Page 5 - Cooke's Peak - Pasaron Por Aqui

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NewMexico’srichlegacyofprehistoricarcheologicalruinsiswellknowntotheAmericanpublic. Tourism and related businesses in the state already employ more workers than any other industry. Visitors to New Mexico are drawn to such well known prehistoric ruins as Bandelier National Monument and Chaco Culture National Historical Park and its outlier communities. The dry climate and sparse population that have contributed to the preservation of prehistoric sites have also helped protect the physical remains of adobe forts and the historic trails which connected them.
Large numbers of historic trails crossed New Mexico in the 19th century. An extensive system of military forts was positioned along these travel routes to protect settlers and traders and guard precious water sources. Ft. Cummings was among the thirty major military forts established in the mid- 1800s and it played an important role in military campaigns against Indian tribes. As part of an interconnected system of military forts in the Southwest, it contributed to the settlement and economic development of the American frontier.
The New Mexico Bureau of Land Management is placing renewed emphasis on the management of historic sites. The following actions represent only some of the steps taken to improve the protection, management, and interpretation on this important property. A cooperative management agreement between the Luna County Historical Society, the Hyatt family (who own part of the fort), and the BLM provided for patrolling and monitoring of the property by volunteers. Another agreement with New Mexico State University has led to a very successful archeological field school. Under the direction of Dr. Staski, students are digging for clues to answer questions about social stratification and 19th century economic networks. A comparative study of the results of these excavations and those at Ft. Fillmore may soon be released in this cultural resource publication series. Interpretive signs and protective fencing have been erected. Volunteer Boy Scouts acting in accordance with direction from the historic architect from the State Historic Preservation Office partially restoredthespringhouseatthefort. CulturalResourceManagementPlanscompletedforFt.Cummingsand the Butterfield Stage Route have developed systematic plans for managing and interpreting these properties in the future.
Improving the interpretation of cultural resources for the enjoyment and education of the American public is part of the BLM program, Adventures in the Past. This program provides a chance to raise the public’s awareness of the irreplaceable and fragile nature of cultural resources. By interpreting sites such as Ft. Cummings, we hope to promote a conservation ethic to reduce vandalism of cultural resources. Such a program can only succeed if it is able to build partnerships with State and local governments, educational institutions, professional societies, local historical groups, and the private sector. The Mimbres Resource Area archeologist, Michael Mallouf, is to be commended for supporting this program and for seeking out oppor- tunities to develop partnerships and cooperative efforts to improve the management of Ft. Cummings. Just one example of this effort is this publication, a Master’s Thesis by Donald Couchman, who has volunteered countless hours to assist the BLM in better documenting the history of the Ft. Cummings’ region.
We hope our readers will enjoy this account of local historical developments in the Cooke’s Peak region. The BLM in New Mexico will continue to expand opportunities for the public to visit and explore our unique historical resources. They stand as mute testimony to the struggles, failures, and perseverance of those who came before, those who pasaron por aqui.
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LouAnn Jacobson Stephen L. Fosberg Series Editors
Santa Fe, New Mexico
August 1990