Folsom, New Mexico

Folsom was first settled in the late 1800's by cattle ranchers. The town was named for Miss Frances Folsom, the 21-year-old beauty who married President Grover Cleveland (49) in the White House.

Folsom built up into a thriving little town until a major flood in 1908 killed 17 people and wiped out most of the business district. Most of what was destroyed wasn't rebuilt, although the cattle ranches still seem to be in good shape around here.

The countryside is gorgeous and has lots of character (meaning it's not just flat and faceless). Capulin Volcano National Monument is just south of town and Folsom Falls is just to the north. The soil around here is pretty rich, probably owing to the amount of volcanic material that has flowed here within just the last 10,000 years.

The Folsom Museum has lots of data, photos and artifacts in regards to the history of the area, including quite a few dinosaur bones and other fossils found near here.

Folsom might never have been known by the rest of the world if George McJunkin hadn't found that first Folsom Point near here after that flood in 1908. The ancient arrowhead put Folsom on the map, and changed white Europeans' thinking in regards to how long the New World had been inhabited by Native Americans.

These days, Folsom almost looks like a ghost town but there are still quite a few folks living here. As usual, I drove into town and took photos of those elements that struck my eye (there are new homes in town but I'm usually drawn to the historic stuff).