Raton
| Raton | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Raton |
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| Location in New Mexico | |
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| Basic data | |
| State : | United States |
| State : | New Mexico |
| County : | Colfax County |
| Coordinates : | 36 ° 54 ′ N , 106 ° 26 ′ W |
| Time zone : | Mountain ( UTC − 7 / −6 ) |
| Residents : | 7,282 (as of: 2000) |
| Population density : | 383.3 inhabitants per km 2 |
| Area : | 19.0 km 2 (approx. 7 mi 2 ) of which 19.0 km 2 (approx. 7 mi 2 ) are land |
| Height : | 2036 m |
| Postal code : | 87740 |
| Area code : | +1 575 |
| FIPS : | 35-62060 |
| GNIS ID : | 0902335 |
| Website : | www.ratonnm.gov |
 Old building in Raton |
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Raton is a place and county seat of Colfax County in the US state of New Mexico . The name Raton comes from Spanish and stands for little rat or mouse .
geography
The town of Raton is south of the Raton Pass and covers an area of 19 km² (7.2 mi²). There are no bodies of water.
history
The Raton Pass had been used by Spanish explorers and Indians for centuries to cross the rugged mountains. The pass was too narrow and too narrow for cars. In 1866, Uncle Dick Wooton , a mountain guide and Native American scout, saw the opportunity to earn extra money. He blasted the passage wider and demanded a fee from anyone who wanted to pass. Those who were unwilling to pay had to make a detour of 100 miles. There was no obligation to pay for traveling Indians.
In 1879 the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company bought Uncle Dick's Levy Road and laid track.
In 1880, 320 acres of land were purchased from Maxwell-Land Grand. Raton was founded on the side of Willow Springs, a stop on the Santa Fe Line.
Raton quickly developed as the railroad, mining, and ranching center for northeast New Mexico.
Historical objects
- The Raton Downtown Historic District stretches across the town between Rio Grande , Clark Street , 1st Street and 3rd Street . It contains 95 buildings and was listed as a Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 (NRHP ID 77000923).
Demographics
On July 1, 2006, Raton was home to 6,781 people. The average age is 40 years.
| population | proportion of |
|---|---|
| under 18 | 25.10% |
| from 18-24 | 7.80% |
| from 25-44 | 24.90% |
| from 45-64 | 23.90% |
| over 65 | 18.30% |
Personalities
- Paul Modrich (* 1946), biochemist and geneticist
