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86-494: U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Camping, hunting, and fishing are allowed with proper permit, but no roads, buildings, logging, or mining are permitted. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas allow hunting in season. The Gila Wilderness is located in southwest New Mexico, north of Silver City and east of Reserve . It contains

172-757: A Phelps-Dodge spokesman remarked in 2007 that "based on current economic projections, our properties in New Mexico will not be operating in 25 years". Phelps Dodge was acquired by international mining firm Freeport-McMoRan in March 2007, and operations at the Chino and Tyrone operations are continuing under the Freeport name. Tourism, retirement and trade are the other major components of Silver City's economy. In 2006, an average three-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot (140 m ) house sold for about $ 160,000. Silver City

258-596: A cliff can be found. They were built sometime between 1275 and 1300 AD by the Mogollon culture . In addition to ancient ruins, there are plenty of places to camp, hike and fish within the Gila Wilderness . The Catwalk is a trail enclosed by a metal walkway that suspends 25 feet (7.6 m) above the Whitewater Canyon hugging the canyon walls. It follows water-pipe routes built by miners in 1893. When

344-660: A deputy for Whitehill since 1875. Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch were also reported to frequent the Silver City saloons in the late 1800s. Mrs. Lettie B. Morrill, in a talk given to the Daughters of the American Revolution chapter in Silver City on September 19, 1908, stated, "John Bullard was placed in the first grave dug in Silver City, having been killed while punishing the Indians for an attack upon

430-658: A ewe from accessing tending areas before she even enters estrus. Bighorn ewes have a six-month gestation. In temperate climates, the peak of the rut occurs in November, with one, or rarely two, lambs being born in May. Most births occur in the first two weeks of the lambing period. Pregnant ewes of the Rocky Mountains migrate to alpine areas in spring, presumably to give birth in areas safer from predation, but are away from areas with good quality forage. Lambs born earlier in

516-554: A growing herd of Canadian releases in the Sandia Mountains . Elk were reintroduced by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in 1954 with sixteen animals from Yellowstone National Park . Game birds include wild turkey and dusky grouse ; birds of prey include common black hawk , zone-tailed hawk , goshawk , osprey and bald eagle ; American dippers are found in mountain streams. The wilderness

602-420: A legend related to the bighorn sheep. A man possessed by evil spirits attempts to kill his heir by pushing the young man over a cliff, but the victim is saved by getting caught in trees. Rescued by bighorn sheep, the man takes the name of their leader, Big Metal. The other sheep grant him power, wisdom, sharp eyes, sure-footedness , keen ears, great strength, and a strong heart. Big Metal returns to his people with

688-401: A single leader ram, unlike the mouflon , the ancestor of the domestic sheep, which has a strict dominance hierarchy . Before the mating season or " rut ", the rams attempt to establish a dominance hierarchy to determine access to ewes for mating. During the prerut period, most of the characteristic horn clashing occurs between rams, although this behavior may occur to a limited extent throughout

774-554: A small upland area in the southwestern part of the state. Silver City's climate is characterized by moderate rainfall in fall and winter (October to February, a dry spring (March to June), and rains from (July to September) in what is called the North American Monsoon . The monsoon, which is irregular from year to year, impacts mostly southern New Mexico and south-eastern Arizona in the United States. During

860-706: A variety of Arizona Mountains forest ecosystems are found in the wilderness, mostly characteristic of a transition zone between the Chihuahuan Desert and flora typical of the Rocky Mountains . The wilderness includes mesquite , Apache pine and is the northernmost home of the Chihuahua pine . Gila contains one of the world's largest and healthiest ponderosa pine forests. Arizona sycamore , walnut , maple , ash , cottonwood , alder and willow trees are found along rivers and in canyons. Gila

946-513: A year later, on February 23, 1871. The town's violent crime rate was substantial during the 1870s. However, Grant County Sheriff Harvey Whitehill was elected in 1874, and gained a sizable reputation for his abilities at controlling trouble. In 1875, Whitehill became the first lawman to arrest Billy the Kid , known at the time under the alias of Henry Antrim. Whitehill arrested him twice, both times for theft in Silver City (Sheriff Whitehill testified to

