San Marcial - New Mexico Ghost Town

SAN MARCIAL

NAME: San Marcial
COUNTY: Socorro
ROADS: 2WD
GRID #(see map): 5
CLIMATE: Mild winter, warm summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT:Spring, winter, fall

COMMENTS: Not much left
REMAINS: One cemetery

The original town of San Marcial had its beginning in the early 1850s on the east bank of the Rio Grande a few miles south of what was then Fort Conrad. In 1866, the town was wiped away by a flood. Fort Conrad had been relocated to the west bank of the Rio Grande a few years before the flood. That provided reason to rebuild San Marcial on the west bank and the people lost no time in re-establishing their community. No sooner had the new town began to grow than, in July of 1881, it was nearly totally destroyed by fire. Once again, the town was rebuilt and grew to a community of a thousand residents and became the center for agricultural and irrigation projects. By 1929 the population peaked at fourteen hundred. Then on the night of August 13, the waters of the mighty Rio Grande began to rise and soon reached flood stage. By the next morning the town was submerged up to the second floor of the buildings. Most of the residents, seeing their homes a total loss, left. The only visual evidence remaining today is a lonely cemetery hidden in the mesquite. Courtesy Henry Chenoweth. San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Kurt Wenner Train Derailed Courtesy Ossner Family	San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Before Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial After (1992) Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Charlie Richmond San Marcial Courtesy Kurt Wenner San Marcial Courtesy Kurt Wenner

The original town of San Marcial had its beginning in the early 1850s on the east bank of the Rio Grande a few miles south of what was then Fort Conrad. In 1866, the town was wiped away by a flood. Fort Conrad had been relocated to the west bank of the Rio Grande a few years before the flood. That provided reason to rebuild San Marcial on the west bank and the people lost no time in re-establishing their community. No sooner had the new town began to grow than, in July of 1881, it was nearly totally destroyed by fire. Once again, the town was rebuilt and grew to a community of a thousand residents and became the center for agricultural and irrigation projects. By 1929 the population peaked at fourteen hundred. Then on the night of August 13, the waters of the mighty Rio Grande began to rise and soon reached flood stage. By the next morning the town was submerged up to the second floor of the buildings. Most of the residents, seeing their homes a total loss, left. The only visual evidence remaining today is a lonely cemetery hidden in the mesquite. Courtesy Henry Chenoweth.

San Marcial
Courtesy Charlie Richmond