Springer
Travel south from Raton on I-25 to the town of Springer. Stop by the Springer Museum and enjoy trout fishing at Charette lake, 18 miles southwest of Springer and record setting pike fishing at Springer Lake.
Amenities
With four restaurants, one hotel and one motel, Springer welcomes overnight visitors. The Brown Hotel, a bed and breakfast housed in one of Springer's older buildings, renovated with antique furnishings, is a favorite stop-over point for many visitors.
Springer features a number of services to visitors and residents, including a health care clinic, a grocery store, a drug store, a bank, a newspaper, a gift shop, a nursing home, numerous antique shops, service stations, an automobile dealer and repair shops and a package liquor store.
Population, 1990: 1,262
Altitude: 5,857 feet
Terrain: Rolling prairie
Annual precipitation: 16 inches
Climate: Average temp. from 29 in January to 72 in July
Churches: Assembly of God, Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Lutheran and United Methodist
Conventions and Lodging: 2 banquet facilities, 1 bed and breakfast, 3 motels, 5 restaurants
Medical: Colfax General Hospital long care with lab facilities, medical clinic, one resident doctor, three visiting doctors and one dentist
Transportation: Bus service both north and south, two exits from I-25 Airport, 5,000 ft., 24 hour, no service available
For Outdoor Enthusiasts
Springer Lake
Known for its prize-winning pike — some as large as 54 inches — Springer Lake is a premier fisherman's lake. Located four miles outside of Springer, Springer Lake makes a great camping locale.
Maxwell Wildlife Refuge
The Maxwell Wildlife Refuge is the place to be for wildlife viewing and fishing. Established in 1966 on 2,800 acres, the refuge is used extensively by ducks and geese during the fall and winter seasons — when viewing is at its peak. From king fishes to mallards to bald eagles, the Maxwell Refuge has it all. But the refuge is much more than nature's bird house. Aside from a population of deer and other animals, Lake Number 13 has some of the best trout fishing in the area and trolling is allowed up to October. The refuge also has excellent recreational opportunities, including camping, picnicking and hiking. The refuge is located just outside Maxwell, about 23 miles south of Raton on I-25.
Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 276
Maxwell, NM 87728
575-375-2331
For History Buffs
Springer was named for Frank Springer, a brilliant lawyer from Iowa who arrived in Cimarron on February 22, 1873. As attorney for the Maxwell Land Grant Company, he won stubbornly contested litigations which lasted nearly 20 years. An historic case was won in the U.S. Supreme Court, and it is said that Mr. Springer presented one of the finest land grant arguments ever made before that tribunal. Mr. Springer became president of the Maxwell Land Grant Company in 1891 and directed the development of this vast area into cattle ranches and farming, timber and mining enterprises. His CS Ranch brought one of the first herds of hereford cattle to the area in 1882. The CS Cattle Company is operated today by his descendants. He and his brother Charles were responsible for building Eagle Nest Dam in 1916. A man of many interests, he was a world authority in geology and paleontology -- his fossil crinoid collection is now in the U.S. National Museum in Washington, D.C. He was a founder of both New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas and the New Mexico Art Museum in Santa Fe.
The town that is now Springer used to be called Maxwell, in honor of Lucien B. Maxwell, sole owner of the Maxwell Land Grant. As the years went on and the Santa Fe Railroad made its way through Springer in 1879, the town developed as the center of trade, serving ranchers and farmers for miles around. Springer became the third county seat of Colfax County (1882-1897). The old County Court House -- the first one to be built in the area -- still stands, its yellowish exterior a nostalgic monument to the ruthless outlaw gangs who passed in and out of its portals. Today the Court House is home to the Santa Fe Trail Museum and Historical Society, Inc., featuring a fascinating collection dramatically portraying the history of the Old Santa Fe Trail and local pioneers. The museum recently received a $145K scenic byways grant to construct an interpretive center.
Another important landmark in Springer is The Livery Stable, constructed in 1880 by R.H. Cowan, and a fine example of architecture from the period when horses and wagons were the main means of transportation. Today, this visitor attraction houses one of the largest collections of period and post-period antiques in the Southwest.
The Dorsey Mansion
The Dorsey Mansion is now closed to the public.
Construction on the rambling, two-story house began in 1878 with completion in 1880. In about 1884, Dorsey began to remodel his home, adding the stone castle structure with faces of his wife Helen, his brother John and himself carved in stone on the tower. In the fall of 1886, the castle was completed, consisting of 36 rooms (10,000 square feet).
At its peak, Dorsey's ranch was eight miles wide and sixty miles long with more than 50,000 animals and a story book castle. It was the focal point for social life in northern New Mexico and a gathering place for men to plot state and national politics.
For more information about Springer
For more information about rounding up a visit to Springer, contact the Springer Chamber of Commerce.
