tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post7734397734118044773..comments2024-03-17T12:07:45.236-05:00Comments on CITY OF DUST: On the Edge of the Staked Plain: House, NMjmhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-50607147063008614752016-11-20T22:30:53.036-06:002016-11-20T22:30:53.036-06:00Thanks so much for your comment, Anonymous. I grea...Thanks so much for your comment, Anonymous. I greatly appreciate such recollections and history because, as you say, time is running out. I have been wanting to document McAlister for a while now and hope to get there soon. I did make a trip to Forrest earlier in 2016, and I posted a few photos of the school on the City of Dust Facebook page. One can be viewed <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cityofdustnm/photos/a.251923124956264.1073741828.251915061623737/669281043220468/?type=3&theater" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.<br /><br />That is really wonderful that in 77 years there have only been three first and second grade teachers in House. I love to learn those kinds of facts. I will have to try to find that Quay County History book someday. <br /><br />Best wishes, and thanks again! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-74182992937434619952016-11-08T00:43:08.768-06:002016-11-08T00:43:08.768-06:00My Grandparents Clyde Moon and Bessie MacDonald Mo...My Grandparents Clyde Moon and Bessie MacDonald Moon homesteaded in Forrest in 1905. My dad, Leo, was born and raised in Forrest. In 1951 my parents, Leo and Betty and myself moved to Jordan. They drove a school bus to McAlister School. We attended church in McAlister and bought groceries at Young's grocery store. But in 1961 my dad became the postmaster at McAlister with my mother as one of his subs. Now my sister in law, Rachelle Moon, is the postmaster there. I did not attend McAlister School because it closed before I started school. My sisters and brother all attended and graduated from House School and our children all graduated from there. In the late 50's our dad was the manager of the House Coop that is still open for business today. After Mrs. Catherine Franklin, Glen Franklin's mother, retired from teaching first and second grades for 40 years, I replaced her. I taught first and second grade for 34 years at House Schools before I retired. Now Amy Noland Fury, Mrs. Noland's (that was mentioned in this blog) daughter, is the first and second grade teacher. For 77 years the House School has only had 3 first and second teachers. I married Bill Runyan whose Great Grandparents also homesteaded in the McAlister area. There are several other families whose's descendants still live in the area. We are proud of our heritage and could share lots of stories about this area, but time is running out. There is much about House, McAlister, Jordan and Forrest and the families who lived here in the Quay County History written by many people and compiled by Lynn Moncus and Marian Farmer Knapp in 1985. (This book can found in nearly any library in Quay County.) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-47035073499362067812016-09-02T21:30:12.488-05:002016-09-02T21:30:12.488-05:00Sitting in a car while one of your kids is playing...Sitting in a car while one of your kids is playing soccer is the perfect time to catch up on City of Dust! The chunk of east-central New Mexico that House is in is a goldmine for old farm towns. I hope to do posts on places like Forrest and Wheatland soon, and I need to get back to visit McAlister and Nara Visa, too. These places are not well-documented, to say the least, but I'd like to change that at least a little! I have managed to do posts on <a href="http://cityofdust.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-lively-and-energetic-place-pep-new.html" rel="nofollow">Pep</a> and <a href="http://http://cityofdust.blogspot.com/2014/10/in-shadow-of-buffalo-hunters-causey-new.html" rel="nofollow">Causey</a>, southeast of House.<br /><br />Thanks for your continued interest, Chris P.! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-57354189300530128442016-09-02T18:26:16.914-05:002016-09-02T18:26:16.914-05:00It's been a while since I've been able to ...It's been a while since I've been able to read your blogs. However, sitting in my car while one of my kids is practicing soccer with his team seemed like the right time. House sounds like a cool little town, may not be a ghost town like Fiero or Hanover but still a cool little nonetheless. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303294154362148371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-68691585898645272672016-07-01T10:48:40.051-05:002016-07-01T10:48:40.051-05:00monte mitchell, thank you for your heartfelt comme...monte mitchell, thank you for your heartfelt comment. What you wrote is truly the subtext to what I do with City of Dust. I can't say it as well as you did, so I let the photos and history do the talking. Life was indeed very hard back then. Life is hard right now. Among the few things that don't change I guess that's one of them.