Rincón

The fork the panel describes made Rincón briefly important. The branch west from here carried the Santa Fe to Deming, where in March 1881 it met the Southern Pacific coming from the west and completed the nation's second transcontinental railroad. An early two-story frame Santa Fe depot stood at Rincón, and the Kingston Weekly Shaft, a mining-camp newspaper, moved its press to Rincón in 1893. Today Rincón counts among the colonias of the Hatch Valley, on the Camino Real's old line.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Rincón Rincón was originally named El Rincón de Fray Diego in honor of a 17th century Franciscan who died here. Established as a settlement called Thorne in 1881, it became Rincón in 1883. With the establishment of the Santa Fe Railroad, Rincón became the area's main business and trading center. The line forked here, one track going west to Deming, the other south to El Paso.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Hatch — 5.6 mi
• Jornada del Muerto — 7.6 mi
• Fort Selden State Monument — 12 mi
• Paraje San Diego — 12 mi