Page 32 - Early Naturalists of the Black Range

Portion of a letter written by Emory to Professor Torrey, Princeton, on July 22, 1847
The “new kind of black walnut, with fruit about half the size of ours” which Emory referenced on October 15 (following page) was most likely the Arizona Walnut, Juglans major, pictured to the right (from just west of Iron Creek Campground in the Black Range).
The path Emory followed in crossing the Black Range is a point of some controversy. Most agree, however, that he did not cross at Emory Pass (the route of NM 152). His instrument readings for the location indicate that the crossing could have been as far north as McKnight Peak. Measurements made during this era, by many people, often included a fair amount of error in the final determination. Both the instrument and the skill of the technician were to blame. Emory’s measurement of elevation does not match a crossing at McKnight. The measurement of elevation is more consistent with a crossing farther south, probably at a location somewhat north of Cooke’s Peak. There are reports of an ancient trail across the range in that general area.
The Black Range was often referred to as the Mimbres Mountains during this era. Today, “Mimbres Mountains” is still used in some
sources to refer to the Black Range; sometimes it is used to refer to the very southern part of the range, sometimes including what is now commonly referred to as Cooke’s Range. Care should be exercised in assuming that the name used in historical reports corresponds to the names used today.
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