<br /><br />Was that the Sunshine Grocery that your grandfather owned? That would really be something else! I'm constantly amazed that people with such close connections to these old buildings somehow find my posts. I guess the internet is good for something.<br /><br />Take care, and thanks again! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-69803807293086170922016-06-24T09:44:11.684-05:002016-06-24T09:44:11.684-05:00My grandpa, Glenn Mitchell ran that old grocery st...My grandpa, Glenn Mitchell ran that old grocery store there on Ash street, him and my grandma Mildred Henry mitchell. My dad, Royce, his brother Troyce and all their sisters, la Donna, Glenna, Carol jean, janie, and la Quita all went to House school and graduated. We raised up on the Hill Ranch just southeast of House.i went to school in House til eighth grade....lot of family history in that old place. Hard life. Lots of dust and loss and heartbreak there too. Buried in that ground and whispering on that wind is a Looot of dreams that went unrealized. Plans thart parched by the sun, dried up and just blew away without a fight. Lots of good times too...but forgotten when you look at the empty shells of folks dreams around the village. Just Fallin down with the weight of time. I cry every time I'm there cuz I know I'm losing the fight against time...to maintain what I once called mine. Not just things either. Not just businesses and buildings. House is a monument to one thing: time catches up to us all,every thing. And life, that seems so cruel and so slow in youth, is brutally short. No one will won this fight but we have illusions that we can so we fight proudly. But in end, the wind will always win.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17978528565821539806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-46731249625344573492015-07-18T07:41:44.617-05:002015-07-18T07:41:44.617-05:00Yes, House takes a little work to get to if you we...Yes, House takes a little work to get to if you were coming off of Highway 60. But it is indeed a place...containing houses. Did you go far enough to encounter Field? It's between Highway 60 and House, depending on how you go. There's not much there, aside from the obvious! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-81240986537652367102015-07-18T06:14:49.166-05:002015-07-18T06:14:49.166-05:00I don't believe it! We were riding along and s...I don't believe it! We were riding along and saw a sign that said "House - 12 miles" (I think it was 12). I thought - is this a sign pointing to a house? So we had to explore. After a couple of miles we gave up - too much time as we were rushing home. Thanks for enlightening me!Keiko Alvarezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09225850468430716490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-46921271561776135752015-06-29T11:58:41.588-05:002015-06-29T11:58:41.588-05:00Yes, that was the All American Futurity race.Yes, that was the All American Futurity race.Wayland Dillardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-21929087474380495412015-06-28T22:52:44.696-05:002015-06-28T22:52:44.696-05:00Wayne Dillard, that is a wonderful snapshot of Hou...Wayne Dillard, that is a wonderful snapshot of House in the early 1960's. Thank you very much for your recollections. It seems that everyone that spent any time in House remains quite fond of the place.<br /><br />Was that the All American Futurity race held at Ruidoso Downs that Mr. Kitchen's horse won? That's claimed to be the world's richest quarter horse race these days. Pretty impressive.<br /><br />Also, I'm thrilled that a bit of an oral history of House is developing here in the comments section. I think that's really great.<br /><br />Thanks again! JM jmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-79645501877940114602015-06-28T15:59:35.200-05:002015-06-28T15:59:35.200-05:00I lived in House all my life & graduated from ...I lived in House all my life & graduated from House HS in 1961. My parents & grand parents are buried in the House Cemetary. My mother always raised a tremendous garden. No caliche there. I returned there every summer to assist my Dad with wheat harvest. It was good therapy after a year in a classroom. Some of my class mates have moved back there after retirement. In 1961 there were 3 auto repair shops, 2 grocery stores (1 operated by my father & grandfather, Dillard & Son, the other by Glenn Mitchel, the Post office, Fire Station, Farmer's Coop & the Community Building which is still used for the annual reunion. My 1st grade teacher was Mrs Franklin, Glen's Mother. Other Franklin's Still live in the area. My HS history teacher, Mr Kitchens, owned a horse that won the 1/4 HORSE FUTURITY one year. House won the state basketball tournament in 1932 defeating Gallup.Wayland Dillardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-52819087756334969552015-02-09T20:22:59.505-06:002015-02-09T20:22:59.505-06:00JimGeek, the Causey Ranch was actually a few miles...JimGeek, the Causey Ranch was actually a few miles south of Lovington, in the southeastern part of NM. Although Causey was named for at least two of the Causey brothers, T.L. “George” and John.