Garita, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Garita
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 Garita
Location in New Mexico
Garita
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | San Miguel |
| Elevation | 4,445 ft (1,355 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes |
88421
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| Area code(s) | 575 |
| GNIS feature ID | 896104 |
Garita, also known as Variadero, is a small, quiet community in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. It's not a big city, but a place where people live without a formal town government. You can find it right where New Mexico State Road 104 crosses the Conchas River.
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Exploring Garita: A New Mexico Community
Garita is a unique place with a rich history. It's known by two names, Garita and Variadero, both of which have interesting stories behind them. This community is located in the beautiful state of New Mexico.
How Garita Got Started
The community of Garita was founded in 1872. A settler named Jesús Angel, who came from Bernal, helped start the community.
Before that, another settler named Jose Laureano Estrada made his home here. He settled along the Conchas Arroyo around the time of the American Civil War. Jose Laureano Estrada is buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Variadero. His grave marker says he was the first settler of Variadero.
What's in a Name? Garita and Variadero
Both names for this community come from the Spanish language. Each name tells us something special about the area.
The Name Variadero
The name Variadero comes from the Spanish word variar. This word means "to change." It was chosen because the Conchas River in this area often changes its course. Imagine a river that doesn't always flow in the exact same spot!
The Name Garita
The name Garita means "lookout" or "government building" in Spanish. It also means "sentry post." Early settlers saw huge square blocks of sandstone about eight miles southeast of Variadero. These rocks reminded them of a garita, or a guard post.
A small stream nearby was named Garita Creek. Later, people built homes along this creek. This led to a small community being known as Garita. When the postal services for the area were combined, the community ended up with both names: Garita and Variadero.
Garita's Post Office
Garita has its own post office. It uses the ZIP code 88421. This post office first opened its doors on January 19, 1907. For some time, especially until the 1920s, the post office sometimes used the name Variadero instead of Garita.