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1032-471: Is Fort Bayard Historic District , about eight miles east of Silver City, off of US Highway 180. The District was the location of Fort Bayard, which was established in 1866 to station soldiers of the US Army in proximity to mining camps in the region. In later years the fort was converted to an Army hospital, specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis. In the early 1920s it became a US Veterans Hospital under

1118-525: Is a town in Grant County, New Mexico , United States. It is the county seat and the home of Western New Mexico University . As of the 2010 census the population was 10,315. As of the 2020 census , the population was 9,704. The valley that is now the site of Silver City once served as an Apache campsite. With the arrival of the Spaniards , the area became known for its copper mining. After

1204-426: Is also mentioned in several episodes in the highly rated ABC series The Rifleman (1958–1963) starring Chuck Connors in the title role. Silver City is located some distance from the fictional North Fork town where the program is situated. Bighorn sheep O. cervina Desmarest O. montana Cuvier The bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) is a species of sheep native to North America. It

1290-528: Is documented as far back as the late 1870s. Collecting was something that occurred during a Sunday picnic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some individuals maintained collections that can now be seen in the Smithsonian , and other museums, who sent individuals out to acquire collections in the nearby Mimbres Valley during the early 1900s. Others dug into the ancient sites and used the pottery they found for target practice —something that occurred into

1376-407: Is home of predators such as the bobcat and cougar . Mule deer , white-tailed deer and pronghorn are all found in the wilderness. Other mammals include the black bear , collared peccary , gray fox and white-nosed coati . The critically endangered Mexican wolf was reintroduced to the wilderness in 1988 with eleven captive-raised individuals. Most died or were killed and more were released

1462-453: Is home to many musicians and artists and has a thriving downtown arts district. The Silco Theater, built in 1923, was renovated and re-opened on February 26, 2016, as a 156-seat community movie house. Mimbres Region Arts Council (MRAC) has been named #1 arts council in New Mexico for a decade and is the recipient of the 2013 New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. MRAC presents

1548-573: Is home to the largest population of near threatened spotted owls , which prefer Douglas-fir or white fir stands and can be found in ponderosa pine forests with a well-developed Gambel oak understory . Reptiles such as the Arizona coral snake and Gila monster are rarely present; common snakes include the black-tailed rattlesnake , rock rattlesnake , and Sonora mountain kingsnake . Brown trout , rainbow trout , catfish and bass are found in rivers and streams. The threatened Gila trout

1634-494: Is largely illusory. Most scientists currently recognize three subspecies of bighorn. This taxonomy is supported by the most extensive genetics (microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA) study to date (2016) which found high divergence between Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and that these two subspecies both diverged from desert bighorn before or during the Illinoian glaciation (about 315–94 thousand years ago). Thus,

1720-539: Is named for its large horns . A pair of horns may weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb); the sheep typically weigh up to 143 kg (315 lb). Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis , one of which is endangered: O. c. sierrae . Sheep originally crossed to North America over the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia; the population in North America peaked in

1806-523: Is present in Iron, McKenna and Spruce Creeks. It prefers sufficiently deep water, such as American beaver ponds, which provide hiding places and can withstand both floods and drought. The U.S. Forest Service describes the climate of the Wilderness area as "four gentle seasons". The lower elevations below 7,000 feet (2,100 m) are accessible all year with heavy winter snow uncommon. Elevation moderates

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1892-638: Is referred to as the Mustangs . Recognition for the university includes the 2003 Zia Award, the 2005 Best Practice Award (for the School of Education), the 2006 Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year Award, the 2008 Piñon Award, and the 2008 Compañero Award. The town had originally been designed with the streets running north to south. It was also built without adequate planning for storm water runoff. Businesses sprang up, and people learned to deal with

1978-411: Is the tending strategy, in which a ram follows and defends an estrous ewe. Tending takes considerable strength and vigilance, and ewes are most receptive to tending males, presumably feeling they are the most fit. Another tactic is coursing, when rams fight for an already tended ewe. Ewes typically avoid coursing males, so the strategy is ineffective. The rams also employ a blocking strategy. They prevent

