Historic Railroad Logging in the Zuni Mountains, Part 2 1/2 - Cibola NF - NM - PIT Blog - Passport in Time

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Historic Railroad Logging in the Zuni Mountains, Part 2 1/2 - Cibola NF - NM

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Between 1890 and 1930, hardy and hopeful pioneers worked to eke out a living in the rough and rugged Zuni Mountains of western New Mexico. They made a series of attempts to develop an organized, capital-intensive lumber industry in the area. A railroad network was established to bring logs to nearby mills, which in turn shipped lumber and wood products to markets as distant as California, Colorado and Missouri. The logging industry ultimately failed due to unstable markets and dwindling resources, and the lumbermen closed their mills, pulled up their railroad tracks and left presumably for greener forests. The legacy of this logging lifeway persists in the railroad remnants those tough pioneers left behind. Last year, we made our second attempt...and Mother Nature had other plans: oh, the rain, the rain! This year, we will take another stab at it and, hopefully, find it dry and the conditions workable! PIT volunteers and FS staff will, once again, hike into the beautiful Zuni Mountains to continue documentation of rock cuts, trestles, bridges, culverts, earthen fills, and other railroad features. Join us this summer for another hike back in time through the Cibola's logging railroad history!



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