Red River, New Mexico

History

Prior to the arrival of European-Americans, the area now occupied by Red River was used as a summer hunting ground by the Jicarilla Apache and Utes, who hunted big horn sheep, mule deer, elk, Mountain cottontail, and mallards, amongst other species.

The town of Red River had its beginnings late in the 19th century, when miners from nearby Elizabethtown in the Moreno Valley were drawn in by gold strikes in the area and trappers sought game. It was named after the perennial stream, Red River, that flows through the town, coming from the northern slopes of Wheeler Peak. By 1895, Red River was a booming mining camp, with gold, silver and copper in some abundance, and a population estimated at three thousand. Mining hit its peak in 1897, and by 1905 the mining and the population dwindled but the town survived, gaining a reputation as a great getaway from hot weather and as a trout fishing paradise. The last serious mining efforts extended until 1931. By that time tourism had become the principal economic livelihood.

In 2019, the Christmas tree displayed at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. was harvested in Red River.

Geography

Red River is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, part of the southern Rocky Mountains, and is surrounded by the Carson National Forest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, all land.

The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, also known as New Mexico Route 38, passes through Red River.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 484 people, 234 households, and 138 families residing in the town. The population density was 474.9 PD/sqmi. There were 880 housing units at an average density of 863.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.56% White, 1.03% Native American, 3.72% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.30% of the population.

There were 234 households, out of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.60.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 35.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,667, and the median income for a family was $39,792. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $19,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,883. About 5.4% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Red River has a humid continental climate (Dfb), bordering on a subarctic climate (Dfc) with four seasons. Summertime is very warm with refreshingly cool nights, and winter is cold, but not extremely cold, with massive amounts of snowfall for New Mexico, averaging 156.7 in a year.

|Jan record high F = 58 |Feb record high F = 64 |Mar record high F = 74 |Apr record high F = 76 |May record high F = 88 |Jun record high F = 94 |Jul record high F = 92 |Aug record high F = 94 |Sep record high F = 87 |Oct record high F = 79 |Nov record high F = 74 |Dec record high F = 66

|Jan avg record high F = 49.2 |Feb avg record high F = 51.1 |Mar avg record high F = 58.7 |Apr avg record high F = 65.3 |May avg record high F = 74.8 |Jun avg record high F = 81.8 |Jul avg record high F = 83.0 |Aug avg record high F = 80.6 |Sep avg record high F = 76.9 |Oct avg record high F = 69.5 |Nov avg record high F = 57.8 |Dec avg record high F = 50.2 |year avg record high F = 84.5

|Jan avg record low F = -8.0 |Feb avg record low F = -5.0 |Mar avg record low F = -0.7 |Apr avg record low F = 10.3 |May avg record low F = 21.1 |Jun avg record low F = 29.0 |Jul avg record low F = 36.7 |Aug avg record low F = 35.1 |Sep avg record low F = 26.1 |Oct avg record low F = 14.0 |Nov avg record low F = -0.6 |Dec avg record low F = -8.0 |year avg record low F = -11.4

|Jan record low F = -40 |Feb record low F = -35 |Mar record low F = -23 |Apr record low F = -14 |May record low F = 2 |Jun record low F = 18 |Jul record low F = 28 |Aug record low F = 26 |Sep record low F = 14 |Oct record low F = -2 |Nov record low F = -23 |Dec record low F = -34

|Jan snow depth inch = 14.0 |Feb snow depth inch = 15.4 |Mar snow depth inch = 17.2 |Apr snow depth inch = 7.7 |May snow depth inch = 3.3 |Jun snow depth inch = 0.0 |Jul snow depth inch = 0.0 |Aug snow depth inch = 0.0 |Sep snow depth inch = 0.0 |Oct snow depth inch = 5.3 |Nov snow depth inch = 10.3 |Dec snow depth inch = 12.0 |year snow depth inch = 22.6

|access-date = January 27, 2023 |access-date = January 27, 2023

Economy

The main industry in Red River is tourism. Red River is located at the base of the Red River Ski Area, located 8,750 feet above sea level in the southern Rocky Mountains. Winter activities include skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. In summertime, visitors can hike, bike, fish, and ride horseback in the mountains. The town is serviced by a bus system which provides free access anywhere within town limits of Red River.

An annual Red River Memorial Motorcycle Rally has been held in the town for many years, attended by tens of thousands.

Education

It is in the Questa Independent Schools school district. In 1983, 12 children in Red River, including two in high school, attended the schools they were zoned to in Questa, while the remaining 68 children attended other schools. 32 of the students were enrolled at Taos Christian Academy. 32 went to Cimarron Municipal Schools, with 22 going to the Eagle Nest elementary school and 10 to the Cimarron secondary school. Some parents speaking to The Taos News felt that the Questa schools were not academically strong. John Hanron of The Taos News stated that the fact that many Red River parents did not use Questa schools made it less likely that the Questa district would build a school in Red River.

References

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
2. {{GNIS. 2412537
3. Pearson, Jim Berry (1986) ''The Red River-Twining area: a New Mexico mining story'' University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, {{ISBN. 0-8263-0875-9
4. (November 1, 2019). "New Mexico prepares to harvest US Capitol Christmas tree".
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
6. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau.
7. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
8. Asma-Sadeque, Samira. (May 28, 2023). "Three people killed and five injured in shooting at New Mexico biker rally". The Guardian.
9. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Taos County, NM". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
10. Hanron, John. (September 29, 1983). "Commuters hurt chance for RR school". [[The Taos News]].