Deming(/ˈdɛmɪŋ/,DEM-ing) is a city inLuna County,New Mexico,United States, 60 miles (97 km) west ofLas Crucesand 35 miles (56 km) north of theMexican border.Thepopulationwas 14,758 as of the2020 census.[4]Deming is thecounty seatand principal community of Luna County.[5]
Deming, New Mexico | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Rock-Hunters Paradise | |
| Motto: "An Enterprise Community" | |
 Location of Deming inNew Mexico | |
  Deming, New Mexico Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:32°15′05″N107°45′00″W/ 32.25139°N 107.75000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Luna |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Named for | Mrs. Mary Deming Crocker |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Council |
| •Mayor | Michele Shillito |
| Area | |
• Total | 16.71 sq mi (43.29 km2) |
| • Land | 16.71 sq mi (43.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,331 ft (1,320 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 14,758 |
| • Density | 882.92/sq mi (340.89/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7(MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6(MDT) |
| ZIP codes | 88030-88031 |
| Area code | 575 |
| FIPS code | 35-20270 |
| GNISfeature ID | 2410321[2] |
| Website | cityofdeming |
| City Motto:"Once you arrive you can never go back" | |
History
edit
The city is within theGadsden Purchaseof 1853, which was acquired from Mexico specifically to provide a southern route for a railroad to connect the United States with California. Deming was founded in 1881 and incorporated in 1902, and is named after Mary Ann Deming Crocker, wife ofCharles Crocker,one of theBig Fourof the California railroad industry.[6]The Silver Spike was driven here on March 8, 1881, to commemorate the meeting of theSouthern Pacificwith the Rio Grande, Mexico and Pacific (a subsidiary of theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe) railroads. This was the secondtranscontinental railroadto be completed in North America.[7]
Deming became an importantport of entrynear the US-Mexican border. Anicknamewas given to the city at the time of its founding, "New Chicago". It was expected that with the surge of railroad usage, that the city would grow drastically and resembleChicago,Illinois.
There are numerous ancientNative Americansites around Deming. TheMimbresandCasas Grandescultures madepotteryof remarkable quality, and the Deming area is rich in native pottery artifacts, as well as beads, stone implements, stone carvings, graves, etc. The artifacts are now on display at multiple museums.
Government
edit
The city of Deming is governed by four elected council members and a Mayor. The mayor is elected by popular vote rather than by the council. All officers serve four-year terms.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Michele "Micki" Shillito was elected mayor,[8]and became the first woman to hold the office on Jan. 1, 2024. She succeeded Benny L. Jasso, who served as mayor from 2014 through 2023.
The city council consists of the following representatives from four districts:[9]
- District 1 - Julian Monjaras
- District 2 - Irma Rodriquez
- District 3 - Joe F. Milo
- District 4 - Stephen Westenhofer
Geography
editDeming is north of the center of Luna County in theBasin and Range Provinceof North America.Interstate 10runs through the north side of the city, leading east 60 miles (97 km) toLas Crucesand west the same distance toLordsburg.U.S. Route 180leads northwest from Deming 52 miles (84 km) toSilver City,whileState Road 26leads northeast 48 miles (77 km) toHatch.State Road 11leads south 32 miles (51 km) toColumbusand an additional 3 miles (5 km) to theMexico–United States borderatPuerto Palomas.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau,Deming has a total area of 16.7 square miles (43.3 km2), all land.[10]The city is surrounded by land that appears flat, with wide rubble aprons around the nearby mountains and imperceptible grades in various directions.
TheMimbres Riverfloods the Deming area once a decade or so,[citation needed]in periods of unusually heavy rainfall in theCookes RangeandBlack Rangeto the north.
Deming and its surrounding area is underlain by anaquiferof good-quality water. The aquifer is slowly recharged primarily by water from the mountains to the north. The water usually has a highsulfurcontent.
Climate
editDeming is located within the UpperChihuahuan Desertclimate zone. The climate is dry, hot, and breezy. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 °F (38 °C), but the altitude (4,300 feet (1,300 m)) and dry air sometimes make summer days more comfortable than one would expect given the high temperature.[11]
Most precipitation occurs asthunderstormsand showers during the July–Septembermonsoonperiod. Minor flooding sometimes occurs over large areas of flat ground. There are periods lasting from five to twenty years of relatively wet or dry years. Springtime is often windy, anddust stormscan be severe, occasionally lasting for days. Snow is likely to fall in winter, but usually melts in a day or two. Temperatures in winter are sometimes below freezing at night, but winter days are generally mild and sunny.
