Duran, N. M., The Early Years

by Daniel B. Flores

Description Duran, N. M., The Early Years tells the story of the once boom town of Duran located in Torrance county. The community owes its existence to the coming of the railroad in 1901. The El Paso & Southwestern railroad was building its railroad north towards Santa Rosa where it would connect with the Rock Island & Chicago railroad. The last spike combining the two railroad companies was driven in February 1902, just east of a large railroad bridge spanning the Pecos river. The two railroads then provided a new railway connecting the eastern and western parts of the United States. The new rail line transportation by rail for freight and passengers and was an alternative for the Santa Fe railroad which entered New Mexico near Raton. The new railroad would enter the Territory of New Mexico east of Tucumcari and travel southwesterly towards El Paso, Texas. Duran, N. M., helps develop an understanding of Duran and its surrounding area through a series of newspaper articles. The articles, which are in chronological order and include the name of the newspaper, are often quite colorful because of the language, of a unique local color, that was used early in the twentieth century, help relate the events of the time in territorial New Mexico, and after statehood was achieved in 1912, the events that happened in Duran in the new state. The articles provide an accurate description of the everyday life of the Duran citizens during that period of time. The articles have not been edited to correct any grammar or spelling mistakes. Pictures collected from different sources help to illustrate many of the articles. Besides the railroad, Duran once had high expectations of becoming an oil center when an oil well was drilled. Though oil was eventually found, it was not in sufficient amounts to warrant it becoming an oil producing center.