<br /><br />I did a post on the still-extant dusty/deserted town of Causey that you might find interesting if you didn't see it. It's <a href="http://cityofdust.blogspot.com/2014/10/in-shadow-of-buffalo-hunters-causey-new.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.<br /><br />Best, JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-87083981725159476142015-02-09T19:42:49.815-06:002015-02-09T19:42:49.815-06:00I read the summary of "Cowboy Life on the Ll...I read the summary of "Cowboy Life on the Llano Estacado" and must assume the "Causey Ranch" had something to do with the still-extant dusty/deserted town of Causey, NM. My uncle, my Dad's youngest brother, (who was born in Lucille, NM, a suburb of House NM) lived with his second wife in Causey and died a few years ago while living there.JimGeekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07414764864490795044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-63107309692055005222015-02-08T21:32:01.613-06:002015-02-08T21:32:01.613-06:00JimGeek, thank you very much for your comment. I l...JimGeek, thank you very much for your comment. I love hearing from people with family connections to these places. <br /><br />Also, I'd never heard of "I Claim This Life." There was a reasonably inexpensive copy on Amazon and it's now on the way to my house. I trust you've read "Cowboy Life on the Llano Estacado," by V.H. Whitlock? It's mostly focused on the region south of House, but is an excellent history of ranching in eastern NM going back to the very start.<br /><br />Thanks again! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-42679616046396045082015-02-08T17:53:29.359-06:002015-02-08T17:53:29.359-06:00You might try to look up the book "I Claim Th...You might try to look up the book "I Claim This Life" by John W. Bedingfield. I was able to find a couple copies on Amazon.com a few years ago; it is long out of print. It's the recollections of a youngster growing up on a hardscrabble ranch in the 1920's near House. My Dad and some of his siblings were born there and my grandparents lived there until Grandpa Devenport died in 1962. I always loved visiting there in spite of there being absolutely nothing to do "in town" (House).JimGeekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07414764864490795044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-2593511648179343952015-01-06T17:35:24.979-06:002015-01-06T17:35:24.979-06:00New Mexican, I was just talking to a ghost town af...New Mexican, I was just talking to a ghost town aficionado today and Loma Parda came up. They'd just visited. I need to spend more time in San Miguel and Mora Counties, overall. In fact, I've been trying to make a visit to Hermit's Peak for the last couple years and really need to find time to do so. I will surely never run out of places to visit.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-37298764850286590692015-01-06T16:42:11.443-06:002015-01-06T16:42:11.443-06:00You ought to visit "Chaperito" in San Mi...You ought to visit "Chaperito" in San Miguel County and "Loma Parda" in Mora County. I guess you will never run out of old places to visit. Then again there is "Las Ruedas" abt 4 miles from I-25 at Rowe in San Miguel County.New Mexicanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16312018418426500556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-78437523351296112082014-11-13T15:50:30.272-06:002014-11-13T15:50:30.272-06:00What a wonderful article on House NM~ I enjoyed re...What a wonderful article on House NM~ I enjoyed reading it…<br /><br />My grandparents grew up at House and raised their 7 kids there. My mother graduated from House High School in 1960. My parents married there and my dad is buried there along w/ many, many aunts and uncles. Did you visit the cemetery? It’s basically in a cow pasture.<br /><br />I have thousands of memories there. And even though it’s not quite as vibrant, I’m so glad that you took the time to visit and get to know some of the people. <br /><br />One aunt still lives there… In fact, the old grocery that you showed, I can remember when a grocery was open in the 1970’s and my grandfather ran one there in the 1950s. <br /><br />My grandfather was a rancher.<br /><br />I will pass this blog on to the Mitchell family…<br /><br />Thx. Sandy R.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-5422822227923882672014-11-08T12:28:24.931-06:002014-11-08T12:28:24.931-06:00Thanks for your comments, Brian Robson and Anonymo...Thanks for your comments, Brian Robson and Anonymous! House is like countless small, rural towns around the US, I think. There isn't much economic opportunity now and the young people leave for bigger cities and never return. I'm not sure how to reverse that trend, but it's obvious that it's causing problems in numerous ways. Medora, a recent documentary on a small town in Indiana, captured some of those issues quite well.<br /><br />Well, as you alluded to, Brian, time will tell what the future holds for House and so many other once-bustling small towns.<br /><br />Thanks again! Johnjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-1227288500128639742014-11-08T07:09:53.654-06:002014-11-08T07:09:53.654-06:00Hi JM,