| Climate data for Deming, New Mexico, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
82 (28) |
88 (31) |
94 (34) |
104 (40) |
108 (42) |
109 (43) |
108 (42) |
102 (39) |
95 (35) |
84 (29) |
76 (24) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 69.4 (20.8) |
75.9 (24.4) |
83.2 (28.4) |
88.3 (31.3) |
97.4 (36.3) |
104.6 (40.3) |
103.9 (39.9) |
100.5 (38.1) |
96.6 (35.9) |
89.4 (31.9) |
79.0 (26.1) |
70.7 (21.5) |
105.8 (41.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.3 (14.6) |
63.9 (17.7) |
71.8 (22.1) |
79.9 (26.6) |
88.0 (31.1) |
96.7 (35.9) |
96.2 (35.7) |
93.6 (34.2) |
88.7 (31.5) |
79.6 (26.4) |
67.1 (19.5) |
57.4 (14.1) |
78.4 (25.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.1 (6.2) |
47.5 (8.6) |
54.0 (12.2) |
61.2 (16.2) |
69.2 (20.7) |
78.2 (25.7) |
80.9 (27.2) |
79.0 (26.1) |
73.5 (23.1) |
62.8 (17.1) |
50.7 (10.4) |
42.7 (5.9) |
61.9 (16.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.8 (−2.3) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
36.2 (2.3) |
42.5 (5.8) |
50.3 (10.2) |
59.8 (15.4) |
65.7 (18.7) |
64.3 (17.9) |
58.2 (14.6) |
45.9 (7.7) |
34.2 (1.2) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
45.3 (7.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 15.3 (−9.3) |
18.2 (−7.7) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
39.4 (4.1) |
51.3 (10.7) |
60.4 (15.8) |
58.9 (14.9) |
48.4 (9.1) |
33.6 (0.9) |
20.6 (−6.3) |
13.9 (−10.1) |
11.5 (−11.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) |
−1 (−18) |
10 (−12) |
23 (−5) |
26 (−3) |
40 (4) |
52 (11) |
52 (11) |
38 (3) |
22 (−6) |
9 (−13) |
2 (−17) |
−12 (−24) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 0.60 (15) |
0.49 (12) |
0.27 (6.9) |
0.27 (6.9) |
0.24 (6.1) |
0.36 (9.1) |
1.86 (47) |
1.53 (39) |
0.93 (24) |
0.77 (20) |
0.66 (17) |
0.79 (20) |
8.77 (223) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.5 (1.3) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.0 (2.5) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 4.2 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 4.5 | 51.6 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA[12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[13] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1,864 | — | |
| 1920 | 3,212 | 72.3% | |
| 1930 | 3,377 | 5.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,608 | 6.8% | |
| 1950 | 5,672 | 57.2% | |
| 1960 | 5,764 | 1.6% | |
| 1970 | 8,343 | 44.7% | |
| 1980 | 9,964 | 19.4% | |
| 1990 | 10,970 | 10.1% | |
| 2000 | 14,116 | 28.7% | |
| 2010 | 14,855 | 5.2% | |
| 2020 | 14,758 | −0.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14][3] | |||
As of thecensus[15]of 2000, there were 14,116 people, 5,267 households, and 3,628 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,512.0 inhabitants per square mile (583.8/km2). There were 6,192 housing units at an average density of 663.2 per square mile (256.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 69.66%White,1.37%Native American,1.23%African American,0.48%Asian,0.01%Pacific Islander,24.19% fromother races,and 3.07% from two or more races. 64.58% of the population wereHispanicorLatinoof any race. There were 5,267 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% weremarried couplesliving together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city, the population was: 30.9% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
Themedianincome for a household in the city was $20,081, and the median income for a family was $23,030. Males had a median income of $25,379 versus $16,462 for females. Theper capita incomefor the city was $10,943. About 28.5% of families and 32.9% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 47.4% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
editDeming'seconomyis based on transportation, real estate, agriculture, energy, retirement, tourism, and theUnited States Department of Homeland Security.United States Border Patrolvehicles comprise a large fraction of Deming area road traffic.[citation needed]
Deming is the only major stop onInterstate 10betweenLordsburg,60 miles (97 km) west, andLas Cruces,60 miles (97 km) east. Deming is also the closest major town toSilver City,50 miles (80 km) north, and it provides access to the state ofChihuahua,Mexico,via the village ofColumbus,30 miles (48 km) to the south. Deming also sits astride one of the major railroad lines linking the East Coast with the West Coast, via the Southern Route.
In 2006, the city's role in American homeland security expanded. Deming'sindustrial parkbecame the home of a Border Patrol training center, a 10-acre (4.0 ha)forward operating basenamed Border Wolf that supportedOperation Jump Start.[16]These temporary buildings at the airport have since been disassembled and removed.
In popular culture
editLiterature
edit- InCormac McCarthy's secondBorder Trilogynovel,The Crossing,Billy Parham heads for Deming after returning to the U.S. from his second trip to Mexico[17]
Movies and television
edit
Since 1953, several motion pictures have been filmed in Deming:
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull[18]
- Gas Food Lodging
- TheThemyscirascenes inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- The French-American movieTwo Men in Town (2014 film)(a remake of the 1973 French film,Deux Hommes Dans La VillestarringAlain Delon) was filmed in Deming and other locations in Luna County
- Creed II:Rocky BalboaandDonnie Creed(Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan) hold their training camp in the desert of Deming.[19]
Transportation
editAirports
- Deming Municipal Airport,formerlyDeming Army Air Field,is now private and charter.
- El Paso International Airport,nearest public airport with scheduled passenger flights, 108 mi (174 km) southeast of Deming.