2064-492: Is water. The local geology of the Silver City area is complex. Sedimentary gravels are found in the form of the alluvial Mangas Valley gravels. Metamorphic schist and gneiss are also found. The downtown area is mostly made of granite outcrops. The climate of Silver City is classified as Csa (Mediterranean with hot summers and cool winters) in the Köppen system. A Mediterranean climate is unusual in New Mexico, occurring only in

2150-614: The American Civil War , a settlement developed and became known as "La Ciénega de San Vicente" (the Oasis of St. Vincent). With a wave of American prospectors , the pace of change increased, and Silver City was founded in the summer of 1870. The founding of the town occurred shortly after the discovery of silver ore deposits at Chloride Flat, on the hill just west of the farm of Captain John M. Bullard and his brother James. Following

2236-589: The Little Bighorn River , were both indicated on Clark's map and did retain their names, the latter being the namesake of the Battle of the Little Bighorn . The Bighorn Ram was featured in a series of prints by artist Andy Warhol . In 1983, the artist was commissioned to create a portfolio of ten endangered species to raise environmental awareness. The portfolio, known as "Endangered Species"

2322-662: The National Audubon Society also joined the effort. On January 18, 1939, over 600,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) of land were set aside to create the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge . Many state and federal agencies have actively pursued the restoration of bighorn sheep since the 1940s. However, these efforts have met with limited success, and most of

2408-521: The Pleistocene (about 750,000 years ago); subsequently, they spread through western North America as far south as Baja California and northwestern mainland Mexico. Divergence from their closest Asian ancestor ( snow sheep ) occurred about 600,000 years ago. In North America, wild sheep diverged into two extant species — Dall sheep, which occupy Alaska and northwestern Canada, and bighorn sheep, which range from southwestern Canada to Mexico. However,

2494-658: The Shoshone in making composite bows. William Clark's Track Map produced after the expedition in 1814 indicated a tributary of the Yellowstone River named Argalia Creek and a tributary of the Missouri River named Argalia River, both in what is today Montana . Neither of these tributaries retained these names, however. The Bighorn River , another tributary of the Yellowstone, and its tributary stream,

2580-472: The "Catwalk", a one-mile trail suspended above a rushing stream in a gorge only a few feet wide. The Crest Trail, 12 miles long, passes through impressive sub-alpine forests in the highest portions of the Gila Mountains with elevations from 9,132 feet (2,783 m) to 10,770 feet (3,280 m). Many hot springs are found within the wilderness. Cliff dwellings border stream valleys, especially along

2666-434: The 1927 novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair . Upton Sinclair based his novel on the experiences of Edward L. Doheny , a prospector and oil tycoon living in the Silver City area (near Kingston ). In the movie, Henry, the man claiming to be Daniel's half-brother, says that he had been in Silver City for two years drilling on his own. In the 1956 film Backlash , Jim Slater, played by Richard Widmark , goes to Silver City with

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2752-405: The 1930s according to oral histories. Collecting, and the looting, of Mimbres Mogollon sites did not stop with archaeological research conducted on private lands during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1970s, nor with the passage of the New Mexico "Burial Law" in 1989. Sadly, unlawful looting continues to this day, and many prehistoric sites have been badly damaged or obliterated. The Apaches occupied areas in

2838-469: The 2-foot narrow gauge Silver City, Pinos Altos and Mogollon Railroad to Pinos Altos in 1906 (none of which are still in existence). The nearby mining operations, formerly Phelps Dodge , are still the basis for the local economy. In 2006, the Chino and Tyrone mines produced 125,400 long tons (127,400 t) of copper. Mine employment was 1,250, with wages and salaries totaling $ 73 million. However,

2924-628: The Gila cliff dwellings is about two hours north of Silver City, New Mexico on State Route 15. Near here, at an elevation of 5,689 feet (1,734 m), trails radiate up the Middle Fork of the Gila River (41 miles [68 km] long) and the West Fork (34.5 miles [55 km] long) and downstream following the Gila River for 32.5 miles (51 km). One of the best-known trails in the Wilderness is

