CATRON

county, western New Mexico, U.S., bordered on the west by Arizona. It is a scenic, largely undeveloped region in the Datil section of the Colorado Plateau, with the Plains of San Augustin in the east. The Continental Divide winds through the county. Most of the area consists of mesas and mountains, including the Mogollon, Black, Tularosa, Sawtooth, Saliz, Gallo, Mangas, San Francisco, and Datil ranges. Allegros and Grouse mountains, Whitewater Baldy, and Mogollon Baldy peaks rise to over 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Many canyons contain only dry creeks, but the Tularosa and San Francisco rivers run through Catron county, which also includes Quemado, Snow, and Wall lakes. The Cibola, Apache, and Gila national forests cover over half the area. A portion of the Gila National Forest is the oldest declared wilderness (1924) in the United States. At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (q.v.), in a canyon near the Gila River, are remnants of an Indian culture that existed in the area from about AD 100 to 1300. By the 16th century, Apaches roamed the area, and it was a refuge for Chiricahua Apaches in the 19th century. Mormon ranchers settled in the region in the 1860s, despite Apache raids. After silver was discovered nearby in the 1870s, Mogollon became a brawling mining town. Catron county was established in 1921, with the former mining town of Reserve as the county seat. Cattle ranching and government employment are the bases of the economy. Area 6,928 square miles (17,944 square km). Pop. (1990) 2,563.