Silver City, New Mexico

Silver Cityis a town inGrant County, New Mexico,United States. It is thecounty seat[5]and the home ofWestern New Mexico University.As of the2010 censusthe population was 10,315.[6]As of the2020 census,the population was 9,704.[7]

Silver City, New Mexico
Downtown and the surrounding area as viewed from La Capilla Heritage Park
Downtown and the surrounding area as viewed from La Capilla Heritage Park
Official seal of Silver City, New Mexico
Location in the State of New Mexico
Location in the State ofNew Mexico
Silver City is located in New Mexico
Silver City
Silver City
Location in New Mexico
Silver City is located in the United States
Silver City
Silver City
Location in the United States
Coordinates:32°46′42″N108°16′11″W/ 32.77833°N 108.26972°W/32.77833; -108.26972
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountyGrant
IncorporatedJanuary 14, 1876[1]
Government
• TypeCouncil-Manager
MayorKen Ladner
Area
• Total
10.14 sq mi (26.26 km2)
• Land10.12 sq mi (26.21 km2)
• Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation5,919 ft (1,804 m)
Population
• Total
9,704
• Density960/sq mi (370/km2)
Time zoneUTC−07:00(MST)
• Summer (DST)UTC−06:00(MDT)
ZIP Codes
88061-88062
Area code575
FIPS code35-73260
GNISfeature ID2413285[3]
Websitewww.townofsilvercity.org

History

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Aerial view of Silver City, 1943
Silver City's City Hall.
St. Mary's Church, listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
H.B. Ailman House, a historic home now used as the Silver City Municipal Museum
Doors to La Capilla Chapel, in the Chihuahua Hill Historic District.
The Silver City Woman's Club – building on theNRHP.

The valley that is now the site of Silver City once served as anApachecampsite. With the arrival of theSpaniards,the area became known for itscoppermining. After theAmerican Civil War,a settlement developed and became known as "La Ciénega de San Vicente" (the Oasis of St. Vincent). With a wave of Americanprospectors,the pace of change increased, and Silver City was founded in the summer of 1870. The founding of the town occurred shortly after the discovery ofsilverore deposits at Chloride Flat, on the hill just west of the farm of Captain John M. Bullard and his brother James. Following the silver strike, Captain Bullard laid out the streets of Silver City, and a bustlingtent cityquickly sprang to life. Although the trajectory of Silver City's development was to be different from the hundreds of other mining boom towns established during the same period, Captain Bullard himself never lived to see even the beginnings of permanence, as he was killed in a confrontation with Apache less than a year later, on February 23, 1871.

The town's violent crime rate was substantial during the 1870s. However, Grant County SheriffHarvey Whitehillwas elected in 1874, and gained a sizable reputation for his abilities at controlling trouble. In 1875, Whitehill became the first lawman to arrestBilly the Kid,known at the time under the alias of Henry Antrim. Whitehill arrested him twice, both times for theft in Silver City (Sheriff Whitehill testified to the Justice of the Peace that he believed Henry Antrim did not do the actual stealing the second time arrested, but assisted in the hiding of the property stolen by Sombrero Jack. Whitehill would later claim that the young man was a likeable kid, whose stealing was a result more of necessity than criminal. His mother is buried in the town cemetery. In 1878, the town hired its first town marshal,"Dangerous Dan" Tucker,who had been working as a deputy for Whitehill since 1875.Butch Cassidyand hisWild Bunchwere also reported to frequent the Silver City saloons in the late 1800s.[8]

Mrs. Lettie B. Morrill, in a talk given to theDaughters of the American Revolutionchapter in Silver City on September 19, 1908, stated, "John Bullard was placed in the first grave dug in Silver City, having been killed while punishing the Indians for an attack upon the new town; the brothers were prospectors about the country for many years. The last one left for the old home about 1885, saying, 'It is only a matter of time until the Indians get me if I stay here.'" Silver City was also the starting point for many expeditions hunting treasures, such as theLost Adams Diggings.

The communities of Silver City andPinos Altosdeveloped as 19th century miners recovered easily extracted copper, gold and silver from ore deposits of the area. Standard-gaugeSanta Fe Railroadreached Silver City in 1886, andSilver City, Pinos Altos and Mogollon Railroadwas incorporated in 1889 to build a railway north toMogollon.Construction was limited to 5 miles (8.0 km) of grading[9]until Wisconsin-based Comanche Mining and Smelting purchased the railroad in 1903[10]after horse-drawn ore transport became uneconomical. The Silver City smelter burned shortly after purchase, but was rebuilt with three blast furnaces and a reverberatory furnace to handle 225 tons of ore per day.[11]Regular SC, PA&M steam service was briefly running from 1907 to 1913.

