February 3, 2018
The small town of Villanueva (earlier La Cuesta) is one of several towns that were established along the Pecos River in the late 1790s, when this area was part of Spain. The state park is nearby.
Fort Union was a significant army post as well as the supply deport for all other forts in the lower great plains and the southwest.
New Mexico
Villanueva State Park is located in a narrow canyon of the Pecos River,
just a few miles east of Villanueva.The view looking downstream.
Walking the trail that bends up the side of the canyon wall. This is quite a steep trail in places; the consequence of tripping might be a long fall.
At the top of the hill, looking west to the town of Villanueva.
Sometimes the trail isn't so obvious.
Some old stone retaining walls remain, but, there's not much to suggest what was once here.
A view of the river from the north side.
The first fort built on this site was quickly (some might say poorly) built in 1851. During the early years of the Civil War a separate fort was built as a defense against Confederate incursions to the area. The third (and most substantial) fort was built in 1863. This last fort was in use until 1891 when it was abandoned.
While the Santa Fe trail was in operation, this was a very busy place. Thousands of freight wagons delivered supplies each year, which were then sent to fort-six other forts throughout the southwest. This was the largest military base between the Mississippi River and California.
Looking north towards the fort. The Santa Fe trail can be quite wide in places, but where we're standing would have been in the way of the teams moving on from Fort Union to the town of Santa Fe.
Built mostly from adobe brick, and then partially torn down by the army after they abandoned the fort, there are no fully complete buildings left. The park service does a good job to stabilize the ruins from further decay (a operation that requires re-mudding each year).
Officers quarters on the left (part of the military post) and row after row of storehouses on the right (part of the quartermaster depot)