3010-555: The Justice of the Peace that he believed Henry Antrim did not do the actual stealing the second time arrested, but assisted in the hiding of the property stolen by Sombrero Jack. Whitehill would later claim that the young man was a likeable kid, whose stealing was a result more of necessity than criminal. His mother is buried in the town cemetery. In 1878, the town hired its first town marshal, "Dangerous Dan" Tucker , who had been working as

3096-474: The Middle Fork of the Gila River. Rafting the Gila River is popular in the spring when water levels in the river are high due to snowmelt in the higher mountains. Because it is a wilderness, visitors must minimize their impact on the natural environment by observing the Leave No Trace principles. An alternate to the official Continental Divide Trail (CDT) follows the canyon of the Gila River through

3182-523: The Red-Nosed Reindeer . Bighorn sheep were once known by the scientific identification "argali" or "argalia" due to assumption that they were the same animal as the Asiatic argali ( Ovis ammon ). Lewis and Clark recorded numerous sightings of O. canadensis in the journals of their exploration—sometimes using the name argalia. In addition, they recorded the use of bighorn sheep horns by

3268-568: The Silver City Blues Festival each May and Pickamania—a Bluegrass, Americana, Folk and acoustic festival—each September, in addition to a number of other arts events throughout the year. MRAC's Youth Mural Program has brought school children together with artists and community members to create over 40 public murals throughout the region. Grant County Community Concert Association presents numerous performance events each fall, winter, and spring. The first Southwest Festival of

3354-609: The Silver City Fiber Arts Festival are also held in Silver City. Whiskey Creek Zócalo opened in 2023 featuring a live-music venue, artist workshops, and plant nursery. Run by two generations of native New Mexico residents with a strong appreciation for community and New Mexico culture. Public schools are in the Silver Consolidated School District, as well as one state-authorized charter high school. The District covers

3440-554: The Silver City area include Bill Evans Lake, Snow Lake, Wall Lake, Bear Canyon Dam. Anglers have a choice of brown and rainbow trout, catfish, and bass. In addition, several mountainous rivers can be found nearby. Some of note are the Gila River , Negrito Creek, San Francisco River , and Willow Creek. The Kneeling Nun is a natural rock formation located about 20 miles (32 km) to the east of Silver City along NM 152 . Several legends have developed explaining its origin. Nearby

3526-476: The Town of Silver City as well as Cliff , Pinos Altos, Tyrone, and White Signal. The system has five elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools. Private schools include: Airports Major highways The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is about 44 miles (71 km) north of Silver City, via the winding NM 15 . At the monument, the remains of Indigenous inhabitants within five caves in

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3612-427: The United States experience regular outbreaks of infectious pneumonia , which likely result from the introduction of bacterial pathogens (in particular, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae , and some strains of Mannheimia haemolytica ) carried asymptomatically in domestic sheep. Once introduced, pathogens can transmit rapidly through a bighorn population, resulting in all-age die-offs that sometimes kill up to 90% of

3698-646: The Veterans Administration. The property was sold to the State of New Mexico in 1965, which used the facility as a State Hospital. With the construction of a newer hospital in 2010, the property was vacated. Fort Bayard then became home to a museum, maintained by the Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society. The museum personnel offer tours of both the building and the grounds on a regular schedule. Silver City

3784-499: The West Fork, Middle Fork and much of the East Fork of the Gila River ; riverside elevations of around 4,850 feet (1,480 m) are the lowest in the wilderness. The Mogollon Mountains traverse an arc across the wilderness. The tallest peak within this range, Whitewater Baldy at 10,895 ft (3,321 m), is in the northwest part of the wilderness along with several other summits more than 10,000 ft (3,048 m) high. At

3870-585: The Written Word was held in 2013, at multiple venues in historic downtown Silver City. Over 50 presenters—fiction and nonfiction writers, poets, bloggers, journalists, lyricists, editors, dramatists, and publishers from throughout the Southwest—were represented. The Red Paint Pow Wow, Chicano Music Festival, Silver City Clay Festival, Red Dot Studio & Gallery Tours, Chocolate Fantasia, Gila River Festival, Red Hot Children's Fiesta, Tamal Fiesta y Mas and