In 1893, New Mexico Normal School was established. It was later known as New Mexico Western State Teachers College. In 1963, it was renamedWestern New Mexico University.Today, WNMU offers eight graduate degrees, 41 baccalaureate degrees, and 18 associate degree and certificate programs. The WNMU's mascot is referred to as theMustangs.Recognition for the university includes the 2003 Zia Award, the 2005 Best Practice Award (for the School of Education), the 2006 Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year Award, the 2008 Piñon Award, and the 2008 Compañero Award.

The town had originally been designed with the streets running north to south. It was also built without adequate planning for storm water runoff. Businesses sprang up, and people learned to deal with the inconveniences of the summer rain. Silver City was built with high sidewalks in the downtown area to accommodate high flood waters. However, uncontrolled grazing and deforestation over time in the surrounding area contributed to higher levels of runoff. During the night of July 21, 1895, a heavy wall of water rushed through the downtown business district, leaving a trail of destruction. A ditch 55 feet (17 m) lower than the original street level was created in what was once known as Main Street.[12]Businesses on Main Street began using their back doors on Bullard Street as main entrances and eventually, were permanently used as the new front entrances. To this day, the incorrect odd/even addressing conventions on the east side of Bullard Street are a reminder that the buildings were addressed on Main Street originally, not Bullard Street. Main Street now ends near the back of the Silver City Police Station, where the Big Ditch Park begins.

TheMimbres MogollonIndians (A.D. 200–A.D. 1140/50) once lived in the area, along with other prehistoric groups, including the Salado. Mimbres archaeological sites are located throughout Silver City and surrounding communities on federal, state, municipal, and private property. Collecting of Mimbres pottery by landowners and others is documented as far back as the late 1870s. Collecting was something that occurred during a Sunday picnic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some individuals maintained collections that can now be seen in theSmithsonian,and other museums, who sent individuals out to acquire collections in the nearby Mimbres Valley during the early 1900s. Others dug into the ancient sites and used the pottery they found fortarget practice—something that occurred into the 1930s according to oral histories. Collecting, and the looting, of Mimbres Mogollon sites did not stop with archaeological research conducted on private lands during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1970s, nor with the passage of the New Mexico "Burial Law" in 1989. Sadly, unlawful looting continues to this day, and many prehistoric sites have been badly damaged or obliterated.

The Apaches occupied areas in the vicinity of Silver City beginning in the late 1500s to early 1600s, based on archaeological evidence.[citation needed]

Geography

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Silver City is located near the center of Grant County, at the southern foot of the Pinos Altos Range of theMogollon Mountains.The town is 3 miles (5 km) east of theContinental Divide,in the valley of San Vicente Arroyo, a south-flowing tributary of theMimbres River.

U.S. Route 180passes through the northern part of the town, leading east 10 miles (16 km) toBayardand northwest 29 miles (47 km) toCliff.New Mexico State Road 90(Hudson Street) leads southwest 45 miles (72 km) toLordsburgandInterstate 10,andState Road 15leads north 44 miles (71 km) toGila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

According to theU.S. Census Bureau,Silver City has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.3 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.17%, is water.[6]

Geology

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The local geology of the Silver City area is complex. Sedimentary gravels are found in the form of the alluvial Mangas Valley gravels. Metamorphic schist and gneiss are also found. The downtown area is mostly made of granite outcrops.[citation needed]

Climate

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The climate of Silver City is classified as Csa (Mediterranean with hot summers and cool winters) in theKöppensystem. A Mediterranean climate is unusual in New Mexico, occurring only in a small upland area in the southwestern part of the state. Silver City's climate is characterized by moderate rainfall in fall and winter (October to February, a dry spring (March to June), and rains from (July to September) in what is called theNorth American Monsoon.The monsoon, which is irregular from year to year, impacts mostly southern New Mexico and south-eastern Arizona in the United States.[13]

During the period from 1901 to 1964, when readings were taken at the city center (which is cooler and wetter than outlying and lower-elevation districts nearby), the coldest temperature recorded was −13 °F (−25 °C) on January 11, 1962, and the hottest 105 °F (40.6 °C) on July 5, 1901. The coldest month was January 1949, with a monthly mean temperature of 28.7 °F or −1.8 °C, and the hottest, July 1951, which averaged 77.4 °F or 25.2 °C. The wettest calendar year in this time span was 1914, with 24.97 inches or 634.2 millimetres and the driest, 1947 with 6.77 inches or 172.0 millimetres. The most snow in one season was 48.0 inches or 1.22 metres between July 1912 and June 1913, which featured the coldest winter on record with 33.1 °F or 0.6 °C as the mean from December to February.

