Columbus, New Mexico
| Columbus, New Mexico | |
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| Village | |
View of Columbus from Pancho Villa State Park
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 Location of Columbus, New Mexico |
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 Columbus, New Mexico
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| Coordinates: 31°49′51″N 107°38′30″W / 31.83083°N 107.64167°WCoordinates: 31°49′51″N 107°38′30″W / 31.83083°N 107.64167°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Luna |
| Founded | 1891 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Philip H. Skinner |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.8 sq mi (7.2 km2) |
| • Land | 2.8 sq mi (7.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,068 ft (1,240 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,765 |
| • Density | 635.3/sq mi (245.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 88029 |
| Area code(s) | 575 |
| FIPS code | 35-17050 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0897342 |
| Website | http://www.columbusnewmexico.com |
Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, about three miles north of the Mexican border. It is considered a place of historical interest, as the scene of the attack in 1916 by Mexican revolutionary leader Francisco "Pancho" Villa, that caused America to send 10,000 troops there in the Punitive Mexican Expedition. The population was 1,765 at the 2000 census.
Columbus was established in 1891 just across the Mexican border from Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and named after 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus. In 1902, the village was moved three miles north when the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad built its Columbus Station. This Station is now converted into a museum run by the Columbus Historical Society.
Around 1905, it was a very small town with a community of a hundred residents, two of those early settlers being Colonel Andrew O. Bailey, and Louis Heller. By this time, Columbus had only one general store, a saloon, and a society inspector. In time, a high school was built, and Perrow G. Mosely established the Columbus News, which later was renamed as the Columbus Courier. By 1915, the town had seven hundred residents, the Columbus State Bank was built, four hotels were constructed, several stores and a Baptist church were also established. At that time, Columbus also possessed rich silver, copper, lead, and zinc deposits.
On March 9, 1916, on the orders of Mexican revolutionary leader Francisco "Pancho" Villa, (Colonel) Francisco Beltrán, (Colonel) Candelario Cervantes, (General) Nicolás Fernández, (General) Pablo López and others led five hundred men in an attack against the town, which was garrisoned by a detachment of the 13th Cavalry Regiment. Villa's army burned a part of the town and killed seven or eight soldiers and 10 residents before retreating back into Mexico.
United States President Woodrow Wilson responded to the Columbus raid by sending 10,000 troops under Brigadier General John J. Pershing to Mexico to pursue Villa. This was known as the Punitive Mexican Expedition or Pancho Villa Expedition. The expedition was eventually called off after failing to find Villa, who had successfully escaped. The Pershing expedition brought prosperity and international attention to Columbus and a realization that war had come to the border of the United States
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