3956-852: The agility to prey on them in uneven, rocky habitats. Fire suppression techniques may limit visibility through shrublands, and therefore increase cover and predation rates by mountain lions. Bighorn sheep are considered good indicators of land health because the species is sensitive to many human-induced environmental problems. In addition to their aesthetic value, bighorn sheep are considered desirable game animals by hunters . Bighorn sheep graze on grasses and browse shrubs , particularly in fall and winter, and seek minerals at natural salt licks . Females tend to forage and walk, possibly to avoid predators and protect lambs, while males tend to eat and then rest and ruminate, which lends to more effective digestion and greater increase in body size. Bighorn sheep live in large herds and do not typically follow

4042-841: The annual snowfall is less than about 150 cm (60 in) per year. A bighorn's winter range usually has lower elevations than its summer range. Bighorn sheep are highly susceptible to certain diseases carried by domestic sheep, such as psoroptic scabies and pneumonia ; additional mortality occurs as a result of accidents involving rock falls or falling off cliffs (a hazard of living in steep, rugged terrain). Bighorns are well adapted to climbing steep terrain, where they seek cover from predators . Predation primarily occurs with lambs, which are hunted by coyotes , bobcats , gray foxes , wolverines , jaguars , ocelots , lynxes , and golden eagles . Bighorn sheep of all ages are threatened by black bears , grizzly bears , wolves , and especially mountain lions , which are perhaps best equipped with

4128-499: The area between 1200 and 1600. Because of their fierce protectiveness, the area remained undeveloped into the 1870s. In 1922, Aldo Leopold , a United States Forest Service supervisor of the Carson National Forest proposed that the headwaters area of the Gila River should be preserved by an administrative process of excluding roads and denying use permits. Through his efforts, this area became recognized in 1924 as

4214-448: The area. Standard-gauge Santa Fe Railroad reached Silver City in 1886, and Silver City, Pinos Altos and Mogollon Railroad was incorporated in 1889 to build a railway north to Mogollon . Construction was limited to 5 miles (8.0 km) of grading until Wisconsin-based Comanche Mining and Smelting purchased the railroad in 1903 after horse-drawn ore transport became uneconomical. The Silver City smelter burned shortly after purchase, but

4300-412: The average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population by age was: 25.0% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 25,881, and

4386-612: The back of the Silver City Police Station, where the Big Ditch Park begins. The Mimbres Mogollon Indians (A.D. 200–A.D. 1140/50) once lived in the area, along with other prehistoric groups, including the Salado. Mimbres archaeological sites are located throughout Silver City and surrounding communities on federal, state, municipal, and private property. Collecting of Mimbres pottery by landowners and others

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4472-484: The backs of all four legs. Males typically weigh 58–143 kg (128–315 lb), are 90–105 cm (35–41 in) tall at the shoulder, and 1.6–1.85 m (63–73 in) long from the nose to the tail. Females are typically 34–91 kg (75–201 lb), 75–90 cm (30–35 in) tall, and 1.28–1.58 m (50–62 in) long. Male bighorn sheep have large horn cores, enlarged cornual and frontal sinuses, and internal bony septa . These adaptations serve to protect

4558-509: The body of the deputy sheriff he killed. Slater is advised to leave quickly for Tucson by the sheriff, who advises him, "We don't like gunfights here in Silver City." In the 2010 road trip movie Friendship! , the two friends Veit and Tom are stopped and arrested by Silver City police because of driving naked. Since their car was damaged, they need to rest and raise some money in Silver City for getting their car repaired before being able to continue their trip. The film A Boy Called Sailboat

4644-582: The bones in the male's body. The Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep occupy the cooler mountainous regions of Canada and the United States. In contrast, the desert bighorn sheep subspecies are indigenous to the hot desert ecosystems of the Southwestern United States and Mexico. Bighorn sheep inhabit alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes, and foothill country near rugged, rocky cliffs and bluffs. Since bighorn sheep cannot move through deep snow, they prefer drier slopes, where