Climate data for Silver City, New Mexico, 1991–2021. (Elevation 5,919 feet or 1,800 metres)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 49.1
(9.5)
52.9
(11.6)
60.5
(15.8)
68.6
(20.3)
76.4
(24.7)
85.9
(29.9)
84.0
(28.9)
81.6
(27.6)
77.2
(25.1)
68.5
(20.3)
58.1
(14.5)
48.6
(9.2)
67.6
(19.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 36.6
(2.6)
40.0
(4.4)
47.0
(8.3)
55.0
(12.8)
63.7
(17.6)
73.7
(23.2)
73.0
(22.8)
70.7
(21.5)
66.1
(18.9)
56.6
(13.7)
45.9
(7.7)
36.6
(2.6)
55.4
(13.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.3
(−2.6)
30.0
(−1.1)
34.8
(1.6)
41.8
(5.4)
50.1
(10.1)
60.1
(15.6)
62.0
(16.7)
59.8
(15.4)
55.1
(12.8)
45.8
(7.7)
35.8
(2.1)
28.1
(−2.2)
44.2
(6.8)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm) 1.38
(35)
1.38
(35)
0.91
(23)
0.47
(12)
0.43
(11)
0.71
(18)
2.87
(73)
2.52
(64)
1.69
(43)
1.22
(31)
1.14
(29)
1.57
(40)
16.29
(414)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.68
(6.8)
1.65
(4.2)
0.47
(1.2)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.04
(0.10)
2.76
(7.0)
2.95
(7.5)
10.55
(26.8)
Average precipitation days 4 4 3 2 2 2 9 9 5 4 3 4 51
Source: Climate Data[14]

Note: Climatic data will vary slightly depending upon the period of time chosen to calculate average figures.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18801,800
18902,10216.8%
19002,73530.1%
19103,21717.6%
19202,662−17.3%
19303,51932.2%
19405,04443.3%
19507,02239.2%
19606,972−0.7%
19708,55722.7%
19809,88715.5%
199010,6838.1%
200010,545−1.3%
201010,315−2.2%
20209,704−5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[15][4]

As of thecensus[16]of 2000, there were 10,545 people, 4,227 households, and 2,730 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,040.1 inhabitants per square mile (401.6/km2). There were 4,757 housing units at an average density of 469.2 per square mile (181.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 71.7%White,0.9%African American,1.1%Native American,0.5%Asian,0.1%Pacific Islander,22.4% fromother races,and 3.4% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 39.8% of the population.

There were 4,227 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town, the population by age was: 25.0% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,881, and the median income for a family was $31,374. Males had a median income of $28,476 versus $18,434 for females. Theper capita incomefor the town was $13,813. About 17.7% of families and 21.9% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

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Silver City was founded as a mining town.George Hearstbuilt asmelterafter the Silver City, Deming and Pacificnarrow gauge railwayreached Silver City in 1883. TheSanta Fe Railroadprovidedstandard gaugerail service in 1886, and Commanche Mining and Smelting extended the 2-foot narrow gaugeSilver City, Pinos Altos and Mogollon RailroadtoPinos Altosin 1906 (none of which are still in existence).[17]

The nearby mining operations, formerlyPhelps Dodge,are still the basis for the local economy. In 2006, theChinoand Tyrone mines produced 125,400 long tons (127,400 t) of copper. Mine employment was 1,250, with wages and salaries totaling $73 million. However, a Phelps-Dodge spokesman remarked in 2007 that "based on current economic projections, our properties in New Mexico will not be operating in 25 years".[18]Phelps Dodge was acquired by international mining firmFreeport-McMoRanin March 2007, and operations at the Chino and Tyrone operations are continuing under the Freeport name.

Tourism, retirement and trade are the other major components of Silver City's economy. In 2006, an average three-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot (140 m2) house sold for about $160,000.[19]

Arts and culture

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Silver City is home to many musicians and artists and has a thriving downtown arts district.[20]The Silco Theater, built in 1923, was renovated and re-opened on February 26, 2016, as a 156-seat community movie house.[21]

Mimbres Region Arts Council (MRAC)[22]has been named #1 arts council in New Mexico for a decade and is the recipient of the 2013 New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. MRAC presents the Silver City Blues Festival each May and Pickamania—a Bluegrass, Americana, Folk and acoustic festival—each September, in addition to a number of other arts events throughout the year. MRAC's Youth Mural Program has brought school children together with artists and community members to create over 40 public murals throughout the region.

