By Billy Donati
From a ranch and forage station named Willow Springs, the town of Raton emerged on the Santa Fe Trail when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad decided to locate its repair shop at the southern base of Raton Pass-the year was 1880. Within a year the population was nearly 3,000 and because of the rich coal deposits and ranching, the town grew.
Mercantiles, restaurants, hotels and saloons, made their appearance in response to the railroad.
Then when the first automobile came over the Raton Pass into New Mexico, the automobile would become the primary form of transportation and only then did Second Street become the main thoroughfare.
Raton is a frontier city born of the railroad, coal mining, wild west shootouts, fights, and vendettas, theater and arts, and education-New Mexico's first public school was founded in 1884 in Raton.
We talk-the-talk about Raton, but we also walk-the-walk in the downtown area with several interesting historical markers that make up the Raton Downtown Historic District Walking Tour. The tour re-traces the steps of the men and women who built the city and highlights many of the original structures they gave us.
Just some of the things you'll see include the Santa Fe Depot, which in the early 1900s served as many as 60 trains a day. The building was originally built in 1903 as a Mission Revival style building. Although still well-used as the main Amtrak rail gateway into Raton, it serves thousands of rail passengers including several thousands of boy scouts visiting nearby Philmont Scout Ranch every summer.
After several years of negotiations, the depot was recently deeded back to the City for use as part of the multi-modal facility for transportation, and plans are being developed for its renovation. Right across the street from the depot is Cook's Hall, built in the late 1880s as a meeting place. The first-floor display windows are divided by the original iron pilasters. The Abourezk Building from 1906 is adorned with garlands and two female figureheads. It's been used as a drug store and a grocery. The Labadie House, built in 1882, is one of the oldest dwellings in Raton.
Goat Hill circa early 1900s
Ripley Park was created in the early 1900s on railroad donated land. Its two sprawling acres of grass and trees are as beautiful as they were 100 years ago.
The A.H. Carey Hardware Store was one of the first buildings erected on Second Street, which is Raton's main street and business center. The two story stone building with brick facade is a common architectural style in Raton. The Seaberg Hotel was the brainchild of Hugo Seaberg, a Swedish immigrant who built the massive structure in 1903. It was widely known as one of the most luxurious lodging establishments in New Mexico before going bankrupt in 1937 and then succumbing to a major fire in 2012. All that remains now is an empty lot ready for an RFP proposal.
The DiLisio Building named for Italian immigrant Joe DiLisio, who owned and operated various successful local enterprises, was built in 1918. Originally the home of International State Bank, the building featured three Doric columns and stained glass tops on the lower windows. Just up Cook Avenue from the DiLisio Building, is the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library and is a superb example of early-twentieth-century neoclassical architecture. Formerly the United States Post Office, the library was renamed in honor of Raton banker Arthur Johnson.
The Swastika Hotel, built in 1929, maintains the familiar swastika insignia along its roof-edge. Although many think of Nazi Germany at the sight of the emblem, the original insignia, turned 90 degrees from the direction of the Nazi symbol, is actually an Indian symbol of good luck. The building is now the home of InBank.
The Shuler Theater, located on North Second Street, is a two-story live performance theater that currently hosts concerts, plays, and other live performances. The building was designed by the Trinidad based architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp in 1915 and originally functioned as City Hall and as a theater. The building's architectural style is decorative brick and the interior includes eight WPA murals by local artist Manville Chapman. The theater was a recent recipient of LEDA funding through the New Mexico's Historic Theater Initiatives program and received a digital film system upgrade.
El Raton Theater near the Shuler on Second Street is being renovated by its new owner, including a new marquee facelift. The building was constructed in 1930 as a late Gothic Revival style building, and includes extensive façade detailing and interior features.
El Raton circa 1951
The Raton Museum is currently located on Second Street in a two-story building originally built in 1910. The museum features regional artifacts associated with mining, ranching, and pioneer life.
Check out the Solano Building on South Second Street, the home of Solano's Boot and Western Wear. Also, take a look at the hidden silver dollars in the floors at 111 Park Espresso Bar, just across the alley from Solanos, which used to be the Silver Dollar Bar.
This is just a taste of what you'll see and learn when you walk the Raton Downtown Historic District. It's an easy and fun walk as the blocks aren't that big and there's plenty of new things to see and sift your imagination of early Raton.
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