Torrance County Early History
Torrance County was created from territory taken from Valencia, Lincoln, Socorro and Bernalillo counties. It was named for Francis J. Torrance, one of the promoters of the Santa Fe Central Railroad. The Territorial Legislature established boundaries of Torrance County, which included all of the Estancia Valley in 1903.
The Estancia Valley is an inland basin shaped like a giant oval. Before the building of the railroads, the salt lakes in the Valley were almost the only source of supply of this commodity in northern New Mexico. The people of Santa Fe transported it in wagons to the capital and from there to Taos and other nearby points where it was traded for grain and other supplies from the north.
After the homesteaders settled the Valley, the New Mexico Salt Company, an Estancia organization operated the salt lakes, and shipped one hundred tons per month. In addition they sold another 75 ton directly from the lakes. When the country was opened for homesteading, there was little to encourage immigration. With the building of the Santa Fe Central Railroad from Santa Fe to Torrance in 1902-3, movement into the region increased though not at a steady rate.
On Demand Performance - KXNM archives Archaeology In Your Backyard as MP3 files, allowing you to listen to your favorite shows on demand, whenever you choose. Click on the audio file below to hear the story about Torrance County Early History, or click on the Download File to read the whole story.
Torrance County was created from territory taken from Valencia, Lincoln, Socorro and Bernalillo counties. It was named for Francis J. Torrance, one of the promoters of the Santa Fe Central Railroad. The Territorial Legislature established boundaries of Torrance County, which included all of the Estancia Valley in 1903.
The Estancia Valley is an inland basin shaped like a giant oval. Before the building of the railroads, the salt lakes in the Valley were almost the only source of supply of this commodity in northern New Mexico. The people of Santa Fe transported it in wagons to the capital and from there to Taos and other nearby points where it was traded for grain and other supplies from the north.
After the homesteaders settled the Valley, the New Mexico Salt Company, an Estancia organization operated the salt lakes, and shipped one hundred tons per month. In addition they sold another 75 ton directly from the lakes. When the country was opened for homesteading, there was little to encourage immigration. With the building of the Santa Fe Central Railroad from Santa Fe to Torrance in 1902-3, movement into the region increased though not at a steady rate.
On Demand Performance - KXNM archives Archaeology In Your Backyard as MP3 files, allowing you to listen to your favorite shows on demand, whenever you choose. Click on the audio file below to hear the story about Torrance County Early History, or click on the Download File to read the whole story.
| histor_of_torrance_countys_early_years.docx |