Major highways
Railroads
- Freight service is provided byUnion Pacificand theSouthwestern Railroad.
- Amtrak'sSunset LimitedandTexas Eagleroutes stop atDeming Train Station.
Attractions
edit
The Deming Luna Mimbres museum, housed in the historicDeming Armory(1916) andCustoms House,features an important collection ofMimbresIndian painted pottery, historic period-furnished rooms in the Seaman Fields House, anantique autocollection, a restoredHarvey Houserestaurant, a doll collection, and a geological section.[20][21]
Nearby areCity of Rocks State Park,with volcanic rock formations,[22]andRockhound State Park,offering mineral and rock collecting.[23]
The Great American Duck Race is held every year on the third weekend of August. It features wet and dry duck race tracks, a hot air balloon show, a Tournament of Ducks Parade, a carnival, and a variety of vendors setting up their wares in the Courthouse Square and surrounding property.[24][25]
Deming has two wineries.St. Clair Wineryis New Mexico's largest winery.[26]TheLuna Rossa Wineryis a local estate winery that produces all of its wines with varieties grown on their own vineyards.
Education
editResidents attend schools in theDeming Public Schools.
Notable people
edit- Wade Blasingame,MLBpitcher
- Nacio Herb Brown,songwriter
- Max Crook,the songwriter who co-wroteDel Shannon's hit song "Runaway"
- Craig Noel,founding director of theOld Globe TheatreinSan Diego,California
- Sarah Bedichek Pipkin,geneticist
- Frank Ray,country music singer
Police controversy
editOn January 2, 2013, Deming officers Bobby Orosco and Robert Chavez pulled over David W. Eckert for arolling stop.Based on claim of "clenched buttocks", police obtained a search warrant and executed multiplecavity searches,surgeries and several other medical procedures on the driver.[27]No drugs were found, and the driver was sent a bill for the procedures performed by the Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City.[28][29]In January 2014, the lawsuit with Luna County and the city of Deming was settled for a total of $1.6 million.[30]
Footnotes
edit- ^"ArcGIS REST Services Directory".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 12,2022.
- ^abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deming, New Mexico
- ^ab"Census Population API".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 12,2022.
- ^"Total Population: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data Summary (P1), Deming city, New Mexico".data.census.gov.U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 3,2023.
- ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2011.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
- ^Pearce, T.M. ed.,’’New Mexico Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary’’, UNM Press 1965,ISBN0-8263-0082-0
- ^Myrick, David, ‘’New Mexico’s Railroads, A Historic Survey’’, University of New Mexico Press 1990.ISBN0-8263-1185-7
- ^"Deming, Columbus elect new mayors".Deming Headlight.Deming. November 8, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 13,2024.
- ^"City of Deming Government Directory".City of Deming.RetrievedJanuary 13,2024.
- ^"U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: New Mexico".U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division.RetrievedMay 18,2020.
- ^"Deming, New Mexico".Archived fromthe originalon January 25, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 26,2008.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Deming, NM".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedAugust 10,2023.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS El Paso".National Weather Service.RetrievedAugust 10,2023.
- ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^Concept Perfected in Iraq, Afghanistan Used Along U.S. Border,anAmerican Forces Press Servicepress release
- ^McCarthy, Cormac.The Crossing,Chapter IV.p. 2.
- ^IMDb,IMDbMovies filmed that reference Deming
- ^Cortes Gonzalez, Maria (June 14, 2018)."Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan spotted in Deming for 'Creed II'".El Paso Times.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
- ^"Deming, New Mexico".Archived fromthe originalon January 7, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 26,2008.
- ^Welcome to Old West County: Deming Customs House
- ^"City Of Rocks State Park".Archived fromthe originalon February 5, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 26,2008.
- ^"Rock Hound State Park".Archived fromthe originalon February 5, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 26,2008.
- ^ "Waddling warriors: Deming's annual ducks races get under way this weekend".Las Cruces Sun-News.August 17, 2008.
- ^"The Great American Duck Race".Great American Duck Race of Deming, Inc.RetrievedAugust 18,2008.
- ^Heald, Eleanor; Heald, Ray (March 4, 2008)."Bringing the people to the wine: How New Mexico connects wines, tourism and its unique cuisine".Appellation America Inc. Online Wine Portal.Appellation America Inc.RetrievedApril 20,2015.
- ^Kerr, Orin(November 7, 2013)."A Preliminary Legal Analysis of Eckert v. City of Deming, the" Clenched Buttocks "Case".The Volokh Conspiracy.
- ^Chris Ramirez (November 4, 2013)."Traffic stop nightmare".KOB-TV.RetrievedNovember 5,2013.
- ^Steven Nelson (November 5, 2013)."Man Seeks Millions After N.M. Police Force Colonoscopy in Drug Search".U.S. News & World Report.RetrievedNovember 5,2013.
- ^Russell Contreras (January 16, 2014)."David Eckert, N.M. Man Given Enemas Over Non-Existent Drugs, Settles Suit With City And County".Huff Post.RetrievedJanuary 17,2014.
External links
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