Chama Jail, Rio Arriba County,
New Mexico
Chama's history includes lumber
and logging, cattle ranching, sheep, and gold and silver mining.
Today Chama is a town of about 1,250 people with Rio Arriba being
the third largest county in the State. The average altitude in
the area is 7,800 feet so, unlike many arid parts of New Mexico,
there is a lot of snow. The entire area is part of what once
was the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant.
The village of Chama itself dates
back to the mid-1800s when settlers came into the valley after
the civil war to begin logging the land. Bordered by the Carson,
Rio Grande and Santa Fe National Forests, the Chama Valley was
once covered by a thriving forest. Before the area was clear-cut
of timber, the forest covered hundreds of square miles. It is
said that the forest was so thick a person on horseback would
have had difficulty riding through it. The Cumbres and Toltec
Railroad, a remnant of the Denver and Rio Grande, drove the spike
that connected Denver with Chama in 1880. The Cumbres and Toltec
is still in existence, owned by both Colorado and New Mexico.
It is an example of a narrow gauge track railroad. Unlike most
railroads of the time, the narrow gauge tracks were built through
the mountainous areas in order for the trains to move more easily
at faster rates of travel.
During its early years, the town
had its share of outlaws and miscreants. One of the gangs operating
in Chama was the Charles Allison gang. During their reign they
ran rampant through Chama, holding up saloons and gambling houses.
They also robbed the railroad pay cars that carried the large
construction camps payrolls. Lawlessness was certainly something
the people of Chama thought about as can be seen from the following
statement, published in 1893 in the local newspaper, the Northwest
New Mexican.
"Tramps and sneak thieves will probably in the future give
Chama a wide berth. The rope is a desperate but sure remedy."
Northwest New Mexican, 1893
With only one small jail in the
town, one can only speculate on just how sure of a remedy the
townspeople felt the 'rope' was and how often it might have been
used to efficiently deal with lawbreakers. The jail building
is small, measuring only 18 feet by 22 feet. Built in 1879, it
was used as a jail until 1967. There are two small windows on
each side, measuring only 8 inches by 16 inches. The building
itself is made of notched and crossed timbers that were hand hewn
with a broad ax. Inside the building there is a strap steel cell
measuring 5 feet by 8 feet. It is not known where the cell came
from or how long it has been in the building, although it does
resemble other strap steel cells used during the 1800s, one of
which is located in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The jail has been
moved from its original location and is currently privately owned.
How to get there: Chama is located by the north central
New Mexico border of Colorado. If you are traveling north on
NM Highway 25, around Santa Fe you will take the Highway 84 exit.
Traveling north on Highway 84 will take you right to Chama.
The building is located in Chama on private property across the
street from Leo's Mobil East and is not open to the public. If
you want to visit you should contact Donald L. Gallegos Sr., Chama,
New Mexico 87520.
If you have information about jails in this New Mexico County or in any other area of the United States, please contact us via e-mail at HistoricJails@cs.com or you may call us at 505.541.1557. Thank you.