Grant County Community Concert Association presents numerous performance events each fall, winter, and spring.[23]The firstSouthwest Festival of the Written Wordwas held in 2013, at multiple venues in historic downtown Silver City. Over 50 presenters—fiction and nonfiction writers, poets, bloggers, journalists, lyricists, editors, dramatists, and publishers from throughout the Southwest—were represented.

The Red Paint Pow Wow, Chicano Music Festival, Silver City Clay Festival, Red Dot Studio & Gallery Tours, Chocolate Fantasia, Gila River Festival, Red Hot Children's Fiesta, Tamal Fiesta y Mas and the Silver City Fiber Arts Festival are also held in Silver City.

Whiskey Creek Zócalo opened in 2023 featuring a live-music venue, artist workshops, and plant nursery. Run by two generations of native New Mexico residents with a strong appreciation for community and New Mexico culture.[24]

Education

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Scenic view of the WNMU campus, 2012

Public schools

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Public schoolsare in the Silver Consolidated School District, as well as one state-authorized charter high school. The District covers the Town of Silver City as well asCliff,Pinos Altos, Tyrone, and White Signal. The system has five elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools.

Elementary schools

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  • G.W. Stout Elementary
  • Harrison H. Schmitt Elementary
  • Jose Barrios, Jr. Elementary
  • Sixth Street Elementary

Middle school

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  • La Plata Middle School
  • Aldo Leopold Charter School (middle school and high school)

High schools

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  • Opportunity High School
  • Silver High School
  • Aldo Leopold Charter School (middle school and high school)

Private schools

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Private schoolsinclude:

  • Calvary Christian Academy
  • Guadalupe Montessori School

Colleges

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Transportation

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Airports

  • Grant County Airport,a county-owned public use airport also served by one commercial airline, located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Silver City.
  • Whiskey Creek Airport (FAA LID: 94E),a public use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) east of the central business district of Silver City.

Major highways

Media

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Newspapers

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Radio

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  • 89.1 FM KURU,Gila / Mimbres Community Radio
  • 88.1 FM KOOT, owned by Community Access Television of Silver

Television

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  • Community Access Television of Silver (CATS) - local cable channels 17, 18, and 19

Points of interest

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Ft. Bayard post hospital in 1890, a building listed on theNRHP
City hall

TheGila Cliff Dwellings National Monumentis about 44 miles (71 km) north of Silver City, via the windingNM 15.At the monument, the remains of Indigenous inhabitants within five caves in a cliff can be found. They were built sometime between 1275 and 1300 AD by theMogollon culture.In addition to ancient ruins, there are plenty of places to camp, hike and fish within theGila Wilderness.

The Catwalk is a trail enclosed by a metal walkway that suspends 25 feet (7.6 m) above the Whitewater Canyon hugging the canyon walls. It follows water-pipe routes built by miners in 1893. When the pipes needed repair, the miners walked on them. Visitors can explore the walkway and trail, picnic, and enjoy the river. It is located 70 miles (110 km) north of Silver City onU.S. Route 180nearGlenwood.

There are several lakes in the area. Lake Roberts covers 72-acre (290,000 m2) about 27 miles (43 km) north of Silver City onNM 15near theNM 35junction. Other lakes in the Silver City area include Bill Evans Lake, Snow Lake, Wall Lake, Bear Canyon Dam. Anglers have a choice of brown and rainbow trout, catfish, and bass. In addition, several mountainous rivers can be found nearby. Some of note are theGila River,Negrito Creek,San Francisco River,and Willow Creek.

The Kneeling Nun is a natural rock formation located about 20 miles (32 km) to the east of Silver City alongNM 152.Several legends have developed explaining its origin.[25][26]

Nearby isFort Bayard Historic District,about eight miles east of Silver City, off of US Highway 180. The District was the location of Fort Bayard, which was established in 1866 to station soldiers of the US Army in proximity to mining camps in the region. In later years the fort was converted to an Army hospital, specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis. In the early 1920s it became a US Veterans Hospital under the Veterans Administration. The property was sold to the State of New Mexico in 1965, which used the facility as a State Hospital. With the construction of a newer hospital in 2010, the property was vacated. Fort Bayard then became home to a museum, maintained by the Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society. The museum personnel offer tours of both the building and the grounds on a regular schedule.

Notable people

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Silver City was the finish line in the 2001 movieRat Race,in which several people race fromLas Vegasto a locker containing $2 million in Silver City's train station. In reality, there is no longer a train station in Silver City and the movie was not filmed in Silver City.

