About Us:
Catron County is the largest county, by area, in New Mexico. At almost 7,000 square miles, Catron County is larger than a few Eastern states. With a population of only 3,400 people, the county is as sparsely populated as many an old West frontier area.

Within the boundaries of Catron County lie parts of the Gila National Forest, the Apache National Forest and the Cibola National Forest. The establishment of these national forests, in the past called "forest reserves," led to the name Reserve being given to a village on the San Francisco River.

In the 1860s, Mexican-Americans established a string of villages along the river, naming them the Upper, Lower, and Middle San Francisco Plazas. In the late 1870s anglo settlers began arriving. They called the Upper Frisco Plaza, Milligan's Plaza, naming it after a merchant and saloon owner. This village is now Reserve.

Milligan's Plaza was the site of the first legendary exploit of Elfego Baca. In 1882, or perhaps 1884, the nineteen-year-old Baca apparently appointed himself deputy sheriff and rode 130 miles from Socorro to the Plaza. Here he set about bringing justice to the Mexican-American community which had been beset by drunken cowboys.

Slightly outnumbered by, it is said, 80 Texans, he holed up in a jacal, the flimsiest kind of hut, and was besieged by a mob. Bullets and dynamite could not dislodge him, and in a gun battle lasting 33 hours, he inflicted death and grievous injury on his adversaries without being injured himself.

Bordering Arizona, Catron County affords the shortest route between Albuquerque and Phoenix or Tucson. Reserve can also be reached by following US 180 north from Silver City and NM 12 east for a total of 99 miles.