Rodeo
Rodeo, New Mexico
Hidalgo County
Elevation 4,128
Rodeo, New Mexico is one of the few towns located along the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad route that is still populated today. It is located in the San Simon Valley, a wide desert valley with the Chiricahua Mountains to the west and the Peloncillo Mountains to the east. Rodeo was established in 1902, built by the railroad to serve as a siding, water stop and station. This towns survival depended on the railroads operation, bringing travelers in on passenger trains and local ranchers bringing cattle for shipment. When the railroad ceased operation, this town nearly became a ghost town, but still survives today because of local ranchers and travelers in need of food or gas as they drive along US Highway 80 between Douglas, Arizona and Road Forks, New Mexico. Although the town is not actually a ghost town, most of the buildings and other structures used by the railroad are now gone or just the foundations remain. The Rodeo Post Office has been in operation from 1903 to present.
The remains of a loading dock used by the railroad while it was
still in operation. The tracks used to run just behind this structure.
The mountain in the background is part of the Chiricahua Mountains
west of Rodeo, in Arizona.
The roadside marker and picnic area located on US 80 in Rodeo,
New Mexico. The marker reads:
Rodeo Station
The El Paso and Southwestern railroad was constructed in 1902 by
Phelps, Dodge and Company, to link El Paso, Texas with the copper
mines in Bisbee, Arizona. New Mexico Highway 9, the "Border Route",
between Columbus and Rodeo, parallels the rail line, and actually
utilizes a portion of the abandoned railroad bed. The Southern Pacific's
"Golden State Limited" and "Californian" passenger trains passed
through Rodeo until 1952.
A present day view of a church and a store along US 80 in Rodeo.
A utility shed located along the railroad bed in Rodeo. This
structure was part of the railroad yard.
This page is part of the "Ghosts of the Southline" website, illustrating the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad and many of the abandoned towns along its route.
Photographs and documentation found on this website are the property of Lloyd W. Sumner
This site was created and is maintained by Lloyd W. Sumner