Silver City is mentioned in the 2007 filmThere Will Be Blood,whose screenplay was written by Paul Thomas Anderson and was based on the 1927 novelOil!byUpton Sinclair.[31]Upton Sinclair based his novel on the experiences ofEdward L. Doheny,a prospector and oil tycoon living in the Silver City area (nearKingston). In the movie, Henry, the man claiming to be Daniel's half-brother, says that he had been in Silver City for two years drilling on his own.

In the 1956 filmBacklash,Jim Slater, played byRichard Widmark,goes to Silver City with the body of the deputy sheriff he killed. Slater is advised to leave quickly forTucsonby the sheriff, who advises him, "We don't like gunfights here in Silver City."

In the 2010 road trip movieFriendship!,the two friends Veit and Tom are stopped and arrested by Silver City police because of driving naked. Since their car was damaged, they need to rest and raise some money in Silver City for getting their car repaired before being able to continue their trip.

The filmA Boy Called Sailboatwas filmed in and near Silver City in 2016.

In 1954 the filmSalt of the Earth,one of the first pictures to advance the feminist social and political point of view, centers on a long and difficult strike, based on the 1951 strike against the Empire Zinc Company in Grant County. The movie featured many local non-actors, the movie was not filmed in Silver City but in a small town 17 miles east.

Silver City is also mentioned in several episodes in the highly ratedABCseriesThe Rifleman(1958–1963) starringChuck Connorsin the title role. Silver City is located some distance from the fictional North Fork town where the program is situated.

References

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  1. ^"Leyes Especiales Y Locales de Nuevo Mejico".New Mexican Printing Company. June 22, 1885 – via Google Books.
  2. ^"ArcGIS REST Services Directory".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 12,2022.
  3. ^abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Silver City, New Mexico
  4. ^ab"Census Population API".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 12,2022.
  5. ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
  6. ^ab"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Silver City town, New Mexico".American Factfinder.U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 23,2016.[dead link]
  7. ^"QuickFacts – Silver City town, New Mexico".U.S. Census Bureau. July 1, 2021.RetrievedMarch 25,2022.
  8. ^"Silver City New Mexico".DesertUSA.RetrievedMarch 23,2018.
  9. ^Tufford, Garrie L. (1999). "A Caboose for the Silver City, Pinos Altos & Mogollon".Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette(January/February). Benchmark Publications: 30&31.
  10. ^Myrick (1970) p. 150
  11. ^Pashina, Keith (1992). "The Silver City, Pinos Altos & Mogollon Railroad".Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette(May/June). Benchmark Publications: 39–45.
  12. ^"Destruction of Main Street",Silver City Daily Press,July 9, 1975, p. 7
  13. ^"The North American Monsoon".Climate.gov.RetrievedFebruary 5,2023.
  14. ^"Silver City Climate".Climate Data.RetrievedFebruary 5,2023.
  15. ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
  16. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  17. ^Ericson, Duane (2007).Silver City Narrow Gauge.M2FQ Publications.
  18. ^New Mexico Business Journal, 9-07, p. 31
  19. ^New Mexico Business Journal,9-07, p. 33
  20. ^"Arts".VisitSilverCity.org.RetrievedMarch 13,2017.
  21. ^"About Us » The Silco Theater".The Silco Theater.RetrievedMarch 13,2017.
  22. ^"Mimbres Region Arts Council – Nurture a creative community".mimbresarts.org.
  23. ^"GCCCA Home Page".Grant County Community Concert Association.RetrievedMarch 13,2017.
  24. ^"Plant nursery, market just first phase of old school rehab".May 6, 2022.
  25. ^"Southwest Crossroads— The Kneeling Nun".southwestcrossroads.org.
  26. ^"Southwestern New Mexico: Kneeling Nun Legend".Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2009.
  27. ^"Paul Benedict dies at 70; actor from 'The Jeffersons' and 'Sesame Street'"Los Angeles Times,December 8, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  28. ^Sacks, H, "Daniel B Borenstein, MD, One Hundred Twenty-Ninth President, 2000–2001".Am J Psychiatry2001;158:1603–1604
  29. ^abcBass, Thomas A.,The Predictors,1999, Henry Holt Publishing, p. 54
  30. ^Krisman, Michael J., ed. (December 1980)."Death Notice, Charles S. Kilburn".Assembly.West Point, NY: Association of Graduates, USMA. p. 128 – viaGoogle Books.
  31. ^"Reel NM: Dan Mayfield Talks Movies: Something Terrific in State of Utah, Friday, January 25, 2008." Dan Mayfield,The Albuquerque Journal
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