Near Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Separate Worlds

— Fort Union National Monument —

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015

1. Separate Worlds Marker

Inscription. To us today, Fort Union looks like a single, very large Army base. Soldiers who served here from 1863-1891 saw things in a completely different way. For them, the Post of Fort Union and the Fort Union Quartermaster Depot were like two small towns that just happened to be side by side. The Post and the Depot each had a different commander and each had a distinctive mission to fulfill.

Duties of Soldiers of the Post
These men were the fighting forces of the frontier Army. Both cavalry and infantry regiments rotated in for duty here. Soldiers patrolled the Santa Fe Trail and the region to keep the peace between local residents, travelers, traders, Comanches, Kiowas, Mountain Utes, and Jicarilla Apaches.

Duties of Soldiers and Civilians of the Quartermaster Depot
The officers and men assigned to quartermaster duty here did not patrol or train to fight. Their job was to track, order, organize, warehouse — and transport — all the many goods an army needs to be ready to fight.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Santa Fe Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.

Location.

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35° 54.576′ N, 105° 0.934′ W. Marker is near Watrous, New Mexico, in Mora County. Marker can be reached from New Mexico Route 161, 7½ miles north of CanAm Highway (Interstate 25). Marker is located along the park trail at Fort Union National Monument. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3115 New Mexico Route 161, Watrous NM 87753, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Depot Officers' Quarters (a few steps from this marker); Enough to Feed an Army (within shouting distance of this marker); Quartermaster Clerks' Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Commissary Storehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); The End of the Road (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Big Business for New Mexico (about 400 feet away); Keep the Wagons Rolling (about 400 feet away); Transportation Corral (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Watrous.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Union National Monument

Also see . . .
1. A History of Fort Union. Fort Union was established in July, 1851, several miles north of the junction of the two main branches of the Santa Fe Trail. The new district commander, Colonel Edwin V. Sumner, moved numerous New Mexico garrisons out of leased quarters and directed

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015

2. Separate Worlds Marker

(Quartermaster Depot Commissary and Storehouse ruins in background)

that self-sufficient operations, such as troop-constructed buildings, be initiated. Problems with Comanche, Ute, and Jicarilla Apache tribesmen along the southern-most reaches of the Trail constituted another reason for a post away from the Sangre de Cristos and out on the Great Plains. From such a point, troops could more readily patrol the area and react to trouble in a more timely manner than had been the case. (Submitted on April 30, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Fort Union Quartermaster Depot. The huge complex (covering approximately 400 acres of land) of quarters, offices, storehouses, granaries, repair shops, corrals, stables, hay stacks, and wood piles, which included the commissary department and the department of clothing, camp, and garrison equipage (a division of the quartermaster department), required the shipping of thousands of tons of supplies into and out of Fort Union and the labor of many people. For a time Fort Union, including these operations, was the largest economic establishment in New Mexico Territory. (Submitted on April 30, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2020. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 97 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.