4730-610: The brain by absorbing the impact of clashes. Bighorn sheep have preorbital glands on the anterior corner of each eye, inguinal glands in the groin, and pedal glands on each foot. Secretions from these glands may support dominance behaviors. Bighorns from the Rocky Mountains are relatively large, with males that occasionally exceed 230 kg (500 lb) and females that exceed 90 kg (200 lb). In contrast, Sierra Nevada bighorn males weigh up to only 90 kg (198 lb) and females to 60 kg (132 lb). Males' horns can weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb), as much as all

4816-619: The decline, the most drastic occurring from about 1870 through 1950. In 1936, the Arizona Boy Scouts mounted a statewide campaign to save the bighorn sheep. The scouts first became interested in the sheep through the efforts of Major Frederick Russell Burnham . Burnham observed that fewer than 150 of these sheep still lived in the Arizona mountains. The National Wildlife Federation , the Izaak Walton League , and

4902-956: The first wilderness area in the National Forest System. Gila became the first congressionally designated wilderness of the National Wilderness Preservation System when the Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Vegetation in the Gila Wilderness consists of a spruce - fir and quaking aspen forest above 9,000 feet (2,732 m), ponderosa pine forest between 6,500 feet (1,981) and 9,000 (2,732 m), and pinyon - juniper woodland and desert vegetation below 6,500 feet and on dry southern slopes. Brushy areas, grassland, and recently burned forests are also common. Within this generalized outline,

4988-408: The following year. As of 2006, four packs have established themselves within Gila. Because of conflicts with livestock owners, the federal predator control program has killed or removed several animals. Bighorn sheep were common throughout the region until about 1900 when they became locally extinct through hunting. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep were reintroduced to the Gila Wilderness after 1958 from

5074-416: The high summer temperatures of the surrounding Chihuahua Desert . May and June are the hottest and dryest months. Many trails are relatively easy, following stream valleys bordered by cliffs or crossing flat-topped mesas. Water is often scarce due to frequent droughts. Summer temperatures can near 100 degrees F (37 °C), and the size and isolation of the wilderness increases the hazards of visiting. A hiker

5160-764: The historical range of bighorns remains unoccupied. Hunting for male bighorn sheep is allowed, but heavily regulated, in Canada and the United States. Bighorn sheep were among the most admired animals of the Apsaalooka (Crow) people, and what is today called the Bighorn Mountain Range was central to the Apsaalooka tribal lands. In the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area book, storyteller Old Coyote describes

5246-485: The hottest, July 1951, which averaged 77.4 °F or 25.2 °C. The wettest calendar year in this time span was 1914, with 24.97 inches or 634.2 millimetres and the driest, 1947 with 6.77 inches or 172.0 millimetres. The most snow in one season was 48.0 inches or 1.22 metres between July 1912 and June 1913, which featured the coldest winter on record with 33.1 °F or 0.6 °C as the mean from December to February. Note: Climatic data will vary slightly depending upon

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5332-432: The inconveniences of the summer rain. Silver City was built with high sidewalks in the downtown area to accommodate high flood waters. However, uncontrolled grazing and deforestation over time in the surrounding area contributed to higher levels of runoff. During the night of July 21, 1895, a heavy wall of water rushed through the downtown business district, leaving a trail of destruction. A ditch 55 feet (17 m) lower than

5418-601: The median income for a family was $ 31,374. Males had a median income of $ 28,476 versus $ 18,434 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 13,813. About 17.7% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over. Silver City was founded as a mining town. George Hearst built a smelter after the Silver City, Deming and Pacific narrow gauge railway reached Silver City in 1883. The Santa Fe Railroad provided standard gauge rail service in 1886, and Commanche Mining and Smelting extended

5504-498: The message that the Apsaalooka people will survive only so long as the river winding out of the mountains is known as the Bighorn River. Bighorn sheep are hunted for their meat and horns, used in ceremonies, as food, and as hunting trophies. They also serve as a source of ecotourism , as tourists come to see the bighorn sheep in their native habitat. The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep is the provincial mammal of Alberta and

