Alma, New Mexico
| Alma, New Mexico | |
|---|---|
| Ghost town | |
 Alma
Alma
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| Coordinates: 33°22′46″N 108°54′12″W / 33.37944°N 108.90333°WCoordinates: 33°22′46″N 108°54′12″W / 33.37944°N 108.90333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Catron |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC) |
| Area code(s) | 575 |
| GNIS feature ID | 903113 |
Alma is an unincorporated community in Catron County, New Mexico, United States, north of Glenwood and south of Reserve.
Sergeant James C. Cooney laid out a town on site of Alma in the early 1870s, but left it undeveloped. The town was bought by a Captain Birney, who named it "Alma" for his mother. In 1882 the U.S. Post Office opened in Alma, lasting until 1931.
The town was home of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang for a short period. They worked at the nearby WS ranch. Reportedly, the foreman and ranch manager were very happy with the Wild Bunch's work since the rustling stopped while they were employed at the ranch.Tom Ketchum, Harvey Logan and William Antrim, Billy the Kid's stepfather, also lived in Alma at some point. Artist Olaf Wieghorst once worked on the Cunningham Ranch near Alma.
Alma is the site of a Boot Hill cemetery, which is located about two miles north of the town.
The "Alma Massacre" involved a raid on United States settlers' homes around Alma in 1880. As many as 41 people were killed during and immediately after the event. There were two memorials erected to commemorate these events.
Today, Alma is labeled as a "ghost town" by the New Mexico Tourism Department. Situated on U.S. Route 180, the town has a restaurant and a small store, as well as a few dozen scattered homes. There is a cemetery with more than 100 burials dating from the 1880s to present. The well-kept grounds are marked with a hand-crafted sign. There are several other cemeteries in Alma's proximity, as well, including the WS Ranch Cemetery and Cooney's Tomb.
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