Mowry City, New Mexico

In the late 1850s, three promoters, Samuel J. Jones (a native of Virginia and former sheriff of Douglas County, Kansas), Lewis S. Owings and Robert P. Kelley, resided in the town of Mesilla on the Rio Grande near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

They realized that the existing population base was too small for them to attain the prosperity they desired, so they concocted a scheme to establish a town site and promote it, to draw settlers into the area.

"[2] In the Spring of 1860, gold was discovered at Pinos Altos, about 40 miles northwest of the new town site, and Mowry City began to establish a population, including Sherod Hunter.

However, as a result of the Bascom Affair at the outbreak of the American Civil War, the Apaches began their campaign of attacks on all white settlers, miners, and travelers throughout the region, and this ended the promotion of Mowry City.

It was the old Southern Overland route, coming up by the way of Rough and Ready, Slocum's ranch, Fort Cummins and Cook's Canyon; and it crossed the Mimbres at Mowry City.

In the spring of 1871 the branch line to Fort Bayard, Silver City and Pinos Altos was run by W. H. Wiley & Company.

There is not water enough in the river the greater part of the time to float two logs together, and in very dry weather one can step across it without wetting the feet.