5590-530: The millions, and the bighorn sheep entered into the mythology of Native Americans . By 1900, the population had crashed to several thousand due to diseases introduced through European livestock and overhunting. Ovis canadensis is one of two species of mountain sheep in North America; the other species being O. dalli , the Dall sheep . Wild sheep crossed the Bering land bridge from Siberia into Alaska during

5676-545: The new town; the brothers were prospectors about the country for many years. The last one left for the old home about 1885, saying, 'It is only a matter of time until the Indians get me if I stay here.'" Silver City was also the starting point for many expeditions hunting treasures, such as the Lost Adams Diggings . The communities of Silver City and Pinos Altos developed as 19th century miners recovered easily extracted copper, gold and silver from ore deposits of

5762-473: The northeast corner is prominent Black Mountain rising to 9,287 ft (2,831 m). The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is adjacent to the wilderness. The Gila Wilderness is the largest designated wilderness area in New Mexico. The Mimbres people, a subgroup of the Mogollon were active between 1000 and 1130 in the Gila Wilderness area, leaving cliff dwellings, ruins and other evidence of their culture. The Chiricahua band of Apache came into

5848-503: The northern part of the town, leading east 10 miles (16 km) to Bayard and northwest 29 miles (47 km) to Cliff . New Mexico State Road 90 (Hudson Street) leads southwest 45 miles (72 km) to Lordsburg and Interstate 10 , and State Road 15 leads north 44 miles (71 km) to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Silver City has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.3 km ), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km ), or 0.17%,

5934-503: The original street level was created in what was once known as Main Street. Businesses on Main Street began using their back doors on Bullard Street as main entrances and eventually, were permanently used as the new front entrances. To this day, the incorrect odd/even addressing conventions on the east side of Bullard Street are a reminder that the buildings were addressed on Main Street originally, not Bullard Street. Main Street now ends near

6020-403: The period from 1901 to 1964, when readings were taken at the city center (which is cooler and wetter than outlying and lower-elevation districts nearby), the coldest temperature recorded was −13 °F (−25 °C) on January 11, 1962, and the hottest 105 °F (40.6 °C) on July 5, 1901. The coldest month was January 1949, with a monthly mean temperature of 28.7 °F or −1.8 °C, and

6106-583: The period of time chosen to calculate average figures. As of the census of 2000, there were 10,545 people, 4,227 households, and 2,730 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,040.1 inhabitants per square mile (401.6/km ). There were 4,757 housing units at an average density of 469.2 per square mile (181.2/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 71.7% White , 0.9% African American , 1.1% Native American , 0.5% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 22.4% from other races , and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.8% of

6192-453: The pipes needed repair, the miners walked on them. Visitors can explore the walkway and trail, picnic, and enjoy the river. It is located 70 miles (110 km) north of Silver City on U.S. Route 180 near Glenwood . There are several lakes in the area. Lake Roberts covers 72-acre (290,000 m ) about 27 miles (43 km) north of Silver City on NM 15 near the NM 35 junction. Other lakes in

6278-407: The population. There were 4,227 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and

6364-573: The population. In the years following pathogen introduction, bighorn populations frequently experience multiple years of lamb pneumonia outbreaks. These outbreaks can severely limit recruitment and likely play a powerful role in slowing population growth. Bighorn sheep were widespread throughout the western United States, Canada, and northern Mexico two hundred years ago. The population was estimated to be 150,000 to 200,000. Unregulated hunting, habitat destruction, overgrazing of rangelands, and diseases contracted from domestic livestock all contributed to

6450-450: The season are more likely to survive than lambs born later. Lambs born late may not have access to sufficient milk, as their mothers are lactating at a time when food quality is lower. Newborn lambs weigh from 3.6 to 4.5 kg (8 to 10 lb) and can walk within hours. The lambs are then weaned when they reach four to six months old. The lifespan of ewes is typically 10–14 years and 9–12 years for rams. Many bighorn sheep populations in

