Apache Creek, New Mexico

Apache Creek is an unincorporated community in eastern Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Located three miles northeast of Cruzville, it is located at the convergence of Apache Creek and the Tularosa River. The Apache Creek Pueblo, also called the Apache Creek Ruin, is near the town. It was listed by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission in 1969. [(2007) [http://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/documents/PropertiesByCounty.pdf Properties By County] . New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission. Retrieved 6/14/07.]

History

Apache leaders Mangas Coloradas, Victorio, Geronimo, Chato and Cochise carried on guerrilla warfare against United States settlers in this area. Cochise's infamous "Alma Massacre" was carried out from this area, as well. Originally it is the Apache were friendly to the explorers and colonists, but when their land and water was taken over by the pioneers they fought back. The warfare was finally came to an end after the surrender of Geronimo in 1886. [Banks, P.H. (nd) [http://www.southernnewmexico.com/Articles/Southwest/Catron/CruzvilleApacheCreekArago.html Cruzville, Apache Creek, Aragon and Old Horse Springs — NM Hwy12 from Reserve to Datil] . SouthernNewMexico.com. Retrieved 6/13/07.]

An early fight in the Lincoln County War occurred near the a sawmill on 5 April 1878. Several men, including Dick Brewer and Billy the Kid, attempted to arrest Buckshot Roberts. Roberts and Brewer were killed, and two others wounded in the battle that followed. [(2000) [http://www.newmexicoet.com/nm_photos_apache_creek_00.html Apache Creek] . New Mexico Entertainment. Retrieved 6/13/07.]

From 1928 to 1958 Apache Creek had its own post office, and since then mail has gone to Aragon.

Present

Apache Creek has a cemetery that dates from 1900 through the 1960s. [Martineau, N. (1999) [http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/nm/catron/cemeteries/apache.txt Apache Creek] . USGenWeb. Retrieved 6/13/07.]

Apache Creek Pueblo

The Apache Creek Pueblo is located north of the town of Apache Creek. It was listed by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission in 1969 as the "Apache Creek Ruin". [(2007) [http://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/documents/PropertiesByCounty.pdf Properties By County] . New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission. Retrieved 6/14/07.] The site has been identified as an Upland Mogollon pueblo with pithouses occupied between 1150-1300 A.D. [ [http://www.nps.gov/history/nagpra/fed_notices/nagpradir/nic0216.html Federal Register: July 22, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 140)] . National Park Service. Retrieved 6/14/07.] The pueblo had between 25 and 50 rooms with masonry construction throughout. [Hegmon, M., Nelson, M. and Ruth, S. (1998). "Abandonment and Reorganization in the Mimbres Region of the American Southwest." "American Anthropologist. 100"(1) March. pp. 152.]

References

External links

* [http://www.newmexicoet.com/NMET_Apache_Creek_01.jpgApache Creek Store]
* [http://www.newmexicoet.com/NMET_Apache_Creek_02.jpgApache Creek Church]