Las Ruedas, New Mexico facts for kids
Las Ruedas was once a small Hispanic village in New Mexico. It was located in San Miguel County, New Mexico, right by the Pecos River. Today, it's not far from a place called Rowe, New Mexico. The village was part of a large area known as the Los Trigos Land Grant.
Early Days of Las Ruedas
People first settled in Las Ruedas in the early 1800s. It was a quiet village where families lived and worked. The village was built near the Pecos River, which was important for water and travel. Life there was likely simple and focused on farming or ranching.
Why Las Ruedas Disappeared
Las Ruedas survived for many years, but things changed in the 1880s. This was when the Santa Fe Railroad started building tracks through the area. The railroad brought new opportunities and made it easier to travel and trade.
Most of the people living in Las Ruedas decided to move closer to the new railroad. They moved to a nearby town called Rowe. Rowe became a more active place because of the train.
Las Ruedas in History
We know about Las Ruedas from old records. The 1870 census, which counts people living in an area, shows that many families were still in Las Ruedas then. However, by the 1900 census, most of those same families were listed as living in Rowe. This shows how quickly the village emptied out after the railroad arrived. Las Ruedas slowly became a ghost town.
