The house in front of you is on the same spot as the Cloudcroft Baby Sanatorium.
The Sanatorium was opened by Dr. Herbert Stevenson of El Paso, Texas on June 14, 1911 to provide care and healing for infants and toddlers who were ill, dehydrated . . . — — Map (db m273750) HM
Passenger trips began in 1899, delivering people from Alamogordo to the town of Cloudcroft. Cost of a round trip ticket was three dollars. Seeking relief from the heat, tourists would spend weekends in the serene and cool mountains. The Mexican . . . — — Map (db m251318) HM
North Cloudcroft's commercial district as it appeared from this spot, 1899-1909. A fire started the morning of October 18, 1909 in the Kearney store which rapidly consumed the entire block; including two hotels, two general stores and the only . . . — — Map (db m251366) HM
Crowd in town for Real Rodeo held August 13-14, 1932 as viewed from this spot. The Breece Lumber Company railroad to the Mescalero Apache Reservation is in the foreground. Zenith Park (on the left) extended all the way through town.
This . . . — — Map (db m251372) HM
This center section of a panoramic photograph taken circa 1905 shows the Casino (background) and the Cloudcroft business office of the Alamogordo Improvement Company (after 1906, The Cloudcroft Company). As of 2022, New Village Hardware and the . . . — — Map (db m253881) HM
The train climbed 26 miles and 4,000 feet into the mountains. For the people aboard, spectacular vistas unfolded, accompanied by moments of exhilaration while crossing wooden trestles. The railroad was known as "the cloud-climbing route" because at . . . — — Map (db m251365) HM
When the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad (EP&N) reached Alamogordo in 1898, a new line was added to open up logging areas in the Sacramento Mountains. Completed in 1900, the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway (A&SM) extended to Cloudcroft . . . — — Map (db m253839) HM
In order to provide timber for the construction of his El Paso & Northeastern Railroad north of Alamagordo, Charles B. Eddy in 1898 built a spur into the Sacramento Mountains. The line operated as far as Cloudcroft until 1947. The Cloudcroft Trestle . . . — — Map (db m280178) HM
A train has just arrived from Alamogordo.
This photo shows the new depot as it looked in parent railway El Paso & Northeastern's light gray paint and white trim 1900-1905. An EP&NE boxcar is spotted on the siding to offload and take on freight. . . . — — Map (db m253844) HM
The railroad built this power plant during the summer of 1899 to provide power for the Pavilion and Lodge. Lines were extended to the business district of Cloudcroft, residences and later east to new electric water pumps near the present ski area. . . . — — Map (db m253873) HM
Steam engines need water... Lots of it! There were three water stops - El Valle, Wooten, and Cloudcroft - on the Alamogordo and Sacramento Railway between Alamogordo and its end at Russia, four miles south of Cloudcroft.
The water came from . . . — — Map (db m253850) HM
A summer excursion train arrives at the Cloudcroft depot circa 1930. These four excursion cars were converted from old boxcars in the Alamogordo shops and served almost 40 years. The Cox Canyon Highway curves around the depot and the Scenic Highway . . . — — Map (db m253872) HM
An Alamogordo & Sacramento Mountain Railway excursion train has just arrived from Alamogordo. The four excursion cars were simply "ventilated" and gaily painted yellow and red 1880's boxcars that had benches bolted to the floors - a rough ride up . . . — — Map (db m253842) HM
From the ashes... Visitors on horseback amble past the new railroad-owned saloon operated by W.H. Gleason (later the post office) during the summer of 1911. The fire of October 1909 destroyed this entire commercial block; debris is visible between . . . — — Map (db m251373) HM
1 Cloudcroft Depot
The railroad arrived in Cloudcroft in May, 1900. The Cloudcroft Depot was the terminus for the famous "Cloud Climbing Route".
2 The "S" Trestle
Probably the most unique of the trestles along the route, the "S" . . . — — Map (db m251411) HM
Beginning in the late territorial years, baseball became a serious pastime for the diverse cultures of New Mexico. The Mescalero Apaches team was formed in 1899 and regularly played Cloudcroft. 180 Apache prisoners from Fort Sill were . . . — — Map (db m253888) HM
Spanning the Mexican Canyon of the Sacramento Mountains, this is the largest remaining trestle of 58 constructed for Charles B. Eddy's Alamogordo and Sacramento Railway. Climbing 4,747 feet in 32.5 miles, the spur accessed timber for Eddy's El Paso . . . — — Map (db m251248) HM
Since the opening of the railroad, pleasure tourists have poured across the trestle to Cloudcroft. Trains arrived daily at 12:00 and 4:00, blowing their steam whistle as they cross the trestle to let people know they were 15 minutes away. Greeting . . . — — Map (db m251368) HM
Early Cloudcroft boasted an impressive array of summer activities. Within a few blocks of this location one could arrive by train; rent a luxury room, cabin, or tent; attend concerts and lectures; dine; dance; bowl; ride horseback; stroll in the . . . — — Map (db m253887) HM
The original Pavilion is seen behind a tree house, band stand (now both pavement) and many happy visitors. Built during the summer of 1899, it was to primarily serve as the dining hall and kitchen for the Lodge, but also contained guest and meeting . . . — — Map (db m253878) HM
Long before the arrival of Europeans, Mescalero Apaches made their home amongst the tall trees of the Sacramento Mountains; a place they named Piscah, "place of plenty."
At the turn of the twentieth century, the need for lumber to construct the . . . — — Map (db m251326) HM
The Mexican Canyon Trestle was restored in 2009-2010. Over 420 timbers were replaced and large sections of the trestle were rebuilt. The US Forest Service, New Mexico Rails-to-Trails and local efforts continue to preserve this treasure.
The . . . — — Map (db m59346) HM
Railroad construction paused for over a year after the rails reached Toboggan in early 1899. The hotel before you, originally "The Virginia," was built that same year to accomodate tourists who finished the trip to Cloudcroft from the railhead by . . . — — Map (db m251370) HM
Spanish:
El nombre 'Mexican Canyon' probablemente viene del area de Cloudcroft donde gente hispana en su mayoria nuevo mexicano o mexicanos vivํan.
Una variedad de trabajos estaba disponibles para los obreros en las . . . — — Map (db m312862) HM
