Trementina, New Mexico facts for kids
Trementina is a small, quiet place in San Miguel County, New Mexico, in the United States. It's not a city or a town with its own government, but rather an "unincorporated community." In 2010, only 184 people lived there. The special mail code for Trementina is 88439.
The name "Trementina" comes from the Spanish word for "turpentine." This name was chosen because of the sticky sap, called pitch, from the pinon pine trees in the area. Long ago, Spanish Americans used this sap as a type of folk medicine and even as a substitute for chewing gum! Today, Trementina is mostly made up of large ranches. It has very few people living there, and many buildings are empty. Because of this, some people even call it a "ghost town."
Trementina's Beginnings
Trementina started as a village settled by Spanish American families after the American Civil War. These early settlers were mostly sheepherders. They brought their sheep to graze in the wide-open grasslands and flat-topped hills (mesas) between Cañon Largo to the north and Variadero Mesa to the south. The Canadian River was to the east, and the Conchas River was to the west. Santiago Blea is often given credit for starting this community.
When these early Spanish Americans settled, they used natural landmarks like rivers or hills to show where their land was. But in 1880, the U.S. Geological Survey came to measure and map the land using new laws. Many people lost their land because they didn't understand these new rules or how to officially claim their homesteads. Other people from the eastern United States then used these new laws to claim land in the area. The Spanish Americans were kind and lived peacefully with these new settlers. Over time, families from both groups married each other and raised their children together in Trementina.
Changes and Challenges in Trementina
Life in Trementina changed over the years. Many of the new settlers left after a long dry period between 1918 and 1923. They sold their land to the families who decided to stay. This led to the creation of much larger ranches. These ranches eventually started raising cattle instead of sheep.
Even with these changes, the community kept going. Dozens of families lived in Trementina until the mid-1950s. A Presbyterian missionary named Alice Blake lived among the people for about 40 years. She brought new ideas to the community and strongly encouraged education. Because of her efforts, many people from Trementina went on to get higher education.
The number of people living in Trementina began to shrink after World War II. When soldiers returned from the war, they found their ranches were in poor condition. Many chose to find jobs in nearby cities to support their families. Even today, the descendants of Trementina's original families feel a strong connection to their heritage. They hold a yearly reunion on Memorial Day. This gathering honors the many veterans from the area and helps keep their strong community spirit alive.
