8700
HVAC Supplier
Morrison Supply Company, 505-265-6102
Insurance
Able Agency Insurance, 575-835-3321
Michael Olguin, Insurance Agent, 575-835-1331
Internet Service Providers
SDC Internet, 575-838-1620
Jewelry
Painted Sky Designs, 575-418-7774
Raychester of Socorro, Inc., 575-835-2454
Land Improvement
Tierra Grande Improvement Association
505-864-2345
Landscaping
PM Trees & Landscaping, 505-705-5032
Leather
Socorro Leather, 575-838-3985
Libraries
Socorro Public Library, 575-835-1114
Liquor
Sunset Lounge & Package Store, 575-835-2289
Lodging
Best Western Hotel, 575-838-0556
Casa Blanca Bed & Breakfast, 575-835-3027
Comfort Inn/Suites, 575-838-4400
Days Inn, 575-835-0230
Econo Lodge Motel, 575-835-1500
Economy Inn Motel, 575-835-2263
Fite Ranch Bed & Breakfast, 575-838-0958
Holiday Inn Express Hotel, 575-838-4600
Howard Johnson, 575-835-0276
Motel 6, 575-835-4300
Rodeway Inn, 575-835-0211
Sands Motel, 575-835-1130
Socorro Old Town Bed & Breakfast, 575-838-2619
Super 8 Motel, 575-835-4626
The Prickly Pear Bed & Breakfast, 575-838-2286
The Western Motel and RV Park, 575-854-2412
Business Directory:
Socorro County Chamber of Commerce Member Directory

Mediation Services Realtors Septic Tanks & Service and Construction

Beverly Junger, 505-507-5553
Mobile Home Park
Midway Mobile Home & RV Park, 575-835-1400
Musical Services
E’Studio Piano, 575-418-5867
I DJ Too, 505-715-9613
Gretchen Van Houten, 505-710-2068
Newspapers
El Defensor Chieftain, 575-835-0520
Mountain Mail, 575-838-5555
United Country - New Mexico Property Connection, S.M.A. Enterprises, 575-835-2417
505-990-6180
Sports Organizations
Coldwell Banker Legacy, Realtor, 575-835-1422
AYSO, 575-838-5135
Highland Springs Ranch, 575-835-9581
Home & Country Realty, 575-838-4663 Surveying
Middle Rio Grande Realty, 575-835-0888 Jaramillo Land Surveying, 575-835-4375
Old Westland Realty, 575-854-2240
Richardson Development Co., 575-835-2835 Telecommunication Services
Integrated Technologies 575-835-2743
Betsy Smith, 575-835-8158
Socorro Plaza Realty, 505-835-2498 Television/Cable
Wesley Ranch Properties, 575-835-2648 Comcast Cable, 575-835-2424

Observatories Recycling Therapy/Rehabilitation

NRAO/VLA, 575-835-7000 Morning Woodcutters, 575-838-2202 Division of Vocational Rehabilitation,
575-835-4243
Office Supplies Restaurants Socorro Mental Health Foundation,
Socorro Office Supply, 575-835-0984 Acosta’s Mexican Restaurant and B & B, 575-835-1688 575-835-2444
Asian Garden, 575-838-1668
Optometrists Thrift Store
Barbara’s Dream Kitchen, 575-835-1234
Dr. Steven Woodard, Optometrist, 575-835-2020 Second Hand Rose (SMH), 575-835-2090
Bear Mountain Coffeehouse & Gallery, 575-854-3310
Party Services Blake’s Lotaburger, 575-835-2473 Tires
Classic Sweets, 575-918-1023 Buckhorn Tavern, 575-835-4423 T & T Tires, 575-835-1243
Physicians Denny’s Restaurant, 575-835-2504
Diamondback Restaurant, 575-835-3340 Trash Hauling
PMS Socorro Community Health Clinic,
Domino’s Pizza, 575-838-1111 Caldwell Disposal, 575-838-2020
575-835-4444
Don Juan’s Cocina, 575-835-9967
Plumbing/Heating/Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration Travel Agencies
El Camino Restaurant, 575-835-1180 Paradise Travel, 575-835-2929
Jaramillo’s Plumbing & Heating, 575-835-1679 El Sombrero Restaurant, 575-835-3945
Pottery and Gift Shop Escondida Grill, 575-838-2423 Utilities
San Miguel Pottery Land, 575-835-1028 K-Bob’s Socorro, 575-835-2900 Socorro Electric Cooperative
Lander’s Enterprises, 575-835-2678 575-835-0560
Prevention LJ’s Branding Iron BBQ, 575-835-3663
SCOPE (SMH), 575-835-2444 Manzanares Street Coffeehouse, 575-838-0809 Vacation Rentals & Lodging
Home Away NM Vacation Rentals
Produce McDonald’s Restaurant, 575-835-3684
888-771-3010
Socorro Farmers’ Market Association, 575-517-0463 Owl Bar Café & Steakhouse, 575-835-9946
Rancho Magdalena, 575-854-3091
Socorro Springs Restaurant & Brewery, 575-838-0650
Promotional Items
Sofia’s Kitchen, 575-835-0022 Veterinarians
J H Enterprises LLC, 575-835-2353
Sonic Drive-In, 575-835-2413 Animal Haven Veterinary Clinic, 575-835-3545
Propane Stage Door Grill, 575-835-2403 Ark of Socorro Veterinary Clinic, 575-835-9002
Action Gas, 575-835-0007
Road Maintenance Video Rental/Tanning/Cigarettes
Publications Blue Collar Construction LLC, 505-553-0651 Video Shack, 575-835-3913
The Ink, 575-541-9770
Saloons Water and Ice
Publishing Capitol Bar, 575-835-1193 The Water & Ice Store, 575-838-9283
Village Profile, 847-456-4730
Your Host NM – Diamond Publishing, 505-268-1793 Secretarial/Answering Services Website Resources
Anything Secretarial Answering Service, 575-838-1350 Web Witchcraft Publishing, 575-838-0784
Radio Stations
KMXQ Radio, 575-835-1286 Self-Storage Wild Horse Protection
KUFR Family Radio (KXFR 91.9), 866-359-3147 EZ Self-Storage by Tripps, 575-835-2465 New Mexican Horse Project, 505-417-7005
Visit www.newmexico.org and www.socorro-nm.com
60 DIRECTORIES • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain
 Vital Statistics Socorro County Map
People
Population (2008 estimate) 18,180
Persons of Hispanic origin 47.3%
White persons, not Hispanic 37.4%
American Indian 12.6%
Other 2.7%

Land
Land Area 6,628 square-miles
Total Federal Land 2,318,458 acres
BLM Land 949,396 acres
Forest Service Land 609,517 acres
State Land 609,517 acres
Indian Land 56,680 acres
Elevation (Socorro) 4,585 feet

Weather
Sunny days 280
Average rainfall 8.6 median inches
Average first freeze Oct. 24
Average last freeze April 13
Average high temperature Jan., 52.3; April, 75.7;
July, 93.7; Oct., 75.5
Average low temperature Jan., 22.2; April, 39.6;
July, 62.0; Oct., 40.8
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Geographical Survey, New Mexico
Economic Development Department

Magdalena

El Defensor Chieftain Discover Socorro • DIRECTORIES 61

62 DIRECTORIES • Discover Socorro El Defensor Chieftain