Went down to Harte's Mill Crossing today, after some
probing about, found a point of view that probably is
where the painter did his painting, back in the 1880's.
Didn't get arrested by the Border Patrol, but was
discreetly followed off the property by a security
truck from a construction company.
View attachment 481846
View attachment 481848
View attachment 481850
The yellow building is like a turn of the century Army
Administration building, not later than 1910 at least.
Probably used by General Black Jack Pershing when
he chased Poncho Villa back into Mexico after his
raid on Columbus, NM. One of the first military attacks
on US soil since the War of 1812. Next one was Pearl
Harbor. Unlike Pearl, the Army was on alert,
and blew the Hell out of the raiders.
View attachment 481852
View attachment 481854
View attachment 481856
A click to the North and here is the trestle that replaced
the wooden one, in or about 1910, coming in from
New Mexico. Here in the desert, underground rivers
give way to surprising streams of water out of
nowhere.
View attachment 481840
View attachment 481842
View attachment 481844
Down to the river, but the river was dry. Before
cotton and pecans and Elephant Butte Dam in
NM sucked all the water up, the river was a wild
thing, several feet deep, swiftly running, and
populated with ancient sturgeon. The air smells
like the sea here, which is perhaps owing to this
whole region being an ancient seabed. The soil
is extremely alkaline. Dinosaur foot prints were
found, about a decade ago, on the facing side of
Mt. Cristo Del Rey. And I got my dirt!!