Near Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Keep the Wagons Rolling
The Mechanics' Corral
Fort Union National Monument
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015
1. Keep the Wagons Rolling Marker
This square, open yard was once full of men hard at work. The Santa Fe Trail and the rough, unpaved roads of New Mexico Territory in the 1800s were tough on freight wagons and the livestock that hauled them.
Inside this Mechanics' Corral over 70 civilian employees repaired broken wheels, damaged wagons, and worn-out harness. On most work days the sounds of carpenters, smiths hammering at the forge, and oxen and mules being shoed filled the air.
An 1868 quartermaster officer reports
The mechanics' corral is formed by the shops and quarters enclosing it on three sides All the shops were in fine working order, and capable of doing an enlarged amount of work.
George W. Bradley, captain, depot quartermaster
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 • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Santa Fe Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.
Location. 35° 54.529′ N, 105° 0.871′ W. Marker is near Watrous, New Mexico, in Mora County.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Northern New Mexico. It is also in the American Southwest, in the Mountain West, and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Dust Bowl, and the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Transportation Corral (within shouting distance of this marker); The End of the Road (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Enough to Feed an Army (about 400 feet away); Big Business for New Mexico (about 400 feet away); Commissary Storehouse (about 400 feet away); Separate Worlds (about 400 feet away); Depot Officers' Quarters (about 400 feet away);
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015
2. Keep the Wagons Rolling Marker
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Union National Monument
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015
3. Fort Union Depot Mechanics' Corral Ruins
4. Marker detail: Mechanics' Corral Illustration
Left:
Two large carpenter shops
Blacksmith shops for shoeing livestock
Storeroom for wood and iron to repair wagons
Storeroom for charcoal
Center:
Two "good rooms" where four mechanics lived
Kitchen with stove, range, and bake oven
Two small storerooms
Dining room with two tables large enough to feed the 32 mechanics who boarded here
Mechanics' living quarters
Right:
Two saddle makers in the saddler shop
Fire fighting tools, buckets, and axes
A harness room to wash, clean, and repair tack
One metalworker in the tin shop
Two painters and their paint shops
Coopers making and mending barrels
Two forges where a blacksmith and his striker repaired wagons
Four men working in the wheelwright shop
Steam engine house
Two large carpenter shops
Blacksmith shops for shoeing livestock
Storeroom for wood and iron to repair wagons
Storeroom for charcoal
Center:
Two "good rooms" where four mechanics lived
Kitchen with stove, range, and bake oven
Two small storerooms
Dining room with two tables large enough to feed the 32 mechanics who boarded here
Mechanics' living quarters
Right:
Two saddle makers in the saddler shop
Fire fighting tools, buckets, and axes
A harness room to wash, clean, and repair tack
One metalworker in the tin shop
Two painters and their paint shops
Coopers making and mending barrels
Two forges where a blacksmith and his striker repaired wagons
Four men working in the wheelwright shop
Steam engine house
Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 232 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 1, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