6536-467: The silver strike, Captain Bullard laid out the streets of Silver City, and a bustling tent city quickly sprang to life. Although the trajectory of Silver City's development was to be different from the hundreds of other mining boom towns established during the same period, Captain Bullard himself never lived to see even the beginnings of permanence, as he was killed in a confrontation with Apache less than

6622-535: The state animal of Colorado and, as such, is incorporated into the symbol for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. The Desert bighorn sheep is the state mammal of Nevada . The Bighorn sheep was featured in the children's book Buford the Little Bighorn (1967) by Bill Peet . The Bighorn sheep named Buford has a huge pair of horns in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, similar to Rudolph

6708-404: The status of these species is questionable given that hybridization has occurred between them in their recent evolutionary history. In 1940, Ian McTaggart-Cowan split the species into seven subspecies, with the first three being mountain bighorns and the last four being desert bighorns: Starting in 1993, Ramey and colleagues, using DNA testing, have shown this division into seven subspecies

6794-404: The three subspecies of O. canadensis are: In addition, two populations are currently considered endangered by the United States government: Bighorn sheep are named for the large, curved horns borne by the rams (males). Ewes (females) also have horns, but they are shorter and straighter. They range in color from light brown to grayish or dark, chocolate brown, with a white rump and lining on

6880-692: The vicinity of Silver City beginning in the late 1500s to early 1600s, based on archaeological evidence. Silver City is located near the center of Grant County, at the southern foot of the Pinos Altos Range of the Mogollon Mountains . The town is 3 miles (5 km) east of the Continental Divide , in the valley of San Vicente Arroyo, a south-flowing tributary of the Mimbres River . U.S. Route 180 passes through

6966-479: The wilderness and has been voted one of the favorite sections of the CDT. The Gila Wilderness is separated from the sizable Aldo Leopold Wilderness by only a gravel road and a few scattered pieces of private property. Aldo Leopold offers additional long-distance hiking and backpacking opportunities. [REDACTED] Media related to Gila Wilderness at Wikimedia Commons Silver City, New Mexico Silver City

7052-539: The year. Bighorn sheep exhibit agonistic behavior: two competitors walk away from each other and then turn to face each other before jumping and lunging into headbutts. Rams' horns can frequently exhibit damage from repeated clashes. Females exhibit a stable, nonlinear hierarchy that correlates with age. Females may fight for high social status when they are integrated into the hierarchy at one to two years of age. Rocky Mountain bighorn rams employ at least three different courting strategies. The most common and successful

7138-600: Was filmed in and near Silver City in 2016. In 1954 the film Salt of the Earth , one of the first pictures to advance the feminist social and political point of view, centers on a long and difficult strike, based on the 1951 strike against the Empire Zinc Company in Grant County. The movie featured many local non-actors, the movie was not filmed in Silver City but in a small town 17 miles east. Silver City

7224-496: Was found alive in 2007 after being lost 40 days in the Gila Wilderness, setting a new state record for the number of days for a lost person to be found alive. It is common for hikers to become lost in the vast expanse of the Gila; some are never found. The Gila Wilderness provides opportunities for fishing, hunting, backpacking, horseback riding and camping. It has hundreds of miles of hiking and horseback trails starting at over fifty easily accessible trailheads . A visitor center near

7310-487: Was rebuilt with three blast furnaces and a reverberatory furnace to handle 225 tons of ore per day. Regular SC, PA&M steam service was briefly running from 1907 to 1913. In 1893, New Mexico Normal School was established. It was later known as New Mexico Western State Teachers College. In 1963, it was renamed Western New Mexico University . Today, WNMU offers eight graduate degrees, 41 baccalaureate degrees, and 18 associate degree and certificate programs. The WNMU's mascot

7396-409: Was the finish line in the 2001 movie Rat Race , in which several people race from Las Vegas to a locker containing $ 2 million in Silver City's train station. In reality, there is no longer a train station in Silver City and the movie was not filmed in Silver City. Silver City is mentioned in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood , whose screenplay was written by Paul Thomas Anderson and was based on

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