Railroad Logging featured
at Grants Cibola Art & Artifacts Museum
<center><table border=0 align=center><tr><td><caption><font size=-1 face="Arial Narrow" color=#000000>Cibola Arts Council’s Art & Artifacts Museum now sports new signs, marquee - Photo by Eve Johnson</font></caption><img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/grants_cibola_002.jpg border=1 align=center vspace=5 hspace=5 alt="Museum now sports new signs, marquee "></td></tr></table></center>
Grants, NM – “Railroad Logging in the Zuni Mountains – Five decades of timber harvesting with steam 1890 – 1941” offers a rare insight into a major economic factor in the varied story of this region.
<table border=0 align=right><tr><td><caption><font size=-1 face="Arial Narrow" color=#000000>One of dozens of period photographs on display at the museum.</font></caption><img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/grants_cibola_001.jpg border=1 align=right vspace=5 hspace=5 alt=""></td></tr></table>Cibola Art and Artifacts Museum’s latest exhibit opened earlier this summer in the newly renovated space at 1001 Santa Fe Ave along historic Route 66; the exhibit continues till next summer. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 –5 pm and on Friday till 8 pm. Call (505)287-7311 for information.
Detailing the industry and its impact on the area and its people, the exhibit offers a wide spectrum of that era, through tools of the era and historic photographs which depict everyday life of the men and families.
The construction of the transcontinental railroad in 1881 along what’s now I-40 transformed the nearby Zuni Mountains. In the late 1800s and by the turn of the century, large lumber companies were undertaking intensive logging using steam locomotives and railroads to move the logs economically to the markets.
By 1940, according to the National Forest Service, “logging railroad lines had snakes up nearly every drainage to reach virgin timber” in the Zuni Mountains. An estimated 800 million board feet were harvested between 1892 and 1942.
This is the third exhibit at Cibola Arts Council’s gallery and museum, but the first in the renovated space. Funded by state capital outlay funds obtained by Sen. Joe Fidel and others, the building now boasts a retro-50s look with its new neon-look alike sign, and marquee to promote the Cibola Art and Artifacts Museum.
It’s a unique combination that blends perfectly with the history of the Grants community. Both the space and the exhibit are a testament to what can be accomplished with lots of cooperation and collaboration and the persistence of a leader with insight.
Grants is blessed to have Robert Gallegos, Cibola Arts Council director, who has championed both the art and the museum, and worked tirelessly to bring these projects to fruition.
Now that the building renovations are complete, the new exhibit in place, Robert is setting his sights on new, long term projects. Short term (5-10 years) projects include developing a sculpture garden and historical park in the lot east of the building, space purchased by outlay funds through the City of Grants.
But in long term plans, Robert speaks of even greater ideas. “I am truly impressed by the El Camino Real museum,” Gallegos admits. “I think every community should have a museum on par with it.”
And so “Railroad Logging” along with the previous exhibits “Celebrating Chaco” (100 years anniversary of the park service) and “Homesteading”, “will be part of a permanent collection to go in the community museum,” Gallegos envisions, with the exhibits to be available for loan to other non-profit groups and communities.
“We are where we are because we’ve been persistent,” notes Gallegos. “I found out most things are possible, it just takes someone to dig in and do the work.”
at Grants Cibola Art & Artifacts Museum
<center><table border=0 align=center><tr><td><caption><font size=-1 face="Arial Narrow" color=#000000>Cibola Arts Council’s Art & Artifacts Museum now sports new signs, marquee - Photo by Eve Johnson</font></caption><img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/grants_cibola_002.jpg border=1 align=center vspace=5 hspace=5 alt="Museum now sports new signs, marquee "></td></tr></table></center>
Grants, NM – “Railroad Logging in the Zuni Mountains – Five decades of timber harvesting with steam 1890 – 1941” offers a rare insight into a major economic factor in the varied story of this region.
<table border=0 align=right><tr><td><caption><font size=-1 face="Arial Narrow" color=#000000>One of dozens of period photographs on display at the museum.</font></caption><img src=http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/grants_cibola_001.jpg border=1 align=right vspace=5 hspace=5 alt=""></td></tr></table>Cibola Art and Artifacts Museum’s latest exhibit opened earlier this summer in the newly renovated space at 1001 Santa Fe Ave along historic Route 66; the exhibit continues till next summer. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 –5 pm and on Friday till 8 pm. Call (505)287-7311 for information.
Detailing the industry and its impact on the area and its people, the exhibit offers a wide spectrum of that era, through tools of the era and historic photographs which depict everyday life of the men and families.
The construction of the transcontinental railroad in 1881 along what’s now I-40 transformed the nearby Zuni Mountains. In the late 1800s and by the turn of the century, large lumber companies were undertaking intensive logging using steam locomotives and railroads to move the logs economically to the markets.
By 1940, according to the National Forest Service, “logging railroad lines had snakes up nearly every drainage to reach virgin timber” in the Zuni Mountains. An estimated 800 million board feet were harvested between 1892 and 1942.
This is the third exhibit at Cibola Arts Council’s gallery and museum, but the first in the renovated space. Funded by state capital outlay funds obtained by Sen. Joe Fidel and others, the building now boasts a retro-50s look with its new neon-look alike sign, and marquee to promote the Cibola Art and Artifacts Museum.
It’s a unique combination that blends perfectly with the history of the Grants community. Both the space and the exhibit are a testament to what can be accomplished with lots of cooperation and collaboration and the persistence of a leader with insight.
Grants is blessed to have Robert Gallegos, Cibola Arts Council director, who has championed both the art and the museum, and worked tirelessly to bring these projects to fruition.
Now that the building renovations are complete, the new exhibit in place, Robert is setting his sights on new, long term projects. Short term (5-10 years) projects include developing a sculpture garden and historical park in the lot east of the building, space purchased by outlay funds through the City of Grants.
But in long term plans, Robert speaks of even greater ideas. “I am truly impressed by the El Camino Real museum,” Gallegos admits. “I think every community should have a museum on par with it.”
And so “Railroad Logging” along with the previous exhibits “Celebrating Chaco” (100 years anniversary of the park service) and “Homesteading”, “will be part of a permanent collection to go in the community museum,” Gallegos envisions, with the exhibits to be available for loan to other non-profit groups and communities.
“We are where we are because we’ve been persistent,” notes Gallegos. “I found out most things are possible, it just takes someone to dig in and do the work.”