Capulin is a classic cinder cone volcano. The eruption of Capulin, approximately 60,000 years ago, was one of the most recent eruptions in the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field (RCVF). Overall, the RCVF is considered dormant and individual volcanic centers within the field, like Capulin, are considered extinct.
This seems to be a thing out west—towns erected lighted signs over their burgs, perhaps for PR reasons. I made it up to the Trinidad sign a couple of years ago, and just did the same at Raton recently.
Of course, for those of us with an interest in railroads, the word “Raton” carries with it a rich history. I’ll quote myself in an article I wrote in the journal Railroad History, number 221...
Moving south from Trinidad, located in the relatively new state of Colorado, and roughly following the Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail, the railroad first crawled its way up and over Raton Pass in 1878, supplanting a wagon toll road carved out by Richens Lacey “‘Uncle Dick” Wootton. It then ran down the other side of the pass to Willow Springs, later called Raton, New Mexico.
The pass for this original route of the Santa Fe turned out to be a challenging one due to a steep grade and tight curvature. But it’s still in use—barely. See my other recent posts on the Santa Fe semaphores for more on this line.
Three images by Richard Koenig; taken April 28th 2023.
Horses and carriages outside Belisle's Livery and Feed Barn, Third Street, Raton, New Mexico
Photographer: Robert L. Campbell
Date: ca. 1910 - 1920s
Negative Number: HP.2015.26.156
Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO / Jiatong Liang / CHN / Raffaele Giammaria / ITA / Raton Racing by Target by Artes Max
Via Flickr:
INTERNATIONAL GT OPEN 2019 / Circuit de Barcelona