I like this little blog, my father in-law ...Hi JM,<br /><br />I like this little blog, my father in-law and mother in-law have a place in House, while I was there i met one of the old ranchers there, he said House was once a busy place years ago, I would love to this old place busy again back to the day when it quite a few businesses, I'm sure if someone was to invest in House in someway and there was work for new people coming to House, then this place could be like it was all them years ago. I'm sure if the weather changes in the future and they have more rains, then the land will be prime grazing land once more. All the best. B RobsonAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06755791831748303530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-32033297622997046982014-11-08T06:52:06.816-06:002014-11-08T06:52:06.816-06:00Its sad to see these pictures. I grew up when Hous...Its sad to see these pictures. I grew up when House was vibrant small community. A hub for the area.Every one knew every one. Time changes marches on !!!<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-13215615994460477982014-11-07T15:31:07.356-06:002014-11-07T15:31:07.356-06:00Hi Kayleigh! Thanks for your message. I suspected ...Hi Kayleigh! Thanks for your message. I suspected that Owen was referring to someone in particular when he mentioned "Ms. Noland," but I wasn't sure. That's great that he was talking about your grandmother!<br /><br />There's not much information out there on House, America, and I'm happy to have at least contributed a little something. Thank you for contributing something, too!<br /><br />Best, JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-29330792128532893502014-11-07T14:55:30.538-06:002014-11-07T14:55:30.538-06:00Hi, I'm Kayleigh Fury and I go to school at Ho...Hi, I'm Kayleigh Fury and I go to school at House. My mom is Amy Noland Fury and my grandmother was the Mrs. Noland that would drive down the cap to go teach English. �� It is really cool to find an article about House, America on the Internet and seeing a comment about my grandmother! Really cool. ��Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-25482313152175040572014-11-07T13:00:19.179-06:002014-11-07T13:00:19.179-06:00CoastConFan, that ponding you mention is why some ...CoastConFan, that ponding you mention is why some think that the Llano Estacado (Staked Plain) was originally named the Llano Estacando (Ponded Plain).<br /><br />Having attempted on more than one occasion to dig through caliche with a hand-auger, I'm sure my opinions on it are similar to yours. I will also refrain from expanding on them.<br /><br />That also means I don't think I'd want to drink a rum made with caliche. Although it seems they are referring to the geology near the distillery in Puerto Rico, I suppose you could always add a little CaCO3 and see what you get.<br /><br />Thanks, CoastConFan! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-51164387064248288652014-11-07T01:32:16.505-06:002014-11-07T01:32:16.505-06:00Caliche is some tough stuff all right. It can als...Caliche is some tough stuff all right. It can also form a barrier against water soaking into the desert from infrequent rains. This leads to some interesting ponding of water in unexpected places, which can last for weeks. It’s pretty amazing to come across some of these shimmering lakes out in the middle of desiccated deep desert. Secondly it is a contributing factor in flash flooding as the water roars down hill and through arroyos. In some places it is used in buildings and other structures such as stock tanks.<br /><br />When dry it can be as hard as sandstone (we’ve had some discussions about that previously in other posts) and when dry it forms a highly adhesive mud that can bog any four-wheel drive vehicle and sticks to anything. I have some opinions about these properties, but this is a family-friendly blog. BTW, for those who are interested, Wikipedia has a pretty good article on caliche. <br /><br />Caliche can indeed be considered cap rock because of its properties. For example here’s something for the geologist and scientists out there: http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/VFT/VFTEC.html <br /><br />But it’s not all bad, they make a rum in Puerto Rico called Caliche Rum, so I guess it’s good for something: http://www.calicherum.com/the-rum <br /><br />When I lived in NM my yard was about pure caliche and the following article from the U of Arizona explains that the only thing you can do if you want to have a decent yard is dig a hole in the caliche and put in some decent soil instead: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/soils/caliche.html <br /><br />CoastConFanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07250561260148656254noreply@blogger.com